Month: August 2025

Yesterday, Lansing’s WILX 10’s Ben Shockley reported that Red Wings prospect Carter Mazur took part in a 3-on-3 hockey tournament in his hometown of Jackson, Michigan, as a coach. This morning, WILX’s YouTube channel posted a 51-second video of Mazur discussing his endeavor:

Okay, so…

Four days ago, RG.com’s Jimmy Murphy suggested that the Detroit Red Wings might be one of three teams interested in acquiring restricted free agent forward Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks, with Murphy noting the long-time connection between Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and his one-time right-hand man, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek…

The dog days of the 2025 NHL offseason are officially in session, but as the calendar turned to August, speculation surrounding Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish remained.

“I think there’s a better chance now that the Ducks keep him, but teams are still trying to get him from the Ducks and wondering where this is going, and it’s still in a circling pattern,” an NHL Executive source told RG on Tuesday night.  

“I’ve heard the Canadiens and Hurricanes have been keeping tabs, but one team I keep hearing that has continued to show strong interest is the Detroit Red Wings. Obviously there’s a history there with Pat [Verbeek] and Steve [Yzerman], and I really think Steve sees McTavish as a player that would clearly change the whole dynamic of his team up the middle there.”

But Murphy also suggested that the Red Wings would have to give up Axel Sandin Pellikka in exchange for McTavish. While McTavish is a gritty top-six forward with 20-goal-scoring potential, I’m not inclined to create a hole on the Red Wings’ blueline for the sake of filling a hole in terms of the Wings’ need for a top-six forward.

For me, that’s a non-starter.

Yesterday, NHL Trade Rumor’s Geoff Hannah (with whom I have no beef) wrote an article that I thought would have to be nothing more than something written for early August shock value, but it’s very slow out there, so the rumor got some frog’s legs, and started hopping around…

Continue reading The Mason McTavish-for-ASP rumor grows legs and goes for a walk

TSN’s BarDown offered us this at 12:43 AM on August 10th…

Who’s the greatest to ever suit up for Detroit? 🤔⤵️ pic.twitter.com/kpRTFGXHfT

— BarDown (@BarDown) August 10, 2025

So I answered honestly:

The answer is an unqualified “YES!” from me.

I loved Steve, Nick, Pavel, Sergei, Henrik, Alex, Ted, so many more Red Wings that you can refer to by their first names and know who you’re talking about…But Gordie is a phenomenon unto himself.

I shook is hand once. He was in Traverse City, and he had gotten pretty bad in terms of his dementia, but I saw Gordie Howe standing there and I knew that it would be my only time to ever say “Hello” to MY greatest of all time.

I said, “Hello, Sir, it’s an honor to meet you” and I grabbed his hand. This absolute meathook of a hand shook back with the strength of ten men.

He just…from stem to stern, from his boyhood until those final days, Gordie was the most vicious player on ice, and the kindest, most dignified and gentle soul off the ice, and they don’t make a player who’s his own enforcer any more.

Squeeze Yzerman’s skill, Fedorov’s natural athleticism and Probert’s brutality into one man, and give him the egoless grace of Lidstrom, and you’ve got a start. But only a start.

NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale and Pete Jensen offer a 5-article set which examines the summertime changes by the Detroit Red Wings.

We all know by now that the Red Wings believe that they will improve upon the team’s up-and-down 2024-2025 season, but Morreale’s “Inside Look at [the] Detroit Red Wings” asks the same questions most of us have for the team’s players and management:

The Detroit Red Wings feel they have the pieces in place to be the most competitive group in seven seasons under general manager Steve Yzerman.

“[Our team] is maybe constructed a little better than it was at this stage last year, so I’m hopeful that we take a step,” Yzerman said. “Overall, I think we’re a little bit better. How many points does that translate to in the season? We’re going to find out.”

The biggest reason for optimism is the addition of goalie John Gibson, who was acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on June 28. The 32-year-old is 204-217-63 with a 2.89 GAA, .910 save percentage and 24 shutouts in 506 NHL games (494 starts) since 2013-14, all with Anaheim.

