The Detroit Red Wings are holding their annual Summer Development Camp at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center between Monday and Thursday.
The Wings always emphasize that this camp is an educational endeavor, and not a time of player evaluation, but I can also tell you that the entire management team does watch every second of the on-ice activities, if only for the sake of getting a feel for their new and returning prospects (as well as the free agents who will join the roster).
The Wings will release their camp roster this afternoon, and ahead of the “news drop,” the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a notebook article which offers Wings assistant GM and director of player development Kris Draper’s emphasis on the learning aspect of the team’s Summer Development Camps:
“We want to bring them in, enjoy it and give them an incredible amount of information, for on and off the ice,” said Kris Draper, the Wings’ director of amateur scouting. “If these guys have any questions throughout, we have, to me, the best development staff in the league, and they create relationships with everybody.
“Whatever they need, we’re here to help them maximize their potential.”
The Wings’ skill development coaches, including Dan Cleary and Niklas Kronwall, help instruct the players on the ice, but the Red Wings emphasize off-ice education as well, and they really flood the players with off-ice information.
As far as the Red Wings’ brass is concerned, sometimes the off-ice information is more important than the on-ice activities:
Players in attendance will take part in classes and presentations designed to help players transition to pro hockey. The importance of sleep, nutrition and dealing with media are classes usually covered. Players also get feedback from Wings coaches and management on what prospects need to improve upon and how to improve in those given areas.
“What we want with these guys is basically give them as much information as possible,” Draper said. “The importance of training on and off the ice. They’re going to get a full body analysis of how they move and what they need to do and what they need to improve on. This is the important time for hockey players. You have two to three months to train, so that’s something that is very important.”
Kulfan also reports that Red Wings draft pick Beckham Edwards will return to a familiar location when he steps on to Detroit’s practice rink tomorrow:
Edwards played with the Little Caesars Under-15 team in 2023-24,and lived with a family in Novi during that season, so it’s returning home for Edwards, who played for Sarnia (OHL) last season and will play collegiately at Notre Dame this season.
“I’ve been inside the locker room, been in BELFOR a bunch, and that area of Michigan, it’s awesome,” Edwards said.
Edwards was drafted 143rd overall, so the sitting and waiting Saturday wasn’t easy.
“Some nerves definitely start to kick in a little bit,” Edwards said. “You want your name to be called. But the best-case scenario happened, getting picked by the Red Wings.” Honestly, it’s a dream come true. You dream about this moment as a kid, (and) playing a year of hockey in Michigan in Little Caesars Arena, it kind of brings it full circle for me.”
Edwards grew up as a Red Wings fan in London, Ontario, and he’s headed to the University of Notre Dame after a successful season playing for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting.
