The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan and DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted two articles which further discuss Red Wings pro try-out Michael Hutchinson. We start with Kulfan…
Hutchinson, 33, has played 153 NHL games for five teams, but he found landing an NHL contract difficult this past summer coming off a poor season in Columbus (2-6-3, 4.29 goals-against average, .875 save percentage).
Hutchinson wasn’t sure what the future was going to hold as the summer wore on. There weren’t any contracts and the goaltending market was tight.
“I wasn’t even sure if I was going to take a PTO or anything,” Hutchinson said. “I got a call (from the Wings) the Monday before (training) camp. I was getting the itch to go on the ice, so I figured why not come here? I have an opportunity to get some exhibition game minutes in and I enjoy playing hockey. This offseason didn’t go quite the way we planned it, but you have to keep moving forward.”
After some good work in training camp and in 30 minutes of action Sunday against Chicago, Hutchinson has at least put himself in position to possibly earn a contract with the Wings to play in Grand Rapids.
Much will depend on whether the Wings decide to keep three goalies (Ville Husso, James Reimer, Alex Lyon) on the NHL roster, or risk putting Lyon on waivers and possibly losing him to another team if they decide to send Lyon to Grand Rapids.
“He stops pucks,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said about Hutchinson. “He obviously wasn’t with us coming into camp when we put together our plan. And now, he’s into his second action again tonight, which is good. Another opportunity on the road against a little deeper Chicago lineup than we saw the other night.”
Hutchinson said he was golfing in Winnipeg when he received the invitation to report to Traverse City, Mich., for Red Wings Training Camp.
“Got the phone call Monday (Sept. 18) and had to fly out on Tuesday (Sept. 19),” Hutchinson said. “It was a little bit of a scramble getting home. I had some plans that weekend I had to cancel with my wife, but I thought it would be a fun opportunity.”
While this offseason “didn’t go quite the way” Hutchinson and his agent, Robert Hooper, envisioned, the 6-foot-3, 201-pound goaltender said he must “keep moving forward.”
“I just wanted to get back out on the ice and skating,” Hutchinson said. “You don’t really look at things too much because so much is out of my control. All I can control is how I show up every day, my attitude, work ethic and how I can perform on the ice.”
