Month: October 2021

Free Press’s Ford posts Red Wings/NHL preview

The Detroit Free Press’s Ryan Ford was tasked with writing “Everything You Need to Know About the Detroit Red Wings’ 2021-22 NHL season” today. Among his notes and quotes:

The new kids

In general manager Steve Yzerman’s third season leading the franchise, Wings fans will finally get to see the results of his early drafts with his first two first-rounders making the opening-night roster:

Moritz Seider: A surprise pick at No. 6 overall in 2019, Seider has grown into a defenseman with the potential to dominate.  As a 19-year-old, he had two goals and 20 assists with a minus-5 rating in 49 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. The Wings farmed him out to Rögle of the Swedish Hockey League in 2020-21 to ensure he had a full season of work; in 41 games, he posted seven goals and 21 assists and was named the league’s top defenseman. With the Wings, expect to see him paired with defenseman Nick Leddy (we’ll get to him in a bit), who should provide some veteran leadership.

Lucas Raymond: The No. 4 pick in 2020 also spent the 2020-21 season in Sweden, though unlike Seider, he’s a native Swede. As a 18-year-old, he had six goals and 12 assists in 34 games with Frölunda of the SHL. Raymond was even more impressive in the preseason with the Wings over the past month, leading the team with six points (two goals, four assists). He should get a chance to impress early in the regular season, too, as he’ll likely be paired with Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi on the Wings’ top line.

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Red Wings-Lightning Game-Day updates 2: Red Wings ready to play in front of packed arena again

MLive’s Ansar Khan has already filed his game-day notebook ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 PM on BSD/BS Sun/97.1 FM), and Khan notes that the Red Wings’ players are excited about playing in front of a raucous home crowd again:

“We didn’t get a chance to play in stadiums that had the ability to go to capacity last year and so it’s been a ton of time for us,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think anybody, a player, a coach, would tell you that fans, how much they mean to the game, how much they mean to the energy and the momentum. So, it’s always special opening night, but given the fact we haven’t see this type of atmosphere in a while it will be that much more special. We have great fans throughout the state of Michigan, very passionate. I think the best fans in the NHL. This means a lot of them. We have a connection with the city for certain and we respect how much this means and want to go out and put out a good effort on a nightly basis.”

Last year began with only 250 fans, mostly players’ families and friends, allowed in the building and ended with some general admission tickets sold but only a maximum of 750 fans allowed in the seats. Tonight will be the first time since March 10, 2020 – what turned out to be the final game of the season before the pandemic shutdown — that LCA will host a significant number of fans.

“All the players are even more so excited this year with the fans being back in the building,” defenseman Danny DeKeyser said. “I think it’s going to be a great night. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen full buildings and the noise the fans bring. They bring another side of the game that we didn’t have for the last year-and-a-half.”

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Videos: DeKeyser, Staal, Blashill speak to media after Wings-Bolts morning skate

After today’s morning skate prior to tonight’s game vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 PM on BSD/BS Sun/97.1 FM), Danny DeKeyser, Marc Staal and coach Jeff Blashill spoke with the media, and the Red Wings’ website has posted videos of their media availabilities:

A bit about players of Cuban descent in hockey, Donovan Sebrango included

The Detroit News’s Mark Falkner penned an article discussing former U of M goaltender Al Montoya’s role as a trailblazer for Cuban-American and Latinx players. Montoya is now the director of community outreach for the Dallas Stars, and Red Wings prospect Donovan Sebrango is aware of Montoya’s status as a role model:

Montoya’s trailblazing role and the publicity surrounding the NHL’s celebration of Hispanic heritage have piqued the interest of Red Wings prospect Donovan Sebrango, whose father Eduardo played for the Cuban national soccer team and with Montreal and Vancouver in the Major Soccer League.

“I remember being around the dressing room when he played in Montreal,” said Sebrango, who was raised by his mother Kim after his parents divorced when he was young. “It’s one of those things you don’t really talk about unless you’re asked but it’s pretty cool and a big responsibility to be one of the few players who have that background and can represent the community.”

A third-round draft pick by the Red Wings in 2020 and now playing with the team’s minor-league affiliate in Grand Rapids, the 19-year-old Sebrango said he was asked about his Cuban-Canadian background while growing up and playing hockey in Ottawa, Kingston and Kitchener and it’s now something he’s “interested in learning more about” and telling others about the “competitiveness” of playing hockey.

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Via Krupa: Russian Hockey Federation names Igor Larionov Olympic team coach

Via the Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa on Twitter, the Russian Hockey Federation has announced that Igor Larionov has been named the coach of the Russian Olympic men’s hockey team:

The management group of the Russian national team has taken the decision to appoint Igor Larionov as the head coach of the Russian Olympic team (the reserve team of the senior national team), and Oleg Bratash as the head coach of the junior Russian national team.

Via TSN: Sportico ranks Wings as 10th-most-valuable NHL franchise

Via TSN: Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen posted a list of the most valuable franchises in the NHL earlier this morning, and the Red Wings rank 10th in Sportico’s rankings:

Post-morning skate Tweets: DeKeyser, Staal, Blashill speak with the media

The Detroit Red Wings will start Alex Nedeljkovic tonight against the Tampa Bay Lighting (7:30 PM on BSD/BS Sun/97.1 FM), and after today’s morning skate, Danny DeKeyser spoke with the media, as noted by WXYZ’s Jeanna Trotman:

Danny Dekeyser: it’s a huge honor (to be named an alternate captain.) It’s a team I grew up watching. I had a dream as a kid to play here. pic.twitter.com/TyELYMvmMm— Jeanna Trotman (@JeannaTrotmanTV) October 14, 2021

Dekeyser said he agrees with a Jeff Blashill that there is more depth in the Wings’ defense this year than in years past. There’s a balanced mix of veteran guys, as well as younger players with potential. https://t.co/B8P0rVN9iX— Jeanna Trotman (@JeannaTrotmanTV) October 14, 2021

Danny DeKeyser said this group of guys is just ready to play. A lot of new faces and they’ll will have find their chemistry, but they are ready to play for real. #LGRW @DetroitRedWings— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) October 14, 2021

Marc Staal said he hasn’t been here very long but he smiled and said “it feels like I’ve been here forever.” He’s honored to wear an “A” #LGRW @DetroitRedWings— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) October 14, 2021

The Red Wings also welcomed fans back today:

Continue reading Post-morning skate Tweets: DeKeyser, Staal, Blashill speak with the media

Two things: Free Press writers make their Wings predictions; Sears previews Wings-Bolts

Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

  1. The Free Press’s staffers made their NHL predictions today:

Helene St. James:

Best-case scenario: The Red Wings enjoy good health and play competitively — and finally win the draft lottery. 

Worst-case scenario: Injuries decimate the lineup, leading to finishing near the bottom of the standings, and then getting pushed back in the lottery again.

Breakout player: Lucas Raymond is the early favorite after such a good camp, but Moritz Seider may ultimately have the most impact as he strengthens the back end, and with that, the entire team.

Goals leader: Robby Fabbri. I would have picked Tyler Bertuzzi, but he stands to miss 10% of the Wings’ games because his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine means he can’t play in Canada, as it stands now.

Will they make the playoffs? Hard to see the Wings squeezing out one of the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division, or beating out one of the Metropolitan’s Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, New York Rangers or Pittsburgh Penguins for a wild-card spot. 

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2. DetroitRedWings.com’s Ethan Sears penned a Wings-Bolts preview of sorts:

Continue reading Two things: Free Press writers make their Wings predictions; Sears previews Wings-Bolts