Author: George Malik

NHL.com is spotlighting goaltenders this week, and as such, Kevin Woodley has assembled a set of iconic goalie masks which represent one of the world’s strangest professions. Woodley includes the helmet-cage combo masks worn by Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood:

Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings

Prior to the Harrison-Dryden combo, NHL goalies had switched briefly to using a combination of a metal cage and players helmet dubbed the “birdcage.” First seen in North America when Vladislav Tretiak wore one for the Soviet Union during the 1972 Summit Series against Canada, the birdcage didn’t debut in the League until 1976.

Though the Harrison-Dryden design became the NHL mask of the choice not long after, some goalies continued to use the helmet-and-cage combo throughout their careers. That included Hasek, who finished his Hall of Fame career in Detroit wearing a custom fiberglass helmet made by famed mask builder Gary Warwick with a custom paint job attached to his birdcage. Osgood, whose search for his preferred-but-discontinued Cooper helmets, led to some being purchased off eBay before realizing one of the Red Wings trainers had some from his time with the Soviet Red Army team in his garage. Osgood retired in 2011 as the last goalie to wear a true birdcage combo, and it was indeed a Soviet helmet.

Continued; there are now specialty mask-makers who will make you a carbon fiber Hasek/Osgood-style shell in the shape of the former Cooper SK 2000 helmet, and you can purchase what were once Cooper HM 50 (Hasek) or HM 30 (Osgood) cages from these mask-makers as well. No more need to go onto eBay or into someone’s garage unless you want authentic 80’s or 90’s-made Cooper/Bauer steel and plastic on your head.

Honestly, the carbon fiber helmets made by Warwick Masks in Port Huron are far superior in terms of their levels of protection, but I’m an old Jofa helmet-cage combo wearer, so I understand the picky peculiarities of goaltenders of all ages.

Of prospect-related note today:

In the Champions Hockey League, Noah Dower Nilsson had 2 assists, finishing at +2 in 12:22 played as Frolunda HC won 3-1 over GKS Tychy:

Michal Svrcek didn’t play in Brynas IF’s 4-2 win over KAC Klagenfurt;

And in preseason action, Red Wings Prospects on Twitter captured Leksands IF’s Anton Johansson registering a goal and an assist while playing against Timra IK’s Eddie Genborg, who registered a secondary assist in Leksand’s 4-3 overtime win.

Anton Johansson(4th round’22 for Leksands if) GOAL!!!🚨 😮‍💨
He chips the puck over the opponents stick and rips it short side top shelf. People need to start respecting his game more. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/tJpdUw4mQw

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) September 4, 2025

Anton Johansson(4th round’22 for Leksands if) with a secondary 🍏 to tie the game with 30 seconds left pic.twitter.com/ikzxxGTHjv

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) September 4, 2025

Eddie Genborg(2nd Round’25) picks up a secondary assist🍏 with some good body position on the breakout as he kicks the puck up to a teammate. He’s going to have to increase his pace of play but he’s a powerful player. He’s having a productive preseason. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/BmLvGoK23L

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) September 4, 2025

Daily Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco profiles Red Wings assistant GM and Grand Rapids Griffins GM Shawn Horcoff today, and DiMarco’s interview is both lengthy, in-depth and very much so worth your time;

His role in Detroit has since elevated quite significantly since starting out in player development, as Horcoff now not only holds the title of assistant GM with the Red Wings but also the GM of the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. The elevation of Horcoff was fast tracked after Holland moved on to the Oilers and was succeeded by Steve Yzerman

“I run the team in Grand Rapids, working closely with the coaching and development staff and making sure our plan in Detroit is being executed down there,” Horcoff said. “Secondly, I work closely with Steve on the professional side. I watch a lot of pro hockey and have a big player personnel role.”

Many players will take the route of coaching in their post-playing career. In the ever growing/evolving media world, many elect to become on-air analysts, as well. Media was never something Horcoff considered – he wanted to stay involved with the game. He had thought about coaching in the past, but the first opportunity was in player development which he really enjoyed. Not knowing exactly what management entailed when he first got in, being part of a front office allowed Horcoff to still have intimate ties to hockey. 

“I loved being on the ice with the guys in player development, it was a great transition,” Horcoff said. “As a player all you know is the locker room, it’s all I’ve known my whole life and all of the sudden it’s gone. Being around a professional locker room was great for the transition in that regard.”

The Hockey News’s Jake Tye spoke with Red Wings prospect and Grand Rapids Griffins forward Nate Danielson as the 20-year-old is wrapping up his summer in his home of Red Deer, Alberta:

When asked about his training focus, Danielson mentioned that, like many young players, he’s working on adding weight. Besides working on fine-tuning his skating, shooting and other basics, he looks to build on his 6-foot-2 frame and use it to his advantage next season. 

“I wanted to put on some weight this summer, so just fixing that on the nutrition side of it and then obviously, hitting the gym a lot and trying to put on a little weight was a big thing,” Danielson explained “I guess the whole main goal for the year is to try to get a look with the Wings.”

Red Wings fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about the future arrival of the 2023 ninth overall pick. Danielson was recently mentioned on The Athletic Hockey Show, hosted by Red Wings beat reporter Max Bultman and The Athletic’s Senior NHL Prospect Writer, Corey Pronman. During their breakdown of Detroit’s prospect pipeline, Pronman named Danielson the top prospect in the organization and went a step further, boldly stating that Danielson is ahead of current Red Wings top-six forward Marco Kasper at the same stage of development and even described Danielson as “more toolsy” than Kasper.

While the spotlight and expectations that come with being a high draft pick and top prospect can be intense, Danielson says he doesn’t let the outside noise get to him and he instead tries to focus on his love for the game.

“I feel like the most pressure I feel is just what I put on myself, I’m hard on myself as it is, so I think just if you let all that get to you, then it’s going to be tough mentally to be able to perform,” Danielson said “I’m playing hockey, and that’s what I love to do, so I feel like just kind of going out there and just trying to get better every day and trying to prove my best so I can help with the Red Wings, is my focus right now.” 

Continued at length…

In my household, we pay our bills on the 3rd of the month, and it’s a little depressing to do so.

Aunt Annie’s Social Security check hits her bank account, I do the math as to what our bills include, and all of Aunt Annie’s Social Security check is utilized to pay bills. The money goes poof!, and that’s that.

We do our best to deal with our situation, and we survive it. Being a caregiver is not exactly the path to financial security (and I don’t receive my paper check until the 12th-14th of the month), so our budget is particularly tight, and we try to get by…

But the support of this blog’s readers helps us to get over the finish line–it helps us survive.

If you’re able to help the cause of plain old paying the bills, that would be wonderful; if you’re not, that’s okay. But please consider doing so, even if your donation would be a small one. Those help, too.

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS RELEASE 2025 NHL PROSPECT GAMES ROSTER 

… Four First-Round Picks Headline Detroit’s 24-Man Roster …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today released their 2025 NHL Prospect Games roster for the two-day event, held on Saturday, Sept. 13 and Sunday, Sept. 14 at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The team consists of 24 recent draft picks, free agent signees and tryouts who will battle against prospects from the Dallas Stars.

The Red Wings roster is highlighted by first-round picks from each of the last three NHL Entry Drafts: center Nate Danielson (9th overall, 2023), defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka (17th overall, 2023), right wing Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (15th overall, 2024) and left wing Carter Bear (13th overall, 2025). Danielson spent the entire 2024-25 season with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, recording 39 points (12-27-39), a plus-four rating and 33 penalty minutes in 71 regular-season games during his rookie campaign. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound forward also netted one goal in three Calder Cup Playoff games with the Griffins. Sandin-Pellikka began the 2024-25 season with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League, logging 29 points (12-17-29) and 22 penalty minutes in 46 regular-season games, in addition to eight points (1-7-8) and two penalty minutes in 11 postseason contests. His 12 goals and 29 points were the most of any under-20 skater in Sweden’s top professional league. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound blueliner made his North American professional debut with the Griffins in 2024-25, picking up one assist in two regular-season games before skating in three Calder Cup Playoff games.

Brandsegg-Nygård also started the 2024-25 campaign in Sweden with Skellefteå AIK, collecting 11 points (5-6-11) and 51 penalty minutes in 42 regular-season games, along with six points (4-2-6) and 12 penalty minutes in 11 postseason matchups. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound forward made his North American professional debut with the Griffins in 2024-25, appearing in two regular-season games before notching three points (2-1-3) in three Calder Cup Playoff games. Bear played the 2024-25 season with the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips and ranked among the team leaders with 40 goals (1st), 42 assists (4th), 82 points (1st), a plus-33 rating (7th), 77 penalty minutes (2nd), 14 power play goals (1st), 27 power play points (T1st), two shorthanded goals (T2nd), nine game-winning goals (1st) and 185 shots (4th) in 56 regular-season games. The 6-foot, 179-pound forward has compiled 141 points (66-75-141), a plus-53 rating and 103 penalty minutes in 142 WHL games with the Silvertips since 2022-23

Other roster notables include left wing Kevin Bicker (147th overall, 2023), who was named Rookie of the Year in Germany’s top professional league after recording five assists, a plus-three rating and 15 penalty minutes in 20 games with Löwen Frankfurt; goaltender Rudy Guimond (169th overall, 2023), who posted a 16-0-0 record with a 1.73 goals-against average, a 0.940 save percentage and three shutouts in 16 games with the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, helping the club win their first league title since 2010; and center Emmitt Finnie (201st overall, 2023), who led the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers with 84 points (37-47-84) in 55 games before recording five points (1-4-5) in 10 regular-season games with the Griffins; and center Ondřej Becher (80th overall, 2024), who registered 20 points (10-10-20) and eight penalty minutes in 59 games in his rookie season with the Griffins.

Thirteen of the 24 players on the roster are former Red Wings draft picks, with the four first-round picks in addition to one second-round pick, two third-round selections, one fourth-round pick, one fifth-round selection, two sixth-round picks and two seventh-round picks. The drafted prospects range in age from four 18-year-olds chosen at the most recent 2025 NHL Entry Draft (Bear, third-rounder Michal Pradel, sixth-rounder Will Murphy and seventh-rounder Grayden Robertson-Palmer) to a 22-year-old (Shai Buium, a 2021 second-round pick who ranked second among Grand Rapids defensemen with 25 points (2-23-25), a plus-two rating and 22 penalty minutes in 67 games last season). 

TICKETS: Tickets for all NHL Prospect Games will require fans to reserve free general admission tickets. Tickets will be available beginning on Sept. 5 at DallasStars.com/ProspectGames

STREAMING: The 2025 NHL Prospect Games vs. Dallas will be streamed live on DetroitRedWings.com and the Detroit Red Wings App.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff reports that Red Wings prospect Jesse Kiiskinen isn’t receiving much in the way of respect from one Finnish publication:

Finnish website Ilta-Sanomat compiled a ranking of the best players currently playing in Finland’s top league. Kiiskinen didn’t make the cut.

On the surface, that’s certainly a surprising development. After all, the 20-year-old right-winger was the leading scorer for HPK Hameenlinna last season. He accumulated 44 points, despite being limited to 46 games due to injury and representing Finland in the IIHF World Junior Championship.

Digging deeper, you quickly realize that seniority is playing a significant role in these rankings.

Several of the top-rated players are seasoned veterans of pro hockey. First up is veteran defenseman Sami Vatanen. The longtime NHLer is 34 years old.

Teemu Hartikainen (35), Jori Lehtera (37), and Antti Raanta (36) are also on the list.

Detroit acquired Kiiskinen from the Nashville Predators in a trade for defensive prospect Andrew Gibson. Both were second-round draft picks. The Red Wings signed Kiiskinen to an entry-level contract during the offseason. He’ll play one more season in Finland before coming to play in North America.

Continued; Kiiskinen is a plucky prospect who’s got a goal-scorer’s shot, and he enjoys going to the front of the net and/or along the boards and battling for pucks while pissing off opponents.

