Month: October 2021

The Associated Press’s Larry Lage asked Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill about the NHL’s intent to use pucks which include tracking hardware this season, and coach Blashill was less than thrilled with the news–which might be a good thing:

After a bumpy start last season with microchipped pucks that didn’t slide right, the latest versions have worked so well that at least one coach wasn’t sure if they were in play yet.

“I’m not aware that we have used those pucks yet this season,” Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “I wish we would so we could feel them.”

That seems to be a good sign. The NHL attempted to track pucks last January, but took them off the ice six days into the season.

“We went away from it because the puck didn’t glide right,” Blashill recalled. “It didn’t feel like a real puck. Obviously, that’s the trick. I think puck tracking is a great thing that will really help the analytics a lot.”

Blashill told Lage that the puck-tracking hardware will be good news, assuming that the pucks perform properly:

“The puck tracking piece is critical and we’re excited about it with our analytics group,” Blashill said. “We think it take some of the things we have in place and bring it to a whole other level.”

Of prospect-related note in North America on Friday night:

In the QMJHL, Oscar Plandowski finished at +1 with 3 shots in the Charlottetown Islanders’ 4-1 win over Halifax;

Jan Bednar served as the back-up in the Acadie-Bathurst Titan’s 5-2 win over Saint John;

In the OHL, Pasquale Zito had a goal and an assist, finishing at +1 with 3 shots and a 13-for-26 faceoff record in the Windsor Spitfires’ 3-2 overtime victory over Sarnia;

In the WHL, Sebastian Cossa stopped 23 of 24 shots and earned second star status in the Edmonton Oil Kings’ 2-1 victory over Swift Current;

Cross Hanas finished at -1 with 2 shots in the Portland Winterhawks’ 4-0 loss to Everett;

In the BCHL, Kienan Draper finished even with an assist in the Chilliwack Chiefs’ 7-5 loss to Langley;

And in NCAA Division I Hockey, Robert Mastrosimone scored the game-winning goal in the Boston University Terriers’ 2-1 victory over UConn.

Mastrosimone had 7 shots and finished even; Ethan Philips finished even with 5 shots; Chase Bradley finished even with 3 shots for UConn;

Continue reading Prospect round-up: Zito 1+1, Cossa, Gylander post wins; Mazur 1+1 and Mastrosimone scores gamer for BU

According to the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe, forward T.J. Hensick is attending the Toledo Walleye’s training camp as a pro try-out:

Veteran forward T.J. Hensick signed a tryout agreement with the Toledo Walleye and was on the ice for the opening day of training camp on Friday.

Hensick, who has played in 900 games in his pro career, served as Toledo’s captain the last time the Walleye were ice during the 2019-20 season.

Hensick, the former University of Michigan star, turned pro in 2007-08 and went to play in 112 games in the NHL with Colorado and St. Louis. After playing in 653 career games in the American Hockey League, Hensick suited up for the Walleye in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

The native of Howell, Mich., has played in 104 career regular-season games for Toledo. Hensick has racked up 114 points with 33 goals and 81 assists.

Continued

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff penned a subscriber-only article which discusses whether Joe Veleno, Bobby Ryan, Lucas Raymond, Givani Smith or Carter Rowney should make the Red Wings’ roster:

Lucas Raymond

Keep Him: Raymond has delivered offense, displayed an ability to play with and without the puck and a hockey IQ wise beyond his 19 years. “He’s done a good job of offensively having some deception but also taking what’s given, and I think defensively he’s done a good job of making reads in a lot of different situations,” Blashill said.

Ship Him: As a teenager, Raymond still has much to learn. Will there be time for teaching moments during an NHL season compacted by an Olympic break? Blashill started the preason citing the need for Raymond to be a presence in every game. His start was great but Raymond’s last two games were nothing to write home about.

…

Givani Smith

Keep Him: At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Smith brings size and physical presence, two qualities the Red Wings are desperately needing. “He’s a big body,” Blashill said. “He’s tough, he’s physical. We don’t have lots of that.” As well, Smith must be risked on waivers to go to GR. He’s the type of player who just might get claimed.

Waive Him: Smith isn’t delivering his advertised goods. “Some of the physical toughness hasn’t shown yet,” Blashill said. “Can he be a little bit better? Yeah.”

