Category: Uncategorized

Sportsnet profiles Flint’s Rico Phillips in a ‘Big Read’

Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon profiles Flint hockey pioneer Rico Phillips this morning, discussing Phillips’ attempts to respond to this past summer’s racially-charged events with positive change. Dixon’s article is a very “long read,” but it’s worth your time:

Rico Phillips has always been the type of person to take things a step further than most. After sitting on a firetruck at age seven, Phillips knew what he wanted to do with his life. The kid who used to park himself in an empty lot across from Flint Fire Station No. 1 in the hopes of witnessing the sirens sing eventually retired after 27 years on the job last fall. Another example: As a high school trainer, Phillips opted to work with the hockey team for no other reason than the fact he knew their banged-up bodies would give him tons of practice. Just months before hanging up his yellow helmet, Phillips was on stage at the 2019 NHL Awards in Las Vegas, accepting the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award for his role in founding the Flint Inner City Youth Hockey Program.

It’s maybe no surprise, then, that this past spring, the events of a May day in Minnesota sent him surging forward again. “George Floyd was murdered unnecessarily and I’m sitting in my house trying to figure out [what I can do],” Phillips says. As he worked through his thoughts and feelings, Phillips had the option, thanks to the connections he’s made, to call the man who broke the NHL’s colour barrier. He knew he wanted to take action, but couldn’t figure out how to channel his efforts. So he put it to O’Ree. “I said, ‘Willie, I’m having a hard time. I want to say something, but I just don’t know what to say and where to say it,’” Phillips recalls. “He told me, ‘Rico, your voice is in ice hockey and people are listening to you, so let your voice be heard.’”

Continued

From Crain’s Detroit Business: Ken Daniels discusses highlights of the Celebrity Roast of Scotty Bowman

Crain’s Detroit Business posted an article sponsored by The Children’s Foundation’s Larry Burns this morning. The article highlights the charitable contributions of several community leaders; today’s article includes part of an interview with Red Wings play-by-play announcer Ken Daniels, who discusses some of the highlights of the upcoming Jamie Daniels Foundation’s Celebrity Roast of Scotty Bowman:

Burns: This year it will be a virtual roast of Scotty Bowman. How can people help? 

Daniels: The main place people can go to help is JamieDanielsFoundation.org. The silent auction is live on our website and bidding ends October 15. The roast will air on FOX Sports Detroit on Wednesday, October 14 at 8:00 p.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. It’s 90 minutes long and you can bid throughout the show.

Burns: You’ve got some great people lined up.

We started reaching out to people like George Bowman, and then George reached out to Jeff Cumberworth at Ally Financial, who reached out to Jack Nicklaus’ team. Jack Nicklaus does a hilarious two-and-a-half-minute video about Scotty. Steven Page, the former lead singer of the Barenaked Ladies, now with the Steven Page Trio, will perform a wonderful song called “Into the Light.” Hill Harper from “The Good Doctor” will open our show. We also have Michigan coach Red Berenson, Stu Grimson, Wayne Gretzky, JK Simmons, Jeff Daniels, Mitch Albom, Jim Leyland, Ken Dryden, Brendan Shanahan, Nick Lidstrom, Dominik Hašek, Doc Emrick, Glenn Hall, Jimmy Devellano, Dave Hodge, the longtime host of Hockey Night in Canada, and there’s still more to come.

Continued

St. James profiles Marco Rossi

The Free Press’s Helene St. James profiles draft prospect Marco Rossi this morning. The Ottawa 67’s center (and Canadian Hockey League leading scorer) has interviewed with the Red Wings several times over the summer, and the 5’9,” 183-pound center has built upon his physique thanks in part to a very, very long offseason:

“My main goal was to get faster, get more explosiveness,” Rossi said. “I started to do that right away when I came back from Canada in mid-March. We did a really good job. We’ve been working on it 6-7 months now, and it’s going really good. We can see big improvements. I’ve never felt so good on the ice. It got so much better with my body.”

