The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton posted his article about Jeff Petry’s introductory presser earlier this afternoon, and Stockton took note of a couple details not yet mentioned by the Wings’ press corps:
On the ice, Petry looks forward to playing alongside Moritz Seider, a player who captured Petry’s attention before Seider took an NHL shift. “I remember the year he was drafted and coming down here and skating with him, and he was 18 at the time—just seeing the body that he had, his frame and what he already had at that age,” Petry says. “And then to see him step in and play as well as he did and to continue to grow, I think he’s a very, very good player now, and I think he’s only going to continue to get better. I’m excited to play with a guy like that that.”
Petry played with Ben Chiarot in Montreal for an added bit of familiarity, and he likes what he sees across the Red Wings blue line: “There’s a good balance on that back end. Everyone has different skillsets that come into play…It’s exciting to see.”
Since the trade that returned him to Montreal a few weeks ago, Petry knew another move was more than possible. He expressed appreciation for Hughes, who asked for a list of preferred destinations even if he couldn’t make a guarantee. Per Petry, “Detroit was the number one spot on my list.”
“You grow up seeing the success he had and what he brought to this city,” Petry said of his new boss, Steve Yzerman. “The conversation that we had was easy—asking about family, living situations, and all that. He’s a guy that definitely cares about more things than just things on the ice.”
He admits his summer of uncertainty was “stressful” throughout a “long three weeks trying to figure out if we’re not in Pittsburgh, where are we gonna be…All situations went through our minds…It was a big relief getting the call yesterday, knowing that I was going to be here.”
Asked what he’s learned with the experience of 864 NHL games under his belt, Petry said “There’s gonna be many ups, many downs. You try to ride those ups as long as possible, and try to shorten those downs to as short of a period as possible. I’ve been through many of those.”
