Author: 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!

Roughly translated: Part of a Steve Yzerman interview with iSport.cz

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman was in the Czech Republic recently to take in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, and he spoke with iSport.cz’s Jiri Vitek for an exclusive interview…That happens to be blocked behind a paywall.

If anybody has a subscription, I’d be much obliged to pay your month’s subscription for a gander at the full translation of the interview…

But in the interim, here’s a rough translation of what’s not stuck behind the paywall:

Yzerman Exclusive: I liked Hronek at the World Championship, and we have talent in Detroit

As a forward, Steve Yzerman won three Stanley Cups with Detroit, collecting a number of individual trophies. Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman, after eight seasons as the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, returned home to rebuild Hockeytown into a similar position. “We must be patient,” says Detroit’s neew boss to iSport Premium during an interview at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.

In Detroit, two Czech youngsters, Filip Hronek and Filip Zadina, are also fighting for jobs. “I saw Hronek at the World Championship, and I liked him very much,” said the former forward who played in 1,514 NHL games and posted 1,755 points (692 + 1063). He spoke to iSport Premum during the prestigious youth tournament.

Did you focus on specific players, or did you watch the game and wait to see which youngsters would interest you?

“It was the first event for us to see the 2002-born players waiting to be drafted next year. For us it’s an opportunity to see them playing in games and responding to each situation.

When drafting, then, do you personally participate in the selection of players?

“It’s more listening to the chief of scouting and scouts.”

After nine years, you’re back in Detroit. How has the team changed?

“There are, of course, many new players. I left in 2010, and they’d gone to the Stanley Cup Final twice in the previous three seasons. Now the team is undergoing rebuilding, and this is different. We’re also playing in a new arena, and other people are taking care of us than those who did previously.”

You’re composing a new team, just as you did in 1983 when you came to Detroit as an 18-year-old.

“It’s true. But at the same time, the team was mostly old and experienced players then, and we have a lot of talented players at our disposal.”

The interview continues, but that’s as far as I can go for now…

Larry Murphy appears on the latest ‘Red and White Authority’ podcast

DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner speaks with Red Wings broadcaster and Hockey Hall of Famer Larry Murphy on the latest episode of the “Red and White Authority” podcast:

Here’s Filip Larsson’s 2019-2020 mask

From Head Strong Grafx’s Jason Livery:

Ken and Mickey will appear on Sports Final Edition tonight

Via the Red Wings on Twitter:

Duff speaks with Team Finland’s WJSS coach regarding Otto Kivenmaki

Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff files an “emptying out the notebook” column today, discussing mini-mite (5’8″) Otto Kivenmaki’s development with Team Finland’s World Junior Summer Showcase coach, Raimo Helminen:

“He has to skate but he can play hockey you know,” said Helminen, who himself was the first player to participate in four Olympic hockey tournaments. “He’s a great player.”

Unable to outmuscle opponents, to succeed on the ice, Kivenmaki must use his head and out-think those trying to stop him, in the process staying one step ahead of the defender, both in speed and in mind.

“That’s right,” Helminen said. “He has to use his head a lot more.”

This season should prove a true test of Kivenmaki’s ability to use his head to get ahead. The plan is for him to play the full season with Asat Pori’s senior team in Finland’s SM-Liiga.

“He will be playing against the men in Finland and I think he’ll develop a lot in this season,” Helminen said. He’s counting on Kivenmaki to also make his mark with Finland at this winter’s world junior tournament.

“He’s coming on,” Helminen said. “You never know but we have really good hope.”

Duff continues

Pro Hockey Talk’s ‘Red Wings day’ coverage continues

Earlier today, Pro Hockey Talk’s Scott Billeck examined the questions facing the Red Wings coming out of the 2018-2019 season to kick off “Red Wings day” on PHT, and three articles followed:

  1. In the first article, Billeck pondered where Wings coach Jeff Blashill fit into GM Steve Yzerman’s plans…

Yzerman now has his eyes squarely on the man leading the troops from ice-level. And contracts for coachings mean very little. Blashill’s leash will be as long as Yzerman permits it to be.

Yzerman knows how to build a winner. He did so as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2010-2018. And he knows what a good head coach looks like, whether it’s Jon Cooper in Tampa or Scotty Bowman, the GOAT and the man who Yzerman won his three Stanley Cups under as a player.

Blashill faces the pressures of any coach in a rebuild. There has to be tangible progress seen on the ice. The young core needs to get better and move into leading roles.

But Blashill also faces the pressure of not being Yzerman’s hand-picked bench boss. He could very well earn that title, of course. But he could also fall victim to the realities of a new GM coming in and wanting his fingerprints everywhere.

2. Billeck then examined the “Yzerplan“…

Continue reading Pro Hockey Talk’s ‘Red Wings day’ coverage continues

It’s Red Wings day on Pro Hockey Talk

NBC Sports’ Pro Hockey Talk blog will be examining the Red Wings via a series of articles posted over the course of this afternoon and evening.

Scott Billeck kicks off “Red Wings day at PHT” with an examination of where the Wings stand after the 2018-19 season:

Rebuilds aren’t about the win-loss record or the position in the standings. Instead, they focus on the bigger picture — long-term success with bouts of short-term growth to get them there.

And if we use that metric, and strip away the record and the fact that they’ve missed the playoffs now three years on the trot after making it 25 straight times before that, we can certainly find some positives.

Most importantly, the young core that will one day lead this team took another in terms of production.

Dylan Larkin, Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi all took steps in terms of production, with all four setting career highs in goals and at least tying career highs in points. All four of those guys are also 25 or under, so there’s plenty more of where that came from to come and where the optimism in Detroit lies.

Billeck continues…

NHL.com’s ’31 in 31′ series previews the Red Wings

NHL.com’s “31 in 31” series of season previews focuses on the Red Wings today.

NHL.com has posted five articles and a series of videos previewing the Red Wings heading into the 2019-2020 season, and Nicholas J. Cotsonika leads off NHL.com’s coverage with a discussion of the biggest change the Wings made to their team–the hiring of Steve Yzerman:

“I know everyone feels his presence already, just him being around, him being back with our organization,” center Dylan Larkin said. “Everyone’s on their toes. Everyone’s prepared. It’s a great thing to have.”

Yzerman played his entire 22-season NHL career as a center for the Red Wings from 1983-2006, winning the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2002. He won the Cup again with the Red Wings in 2008 as vice president before leaving for the Tampa Bay Lightning, for whom he was GM from 2010-18 and senior adviser last season.

“Obviously, knowing who he is, you’re nervous when you’re around him,” Larkin said with a laugh. “But he’s a great guy. He’s a classy guy, and he does the right things all the time. He’s here to help us and help our organization, and he’s back home. So we’re thrilled.”

Cotsonika continues, speaking with both Larkin and Danny DeKeyser, and you may not be comfortable with this, but you’d better get used to it: the Red Wings’ players are going to insist that they can make the playoffs this season, and as athletes, they’re wired to believe that they can win, so here we go:

“I think it’s all excitement,” Larkin said. “I think a long summer like we’ve had, you can’t forget the young guys that we have.”

The focus is on the long term, but there is hope in the short term too.

“I think we’re close,” DeKeyser said. “We want to make the playoffs. I definitely think we have a team that can do it. We’ve got some high-end skill up front and some speed too. The way the game’s going, it’s all about speed and getting up and down the ice and that kind of thing. So I think that works well for us. We’ve got young players who are growing and getting better every year, so I think guys will take another step this year.”

Here’s the rest of NHL.com’s “31 in 31” Wings coverage:

Continue reading NHL.com’s ’31 in 31′ series previews the Red Wings

Red Wings TV rides along on Jimmy Howard and Emka Nnaka’s helicopter ride

Cool clip from the Detroit Red Wings, who followed along as Jimmy Howard gave Emka Nnaka a helicopter ride over Metro Detroit:

Jimmy Howard partnered up with @yourdmanz Foundation to sponsor a helicopter ride around Detroit for @emekannaka. #HockeytownCares pic.twitter.com/ovQvMxU4L5— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 10, 2019