To have six months in a weight room, uninterrupted by games, is unheard of for hockey players. It has allowed Rossi, listed as 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds, to gain muscle. He knows he’s on the smaller side, but similarly sized forward Brayden Point — at 5-10 and 166 pounds — has been putting on a show for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup playoffs. After Datsyuk left the Wings in 2016, Point emerged as Rossi’s new role model. 

“He’s so smart,” Rossi said. “He’s the same size as me and the way he’s skating around other players is so crazy. He’s not afraid. He’s a really good playmaker and a really good shooter.”

The Wings could use a player who brings both those facets. Though they have a potential second-line center in Joe Veleno, Rossi brings another level of hockey IQ, the kind of deft passing that could make him an ideal center for Filip Zadina. Rossi is a strong-willed player who plays aggressively in all three zones, a budding star with game-breaking ability. He’s been a cunning player since shortly after he learned to skate. 

Continued; I have no problem with the Wings drafting any of Rossi, Cole Perfetti, Jamie Drysdale, Jake Sanderson et. al.

NHL.com’s Morreale delves into the Drysdale vs. Sanderson debate

NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale wrote an intriguing article this morning, discussing the debate as to whether Jamie Drysdale or Jake Sanderson is a better draft prospect. Morreale spoke with twelve scouts as to which prospect will make a greater impact at the NHL level, and Drsydale won out–barely:

Continue reading NHL.com’s Morreale delves into the Drysdale vs. Sanderson debate

Kevin Allen on Yzerman and the ‘art of the small deal’

Red Wings fans expect GM Steve Yzerman and his managerial team to deliver fireworks in the form of sensational trades, big free agent signings and home-run draft picks, but Hockeybuzz’s Kevin Allen suggests that Yzerman’s best moves are often made in the form of smaller-scale trades:

Last season, Yzerman gave up fourth liner Jacob de la Rose for Robbie Fabbri, 24, who ended up playing in Detroit’s top six. He also secured a pair of second-round picks from Edmonton for speedy Andreas Athanasiou. Now, Edmonton is moving on from Athanasiou.

When Yzerman was named Detroit general manager, some fans thought his tenure would be marked by big name acquisitions. The thought was Yzerman would use his sterling reputation to attract high profile free agents.

He may eventually bring in a free agent, but that’s not how Yzerman builds teams. He starts by acquiring draft picks and putting together a strong foundation of talented youngsters.

That’s what the Staal deal is about. He received another second round pick to carry Staal’s $5.7 million contract for a year. The New York Rangers needed cap relief. Yzerman wants to be more competitive than the Red Wings were last season, and Staal is a veteran who can help in that regard. Yzerman said Trevor Daley and Jonathan Ericsson are moving on. When playing well, Staal is a solid performer. There’s a chance that the Red Wings will be able to move Staal at next season’s trade deadline, perhaps adding more value to this deal.

Continued; it’s hard to disagree with Yzerman pulling of wise “small deals” given that he once traded Kyle Quincey for a first-round pick that became Andrei Vasilevskiy (thanks, Kenny Holland), but no GM worth his salt makes only massive moves, and it is in the “small trades” that one is judged.

Hell, Yzerman made a miscalculation last year in trading Alec Regula, and up-and-coming defenseman, for Brendan Perlini, who may not even be retained. Those kinds of small deals and small details can come back to bite you if you’re not careful with which assets you’re able to move to make small adjustments and improvements.

European prospect round-up: Hronek registers 2 assists; Coronavirus hits Zadina’s team

Of prospect and loaned Red Wings player-related note on Sunday:

In the SHL, Elmer Soderblom played 8:16 in the Frolunda Indians’ 2-0 win over Djurgardens IF. Albin Grewe played only 4:28 as Djurgardens’ extra forward.

In the Czech Extraliga, Filip Hronek had 2 assists and finished at a +3 in 30:08 played as Mountfield HK won 4-3 in OT over Bili Tygri Liberec;

There’s bad news for Filip Zadina’s team, Ocelari Trinec, because some of the players have tested positive for the Coronavirus. They’ll have to quarantine for 10 days;

And in the ICE Hockey League, Michael Rasmussen didn’t play in the Graz 99ers’ 2-0 loss to Black Wings 1992 Linz.

