Month: September 2024

Press release: Red Wings officially sign Moritz Seider to 7-year, $59.85 million contract

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS RE-SIGN MORITZ SEIDER TO SEVEN-YEAR CONTRACT

  … 2021-22 Calder Memorial Trophy Winner Has Recorded 134 Points in 246 Games …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today re-signed defenseman Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $8.55 million.

Seider, 23, skated in all 82 games with the Red Wings during the 2023-24 season and ranked among the team’s leading defensemen with nine goals (3rd), 33 assists (2nd), 42 points (2nd), 51 penalty minutes (2nd), three power play goals (1st), 17 power play points (2nd), 135 shots (2nd), 211 hits (1st), 212 blocks (1st) and 22:22 average time on ice (1st). The 6-foot-3, 205-pound blueliner was the only NHL player to record at least 200 hits and 200 blocks in 2023-24, setting franchise records in both categories. He set multiple personal milestones in his third NHL campaign, recording his 100th career point with an assist on Oct. 26 vs. Winnipeg, skating in his 200th career game on Dec. 29 vs. Nashville and logging his 100th career assist on Jan. 27 vs. Vegas. Seider matched his point total from the 2022-23 campaign, when he tallied 42 points (5-37-42) and 40 penalty minutes in 82 games.

Seider made an immediate impact with the Red Wings in 2021-22, leading all NHL rookie defensemen in games played (82), assists (43), points (50), power play points (21), overtime goals (2), game-winning goals (4), shots (187), blocks (161) and average time on ice (23:02). Seider was named the recipient of the 2021-22 Calder Memorial Trophy, becoming the sixth player – and first defenseman – in Red Wings history to be honored as the NHL’s top rookie, joining Roger Crozier (1964-65), Glenn Hall (1955-56), Terry Sawchuk (1950-51), Jim McFadden (1947-48) and Carl Voss (1932-33). Seider also earned a place on the All-Rookie Team alongside Lucas Raymond, becoming the first Red Wings defenseman to be selected to the All-Rookie Team since Nicklas Lidström and Vladimir Konstantinov were both honored in 1991-92. Seider was chosen as the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for October 2021 after picking up eight assists in his first nine career NHL games. Selected by the Red Wings in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Seider has compiled 134 points (21-113-134) and 125 penalty minutes in 246 games, which is the highest point total in his draft class among defensemen.

Prior to making his Red Wings debut, Seider was loaned to Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League for the 2020-21 season, earning Defenseman of the Year honors after recording 28 points (7-21-28), a plus-14 rating and 16 penalty minutes in 41 regular-season games, in addition to five points (1-4-5) in 13 postseason contests. Seider played the entire 2019-20 season with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, collecting 22 points (2-20-22) and 28 penalty minutes in 49 games. He made his professional debut at age 16 with Adler Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), logging six points (2-4-6) and eight penalty minutes in 33 games from 2017-19. Seider was named Rookie of the Year in Germany’s top professional league in 2018-19, helping Adler Mannheim win a DEL championship.

A native of Zell, Germany, Seider represented his country at four straight IIHF World Championships from 2019-23, winning a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Championship after recording five points (1-4-5), a plus-six rating and 31 penalty minutes in 10 games. Additionally, Seider was named Best Defenseman at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, logging five assists in 10 games. Seider captained Germany at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, tallying six assists in seven appearances. He was named Best Defenseman at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship Division 1 A tournament, captaining the team to a gold medal and registering seven points (1-6-7) in five games. Seider also captured two medals in international competition during the 2017-18 season, winning bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship Division 1 A tournament, in addition to earning Best Defenseman honors and a silver medal at the 2018 IIHF World Under-18 Championship Division 1 A tournament.

Press release: Griffins reveal new jersey designs

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

Griffins reveal new jersey designs

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins will take to the ice in new threads this season, as the team on Thursday announced its first jersey design changes since 2015-2016.

While the Griffins’ logo and color scheme of red, black, metallic silver, and metallic gold are unchanged, red and gold both take on new prominence in the CCM-designed home and road jerseys. The biggest adjustments feature red replacing black on the shoulders and gold replacing silver in the trim, complementing the gold in the Griffins’ logo, which depicts Griff standing guard over downtown Grand Rapids. Griffins were guardians of gold in ancient lore, making the enhanced use of gold appropriate in the team’s jerseys.

