Author: George Malik

Per the NHLPA:

Hockey Players’ Unions Join the AFL-CIO

Affiliation of NHLPA and PHPA bring AFL-CIO membership up to 63 affiliated unions, represents historic momentum for the labor movement

(Washington, D.C.) Two of professional hockey’s North American players’ associationsthe National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA)announced today they are formally affiliating with the AFL-CIO and joining its Sports Council.

The NHLPA represents approximately 750 professional hockey players across 32 teams in the NHL, while the PHPA represents approximately 1,800 professional hockey players across 61 teams in the American Hockey League and the ECHL. Their membership brings the total number of unions under the nation’s largest labor federation to 63, representing more than 15 million workers.

“Whether our work is on the rink, in the classroom or on the factory floor, every worker deserves a voice on the job and the power that comes with union membership,” said Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO. “We are thrilled to welcome the NHLPA and the PHPA into the federation and our Sports Council, and we look forward to supporting their work to ensure strong union contracts, fair wages, safe working conditions and professional development opportunities for professional hockey players. On the heels of SEIU’s affiliation earlier this month, America’s labor movement is more unified than ever. We will continue to channel that strength and momentum into the fight for workers’ rights.”

“The NHLPA’s membership is proud to join the AFL-CIO and its Sports Council during this important moment in the labor movement,” said Marty Walsh, executive director of the NHLPA. “We look forward to working together with other players’ associations and unions from across North America to ensure that workers in all industries have a collective voice in fighting for fair wages and safe and equitable workplaces.”

“We are so proud to be part of the 15 million-member AFL-CIO and their Sports Council, and our members are excited about taking an active role in working towards better outcomes for working people in every sector of the economy,” said Brian Ramsay, executive director of the PHPA. “As we begin collective bargaining negotiations, our members will now enjoy the full support of the AFL-CIO at the bargaining table. This is what solidarity is all about.”

The AFL-CIO Sports Council was formed in 2022 to build power across unions in the sports industry, amplify the voices of athletes and shine a light on the challenges they face as workers. It also aligns interests in areas of common concern with service, hospitality and other workers who support the professional sports industries. The Sports Council includes unions with members across professional sports: the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA), the USL Players Association-CWA (USLPA-CWA), the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA).

Quoting the great Joey Tribiani from “Friends”…

There’s going to be some hype over the Red Wings’ 14-4-and-3 run under coach Todd McLellan over the next couple of days, and a lot of it is going to be clickbait, so I won’t post it.

I’m making an exception for Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell and Hunter Crowther’s “power rankings,” however, because this week’s version milks the Wings’ run with a headline, “The Red Wings are hot again under Todd McLellan” and a picture of the coach doing his thing…

But when you come to the actual ranking, the Red Wings are both a) out of the top 16 and b) bagged upon by Crowther, as per usual:

20. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 27-21-5, -9
Last Week: 24th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Hunter: Yes, I see the irony in chastising the Islanders for even trying to make the playoffs while heaping praise on the Red Wings for getting to this point. But the difference is: New York is a team in the middle who should start rebuilding as soon as possible, and Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs since the Chicago Cubs had a 100-plus year World Series drought. They’re currently holding on to the No. 1 Wildcard spot, and they’re another win or two away from finishing in the top three of the Atlantic Division. Are we witnessing greatness, or the beginning of what will turn out to be another heartbreaking collapse? 

Praise? By suggesting that the Wings haven’t been in the playoffs for a hundred years, and suggesting that the Wings will inevitably collapse?

Okay, moomer.

This is why “power rankings” don’t really matter as far as the Red Wings are concerned this season. They’re more or less someone making a list and finding a reason to add a message about each team to said list, and in the case of Maxwell and Crowther, they’re playing the clickbait game to perfection, or nearly so.

So, well:

The Red Wings may find themselves in the Eastern Conference’s first Wild Card spot this morning, but Red Wings coach Todd McLellan isn’t satisfied with his team’s progress yet.

We all know it, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen took note of McLellan’s comments after last night’s 3-2 OT win over the Vancouver Canucks:

With all of the excitement surrounding the Detroit Red Wings’ improved performance level, it’s noteworthy to hear coach Todd McLellan, the new ringmaster, saying: “All we’ve done is get back to the start line.”

He not trying to douse enthusiasm with cold water, but wants to point out that the work is far from over. The truth: Being in a playoff spot this morning guarantees them nothing.