Hello and goodbye, Wings Twitter style

The Red Wings posted a quartet of Tweets commemorating a changing of the guard on defense:

Quite the Krug rumor from WIiM

I’m not quite sure what to think about this one. Barstool Sports’ Spittin’ Chicklets blog offered this Tweet on Sunday, as noted by Winging It in Motown’s Kyle McIlmurray:

I have little doubt that the Bruins are going to move Krug’s rights before losing him to free agency outright, but whether they move him this early is a question mark to me.

Wings on Twitter: Fox Sports Detroit to air ‘2020 Red Wings Draft Preview Special’ today

From the Red Wings:

Be sure to catch our 2020 #DRWDraft Preview Special premiering today at 1:30 PM on @FOXSportsDet!

Schedule ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0jcXcmB5BE— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 27, 2020

UPDATE: The 1:30 PM airing has been pushed back due to the Tigers game.— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 27, 2020

A bit about ‘veteran presence,’ Marc Staal and Sam Gagner

The Athletic’s Max Bultman penned an article regarding the Red Wings’ addition of 33-year-old defenseman Marc Staal on Saturday. After analyzing Staal’s impact (it’s not huge), Bultman notes that both of the Red Wings’ moves on Saturday (the other was re-signing Sam Gagner to a 1-year deal) involved keeping a veteran presence on the roster:

“Trying to add these veteran guys that can help our younger players, not only fill a hole in the roster, but help the culture, help the locker room, and I guess help the entire organization, really,” Yzerman said.

Of note on Gagner, in particular, are his right-handed shot and ability to help the Red Wings’ power play, Yzerman said. Luke Glendening is currently the Red Wings’ only other right-handed forward. The general manager did acknowledge Gagner’s ability play all three forward positions, including center, and also said the team plans to give Robby Fabbri at least a look at center.

But with both Gagner and Staal on one-year contracts, the second-round pick will likely stand as the most significant of Saturday’s acquisitions to the future of the Red Wings. Second-round picks are not sure things, but with three in three straight drafts, Yzerman certainly is giving his staff as many chances as possible to find difference-makers for the rebuild.

It’s now been more than six months since the Red Wings last took the ice. But with the 2020 draft just 10 days away, and free agency not far behind, what looks like a busy offseason for the second-year GM is officially ramping up.

Continued (paywall); what do you feel is the right balance between veteran players, the Wings’ ready-to-play core, and the youngsters they’re trying to promote?

Do the Red Wings need to add any more veterans, or should they continue to press forward with a relatively youthful movement?

For what it’s worth, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks had this to say about Staal’s battle scars:

Staal, of course, has been a mainstay through the Rangers’ past four coaches. He made his debut under Tom Renney, and had his best days under John Tortorella as Dan Girardi’s first-pair partner before suffering the memorable concussion-inducing hit delivered by his brother, Eric, at Carolina on Feb. 22, 2011. Marc Staal played through the remainder of that season, then missed the first half of 2011-12 with post-concussion syndrome, making his debut at the 2012 Winter Classic in Philadelphia. But he was never quite the same.

Staal worked his way back from third-pair duty with Stu Bickel to a second-pair assignment with Anton Stralman. The following season, on March 5, 2013, he was struck around the right eye by a Jakub Voracek deflection of a Kimmo Timonen slap shot. Staal effectively lost the vision in his right eye, yet played a significant role in the run to the 2014 Stanley Cup finals under Alain Vigneault. Then, after a string of unprecedented healthy scratches under David Quinn this year, Staal steadied and provided the stay-at-home work that complemented DeAngelo.

Staal has been a hockey warrior, a particular irritant to Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin through all of the playoff duels. He has been hard on the puck and an exemplary teammate.

FYI: WXYZ’s Brad Galli filed a report about the Gagner re-signing and Staal trade: