Category: Uncategorized

Centre ICE arena to hold training camp merchandise and memorabilia sale

Centre ICE Arena in Traverse City is holding a memorabilia and training camp merchandise sale to attempt to raise funds for the rink this week, and it looks like what they’ve got will be worth your time:

The Athletic’s Smith addresses the ‘Zetterberg LTIR’ rumor

The Athletic’s Joe Smith addressed something of a strong undercurrent today while answering a reader’s mailbag question:

What are you hearing on the Henrik Zetterberg LTIR trade rumors? What would it take in addition to Johnson for the Red Wings to deal that LTIR contract? Hopefully not a first-round pick but who knows. — Matt C.

It’s an interesting idea, first floated on the internet in Russia, but I haven’t heard anything as far as confirmation on that. I do think that the Red Wings and Lightning are good fits for a potential deal, and whether that includes taking on Zetterberg’s LTIR, Tampa Bay would need to add an additional sweetener to make that kind of deal work. You’re talking about a draft pick or prospect there, though I don’t think the Lightning wants to give up a first-rounder.

Continued; I never put stakes in what’s coming out of the Russian hockey rumor mill.

Zadina, Berggren crack NHL.com’s ‘Prospect Watch’ ahead of Channel One Cup

Every week, NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale pens a list of prospects to watch in Europe, and this week, he takes note of two Red Wings prospects who will be participating in the Channel One Cup in Moscow starting on Thursday:

Filip Zadina, F, Trinec: Zadina (6-0, 189), selected by the Detroit Red Wings with the No. 6 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, has scored 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 17 games in the Czech Extraliga. The 21-year-old right wing will play for the Czech Republic at the Channel One Cup, an international tournament in Russia that starts Thursday.

…

Jonatan Berggren (Red Wings), F, Skelleftea: Berggren (5-10, 181) is fourth in the Swedish Hockey League with 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 23 games. The 20-year-old right wing was chosen by the Red Wings in the second round (No. 33) of the 2018 draft.

Kulfan: Larkin discusses the mental grind of 10 months without hockey

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Dylan Larkin via an NHL promotional tour on Monday night, and Larkin said that he’s a little tired of the grind that has been attempting to keep oneself motivated while not playing hockey for over ten months:

“Absolutely, it’s been hard,” Larkin said, noting the Wings haven’t played a game since March 10, two days before the pandemic shut down the NHL regular season. “That’s probably an understatement with our team, it’s been hard for us because so we’ve been off for so long. We’ve been really quiet. But the hunger, a lot of guys are back in town and skating at (Little Caesars Arena), and guys are ready.

“It’s been a long time, a challenging time. You go through periods of motivation, you feel good and excited, and there was a (potential) start date of mid-October, I can’t even remember, and it got pushed back and it seemed to get pushed back and you get upset about it. It’s been harder mentally than physically.”

The Wings had the league’s worst record (17-49-5) last season, were outscored by a whopping 122 goals, only won five of 34 road games, and were near the bottom of every team statistical category.

But general manager Steve Yzerman addressed needs in every position group through free agency and trades this off-season — and might not be done yet — making the Wings’ roster much deeper and experienced on paper.

“The moves we’ve made, it’s exciting,” Larkin said. “Most of the guys we’ve added are skilled guys that can make plays and can play with the puck. As a player that likes to do that, too, it helps. I really enjoy it.”

Continued

Toledo Walleye re-sign defenseman Blake Hillman

From the Toledo Walleye:

Defenseman Blake Hillman has agreed to terms with the Toledo Walleye for the 2020-21 season.

Hillman returns to the Pond after splitting his time between Toledo, Grand Rapids, and Stockton during the 2019-20 season. He played 35 games for the Fish, where he racked up 13 points (1G, 12A) and eight penalty minutes. The 24-year-old added 12 games at the AHL level; five with the Griffins and seven with the Heat. 

Head Coach Dan Watson is excited to have Hillman return for his second season with the Walleye. 

“He has great patience with the puck, plays a smart and detailed game and has tremendous leadership skills. He will be counted on heavily to play against teams’ top lines and anchor our penalty kill unit again.” Dan Watson, Walleye Head Coach

Prospect Round-up: Rasmussen posts 4-point game for Graz99ers

Of prospect-related note this afternoon:

In the ICE Hockey League, Michael Rasmussen scored 2 goals and added 3 assists, finishing at +1 with 5 shots in the Graz99ers’ 6-4 loss to the Innsbruck Haie;

In the Belarusian League, Kirill Tyutyayev didn’t play in Yunost Minsk’s 4-2 loss to Mogolev-2;

And in NCAA Hockey, tonight, Keith Petruzzelli and the Quinnipiac Bobcats will battle Sacred Heart at 7 PM EST.

