Month: December 2021

Tweet of note: Bobby Ryan practicing with Swiss team ahead of Spengler Cup

Via Francesca Fontana on Twitter, former Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan is practicing with Swiss team HC Ambri Piotta ahead of his participation in the Spengler Cup:

I’m not suggesting that the Red Wings sign the guy–he’s too slow–but I wish him all the best at the Spengler Cup, and hope that he finds a way back into the NHL.

Team USA’s World Junior Championship blog: Wings coach Jeff Blashill helps inspire the U.S. team

This note comes from USA Hockey’s World Junior Championship blog, which reports that Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill spoke with the U.S. WJC team on Monday night:

Jeff Blashill, head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, joined the team via Zoom after dinner Monday evening. Blashill, a Michigan native, is no stranger to coaching U.S. teams, coaching six teams as both a head coach and an assistant.

Now in his seventh season as the bench boss for the Red Wings, Blashill’s presence on screen demanded attention. He shared his first memories as a coach, putting on a blue USA Hockey blazer that at the time was mandatory for coaches to wear on the bench. It was his first opportunity to represent his country on the international stage, and something he’ll never forget.

“I’m jealous of you right now, I love wearing those colors.”

Players asked Blashill questions about how to handle the bubble, how to become a good team in international tournament, and what he thinks is important for winning the World Juniors. After the back-and-forth, Blashill shared his final thoughts of advice and encouragement.

One thing was clear: everyone at some point will be asked to lead.

Players slept on the call overnight, and woke up early for morning practice. It was apparent the advice from the call had been well-received. Practice found a new level of intensity, pushing the pace closer to game speed.

Continued

Former Wing Bobby Ryan speaks with The Athletic’s ‘The Hockey Show’ about the Olympics

Among the highlights of former Red Wing Bobby Ryan’s comments made to The Athletic’s “The Hockey Show,” per Sean Gentille and Craig Custance:

Where do you think the NHL lands [on the Olympics], if we don’t already know, and would you be like, “I’d jump at the chance to play for the American team?”

I don’t think they’re going. Now you’ve got 30-40 games to be rescheduled for one. Someone was like, “There’s going to be a lot of building dilemmas.” Is it really going to be that many? I mean, that stuff can be switched around in a day, if you have a basketball game that’s scheduled, they’ll flip that overnight. So I don’t think that schedule is going to be much of an issue. And (the NHL) already had a second schedule. Yeah, it was a contingency of schedule. Yeah. So you go to that contingency schedule and remove some games. I don’t know. It shouldn’t be hard. I just don’t think they’re going.

For me, I would definitely be interested. I would absolutely throw my name in the hat and see if there was interest from Team USA. If there was, I would have to do the same due diligence that the NHL guys are doing because I have two young kids at home.

I’m not in a rush to jump in and be told that a) you’re gonna have a five-week quarantine, and (that) if you test positive you’re already in 10-day quarantine, just to get there. So there’s a lot of moving parts. Ask me again in 10 days, I guess, and we’ll go from there

Continued (paywall)

A bit of praise for Simon Edvinsson, WJC ‘x-factor’

Sportsnet’s Lauren Kelly posted a primer on the 2022 World Junior Championship, which will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, discussing the strengths, weaknesses and “x-factors” for each of the participating teams. She suggests that Sweden’s “x-factor” is a Red Wings draft pick:

X-Factor: Simon Edvinsson (DET)

Emil Andrae (PHI) is the lone player who will return from Sweden’s deep 2021 defence corps, which means the blue line will be relatively inexperienced this time around. However, Detroit’s sixth overall pick in 2021, Simon Edvinsson, could help provide the necessary stability on the back end. The hulking 6-foot-5, 207-pound left-shot defender is a smooth-skating, physical player who has the ability to produce from the blue line as well.

Continued

NHL.com’s Vickers profiles Sebastian Cossa ahead of the World Junior Championship

NHL.com’s Aaron Vickers posted a profile of Red Wings goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa, who hopes to back-stop the Canadian World Junior team to a gold medal after Christmas:

Sebastian Cossa is hoping to make his mark in Canada’s crease at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship. 

The 19-year-old, who plays for Edmonton of the Western Hockey League, is one of three goalies auditioning for the role of No. 1 for Canada, joining 2022 NHL Draft eligible Brett Brochu of London of the Ontario Hockey League and New York Rangers prospect Dylan Garand of Kamloops of the WHL.

“It’s a lot of sacrifice and hard work that’s gotten me to this point, so you embrace it and enjoy it,” Cossa said. “There’s a lot that comes with it, putting on the Team Canada jersey, a lot of expectations. You go out and try to represent your country and play well for them. Being the goalie for Team Canada definitely comes with the expectations that you’re going to do good and a lot falls on your shoulders. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to keep a pretty small mindset and do my job and stop the puck.”

The three goalies were the only ones Canada brought to selection camp Dec. 1.

They’ve been in competition ever since to become Canada’s No. 1 for the tournament, beginning Dec. 26 against Czechia at Rogers Place in Edmonton — Cossa’s home rink. 

“The three of us have created a close bond and that’s just going to increase as the tournament goes on,” said Cossa, who counts World Juniors performances from Carter Hart (2017, 2018) and Carey Price (2007) among his most memorable. “It’s competitive, but not anti-competitive where you’re wishing bad on those guys. You just play your game and whoever is No. 1 is whoever is going to play the best and do the best for the team to try to help us win a gold medal.”

Continued

Duff discusses Ben Simon’s coaching debut

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff discusses Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon’s work over the past weekend, when he helmed the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils:

“It’s different because you’re not expecting it,” explained Simon, coach of Detroit’s top farm club the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. “That’s not your goal here. Your goal is to always make it to the highest level, but as a coach you’re really worried about your group and improving your group on a daily basis.”

The group Simon was worrying about suddenly became the Red Wings on Saturday after he received word that the NHL was placing Detroit coach Jeff Blashill in COVID-19 protocol.

While this call up was feeling much different than his November 10, 2001 NHL debut as a player with the Atlanta Thrashers, that didn’t mean Simon wasn’t feeling the thrill of the opportunity.

“There’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of moving pieces, a little bit of everything – a little anxiety, a little panic, a little excitement,” Simon admitted. “It’s kind of cool. At the end of the day, not a lot of guys can say they stepped behind an NHL bench.

“For me, whether that was one game or turns into a thousand games over the course of my life, it was a great experience and to do it for Detroit was pretty cool.”

Continued

Erne, Oesterle and unnamed support staffer placed in COVID protocol

Well, shit: