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!

NHL’s relaxed dress code ‘doesn’t suit’ Alex DeBrincat

The Score’s John Matisz asked players participating in the NHL/NHLPA Media Tour to weigh in regarding rule changes under next year’s CBA, and Alex DeBrincat offered a quick quip regarding the relaxed dress code:

Easing the dress code was another rule change the union pushed hard for during CBA negotiations. According to the memorandum of understanding, “players are required to dress in a manner that is consistent with contemporary fashion norms,” but are otherwise free to wear whatever. Effective immediately, teams can’t propose or enforce a game-day suit policy.

Athletes are creatures of habit, and habits die hard. “Basically, my whole life, when you get ready for a game, you put on a suit. I think that helps with my mentality going into the game,” Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat said.

Continued

Thread post: Tweets from the first day of Red Wings training camp

The Detroit Red Wings took to the ice at Centre ICE Arena in Traverse City for their first day of training camp on Thursday morning. Here are various Tweets from today’s practices and scrimmages, as well as the usual social media “stuff.”

This post will be updated throughout the day:

Updated at 10:21 AM:

Continue reading Thread post: Tweets from the first day of Red Wings training camp

Press release: Grand Rapids Griffins announce that Red & White Game has sold out

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

RED & WHITE GAME AT VAN ANDEL ARENA SOLD OUT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings’ 2025 Red & White Game presented by Corewell Health at Van Andel Arena this Sunday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. is officially sold out.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Red Wings back to Grand Rapids, and our fans’ anticipation to witness this game is off the charts,” said Grand Rapids Griffins president Tim Gortsema. “This event is a wonderful way to kick off our 30th anniversary season, which will generate lots of memories along the way. Our fans’ passion for the Red Wings runs deep, and this game will be a fitting ‘thank you’ to them as our affiliation with Detroit enters its 24th season. We cannot wait to see and hear all 10,834 fans on Sunday.”

Fans without tickets can watch the game on WXSP-TV across West Michigan or watch the live stream on DetroitRedWings.com or the Red Wings’ app.

The game format, which is subject to change, will consist of two 20-minute, stop-time periods with a full intermission. Following the second period, which may include scheduled power-play and penalty kill segments, a dry scrape of the ice surface will precede a shootout featuring a select number of players from both the Red and White teams.

Roughly translated: Moritz Seider discusses whether German Olympic gold or a Stanley Cup win might be more difficult

Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider and several other German-born NHL’ers were asked by NHL.com/de’s Alexander Gammel whether it will be more difficult for the German national team to win an Olympic gold medal, or whether it will be harder to win a Stanley Cup, and here’s what Seider had to say:

Seider: “Never say never”

German defenseman Moritz Seider is a little more optimistic about his chances of winning the Stanley Cup. He’s also not a favorite with the Detroit Red Wings, but the team is already a step further forward than Chicago in terms of its development, and it allowed to feel like it can earn a place in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It is probably more difficult for us to get Olympic gold,” Seider suggested. “Just because I come from Germany. One should never say never. However, I believe that it is also more than difficult enough to win the Cup. The odds are probably similar. This will be interesting to pursue this further.”

Despite their outsider role, the self-image of some traditionally smaller ice hockey nations, including Germany, has changed significantly. Not too long ago, a World Championship game against Canada, Sweden, the USA or Finland was almost hopeless, and it was a success if you didn’t lose too big. In the meantime, however, there are also victories against the big opponents. The hope of the fairy tale of Milan lives on.

“The expectations of the fans are certainly there,” said Seider. “But I think you have to be realistic, and see the whole thing with a reasonable perspective. Yes, we will have the best German team of all time on the ice. But that’s the same with the others. The Canadians, Americans, Swedes, Finns and even the Swiss will probably have twice as many NHL players as we have. Yes, it is possible to win a medal, but it’s unlikely. In these situations you simply have to live and enjoy it at the moment. You just have to love the whole story and enjoy your moment at the Olympic Games.”

The answer to the question of which title is more difficult to reach depends very much on the situation of the player you ask. His teammate Lucas Raymond, for example, sees things differently. No wonder, because as a Swede, the chances of the gold medal are much better.

