Three things: No news too small

There are times that you forget that no bit of news is “too small” during the summertime for Red Wings fans.

So:

  1. I had seen the Tweet that Red Wings prospect and Grand Rapids Griffins forward Elmer Soderblom hit a hole-in-one the other day, but I passed on it. The Hockey News’s Connor Eargood did not:

Soderblom’s had a rough couple of seasons in Grand Rapids, battling an assortment of injuries, but he just turned 23, he posted 29 points in 61 games last season, and his size remains an intriguing intangible that he needs to utilize more regularly if he is to reestablish himself as a Red Wings prospect;

2. And, as Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes, you ought to keep your eye on the EliteProspects “transfers” page on the homepage, because you’ll see some familiar faces changing places all summer long:

Oscar Plandowski, a 2021 unsigned Detroit draft pick (155th), will play hockey at the University of New Brunswick next season. The school has won the past two Canadian university national titles. Also, former Red Wings player Tomas Jurco is switching teams in the KHL. He left Avangard Omsk as a free agent to sign with Kunlun Red Stars. He had 16 points in 21 games last season for Omsk.

It’s good to see Plandowski further his career and academic aspirations. His mom, Jill Plandowski, is a premier power skating coach;

I’m kind of cringe-y about players who are still choosing to take the money they can make in the KHL, but I guess it’s their choice. Grand Rapids Griffins alumnus Danny O’Reagan signed with the Kunlun Red Star today as well;

3. Finally, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen followed up Bob Duff’s current “All-Michigan Team” with an all-time All-Michigan Red Wings Team, and I’m going to spotlight one of my favorite short-time Wings from Allen’s subscriber-only article in former Wing and former Wings director of pro scouting Mark Howe:

Mark Howe (Detroit, 1992-95): Gordie Howe’s son didn’t play for Detroit until the final three seasons of his career. But he was a Hall of Famer, and fans knew of his ability long before he played here. He played for the Detroit Junior Red Wings and was always around the rink when Howe played here.

At the now-defunct Olympia, Mark played floor hockey outside the Red Wings dressing room while waiting for his father to sign autographs after games.

Mark Howe felt like a Red Wings hometown hero even before he actually played here. After retiring as a player, he worked for many years as a Detroit professional scout.

I’d argue that Mark Howe, who played his best NHL years as a Philadelphia Flyer (as such, he lives in the Philadelphia area), may have been one of the more underrated NHL’ers of all time. His smooth-skating style and puck-handling were just so damn elegant that, even in his later years, you could see that Howe was something special in his own right.

Update: Make that four things: According to Hockey-News.info, Red Wings prospect Marco Kasper has taken an invite from HC Innsbruck to attend the team’s training camp, which begins on August 7th. Kasper’s father, Peter, was asked if he’d allow his son to participate, and Marco is apparently going to sign some autographs and take some fan photos after practice.

Update #2: Also:

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!