The Red Wings have 29 games remaining to prove they deserve the position they are in — the No. 1 wildcard position in the Eastern Conference. They are only one point out of third place in the Atlantic Division.

How hard will it be for the Red Wings to hold their postseason berth? Tankathon.com lists Detroit as having the hardest remaining schedule.

Bob Duff’s story details McLellan’s plan to continue to take one step every day in the name of changing this team’s culture to one with an emphasis on consistency of effort.

“I’m not changing how I approach it,” McLellan said. “A game at a time, a practice at a time. Find ways to get better.”

Continued; the Red Wings may not make the playoffs, and that would be okay. As far as I’m concerned, the fact that they’re playoff-relevant speaks to McLellan’s ability to salvage the team’s season and build a better organization.

I still think that there are some personnel changes necessary before the team becomes a regular playoff-making organization, whether we’re talking about promotions from Grand Rapids or free agency/trade additions, but with McLellan behind the bench, the Red Wings are on their way to becoming a great team.

Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon suggests that nine teams may want to trade their 1st round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft in order to improve their respective playoff-making steads, including the Red Wings:

Detroit Red Wings

There are a few teams in the Eastern Conference schemozzle for the wild card that have a ton of pressure to get back to the playoffs and you could argue the team with the biggest weight on their shoulders are the Detroit Red Wings.

The Wings aren’t rebuilding anymore and GM Steve Yzerman has to get them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Their first-round pick in 2025 is slated to be right smack in the middle of the round and while great players can and will be picked there, that’s a player that likely won’t help Detroit for a couple of years at least. Detroit needs to make the playoffs now and using that pick to get help is their best collateral.

If the Red Wings are going to get back to the playoffs, they have to fend off a load of other teams all vying for the opportunity and there’s zero need for them to draw a line at that pick in negotiations.

Continued; I’m gonna be honest here. Given the fact that the Red Wings are still in a rebuild, I would categorically rule out moving a 1st round pick for a rental. As GM Steve Yzerman has always suggested, the Red Wings should only move future assets if they’re necessary to add a player who’s going to be part of the Red Wings’ long-term future.

I keep on reading stupid trade proposals which suggest that the Wings should be trading prospects like Axel Sandin Pellikka or Trey Augustine for rental players, and I just shake my head. The Red Wings aren’t full of untouchable prospects, but if Detroit’s going to move ASP, Augustine, Sebastian Cossa, or that 1st round draft pick, it’s got to be for a player who can help Detroit both today and tomorrow. Period.

The Associated Press posted an early preview of tomorrow night’s game between the Red Wings and the Seattle Kraken (10 PM Tuesday on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/KHN/KONG/97.1 FM):

BOTTOM LINE: The Seattle Kraken host the Detroit Red Wings after the Red Wings took down the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in overtime.

Seattle is 23-28-3 overall and 13-13-3 in home games. The Kraken are 22-3-2 in games they score three or more goals.

Detroit has a 27-21-5 record overall and a 12-10-3 record on the road. The Red Wings have gone 17-9-0 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent.

The match-up Tuesday is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Red Wings won 6-2 in the previous meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Chandler Stephenson has nine goals and 29 assists for the Kraken. Eeli Tolvanen has five goals and two assists over the past 10 games.

Lucas Raymond has 20 goals and 37 assists for the Red Wings. Dylan Larkin has scored five goals and added six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Kraken: 5-5-0, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.7 assists, 2.7 penalties and 6.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

Red Wings: 7-2-1, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.7 assists, 2.4 penalties and 4.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.

As noted after last night’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks, the 27-21-and-5 Detroit Red Wings now have 59 points, and they sit in the Eastern Conference’s first Wild Card spot. Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. As Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff notes, it’s been a hell of a transformation since Todd McLellan took over as the Red Wings’ coach on December 26th:

“Tip our hat to all the players for crawling back into this thing, but all we’ve done is get back to the start line,” McLellan was saying after Sunday’s win.

Fair enough. That’s one of McLellan’s strengths, after all. Yes, he wants his team to keep their eyes on the prize. At the same time, he knows the best chance of completing that arduous journey is by embracing the challenge of every step along the way.

“I’m not changing how I approach it,” McLellan said. “A game at a time, a practice at a time. Find ways to get better.”

While we’re talking about doffing chapeaus of recognition, save some of those kudos for the new coach. Can a mid-season replacement with the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL coach of the year? McLellan is certainly doing his utmost to state his case.