Red is also prominent in the striping of each jersey, while the font of the players’ names and numbers has been updated, with the names now italicized. The shoulders continue to feature patches of the Detroit Red Wings’ logo (left) and the Griffins’ shield logo (right), whose highlights will eventually change from silver to gold for the 2025-26 season.

“It’s been nearly a decade since we unveiled our current logo and redesigned our jerseys, during which time we won our second Calder Cup championship [in 2017] and built upon our storied legacy as one of the premier franchises in the American Hockey League,” said Griffins president Tim Gortsema. “With these new modifications to our historic jerseys, we continue to highlight our great partnership with the Detroit Red Wings while holding true to our roots.”

Continue reading Press release: Griffins reveal new jersey designs

Tweet of note: Red Wings re-sign Moritz Seider to 7-year contract at $8.55 million AAV

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

Here come the insiders…

The locals, too:

And the team:

Cap note!

We know:

And a know-it-all…

Eargood, HSJ discuss Dylan Larkin’s comments to the media

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin spoke with the media today, and the Hockey News’s Connor Eargood reports that Larkin is healthy and raring to go:

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin logged one of his most explosive seasons, breaking point-per-game pace for the first time in his career with 69 points in 68 games. Entering the 2024-25 season, Larkin feels he has more in the tank.

“I know I have a next level,” Larkin said Thursday at the opening day of Red Wings training camp. “I would like to see what I can do. I’d like to be a dominant player like I have been when I’m healthy. And that’s a big thing for me is staying healthy this year and trying to dominate.”

…

Before arriving in Traverse City, Larkin said his offseason training didn’t differ too much from his usual schedule. He did have an upper-body surgery during the summer — not a terribly significant one, but surgery nonetheless — that he had to recover from. But even if he faced such tough injury luck last season and had to commit time to repair and recovery, Larkin didn’t let this hold back his training.

“I actually was probably a little bit more intense this summer, but I think (I) just approach it the same every year,” Larkin said about his offseason. “I’ve been around for a bit now and know what my body needs, and really it’s about maintenance throughout the year, putting yourself in a good spot on the ice. Not putting yourself in a bad spot.”

Part of Larkin’s regimen included working out at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth with a who’s-who of NHL stars. The groups included teammates Andrew Copp, Ville Husso and DeBrincat, among others.

Even if he’s in position to have a big season, Larkin knows that some things are out of his own influence. He quickly mentioned that there’s a certain luck factor to injuries that he can’t control. He also feels that, despite recent injury history, he has enjoyed relative health compared to what some other players face. For that, he’s thankful.

“I don’t want to make a big deal about it,” Larkin said. “I feel that I’ve been — knock on wood — very healthy throughout my career and I would like to stay that way. It’s just the small stuff. And I’m more than capable of playing through it but hopefully it’s just a good year.”

Larkin also addressed Moritz Seider’s absence, as the Free Press’s Helene St. James noted:

“It is strange,” captain Dylan Larkin said. “That’s his situation, but I know he wants to be here.”

General manager Steve Yzerman said earlier this week that he didn’t think the sides were far apart – but that distance hadn’t closed by the time the Wings took the ice for the first of four straight days in Traverse City.

The Wings have about $8.7 million left in their coffer after signing Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million deal on Monday. Larkin described Seider as “one of my close friends.”

“It’s been him and his agent and Steve and the guys understand that,” Larkin said. “And we’re here to get back to work and start building towards Oct. 10. He’s a huge part of our team and we need him. But it is strange not having him. We’re all hoping it can get done pretty soon.”

Missing camp is one thing – the Wings amended by having Justin Holl skate in Seider’s place next to Ben Chiarot Thursday – but once the exhibition season begins next week, the clock ticks a little louder. But on Monday, Yzerman sounded encouraged, “I’m hopeful we can get a deal done at some point – sooner than later would be better for both parties. I don’t think we’re terribly far apart but we’ll hopefully we can progress to get him here as soon as possible.”

Update: The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan took note of Larkin’s remarks as well:

The Wings ultimately would miss the playoffs on a tiebreaker. But the experience earned from that late-season push, Larkin said, will be invaluable.

“It stung a little bit, and it was extremely hard to get over that,” Larkin said in his first interview with media of the season. “But we found out what we had in our room with our guys.

“We battled and came up short by one point, and you learn how valuable every point is. You saw growth in everyone. Growth as a team, from our young players.”

There were plenty of new faces on the ice Thursday, as camp began. Patrick Kane, who signed later last season, is in his first official Wings’ camp, and newcomers Vladimir Tarasenko, Erik Gustafsson, Cam Talbot and Tyler Motte were on the ice.

