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!

Bultman’s mailbag: Talking about Mantha

The Athletic’s Max Bultman posted a mailbag feature this morning, and he discusses Anthony Mantha’s situation as it applies to his motivation to avoid “Big Man Syndrome”:

I don’t like to speculate too much on what’s behind a player’s slump. But I will share with you a few relevant things Mantha said Monday, when he met with reporters via Zoom.

On what went through his mind sitting on the bench in the third period Sunday: “A little bit of everything. Obviously I could sit back and be disappointed in myself. Today’s a new day, I had to get better on the ice, and then tomorrow’s a new game. I’ll (do) everything possible in my power not to be sat again this year or in the future. I just need to get my game going and doing what I do best.”

On why this issue pops up sometimes for him: “If I had the answer I would put it in the back of my bag and always be 100 percent and be the best player I could be. But I don’t have an answer for you.”

On how he can get back into a rhythm: “If I could get a couple shots a night, just some grade-A chances, I know I’m going to build some confidence. If I get two to three shots on the power play and then two to three shots 5-on-5, then it just moves forward from there.”

Continued (paywall)

Free Press’ profile of Joe Kocur tells how Bob Probert, Art Moran Pontiac paved way for second sting with Red Wings

The Free Press’s Bill Dow posted a profile of former Red Wings enforcer (and one-time assistant coach) Joe Kocur today, and Kocur tells Dow that Bob Probert was a big factor in Kocur’s return to the Red Wings in 1996:

“I always wanted to play for the Wings again. I was out of a job, playing in a local beer league and with the Red Wing Alumni team. Bob Probert was with Chicago and I said to him before a game against the Wings, ‘why don’t you kick the crap out of them and maybe they’ll realize they’ll need an intimidator.’ Bob obliged and the following day, there was an article about how the Wings needed to get tougher. I later learned that my friends at Art Moran Pontiac, Jerry Vought and Bob Moran, had kept telling Scotty Bowman, who was a customer, that the Wings should sign me. In my second game back, we were in Chicago and I started a fight with Bob Probert. At the end of it, I was on top of him and said, ‘Thanks buddy for getting me back in the league.’ He said, ‘no problem.’ Years later when we were being interviewed for the book, “The Bruise Brothers,” he asked me why I had started that fight. I told him that I had to because they signed me to help protect the others. There were never any hard feelings between us. I had also fought him when I was with the Rangers. We both knew we had a job to do.”

Continued (paywall)

The Athletic offers a worrisome report about the AHL’s player pay proposal

The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that AHL players have received a 2020-2021 season financial proposal that places many of the players under significant risk for the sake of playing that 2020-2021 season:

The Athletic obtained a copy of the proposal that was sent from AHL president and CEO Scott Howson to PHPA executive director Larry Landon with a Jan. 23, 2021 date.

• Under the proposal, AHL teams would pay all players on one-way AHL contracts a guaranteed 40 percent of their annual salary regardless of how many games are played during the shortened season — about half of what players expected for this season when they made an agreement in June — with a maximum payout of 48 percent if scheduled games are played.

• With the season proposed to start Feb. 5, players would be paid 48 percent of their salaries from the start of the season. This applies to both AHL contracts and players on NHL two-way contracts assigned to the AHL. NHL or AHL players assigned to the ECHL are also to be paid 48 percent of their salaries per the agreement.

• If games are played, no player is to make less than $30,000 this season in the AHL. That means any player making $62,500 or less will be paid $30,000, while any player making more than $62,500 will be paid 48 percent of their salary.

• If the AHL season is canceled because of COVID-19, teams are only obligated to pay 40 percent to players, unless the total number of games played in the league has already exceeded 40 percent of 1,146 in which case a pro-ration will be determined for payment.

• This document would also extend the current AHL-PHPA CBA one season to Aug. 31, 2025.

Continued (paywall); this is a distressing development, because the foot soldiers are going to be paid ECHL wages during the middle of a pandemic for the sake of not subjecting the AHL’s owners to crippling losses.

Nobody is going to “win” here, regardless of the terms of whatever deal the AHL and PHPA draft, but halving the salaries of guys who are making $70,000 doesn’t help.

Summarizing the Red Wings (and Stars) practice reports going into Game 2 on Thursday

The Detroit Red Wings practiced in Dallas ahead of tomorrow’s rematch against the Stars (8:30 PM EST start on FSD Plus/FS SW/97.1 FM), and the Wings did post some visual proof thereof (and, as you can see by Givani Smith’s presence at practice, the Wings’ moving of Smith and Taro Hirose to the taxi squad is merely a “paper transaction”):

Afterward, the Wings held media availabilities with Taro Hirose and Jeff Blashill…

Continue reading Summarizing the Red Wings (and Stars) practice reports going into Game 2 on Thursday

Wings offering fan bids on 250 tickets per home game

As mentioned earlier today on Twitter, and as announced by Daniella Bruce on The Word on Woodward, Red Wings are offering fans the opportunity to bid on one of 250 “socially distanced” tickets to every remaining home game, with the proceeds benefiting the Detroit Red Wings Foundation. If you’re interested, the Wings posted a Tweet to their auction website here:

Prospect round-up: Brattstrom wins again in Finland; Setkov plays 20+ minutes with AIK

Of prospect-related note in Europe:

In the Finnish Liiga, Victor Brattstrom stopped 18 of 19 shots as KooKoo defeated the Lahti Pelicans 3-1;

Eemil Viro finished even in 16:10 of ice time as TPS Turku won 3-0 over IFK Helsinki;

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Malte Setkov had an assist, finishing at -1 with 3 shots taken over the course of 24:32 played during AIK’s 4-3 win over Almtuna;

And William Wallinder had an assist, finishing at -1 with 2 shots in 11:58 played, and Theodor Niederbach finished at -1 with 3 shots over the course of 12:26 played as MODO Hockey lost 5-3 to Sodertalje SK.

Red Wings and Stars practice news/Tweets: Stars, Wings’ lineups (Larkin) in flux going into Thursday’s remach

On the heels of last night’s 2-1 Dallas Stars OT win over the Detroit Red Wings, our friends from Dallas took to the ice at the American Airlines Center for practice around 11 AM CST. Dallas may receive a roster reinforcement or two on Thursday, and Jamie Benn would be a big addition to the Stars’ roster:

Jamie Benn (lower body) and Blake Comeau (COVID protocol) are on the ice at practice today. Roope Hintz (lower body) is not.— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) January 27, 2021

But one never knows whether the injury gods giveth or taketh…

The Wings also made a roster move for roster moves’ sake on Wednesday, reassigning Givani Smith and Taro Hirose to the taxi squad. Both players are likely (presuming nothing changes during Detroit’s practice around 12 PM CST) to be recalled for Thursday’s rematch.

Anyway…

Continue reading Red Wings and Stars practice news/Tweets: Stars, Wings’ lineups (Larkin) in flux going into Thursday’s remach

‘The Word on Woodward’ moves to Wednesdays at 12 PM EST today

From the Red Wings:

Today’s episode features a recap of yesterday’s Red Wings game vs. Dallas and interviews with WXYZ Detroit’s Brad Galli and FSD’s Ken Daniels.

Today’s episode features a recap of yesterday’s Red Wings game vs. Dallas and a Tigers update as A.J. Hinch gives his outlook on the team.
Plus, WXYZ Detroit’s Brad Galli, Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo and FSD’s Ken Daniels join us for interviews!