“It’s probably harder to win the Stanley Cup because so many more teams are fighting for it,” Raymond suspects. “The Olympics are only every four years, so that’s not easy either, but the competition is just not as difficult as in the NHL, with 32 teams.”

Regarding Patrick Kane’s ‘last dance’ with Team USA

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin discusses the “strategies” being utilized by NHL players who were left off Team USA’s World Cup of Hockey team as they attempt to crack the Americans’ Olympic roster, and he offered a short comment from Red Wings forward Patrick Kane:

The Last Dance strategy

Given the fierce competition for spots on Canada and USA, the odds of a greybeard reversing time after not making the 4 Nations squad are slim. But they aren’t zero in the mind of players like Patrick Kane, who did, notably, receive an invite to Team USA’s summer camp. Particularly for the Americans, who so often have played for the gold but fallen short in the best-on-best era, adding an all-time clutch player to the dressing room isn’t the worst idea. But if Kane is to make it, he believes it will come down to how he’s playing rather than how he played as a younger man. Hall of Fame career aside: can he maintain the elevated play he showed with the Detroit Red Wings late last season after they switched coaches from Derek Lalonde to Todd McLellan?

“It would be a great opportunity,” Kane said. “I’ve said all along I don’t want to be chosen just for what I’ve done in the past. I’d love to be a guy that gets off to a great start, gets picked for the team and can help in any way possible once you get there.”

Continued; I do hope that Kane makes it, even as a 13th forward.

Training camp morning power rankings

The preseason hasn’t even started, but Bleacher Report’s Lyle Fitzsimmons already issues a set of power rankings this morning:

23. Detroit Red Wings

The arrival of goalie John Gibson via trade with Anaheim creates a sound tandem alongside Cam Talbot and gives GM Steve Yzerman some much needed hope after nine years below the playoff cutline. “Overall, I think we’re a little bit better,” he said. “How many points does that translate to in the season? We’re going to find out.”

Continued; the Wings will find themselves ranked behind Montreal and Ottawa until the team leapfrogs those organizations in the standings.

As training camp begins today, expectations are high for the players and the Toddfather

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills looks back at yesterday’s comments made by Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman during his pre-training camp press conference:

“Ultimately, the goal here is to build a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup,” Yzerman said in a Zoom call with the media on Wednesday morning. “We’re going to try to run a good program and continue to improve each season with the goal of becoming a playoff team, and a team that eventually competes for a Stanley Cup.”

In 2024-25, a 39-35-8 (86 points) record saw Detroit finish sixth in the Atlantic Division and five points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the Eastern Conference’s second Wild-Card spot. And now, as it is for all 32 NHL teams, the Red Wings are excited for a clean slate.

There’s plenty of continuity that will be evident right from the get-go this season, as 22 players who saw game action with Detroit last year are set to return.

“I think we know what to expect out of our veteran group,” Yzerman said. “These guys are well-conditioned, all professionals. I don’t expect to see any drop-off in any of them. So really, it comes from our younger guys just improving.”

Continue reading As training camp begins today, expectations are high for the players and the Toddfather

Morning Monarrez: Yzerman’s last season as GM?

The Free Press’s Carlos Monarrez declares that the Red Wings’ GM feels no pressure to accelerate Detroit’s hockey team’s rebuild this morning, suggesting that the “Yzerplan” is a survival mechanism with which the “timid” Yzerman remains the GM for at least one more season, despite the “snail’s pace” of the team’s renaissance:

The running joke about Yzerman is that if he had any other name, he would already have been fired as Wings GM. Twice. That’s the problem with hiring legends: It’s really hard to fire them.

My prediction is that Yzerman is safe at least through the end of the 2025-26 season because, as he indicated, Ilitch agrees with his approach and is OK with the snail-like pace of the rebuild.

But there are two other factors that make Yzerman almost bulletproof this season. The first is the Wings’ season-long centennial celebration, the highlight of which will be Sergei Fedorov getting his No. 91 retired on Jan. 12 – with a pricey ticket package required for attendance.

