Month: August 2023

According to the Detroit Jewish News’s Steve Stein, a team of Jewish athletes from Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids and New York teamed up together to represent the Winged Wheel at the Maccabi Games in Israel:

Resplendent in their Detroit Red Wings-style uniforms, hockey players from Detroit and Grand Rapids gave it their best shot a long way from home. They didn’t win a medal at the JCC Maccabi Games last month in Israel. They won just two of five games.

But the memories they made during their three-week stay, that included the week-long Maccabi Games and two weeks of immersive educational travel around Israel with other athletes ages 14-17, will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

“Going on that tour around Israel was one of the best experiences of my life,” said Mason Marcus. “To take in all those significant sites in Israel with Jewish kids my age was great.” 

Nine players representing Detroit, two representing Grand Rapids and four representing New York City made up one of the eight teams in the Maccabi Games hockey competition.

The Detroit/Grand Rapids/NYC team practiced just four times before the Maccabi Games began. Three practices were at the Farmington Hills Ice Arena. One was in Israel, where the NYC players joined with their Michigan teammates. 

“We were competitive,” said Detroit/Grand Rapids/NYC coach Mark Weiss. “There were some very good teams there.”

Continued

You might not think so, but after yesterday’s tumultuous set of emotions, I’m actually having a pretty difficult Thursday in terms of keeping things all buttoned up. Yesterday went from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs, and all the way back to, “Well, okay, now you’ve got to make a real run of it. So how do we do this thing, anyway?”

It’s a real grind to fundraise, even when you’ve been absolutely blessed by an anonymous benefactor. With my car…under-performing…We’re still up against a bit of a wall.

I’m also still struggling to find my voice in terms of plain old writing more. I’ve got a friend who has me considering starting a podcast, too, so that’s rattling around in my brain as well.

Long story long, it’s a good day to have a therapist to help me sort out the disparate threads of thought bouncing off each other like bumper cars, and yes, it’s time for the daily reminder that we are still fundraising here at TMR.

Being at $2,350 on the GoFundMe is awesome, and at the same time, we’ve got $1,150 to go there in terms of more fundraising to cover accommodations and gas up, there and down, and thirteen days to get as close as we can to that mark.

We also have the server paid off and the internet bill paid, but there are pre-trip expenses (ye olde grocery shopping + dry cleaning) that will gobble up the “couple hundred” in the Venmo account, and the Paypal account has to be kept at or around that $150 mark in case we deal with some unexpected expenses.

So that’s where we’re at, and where we’re going, hopefully, is to Traverse City on the 12th of September. You’ve all been wonderful and I am incredibly grateful for your kindness and readership, but the journey is far from over.

If you can lend a hand with our overall expenses, we have an old-fashioned GoFundMe here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-george-annie-attend-prospect-tournament, you can use PayPal at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport, Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2, Giftly by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com. And you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check. I’m also on Cash App under “georgeums.”

Per the Detroit Red Wings on Twitter/X/whatever…

13 national games! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/2aBQjK9PZi

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 31, 2023

Power Edge Pro is in Metro Detroit for a skill development camp held with locally-based professional and NHL hockey players, and it appears that they have a returning attendee who might interest you:

The latest addition to the @DetroitRedWings – Alex Debrincat made his way to Detroit early for some Pro Camp reps. Expect big things this year as the dynamic right winger lines up with Larkin. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/qtBJJpwS5m

— Power Edge Pro (@PEPHockey) August 31, 2023

It’s the end of August, and the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton spends today’s column examining the ESPN documentary of the Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche’s bloody, bitter rivalry throughout the late 90’s, a.k.a. “Unrivaled.”

There was nothing like that particularly vicious rivalry between Detroit and Colorado, and, as Stockton suggests, the documentary feature–aired among what seems like an endless sea of (pardon the pun) hard-hitting sports documentaries–stands alone:

Unrivaled couldn’t be confused for a SportsCenter highlight pack because games defined by players like these don’t seem to exist anymore.  As if the game highlights from the era aren’t enough to make this clear, Brian Burke—then the NHL’s player safety boss—tells us that any wound requiring fewer than 10 stitches was then considered a “shaving cut.”

Of course, prioritizing McCarty and Draper within this story would only work if those players had something new to add to this well-told story, and that’s where Unrivaled works best.  From a film-making perspective, its most powerful tool is live footage of McCarty and antagonist Claude Lemieux at a sports bar in Royal Oak.  By bringing together the erstwhile combatants, Unrivaled arrives at a fresh perspective on an evening—March 26, 1997—that has been discussed by Red Wing fans in exhaustive detail for 25 years.