“We have a lot of new faces, which is always a challengem but that’s why Traverse City is so important and getting the guys together and making them feel comfortable,” Larkin said. “You look at the guys we added, they kind of bring maybe a little more youth and the same roles of the guys we lost (to free agency, trades). I’m expecting we have a great camp and hit the ground running.”

Berggren will get his chance to impress this season

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen revisits Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s comments regarding the importance of adding Jonatan Berggren’s offense to the Wings’ mix:

“He’s a smart hockey player,” Yzerman said. “He’s got good skills and it’s just the ability to do it at the NHL level. And he’s shown in some of the his call ups, brief periods that he’s called up that he has the ability and the hockey sense to play in the NHL.”

Yzerman recently reached an agreement with Berggren on a one-year contract for $825,000. Both the team and players were fine with that.

“We talked about one or two years,” Yzerman said. “Ultimately, with one player remaining unsigned, knowing what the salary cap is, probably weren’t in a position at this time to do a two-year deal… And if Jonathan goes out and has a solid season, he’s in a very good spot to renegotiate after one year. So you know what he needs to do? Just be a good hockey player in all areas of the aspects of the game, offensively, defensively.”

Berggren has been working out in Detroit lately.

 “He looks like he’s worked really hard this summer,” Yzerman said. “He’s in good shape… He’s worked hard, he’s been patient and get a good opportunity this year. Pretty confident that he’ll be a positive influence on our team.”

Continued

Press release: Ticketing info for the Stadium Series

Per the NHL:

Ticketing Information To The 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ Is Now Available

Tickets will go on sale to the general public October 4

Red Wings and Blue Jackets Set to Play Outdoors at Ohio Stadium on March 1

WATCH: 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ Tickets on Sale

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Sept. 19, 2024) – The NHL® announced today ticketing information for the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series. The outdoor game between the Detroit Red Wings and the host Columbus Blue Jackets is set for Saturday, March 1, 2025 at Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio State University Buckeyes football team, in Columbus, Ohio. The game will start at 6 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN, SN360, SN+ and TVAS2.

A 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series Special Student Section Ticket Presale Offer will begin today, Thursday, Sept. 19. Ohio State students will receive information from the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office via email prior to the presale.

Tickets to the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series go on sale to the general public on Friday, Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. ET,via Ticketmaster, the official ticketing partner of the NHL®. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. Ticketmaster is the only official marketplace of the NHL®, providing fans with the peace of mind in knowing the seats they buy on Ticketmaster.com and the Ticketmaster app are the seats they’ll get.

Continue reading Press release: Ticketing info for the Stadium Series

A quick Seider quip from Friedman

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman touched upon several topics this morning, including Moritz Seider’s contract situation:

As for the other remaining RFAs: it is hard to see an eight-year deal for Moritz Seider if Detroit wants to keep him below Dylan Larkin’s $8.7M AAV — while New Jersey, Winnipeg, Dawson Mercer and Cole Perfetti might be eying each other to see who signs first. It’s believed the Devils and Mercer were discussing two- and three-year deals, while two appeared to be the preferred term for Perfetti. Again, all of this can change with one phone call. 

Continued; TSN’s Chris Johnston suggested something similar on Insider Trading yesterday.

It’s better than an F, I guess…

The Score’s Josh Wegman issues offseason grades for Atlantic Division teams this morning, and here’s what he has to say about the Red Wings:

Detroit Red Wings: In a perfect world, the Red Wings would’ve signed Raymond and Seider to extensions last offseason. Raymond’s price, specifically, would’ve been far lower. It’s still a fair contract, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to repeat his breakout 72-point season that was buoyed by a robust 19% shooting percentage.

The Red Wings still have more than enough cap space to give Seider a slightly more expensive long-term deal, but a bridge deal feels increasingly likely the longer this drags out. It’s difficult to give Detroit a high grade with Seider unsigned.

However, the Gustafsson contract is very team-friendly, and Kane and Tarasenko should both provide veteran leadership and offensive punch. Kane, in particular, vastly exceeded expectations last season coming off hip surgery. All three players are old and liabilities defensively, though, which isn’t ideal for a team that needs to improve at five-on-five. The 37-year-old Talbot doesn’t solve the team’s goaltending concerns, either.

Grade: D+

Continued…OH NO OLD PLAYERS. Oy.