Continued (paywall)

Saturday’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres (3 PM EDT start) will air on MSG B in the New York area, and the Red Wings will stream it on DetroitRedWings.com. Ken Kal and Paul Woods are supposed to do play-by-play on 97.1 the Ticket as well.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a notebook article this afternoon, and it discusses Red Wings prospect Joe Veleno’s near proximity to being an NHL-ready player:

Veleno, a 2018 first-round pick, had a tie-breaking goal and assist in Thursday’s 4-2 victory over Pittsburgh, and has had a good, if not excellent, camp. He also didn’t look out of place in a five-game trial with the Wings late last season. But the Wings don’t want Veleno to play scarce minutes and have a lesser role at the NHL level, if the alternative is to play big minutes in every situation in Grand Rapids and continue to learn and blossom.

The Wings also have a pool of players for the bottom-six forwards who are older and more experienced than Veleno, making a path to a roster spot difficult.

“He’s making his way to being close to being NHL-ready,” Blashill said. “There’s a lot of guys kind of in that mix and then it’s that next step that’s more important, (being) ready to help an NHL team be way better. That to me is what we’re looking for. How do you help the Detroit Red Wings be a way better team, not just how can you make our team? He’s worked his tail off for two years, he’s changed his body, bought into being good on the defensive side of the puck. So, it depends on where he potentially fits in. Is he better than other guys?”

Continued

This is kind of cute:

On our first day of school, we played our favorite game and had lots of fun. ? pic.twitter.com/73QEgBCOtR— Toledo Walleye (@ToledoWalleye) October 8, 2021

We made new friends and saw some old ones we hadn’t seen for awhile. pic.twitter.com/CV2u90K4dE— Toledo Walleye (@ToledoWalleye) October 8, 2021

We can’t wait to show you what we learned on November 6. ? pic.twitter.com/xWoj5xa6Ad— Toledo Walleye (@ToledoWalleye) October 8, 2021

Per the Red Wings on Twitter:

The Detroit #RedWings today assigned center Chase Pearson and defensemen Brian Lashoff and Ryan Murphy to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins and released defenseman Adam Brubacher from his professional tryout.

Details: https://t.co/j2oAZzJkOa pic.twitter.com/nfVBObyU5J

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 8, 2021

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Friday assigned forward Chase Pearson, and defensemen Brian Lashoff and Ryan Murphy to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The Griffins will hold their first practice in Grand Rapids on Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Griff’s IceHouse at Belknap Park, in preparation for Opening Night presented by Huntington Bank against Rockford next Friday, Oct. 15 at Van Andel Arena. Practices are closed to the public but open to registered media.

Of prospect-related note in Europe this afternoon:

In the Finnish Liiga, Eemil Viro finished even with 3 shots in 12:28 played as TPS Turku won 1-0 over KalPa;

Otto Kivenmaki scored a goal, finishing even with 5 shots in 16:53 played during the Lahti Pelicans’ 2-0 win over KooKoo:

#Liiga
– Kivenmäki 1+0, +/- 0, 5 SOG, 16:53 ice time in a 2-0 win
– Viro 0+0, +/- 0, 3 SOG, 12:28 ice time in a 1-0 win#LGRW pic.twitter.com/wRrsjRaaxf— Red Wings Prospects (@DRWProspects) October 8, 2021

In the Swedish J20 league, Liam Dower Nilsson had 2 assists in Frolunda HC’s 4-3 shootout loss to Sodertalje SK:

#SweU20
– Dower Nilsson 0+2, -1 in a 4-3 SO loss

Assists at 0:11 and 0:23 ?#LGRW https://t.co/0DEa6YGEv9— Red Wings Prospects (@DRWProspects) October 8, 2021

And in the Swedish Allsvenskan, Filip Larsson was the back-up in HV71 Jonkoping’s 7-2 win over BIK Karkskoga;

And Gustav Berglund finished even with 1 shot, Albin Grewe had an assist and finished even with 1 shot, and Mora IK won 4-3 in overtime over Jesper Eliasson and Almtuna IS. Eliasson stopped 22 of 26 shots for Almtuna.