The documentary also uses its interviews to make plain that even with the passage of time, tensions are still beyond a simmer.  This is never clearer than when Draper is asked directly at the outset of the film whether he’s forgiven Lemieux.  Draper’s response?  

“Um…It seemed like was brought of what he did, but in the end, I quote my good friend Darren McCarty, karma’s a b**ch.

As Stockton continues, he notes that the most important part of the documentary, from a Red Wings fan’s perspective, at least, is the footage of Vladimir Konstantinov during and after his heyday as one of the NHL’s most punishing and complete defensemen. I happen to believe that the dignity with which Konstantinov lives his life today is a beautiful thing, and, as Vladdy himself summarizes the rivalry, what mattered?

“Beat them.”

DetroitRedWings.com’s Art Regner continues his “How Swede It Is” series with an article about defenseman Borje Salming. Salming only played one season in Detroit–his last in the NHL–but his importance to the Red Wings’ Swedes is massive:

Though he meshed well on and off the ice with his Red Wings teammates Salming retired from the NHL at the conclusion of the season. Yet, his impact on the Red Wings Swedish players that followed him is immeasurable.

“Back in ’91, before I joined the Wings, he was my partner (at the 1991 Canada Cup). I was actually an extra defenseman when the tournament started and someone got hurt and I got paired with Börje and I played all the games with him,” Red Wings legend Nick Lidstrom said. “I was nervous. I was nervous to meet him, but he made me feel so relaxed. I remember he told me, ‘Just go out there and play your game, I’m going to take care of the defense, you can go join the offense’ and be the offensive player that I was at a young age. He made me feel comfortable right away, which was huge for me.”

Lidstrom remembers how Salming showed up for every game and how he never took a shift off, something he tried to emulate during his Red Wings career. He was also impressed with how Salming conducted himself.

“He probably exceeded what I expected. Off the ice he was such a nice man. He cared for other people in the locker room, he didn’t act like the superstar he was. He was just being himself and really was thinking about everyone else as well,” Lidstrom said. “He paved the way for not only Swedes but for European players when he came over in the early ’70s. He wasn’t the first European player, but he was one of the first that became a star. So, he paved the way for all the Europeans the way he played and the way he stood up to the tough hockey that was played back then.

“He was my idol growing up.”

Continued

Via the Grand Rapids Griffins’ Twitter account, Michigan State University held its annual “pro camp” last week, inviting their professional hockey-playing alumni to take part in drills under coach Adam Nightingale at the revamped Munn Arena in East Lansing. Red Wings players/prospects Jeff Petry, Taro Hirose and John Lethemon are featured in a 1:30 video highlighting the best of the pro camp:

Spartan hockey Pro Camp one of our favorite weeks of the summer – thanks for stopping back home, boys! pic.twitter.com/DqEcd0zcSJ

— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) August 26, 2023

The Grand Rapids Griffins posted their 2023-2024 season’s promotional schedule yesterday afternoon:

The Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday announced their promotional schedule for the 2023-24 season, featuring a number of giveaways and the return of many popular season-long promotions. Single-game tickets for each of the team’s 36 regular-season home games at Van Andel Arena will go on sale to the general public on Friday, Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. at griffinshockey.com/tickets.

The Griffins will launch the home portion of their 72-game slate on Friday, Oct. 13 against the Colorado Eagles with Opening Night presented by Huntington Bank. Promotions for the home opener include a magnet schedule giveaway, $2 beers/hot dogs, and a post-game open skate.

Grand Rapids’ other giveaways this season include a team calendar (Oct. 14), bucket hat (Nov. 11), sugar skull bobblehead (Nov. 26), Cousin Griffy bobblehead (Dec. 15), adult Flying Toasters jersey (Jan. 27), Friends hat (Feb. 16), belt bag (March 2), and a mystery bag (April 21). Key promotional dates include: Military Appreciation Night (Nov. 11 – 8 p.m. start); 22nd annual School Day Game (Nov. 15 – 11 a.m. start); Teddy Bear Toss (Nov. 24); Hispanic Heritage Night (Nov. 26); Eighth annual Red Kettle Game for The Salvation Army (Dec. 1); A Griffins Christmas Vacation (Dec. 15); 26th annual New Year’s Eve Celebration (Dec. 31 – 6 p.m. start); Heroes vs. Villains (Jan. 13); What Could’ve Been Night (Jan. 27); Princess Night (Feb. 10); Friends Night (Feb. 16); Hockey Without Barries/Sensory Friendly Game (Feb. 24); the Jake Engel Memorial Dog Game (Feb. 25); Salute to Badges (March 2); 12th annual Purple Community Game for Van Andel Institute (March 15); Star Wars Night (March 16 – 8 p.m. start); HOPE Network Night (April 12); and Fan Appreciation Night (April 21).

