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Buchelnikov’s in the big city now

Red Wings prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov begins his KHL season tomorrow when CSKA (the Central Red Army team) battles Dynamo Moscow in a “Moscow derby.” As such, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that Buchelnikov’s moving from the Russian pro hockey hinterlands to both Russia’s capitol and a capital of hockey:

It’s been hard to fully analyze Buchelnikov (52nd, 2022) because he has played for weak, non-competitive KHL teams for the past two seasons. But the Red Wings have seen enough to know that the flashy Russian athlete possesses, at the very least, the potential to be an impact offensive performer. The smallish, speedy winger finished 17th in last season’s KHL scoring race with 15 goals and 39 assists for 54 points for Balashikha Vityaz.

Buchelnikov’s only 5’10” and 170 pounds, and he did begin his hockey career in the mighty SKA St. Petersburg system, but after 10 games played for the men’s team, he was loaned to the Admiral Vladivostok, a team in Russia’s far east, and as Allen notes, he played for Vityaz Moscow Region last season, a small-market team stuffed into a Moscow suburb.

Buchelnikov’s KHL profile is changing this season because he is playing for CSKA Moscow, the country’s most storied franchise. One of the reasons CSKA acquired Buchelnikov is team officials believe he can help CSKA return to the prominence. In the KHL preseason, no player registered more points than Buchelnikov (three goals, four assists).

Not every KHL standout ends up as an NHL star. But could Buchelnikov end up having NHL impact like New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov? After this season we may be better able to answer that question. Playing in CSKA’s top six, Buchelnikov will be matched up against the KHL’s best forwards every night. This season will provide a more demanding challenge for him before he comes to North America.

Continued; I’m not certain where Buchelnikov will ultimately play, but he’s got the chops to make it…It’s just a matter of how much he can develop both physically, mentally and game-wise when he makes the jump to North America next spring.

Duff quizzes us as to whether it’s Albert or Anton Johansson

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff offers a quiz regarding facts about the Red Wings’ Johanssons, roster player Albert Johansson and prospect and Leksands IF defenseman Anton Johansson.

I don’t know if it’s that hard to pick between the two as Albert is smaller (6,’ 185 pounds), shoots left and plays a sound positional game, while Anton (6’4,” 196 pounds) shoots right and plays a more rangy, physical game…

But what the hell, here we go:

Which Johansson played in the Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament? Who won an IIHF World Junior Championship silver medal? Name the Johansson who won a gold medal at the IIHF World U18 Championship. Which Johansson led the Swedish J20 league in goals by a defenseman? Who was the Johansson who led all Swedish J20 defensemen in assists? Which of the Johanssons won a Swedish Hockey League championship? Who is the Johansson who was a teammate of former Red Wings forward Jacob de la Rose? Which Johansson was a teammate of Red Wings 2022 draft pick Maxmilian Kilpinen?

Continued; as Duff suggests, it’s not all that rare for fans and pundits alike to mistake Albert for Anton, and vice versa.

I fully expect Anton to join Albert in the NHL at some point in the future, however, so I assume that we will see Albert-vs-Anton confusion for the foreseeable future.

Without acquiring a top-six forward or top-four defenseman, Detroit’s roster ‘is what it is’

Bleacher Report’s Sara Civian offers “1 Reason Why Your Favorite Team Won’t Win the 2026 Stanley Cup” this morning, and I can’t say that she’s wrong about the Red Wings’ Achilles heel…But it’s kind of being hammered to death here.

Detroit Red Wings

Reason Why They Could Surprise: Detroit’s immediate turnaround upon hiring Todd McLellan was palpable, and they may have solved their goaltending weakness in acquiring John Gibson.

Why They Won’t: Has Steve Yzerman been a bit too cautious with the plan? What’s the worst that would happen if the Red Wings signed a true impact center or top defenseman in his prime? We’re still waiting on that kind of thing.

Continued; I’ve said it, you’ve said it, we’ve all said it.

But it doesn’t appear that the cavalry’s coming in terms of the team adding an impact top-six forward and/or a top-four defenseman with shut-down abilities–at least not yet, anyway–and the Red Wings will have to make due with what they’ve got.

What they’ve got is a little thin without that extra impact forward and top-four defenseman, but the free agent marketplace was thin…

And as far as we all know, trade prices were high enough that there weren’t any significant trades over the course of the post-free agency summer, so things are what they are.

The situation is not ideal, of course, but one must deal with reality as it presents itself. And I don’t know whether it’s important whether the Red Wings contend for the Stanley Cup as long as they battle for a playoff spot via more consistent winning play coming down the stretch drive.

A reminisce about Hasek and Osgood’s Cooper-style helmet-cage combos (and goalie mask art)

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.

Prospect round-up: Noah Dower Nilsson registers 2A in CHL action; Anton Johansson, Eddie Genborg battle in preseason play

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.

Daily Faceoff profiles Red Wings assistant GM Shawn Horcoff

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.”

Continue reading Daily Faceoff profiles Red Wings assistant GM Shawn Horcoff

Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson speaks with the Hockey News

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…

Keeping the lights on at TMR HQ

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.

Continue reading Keeping the lights on at TMR HQ

Press release: Red Wings release Prospect Games roster

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.

Continue reading Press release: Red Wings release Prospect Games roster

Jesse Kiiskinen’s underrated in at least one Finnish publication

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.