Update: Keith Petruzzelli stopped 13 of 15 shots as the Quinnipiac Bobcats won 9-2 over Sacred Heart.

Roughly translated: Theodor Niederbach speaks with HockeyNews.se regarding his promotion to first-line WJC center

Red Wings prospect and Frolunda Indians forward Theodor Niederbach has come a long way over a short period of time, going from dominating in the Swedish Under-20 league to playing regularly for the SHL’s Frolunda Indians. As Niederbach prepares to participate in the World Junior Championship for Sweden, he’s also adjusting to playing as the center on the Alexander Holtz-Lucas Raymond line, and he spoke with HockeyNews.se’s Henrik Sjoberg regarding his rapid ascent (which is roughly translated from Swedish):

From reserve [forward] to top line with Holtz and Raymond: “No problems with responsibility”

From being called up as a reserve forward in November to the role of center on the top line with Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond.

The World Junior Championship in Edmonton will be a big showcase for 18-year-old Theodor Niederbach.

“In that case, we will be a leading line, but I do not feel any pressure. Things have gone well in practice and both are very skilled players,” says Niederbach to HockeyNews.se.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Theodor Niederbach speaks with HockeyNews.se regarding his promotion to first-line WJC center

Roughly translated: Mathias Brome uncertain as to when he’s leaving Orebro for the NHL

Several NHL-signed Swedish players have left their SHL or Hockey Allsvenskan teams to prepare for the 2020-2021 NHL season in North America, but Expressen/GT.se’s Adam Johansson reports that several big-name players still aren’t certain when they’re going to leave for the NHL, including Red Wings signee Mathias Brome.

What follows is roughly translated from Swedish:

The big stars are leaving–returning to the NHL

All indications are that the NHL season will start in mid-January.

This means that more and more NHL-loaned players in the SHL and Hockeyallsvenskan are leaving the country.

But for some, there remains a great deal of uncertainty.

“I still know nothing,” says Mathias Brome.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Mathias Brome uncertain as to when he’s leaving Orebro for the NHL

Roughly translated: Albin Grewe’s upset with his exclusion from the World Junior Championship due to a positive coronavirus test

Via Aftonbladet’s Mattias Karlsson, Red Wings prospect Albin Grewe spoke to SVT.se’s Hannes Nyberg and Dusan Umicevic, questioning the validity of the positive coronavirus test that prevented him from playing for Sweden’s 2021 World Junior Championship team. What follows is roughly translated from Swedish:

The Talent was stopped from playing in the World Junior Championship: “I do not trust the tests”

Djurgarden’s 19-year-old talent Albin Grewe was stopped from attending the World Junior Championship due to a positive coronavirus test. After the positive test, he received many negative test results, and now he directs criticism at the entire system.

“It’s obvious that I don’t have the coronavirus now. I don’t trust those tests,” he says to SVT Sport.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Albin Grewe’s upset with his exclusion from the World Junior Championship due to a positive coronavirus test

The Athletic’s Bultman pens in-depth profile of Lucas Raymond

The Athletic’s Max Bultman wrote an in-depth profile of Lucas Raymond, and it’s an excellent, in-depth article discussing Raymond’s familial hockey history:

When the Red Wings selected him fourth overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, he became their highest selection in 30 years, a high-pressure distinction as the proud Original Six franchise attempts to return to its former glory. Last year, the Red Wings won just 17 out of 71 games, and the fan base, in turn, placed all its hopes on the draft to make all that losing worth it.

Expectations, in other words, are high. And as Raymond meets them, they may grow higher still. That’s a tall charge for an 18 year old.

By all indications, though, it’s also the kind of situation in which Raymond is built to thrive. For all of his many talents, and the single-minded competitiveness that drove him to where he is, none may be as important as Raymond’s ability to embrace pressure. Not just to withstand it, but, as his brother said, to “get better” under it.

“He wants the pressure,” said Tobias Johansson, Frölunda’s J20 coach.

“He feeds from it.”

Continued (paywall)