Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted a subscriber-only article which reveals a unique detail from Red Wings history, from Red Wings advisor Jimmy Devellano:
“Mike Ilitch and I understood we were in the entertainment business,” Devellano said. “I was big on that. I signed all kinds of guys at the end. Anything to be able to make a big announcement, to shake things up. Some were OK and some were not. You had to sell tickets.”
Devellano, still with the Red Wings organization as a senior vice president, was just trying to keep fans and media interested until he could build through the draft.
Recently, Devellano told Detroit Hockey Now that even tried to lure Mike Bossy out of retirement.
“He had retired because of a bad back,” Devellano said. “His career was cut short.”
Bossy retired at age 30, after being limited to 67 games in 1986-87. He scored 50 or more goals for nine consecutive seasons before being limited to 38 in his final season.
According to Devellano, he saw Bossy a year or two later when he was working for Quebec Nordiques’ television. That’s when he hatched the idea of signing him.
Continued (paywall), with the reason that Bossy declined the Wings’ offer…