The popular Friday night beer and hot dog promotion returns for all Friday home games this season, featuring $2 hot dogs and $2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last. Free Ride Fridays allows fans to enjoy a complimentary fare on The Rapid by showing their ticket to that night’s game. Visit ridetherapids.org for schedule information, routes and maps.

Continued

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen offered an early look at the developmental curves of the Red Wings’ 2020 NHL Draft picks yesterday.

The “Lucas Raymond draft” afforded Detroit 12 player selections, and some of the players are already out of the organization, so Allen deemed it time to examine the situations of the Wings’ NHL prospects from the ’20 draft, including William Wallinder, Cross Hanas and Eemil Viro:

The Red Wings’ two second round picks — defenseman William Wallinder (drafted 32nd overall) and left wing Cross Hanas (drafted 55th overall) — are both pointed toward Detroit. Hanas (nine goals, 17 points in 30 games) made a favorable impression in Grand Rapids last season before being lost to injury. Wallinder (seven goals, 26 points in 50 games for BK Rogle) is coming off a strong season in Sweden and will play his first North American season for Grand Rapids in 2023-24. He’s a 6-foot-4 two-way defenseman.

A third second rounder, Theo Niederbach (drafted 51st overall), is developing slower than anticipated. Because he’s only 21, he’s in the maybe category.

GM Steve Yzerman dealt third-round pick Donovan Sebrango (drafted 63rd overall) in the Alex DeBrincat swap. The Senators liked Sebrango, and he’s from the Ottawa area. Considering how important DeBrincat is, the Red Wings earn some credit for using the asset.

The Red Wings drafted goalie Jan Bednar (107th overall) and he has already signed with the Grand Rapids Griffins, although he may play with the Toledo Walleye this season. He’s in the mix.

The jury remains out on Eemil Viro (drafted 70th overall). Last season, the Griffins had an overcrowded defense and Viro was sent to the Toledo Walleye. This will be an important season for Viro to show he is on the path to the NHL. Like Niederbach, Viro is a “maybe.”

Continued; I’m guessing that Bednar and John Lethemon will be the goaltenders for the Walleye, and I’m a bit iffy on his long-term potential;

To me, the player to watch is obviously Wallinder, as he’s a massive left-shooter who could be used in a two-way role; Hanas is speedy and has a good shot, and had success at the AHL level before his shoulder gave out; Viro…

Viro is in a bit of a pickle as he’s kind of squeezed out in Grand Rapids. If he’s patient, he could find his way back to the AHL, but he could probably make more money in Europe, should this year not work out for him.

We’ve discussed the fact that Red Wings defensive prospect Antti Tuomisto bet on himself in a big way last season, leaving the University of Denver for TPS Turku of the Finnish Liiga.

The move looked puzzling at the time, because he was leaving North America to play pro hockey in Europe, but Tuomisto posted 20 points in 60 games, he established himself as an efficient and “heavy” defenseman at 6’5″ and 205 pounds, and the Red Wings saw enough in the right-shooting defenseman to sign him to an entry-level contract late last spring.

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills looked back toward Tuomisto and Red Wings director of player development Dan Cleary’s comments about “Big Antti” from the Wings’ summer development camp:

“I thought he had a good season in Finland,” Red Wings assistant director of player development Dan Cleary said on July 5. “He certainly progressed well. He’s a smart, cerebral player.”

Tuomisto said this past season with TPS was a learning experience.

“There’s a lot of skating in Finland, too, with the bigger sheet,” Tuomisto said. “Also, puck battles and stuff like that with bigger guys. It’s harder, so I think that helped me a lot.”

While playing overseas, Tuomisto gathered plenty of hockey tidbits from former NHL defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Sami Salo. Kronwall, who spent his entire 15-year career with Detroit, including a 2008 Stanley Cup championship, currently serves as the Red Wings Director of European Player Development.

“I want to use my shot,” Tuomisto said. “That’s one thing I worked on a lot with Sami Salo, who was our D-coach in Finland. And of course, with Niklas Kronwall a lot on that. I think I got a lot better in that last season.”

Continued; Tuomisto will probably play this upcoming season in Grand Rapids, but he’s got “all the tools” necessary to succeed as a physical defender going forward…

And it’s important to note that prospect development isn’t always linear. Sometimes players have to take a perceived step backwards to really step forward, and that’s what Tuomisto did playing for a TPS team that’s known for developing young players.