It was Christmas Day when McLellan got the job offer from Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman. When he was arriving in town, the Red Wings were eight points out of the playoffs. Following a 14-4-1 run under their new coach, they’ve already completely erased that deficit.

2. The Free Press’s Helene St. James spoke with Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat and coach McLellan after last night’s 3-2 OT win over Vancouver. She focuses on the same point as Duff does while pointing out that the Wings have won 6 straight games, and are 14-4-and-3 under McLellan:

The Detroit Red Wings earned one point and then two on Sunday night, defeating the trade-revamped Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in overtime.

As such, the Red Wings earned their 6th straight victory, and they swept Western Canada, and the Wings can go 4-for-4 on their 4-games-in-6-nights road trip if they defeat the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday evening.

The other “big deal” about Sunday’s win is this: the Red Wings sit in the Eastern Conference’s first Wild Card spot for the first time since what feels like forever:

The Red Wings also sit 1 point behind the Ottawa Senators for 3rd in the Atlantic, and 5 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for 2nd. Detroit’s still a full 8 points behind the Atlantic-leading Florida Panthers. They’re unlikely to close that particular gulf, but the actual hope that is behind the Red Wings’ attempt to remain at least playoff-relevant is real.

The Wings are 14-4-and-1 under coach Todd McLellan, and the expectations of excellence aren’t going to wane as the season progresses. That’s a good thing.

Now the Red Wings played anything but an elegant game on Sunday night–they were pretty evidently gassed at times, mentally as well as physically, from the 3-games-in-4-nights grind…

But arguing over who the “better team” was when Detroit got the result is like arguing as to whether the Canadian fans who booed the U.S. national anthem were of poor taste, or were simply exercising their right to free speech (though you have to feel bad for the anthem singer in this instance; sounds like she’s a nice lady). It’s a zero sum game, and there are no winners in this instance.

With all of that being said, Canucks coach Rick Tocchet was pretty sure who should have won the game, as he told the Vancouver Province’s Ben Kuzma:

The Detroit Red Wings attempted to earn their 6th straight win by battling the revamped Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night. Detroit was playing its 2nd game in 21 hours and its 3rd game in 4 nights, so no one was expecting an on-ice Picasso…

And on Sunday night, the Red Wings did not paint anything less than a Rorschach print, but it was pretty ugly enough to count as the team’s 6th win in a row and 3rd in 4 nights. Detroit prevailed 3-2 in overtime over the Canucks, with Alex DeBrincat (2) and Ben Chiarot scoring, Alex Lyon stopping 25 of 27 shots, and DeBrincat earning the winner from Raymond and Seider at 4:17 of overtime.

HOW 'BOUT THOSE RED WINGS?! 🔥

Alex DeBrincat pots the @Energizer OT winner to extend Detroit's win streak to six games! pic.twitter.com/JUDzt6XuES

— NHL (@NHL) February 3, 2025

THE CAT DOUBLES DOWN FOR THE WIN! 😼

Alex DeBrincat scores the @SUBWAYCanada OT clincher for his second of the night. pic.twitter.com/qSMuoFsHH7

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 3, 2025

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed a Sunday evening notebook article which discusses the Red Wings’ impressions of Dominik Shine, who’s easy to root for:

Players know his story, understand the long struggle he’s been through, and love the touch of success he’s having.

“It’s such a feel-good story,” [Cam] Talbot said. “He just never wanted to be anywhere else but Grand Rapids, and to get an opportunity to come up here and don the Winged Wheel, it meant a lot to him. And for us to, seeing how excited he is and how much he’s put in to this point. You can see how much it means to him, and we’re trying to feed off that energy because it’s fun to watch.”

The NHL regular season is long and can be draining. In these dog days of the season, a story like Shine’s can invigorate a team and give it some energy.

“Certainly can,” coach Todd McLellan said. “And it has. You get to this point, in January and February, and now teams are giong to wonder what is going to happen. Teams, not just the Wings, are going to start to look ahead and thinking we’re close to some rest (4 Nations Tournament, two-week break). Some healing time. But maybe Dominik can drag us into the games.”

Shine was “pumped” about contributing to Larkin’s goal and getting a point in another Wings victory.

“It means the world,” Shine said. “We wanted to get a good start, so I was pumped to be on the ice for the first one (goal), and to get a point is awesome.”

Continued

Per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli:

Sources say #LGRW D Jeff Petry, out since Jan. 2, underwent surgery and will miss 6-8 weeks.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 2, 2025