Category: Uncategorized

Follow-up: Olympia Entertainment responds to The Athletic report on Tigers employee misconduct

MLive’s Evan Woodbury reports that Olympia Entertainment has released a statement regarding The Athletic’s report that the Detroit Tigers have faced six charges of misconduct against women over the past 3 years:

“We are committed to a culture of respect, safety, and inclusion. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment, and when concerns are raised, we investigate promptly and take decisive action, which has included terminating employees for misconduct, regardless of seniority or tenure. We are committed to accountability and to upholding the standards essential to our workplace.

“Building on that commitment, we work hard every day to improve our workplace culture. We encourage open dialogue and feedback, celebrate the contributions of our colleagues, and continue to invest in programs that support growth, well-being, and inclusion. Our colleagues have multiple channels to share input, supported by a strong HR team that responds quickly to concerns. We also provide ongoing, company-wide training and education to prevent and address inappropriate behavior.

“These efforts foster a culture where colleagues feel confident raising concerns, knowing that action will be taken when issues arise. We are grateful to the employees who have spoken up here, and to the more than 3,000 full- and part-time colleagues who contribute every day to ensuring a safe work environment.”

Discussing Patrick Kane’s Olympic case

The Hockey News’s Michael Traikos argues that Red Wings forward Patrick Kane should be given the opportunity to earn a spot on Team USA’s 2026 Olympic team–based upon the player he is at 36, not as the player he used to be:

The 36-year-old Kane, who turns 37 in November, was one of the 44 players who attended to the U.S. Team’s orientation camp last month. If he makes the team, he would be participating in his third Olympics. But having been left off Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the veteran winger is considered a long shot. 

Still, the idea of capturing gold to go along with his two Stanley Cups is something that is motivating him as he begins what could be his final NHL season.

“The one thing that’s kind of missing is a gold in best-on-best, right?” Kane told NHL.com at the United States Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp. “It would be fun to have that opportunity.”

Having Kane around at the Olympics, even as a 13th forward, could be more than just a sentimental gesture. The Olympics is not just some random hockey tournament. This is a global event, where the pressure far exceeds playing for a World Cup or even a Stanley Cup. The U.S. team is young, with only six players on NHL.com’s projected roster aged 30 or older. Compare that to Team Canada, where 11 players are 30 or older.

While age is not always a determining factor in skill, the lack of international experience could be an area of concern, especially as pressure ramps up.

…

Does he belong on a team with Tkachuk and Matthews? Does he warrant a look, even if it means knocking someone younger like Matt Boldy or Cole Caufield off the team? If you’re basing the decision on offensive production, the answer is probably no. But if you’re looking at all the intangibles, having Kane’s experience could be the final X-factor that helps the U.S. team win gold.

“I don’t want that to be a thing, either, where you’re getting selected for the team because of all that stuff,” Kane told NHL.com. “You want to be selected for the player you are and what you can bring to the team.”

Continued

Jim Nill discusses Dallas hosting this weekend’s Prospect Games

DallasStars.com’s Mike Heika has posted a column about the Stars hosting this weekend’s pair of Prospect Games between the Stars’ prospects and the Red Wings’ prospects:

Current Stars GM Jim Nill helped start the prospect tournament when he was assistant GM with the Red Wings back in 1998, and it became a successful eight-team affair for a couple of decades. It started to thin in recent years as more options became available for the participating teams and the cost of getting to a valued northern vacation spot for 5-6 days got to be pretty pricey. So, the tournament was reduced to two teams, and this year the Stars and Red Wings will shift their games to Frisco instead.

That can be a good thing and a bad thing. On one hand, the players don’t get the full experience of bonding in a fantastic camp setting with prospects from seven other NHL teams and plenty of things to do when you’re not playing. On the other hand, they also don’t have to go to Northern Michigan, then back to Dallas, then down to Cedar Park, then back to Dallas in a hectic replay of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

“Now that we look back, I do think it might have been too much,” Nill said on Tuesday as he prepares to host games this Saturday and Sunday at Comerica Center and then roll straight into NHL camp on Wednesday in Frisco. “You had four games in five days that were pretty intense, and then you fly those guys right into camp. There’s no time to rest and there is a chance you can get banged up, so when it was at its height, it was probably a little too much.