I’m not certain how high he’ll climb among the Wings’ top prospects, but he’s certainly the type of player you want to go into battle with.

The Athletic’s Corey Pronman examines non-playoff teams to rank 16 rebuilding teams in order of their likelihood of winning a Stanley Cup in the next 10 years.

Pronman includes the Red Wings smack dab in the middle of his rankings, but he isn’t certain whether the Wings’ prospect pool alone can guarantee a return to contending status:

8. Detroit Red Wings

Detroit’s rebuild has been frustratingly slow for fans, but the Red Wings have steadily built one piece at a time in the first round. They aren’t picking in the top 10 as often, but the NHL team hasn’t improved that much. They have a bunch of high-quality prospects, although none who project as true impact types. I see a way for this team to be a consistent playoff contender in time, but there may not be enough elite players to go the distance.

Continued (paywall); it’s very hard to draft superstars if you’re drafting outside the top 10 picks (or top 5, really), so the Wings’ draft lottery luck has not helped the cause…

But absent elite game-changers, the Red Wings need to both make sure that the prospects who do pan out drive play and exceed expectations for the Wings’ “type” of player, and the team needs to get more aggressive in terms of importing star players via free agency and/or trades.

It’s going to be difficult for the Wings to continue amassing superb prospects as they get closer and closer to playoff status, and GM Steve Yzerman just isn’t the type of GM to sacrifice prospects and first-round picks for star players…

But he’s got to become a more aggressive GM as the team naturally finds itself more likely to make the playoffs and/or make deeper playoff runs.

The Wings also obviously need their coaching staff, special teams and supporting cast of players to maximize their performances, and as I’ve been saying over the past couple of days, it’s imperative that, starting with the 2025-2026 team’s training camp, Detroit needs to get its team rowing in the same positive direction at the same time.

I don’t know whether the Wings will win a Stanley Cup in the next 10 years. I hope that they do, but many things must break the right way for the team to do so, from drafting and developing to adding the right free agents, getting great coaching and building a strong cast of support players.

We’ll see. I’m hopeful and optimistic, but this is a hard league to win in, and some luck’s going to have to break the Wings’ way, too.

In life and in hockey, I try very hard to be a skeptical person, but to not succumb to cynicism. I think that it’s very important to differentiate between the two, and to try to remain balanced and not become jaded or morose…

But in this case, you’re going to have to label me a cynic, because the Russian player’s complaint that teams won’t let them play “their game” and insist upon turning big, tough players into “tafgai” (a transliteration of “tough guy”) is a tired old plot point by now.

Anyway, former Red Wing Klim Kostin, who’s currently looking for an NHL home, spoke with Sport-Express recently, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff reports that Kostin claims that the Red Wings only wanted Kostin to fight during his short tenure with the team:

The Hockey News’s Jake Tye spoke with Red Wings prospect defenseman Shai Buium recently, and Buium told Tye that he’s looking forward to performing well over the course of training camp and the exhibition season, regardless of where he ends up playing:

“I’m always going to training camp thinking in the back of my mind, I want to make it a hard decision for them to send me down to the AHL obviously,” Buium explained “Goals for the season, largely to be the best player on the Griffins, best defenseman on the Griffins, and try to work my way up to the NHL and just keep developing my game so when I get to the NHL I’m ready to go.”

Buium’s confidence in his game is noticeable by his peers as Griffins Assistant Coach Brian Lashoff noted Buium as one of the players to watch for heading into next season. Buium noted that he appreciated his coach’s comments and that to hear things like that from his coach and a former longtime pro defenseman is very flattering but noted there’s “still a lot of work to do.”

Lashoff and Griffins Head Coach Dan Watson noted in previous interviews with The Hockey News that Buium progressed as the season went along with Lashoff explaining that towards the end of the season, he trusted him with “big minutes” in key situations. The 22-year-old defenseman finished with a pair of goals and 23 assists for 25 goals through 67 games played. He described the transition from the NCAA to the AHL as “a little more systematic” and that the talent in the league was evident from the start.