“Obviously we make that [trade for Gibson] with the intention that we’re better in net and we stop more pucks,” Yzerman said. “It makes us a better team and we’re expecting that of John and Cam (Talbot) as a pair.”

Detroit took a step back last season following a steady improvement since Yzerman became GM on April 19, 2019. After hitting rock bottom with 39 points (.275) in 2019-20, Detroit’s points percentage improved steadily each of the next four seasons — .429, .451, .488, .555. It dipped to .524 last season, when the Red Wings finished with 86 points, five behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final spot into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

The Red Wings failed to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, extending the longest drought in the team’s 99-season history.

“You grow up playing hockey and you play to win stuff,” forward Lucas Raymond said. “Obviously, not being able to do that is frustrating. It’s not fun at all. I think I speak for everyone when I say that. Everyone is very determined to change that and take that next step very soon.”

Continued, with discussion of the team’s coaching change this past season, the additions and subtractions to the roster, and the team’s yin-and-yang special teams play…

With that, we’re going to kind of skip to the end here, with Morreale asking “3 questions facing [the] Detroit Red Wings” a month before training camp.

The biggest question is a little repetitious here, but we have to ask it:

Will a full season under Todd McLellan and his coaching staff, utilizing a very similar roster to last year’s team, manage to “move the needle” as teams like Ottawa and Montreal more aggressively attempt to improve?

Continue reading NHL.com’s ’32 in 32′ series examines the Detroit Red Wings

WILX’s Ben Shockley reports that Red Wings prospect Carter Mazur took part in a 3-on-3 hockey tournament this weekend–without taking to the ice–in his hometown of Jackson, Michigan:

Detroit Red Wings forward and Jackson native Carter Mazur hasn’t spent much time in the NHL yet, but he’s already giving back to the Jackson community. Mazur, 23, coached at a youth 3-on-3 hockey tournament in Jackson on Saturday and signed autographs for young hockey players afterward.

“It’s easy to give back to this community,” Mazur said. “It’s done a lot for me, so it’s pretty easy to give back and help out the little kids. I did this [tournament] when I was the same age as them and did it my whole Jackson career. It’s something I’ve grown up doing, and to see the kids out there, it’s just a special feeling.”

According to Hockeysverige.se’s Rasmus Kagstrom, the Red Wings are inviting towering defender Carl-Otto Magnusson to training camp.

It’s too late for the Red Wings or any other NHL team to sign the 6’7,” 223-pound 19-year-old from the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats (after July 15th, teams cannot sign overseas players until their next regular season ends, and in Magnusson’s case, he’s also still draft-eligible), but Magnusson was passed over in this past summer’s NHL Draft.

As such, Magnussuon can at least improve his standing to be drafted as a 20-year-old next June.

According to Kagstrom, Magnusson will play in the Red Wings’ two-game Prospect Games series against Dallas as well.

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Red Wings prospect Carter Bear will be honored by his Peguis First Nation chief and council in a public reception today between 12-1 PM Central Daylight Time at the Peguis Multiplex, about two hours north of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

I can’t embed it, but here’s a video link to Chief Stan Bird speaking with the CTV News Winnipeg regarding the event, and the example that Bear’s already setting as an 18-year-old.

As is predictable of a small-town event, they’re serving free hot wings at the reception. Cute.

Friday, August 8th (8/8) shall henceforth be known as “Patrick Kane Day” in Chicago, and the Red Wings forward and Chicago Blackhawks legend is now hosting a sold-out dinner in the Windy City.

Earlier in the day, the Chicago Tribune’s Kalen Lumpkins offered a chronicle of Kane’s big day:

Patrick Kane’s back — for a day, anyway. And now his name is part of Chicago lore forever. Aug. 8 was always a day of celebration of the career of Kane for Blackhawks fans — after all, he donned the No. 88 sweater for 16 seasons with the franchise. The official recognition came Friday from Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, who officially proclaimed the date as Patrick Kane Day in Chicago, honoring the winger for the accolades he racked up with the organization — including three Stanley Cups.

“Fun to be back in Chicago, and I’m excited for the day.” Kane said. “It’s very special and I’m very thankful for the honor.”