“Here, we get two games, and I think that’s perfect,” Nill added. “The first one, you get a chance to shake off the rust, and the second one, you should be up and running, and then you go right into camp.”

It also gives Stars fans the benefit of seeing these games in person – and that is a real treat. In my time viewing the games at Centre Ice Arena in Traverse City, I’ve been struck by the level of competition. By taking a bunch of young 20-somethings and letting them go head-to-head, the intensity is significantly higher. When we get to the real NHL exhibition games, you have a mix of veterans and “kids” and there is usually no real flow. The veterans probably aren’t as engaged as you might like and are waiting around for the regular season to start. The kids are hesitant to do too much for fear of overstepping their “place” in the game. But in these prospect games, the top players go against the top players and you get full on vitriol.

…

You get to see a live performance of the youngest players before training camp starts, and that can be pretty revealing.

“We just thought it would be good to give the prospects a little bit of a head start, and it was probably one of the best things we did,” Nill said of the original tournament plan. “Players didn’t have to jump right in with NHL guys in camp, they played against their peers, and we also used it for tryouts and found several players that way. The level of hockey for this time of year is off the charts. They want to show each other what you can do and they want to show management what they can do. It’s a great thing to watch.”

Continued;

Konstantinov and McCarty to attend the Monroe Comic Con this weekend

Per MLive’s Andrew Pevos:

Vladimir Konstantinov is scheduled to make a rare public appearance this weekend and he won’t be the only Red Wings Stanley Cup Champion you can meet.

Vladdy, along with Darren McCarty, are two of the celebrity guests who will be at Monroe Comic Con taking place on Friday, September 12 and Saturday, September 13 at the FMB Expo Center at 3775 South Custer Road.

Other celebrities scheduled to attend include: Walter Jones (“Power Rangers”), Chris Durand (“Halloween H2O” & ”Scream 2″), Sgt. Slaughter (WWE Hall of Famer), James O’Barr (Creator of “The Crow”), Katrina DeVine (“Power Rangers”), Chris Fehn (formerly of Slipknot), Rhyno (ECW, WWE), Blake Foster (“Power Rangers Turbo”).

Continued; ticket prices are very reasonable at $15 for Friday and $20 for Saturday, or $30 for a 2-day VIP pass.

Tweet of note: Cross Hanas to attend Dallas Stars’ training camp on a PTO

Per Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis, Texas native Cross Hanas is going home:

Tweet of note: U.S. NTDP to ‘Play With Purpose’ on Friday; U.S. Women’s National Team to attend

Per the Twitter account of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan:

Quoting the NTDP’s USA Hockey Arena website:

United States Hockey League (USHL) rivals, Team USA U18s and Youngstown Phantoms, will team up again for the 8th annual “Play With Purpose” preseason charity hockey game on Friday, September 12 at USA Hockey Arena. Doors open at 5 pm. Puck drop is 6 pm.

Don’t miss your opportunity to catch the exciting preseason USHL action in Plymouth – but this is more than just a hockey game. For one night, these two teams will set their rivalry aside and play for a much bigger purpose – to help end distracted driving.

The charity game will be played at the Mitchel Kiefer Memorial Rink at USA Hockey Arena to recognize, remember and honor the nineth anniversary of Mitchel’s death due to a distracted driver.

With the support of Kaiser Enterpise and generous corporate sponsors, both teams will dedicate their efforts and this game to help raise awareness in our local Michigan hockey community about the deadly consequences of distracted driving. 

Continue reading Tweet of note: U.S. NTDP to ‘Play With Purpose’ on Friday; U.S. Women’s National Team to attend

The Hockey News’s Levine posts a 3-part Red Wings fantasy hockey preview

The Hockey News’s Jan Levine posted three fantasy hockey previews regarding the Detroit Red Wings this morning, starting with a fantasy hockey outlook for the entire team…

As mentioned in the projected lineups column, the first line is more than solid. Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond should combine for close to 100 goals and 225 points. Then the production levels out, Patrick Kane showed that age is just a number, posting 59 points in 72 contests last season. Marco Kasper improved the second half of the season, but he needs to take another step forward to provide the level of offense this team needs.