More than anything, Ilitch is a prudent businessman. He’s not about to fire a legend and put a damper on the celebration – and a dent in his wallet.

Then there’s Todd McLellan, who begins his first full-season tenure as coach after replacing the fired Derek Lalonde on Dec. 26. McLellan infused the Wings with life and hope last season, culminating in two seven-game winning streaks.

It wasn’t enough to make the playoffs, but it was one of the few glimmers of hope the Wings have had during Yzerman’s reign.

McLellan should get a whole season to show what he can do. But he could be the key to Yzerman’s future. If McLellan gets the Wings to the playoffs, Yzerman gets a lot of breathing room. But if McLellan struggles and the Wings regress, it would be hard to justify letting Yzerman fire him and continue as GM with a fourth head coach.

Continued; I do not expect the Red Wings to fire Steve Yzerman, and I do not expect the rebuilding plan, whatever the hell you want to call it, to end until it ends, no matter how long it might take to restore the Red Wings to playoff status.

Nate Danielson’s better-prepared to battle for an NHL job the third time around

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff posted an early-morning column which discusses Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson, who is well aware of his opportunity to “stick” with the Wings in his third training camp and exhibition season:

“Yeah, I feel a lot more comfortable around everyone this year,” Danielson said. “Compared to last year, I have a bit different mentality. Kind of going in with whatever happens, happens. And I’m happy with that.

“Just go out there and compete and show what I can do. And obviously, the goal is to make Detroit. If not, then go play in Grand Rapids and just hustle my butt off and try to respond up there.”

The same things the Red Wings liked about Danielson to make him the ninth overall selection in 2023 remain true. He’s still a 200-foot player whose game is mature beyond his age.

“It is unusual,” Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson admitted of Danielson’s defensive acumen and high hockey IQ. “You don’t see many junior players come out with that defensive mindset that he has and the reads that he has.

“I think a lot of these guys that come out of junior, they’re high end, their top scorers, as he was, and maybe they lack a little bit of that defensive structure. But obviously, he’s had good coaching along the way. He’s a smart kid.

“He makes the right reads, and he’s there for support, and he understands the game extremely well. Nate always wants to learn about the game. He loves to watch hockey, loves to watch his shifts. So, that’s just him growing.”

Continued

Duff: Future of the Prospect Games is uncertain as the new CBA takes effect next season

The only constant in this world is change, and, as Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff notes, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman admitted that the future of the team’s once-upon-a-time eight-team Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, which has been whittled down to a two-game Prospect Games series between Detroit and Dallas, is up in the air.

Between the new CBA going into effect next year, which will shorten the preseason, the Wings and Stars’ respective wishes for their prospects, and the fact that the 22 teams who participate in prospect tournaments have wanted their own slice of the pie, and most likely won’t return to Traverse City when they can hold prospect tournaments closer to home…

“The future of the camp or the tournament, whatever you want to call it, is undecided, undetermined,” Yzerman said.

The landscape of the NHL preseason will be changing next fall. As the league is going from 82 to 84 regular-season games in 2026-27, the NHL is cutting the preseason slate in half from eight to four games.

That’s going to provide a very limited opportunity for NHL prospects to display their wares against seasoned pros. And it’s creating a level of concern among hockey people that extends far beyond Detroit.

“With the league going to four preseason games next year, I’ve spoken to several GMs around the league about what their plan is,” Yzerman said. “How they’re going to handle preseason, what they’re going to do with the rookie tournaments, the rookie camps, American League preseason games. All sorts of things like that.”

I’m guessing that there will still be some sort of prospect-vs-prospect tournament, but it may remain just Detroit and Dallas. Or, as Yzerman told the media this morning, it may be just Detroit holding intra-squad scrimmages between prospects:

“So we don’t really have a plan for next year,” Yzerman admitted. “We’re gonna figure out what to do. Our options are simply to do nothing. Maybe put together, form a new group for a little tournament. Or maybe just hold more of a development camp like we do in July. So we’ll kind of figure out what makes the most sense and the best use of the players’ time.”