Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff took note of a surprising coincidental meeting between two of the Red Wings’ newest recruits:
Two of the newest Detroit Red Wings, center Andrew Copp and Ben Chiarot, were previously teammates with the Winnipeg Jets. Last week, while attending the same wedding and with both heading into unrestricted free agency, they joked about forming a union of their own again.
“I saw Chiarot at a wedding about 10 days ago,” Copp recalled. “We were just kinda joking around. The full market hadn’t really kinda set out yet. Hadn’t had those deep of conversations yet but kinda joked about it. But otherwise had no idea how many guys he was going to add.”
Two of six UFAs signed by Detroit over a two-day span, Copp feels that effort is displaying just how close Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman feels his group is to being a competitive club.
“I felt like he would do a few more but to the extent he did, I think it kinda shows the belief that he has in the group and the guys that he’s adding,” Copp said. “It feels like the next step is ready to be taken.”