Kane busy day started at Johnny’s Ice House West with a community youth hockey clinic. Young players wearing Blackhawks sweaters practiced drills led by the future Hall of Famer, who later signed various Bauer equipment for the kids. Kane’s son was on the ice, too, even getting into a playful scuffle.

Continue reading ‘Patrick Kane Day’ was a success in Chicago, but we’d like him back (for now)

Red Wings players Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider and William Lagesson took part in a charity hockey game today in Zurich, Switzerland called (Kevin) “Fiala’s Friends,” raising money for several local charities via an exhibition game between a team of mostly Swiss All-Stars and the ZSC Lions of the Swiss league.

According to Blick.ch’s Stephan Roth, all went well:

Fiala’s Friends with heart and a summer gala

Kevin Fiala has done something that has never been seen before. He called, and NHL stars came to Zurich to play against the ZSC Lions.

It’s one of the beautiful sides of North American sports, where the professionals are socially committed, and committed to those who are doing less well. Charity projects are part of the good tone.

So national team star Kevin Fiala proved his heart and that he’s committed. Fiala (29) was nominated by his team, the Los Angeles Kings, for the King Clancy Award this spring, which goes to an NHL player who displays both on-ice and off-rink leadership and social engagement. This year, Florida’s Aleksander Barkov won the award.

Now Fiala has done something that’s never been seen before in Switzerland: A charity game with NHL stars against the ZSC LIons, whose proceeds went to the Children’s Hospital St. Gallen, and junior cash checks for his ex-team Uzwil and the ZSC/GCK Lions charities. Children are important to Fiala, whose wife gave birth to daughter Masyah in 2024, and lost an unborn baby this spring.

Fans are happy about Ambuhl and Cech

So the Eastern Swiss called, and all the Swiss NHL players came, from Roman Josi, who’s still recovering from health problems, to foreign greats such as Lucas Raymond (Sweden), Moritz Seider (Germany, both from Detroit), Tim Stuetzle (Germany, Ottawa), and the 10,119 fans especially enjoyed two other players at Fiala’s friends: Andreas Ambuhl, 41, retired man of records, and soccer goaltender Petr Czech, 43.

The former goalie of London’s football giants Chelsea and Arsenal showed that he cuts a fine figure even in the smaller goal and on ice. He was defeated once before he made way to Akira Schmid at the middle of the game.

Of course, after Bastian Baker gave the national anthem to the stage, the game went on the stage in an All-Star manner. Physical contact was not used.

But the NHL stars won vs. the Swiss League Champions and Champions Hockey League winners comfortably, winning 10-3.

Timo Meier, Raymond, Stützle (2), Marco Rossi, William Lagesson, Ambühl, Fiala, J.J. Moser and Philipp Kurashev provide the All-Stars’ goals, while Yannick Weber, Joel Henry and Jesper Frödén met the Zurich residents.

Sport.ch, SRF.ch and the ZSC Lions’ website also posted recaps, with the ZSC Lions’ recap including some great photos from the game. The Lions’ Facebook page has some good behind-the-scenes pictures as well.

While there’s been a significant amount of virtual ink spilled about the Red Wings’ potential interest in Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson…

As I said earlier this afternoon, however, surrendering significant assets for a 35-year-old defenseman who sometimes doesn’t play all that much defense, especially at a $11.5 million cap hit for two more seasons (none of which, the well-connected say, that the Penguins wish to absorb), well, all of that leaves me jittery and less than enthusiastic by an unappealing equation.

If the Red Wings don’t make any further changes to their blueline, however, EliteProspects’ depth chart sums up the fact that the Wings would have to lean heavily on William Lagesson, Griffins signee Ian Mitchell, and, most likely, 23-year-old prospect William Wallinder if the Wings suffer injuries on defense.

Even presuming that Axel Sandin Pellikka is nearly good to go at the NHL level, or that Antti Tuomisto or Shai Buium could be called up safely, the Wings’ blueline is definitely a little thin at this point.

Given that situation, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen believes that the Red Wings may very well need to sign another depth defenseman or two, and he offers a very specific suggestion this evening in 6’7,” 235-pound defenseman Jani Hakanpaa:

Continue reading Allen offers an astute suggestion for the Wings’ shopping list regarding defensive depth