Once you get past those five offensively, the output up front thins substantially. Jonathan Berggren may be in a make-or-break campaign. If he fails to produce, he could be elsewhere next season. James Van Riemdsyk will be counted on to provide some tertiary scoring and veteran leadership. Andrew Copp underwent surgery for a torn pectoral tendon in late February but should be ready for training camp and a middle-six role.

Perfect world, Carter Mazur, Nate Danielson or Dmitri Buchelnikov force their way onto the team. Beyond that, what we see is what they will be. The Red Wings may lack enough offense unless Michael Rasmussen, Elmer Soderblom or Mason Appleton raises their output to make the playoffs and will need to rely on improvements in net.

Simon Edvisson is vying for and deserves a long-term contract. He has just scratched the surface of how good he will be. Paired next to Moritz Seider, the team’s best all-around player, the duo provides Detroit a legitimate first group.

After those two, the talent falls off, at least on the current roster. Axel Sandin-Pellikka and William Walinder will eventually be the second pair. ASP is an offensive juggernaut while Wilander his defensive ballast. When that occurs remains to be seen. Until then, the lines of Ben Chiarot, Justin Holl, Jonathan Bernard-Docker, Erik Gustafsson and Ian Mitchell will split time on the blueline.

Where Detroit hopes they have improved is between the pipes. John Gibson, on the block for years in Anaheim, but hard to move due to his contract and his desire to stay with the Ducks, landed with the Red Wings this offseason. If he can avoid injury, Gibson should take on the bulk of the workload, reducing Cam Talbot to back up duty, at least under Sebastian Cossa is deemed ready. When at the top of his game, Gibson is an above average netminder.

He discusses the Red Wings’ projected lineup…

Continue reading The Hockey News’s Levine posts a 3-part Red Wings fantasy hockey preview

This is not good

The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli and Alex Andrejev have published an investigative article which should concern every Tigers and Red Wings fan:

At least eight men employed by the Detroit Tigers, its business arm or broadcast partner have been accused of misconduct toward women since 2023, including four vice presidents and two other high-ranking employees, an investigation by The Athletic found.

Seven of those eight were accused of mistreating women employed by Ilitch Sports and Entertainment (IS+E), which operates the MLB franchise, the NHL’s Red Wings, Comerica Park, Little Caesars Arena and other entertainment entities. The allegations against the men ranged from offensive comments to physical confrontation.

Six of the men either resigned, were fired or did not have their contracts renewed — three exited in a six-month period beginning last November. One vice president was suspended after The Athletic requested comment about the allegations against him late last week.

“The dysfunction is woven into the culture. It feels like a bunch of guys who can do whatever they want,” said a current male employee. “It’s not a place women can feel safe.”

Continued (paywall); the article doesn’t paint a flattering picture of the Red Wings’ parent organization, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment.

I’m not going to pass judgment upon the Ilitch organization based on some bad apples, but this indicates a cultural problem that they should address openly and honestly.

Roughly translated: Henrik Zetterberg to work for Timra IK of the SHL

From Expressen’s Tobias Soderlund: Henrik Zetterberg may be the Red Wings’ “secret agent” in terms of scouting prospects and recommending free agents to the NHL team on an unofficial business, and now Zetterberg has chosen to officially work as an advisor to his former SHL team, Timra IK:

Henrik Zetterberg returns to Timrå IK

Henrik Zetterberg is ready for Timrå IK.

He will take a new role in the sports organization.

“I’m passionate about Timrå,” the legend said.

Henrik Zetterberg, 44, has been given a rolee as a sports advisor for Timrå for the upcoming SHL season. The club writes in a press release that he has already previously worked behind the scenes with the recruitment work for the team, but now he receives an official position in the sports organization.

“I am passionate about Timrå IK and would like to contribute a more structured role; this is an association with proud traditions, but also with a strong belief in the future,” he told the club’s website.

The focus of the assignment is on attracting more young talent to Timrå.

“I want to help create conditions for even more young, ambitious players to be able to take steps here and contribute to the association’s continued growth,” says Zetterberg.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Henrik Zetterberg to work for Timra IK of the SHL