The Malik Report

This is interesting, per the Detroit Red Wings and USA Hockey:

Stars & Stripes Showdown Set For Aug. 26 at USA Hockey Arena
Top American Hockey Stars To Play in Honor of Late Jim Johannson

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Stars & Stripes Showdown, a benefit hockey game featuring top American-born hockey stars, will take place Sunday, August 26, at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. Opening faceoff is set for 2 p.m. ET.

The game is being played in honor of the late Jim Johannson, with proceeds benefiting both the Jim Johannson Legacy Fund of The USA Hockey Foundation, and the Ellie Johannson College Fund.

Johannson, who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 53 this past January, spent the past two decades as assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. His positive impact on the sport in the United States was significant in many areas, particularly in the success of teams representing the U.S. on the international stage.

“This will be a special day to remember J.J. and help benefit two great causes,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director for USA Hockey. “Dylan Larkin has been a catalyst in this effort and I’d particularly like to thank him for all he’s doing to make this game a reality. It will be a fun event for fans with so many of our top American players on the ice at one time.”

Current athletes committed to attend include Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings), Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), James van Riemsdyk (Philadelphia Flyers), Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins), Jimmy Howard (Detroit Red Wings), Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets), Ryan Suter (Minnesota Wild), Zach Parise (Minnesota Wild), Danny DeKeyser (Detroit Red Wings), Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets), Anders Bjork (Boston Bruins), J.T. Compher (Colorado Avalanche), Connor Murphy (Chicago Blackhawks), Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary Flames), Noah Hanifin (Calgary Flames), Patrick Eaves (Anaheim, Calif.), Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets), Jake McCabe (Buffalo Sabres), Colin White (Ottawa Senators), Andrew Copp (Winnipeg Jets), Connor Carrick (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Luke Glendening (Detroit Red Wings). Fans are encouraged to click here regularly for additional participating players and coaches as they are added.

Coaches for the game to date include Jeff Blashill (Detroit Red Wings), Tony Granato (Wisconsin Badgers), John Hynes (New Jersey Devils) and David Quinn (New York Rangers).

In addition to the game, festivities will include a live game-worn jersey auction; an online auction featuring game-worn jerseys and autographed NHL memorabilia; in-arena raffles; and a post-game meet & greet with players and coaches.

“We are all very excited to honor J.J. with this game,” said Larkin, who will enter his fourth season with the Red Wings this fall. “I, along with many others, am thankful for the impact J.J. had on my career, and we are all eager to help his family and continue his legacy.”

Tickets are available online at USAHockeyArena.com, by calling the box office at 734-453-8400 or by visiting the USA Hockey Arena Box Office in person at 14900 Beck Road, Plymouth, Mich., 48170.

NOTES: The Jim Johannson Legacy Fund was established to benefit grassroots community hockey programs across the country, something Johannson was passionate about throughout his life. The Ellie Johannson College Fund will assist in providing a college education for its namesake, the two-year-old daughter of Jim and his wife Abby … For more on Jim Johannson’s legacy, click here … For more on the USA Hockey Foundation, click here.

From the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS 2018-19 PRESEASON TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY
AT 10 A.M.
… Detroit Opens Preseason Slate with Three Straight Home Games at Little Caesars Arena Before Welcoming Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 29 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced that tickets for all 2018-19 preseason home games at Little Caesars Arena will go on sale Monday, Aug. 6 at 10:00 a.m.

The Red Wings will hit the ice for the first time in 2018-19 by hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena. The matchup against the Penguins opens a stretch of three home games in four days, with contests against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and the Boston Bruins on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 7:00 p.m. Detroit will then travel for four road games in a six-day span, visiting Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 23 (3:00 p.m.), Chicago on Tuesday, Sept. 25 (8:30 p.m.), Boston on Wednesday, Sept. 26 (7:00 p.m.) and Toronto on Friday, Sept. 28 (7:30 p.m.). The Red Wings will host the eighth and final preseason game against the division-rival Maple Leafs on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

Red Wings preseason tickets can be purchased at the Little Caesars Arena XFINITY Box Office (313-471-7575) or online at DetroitRedWings.com. Red Wings regular season tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 24.

The Red Wings’ full preseason schedule can be found below:

DETROIT RED WINGS 2018-19 PRESEASON SCHEDULE

                  DATE     DAY                                                       SITE                                   TIME (ET)
September   19       Wed.       PITTSBURGH                          Little Caesars Arena         7:30
20       Thu.        CHICAGO                                Little Caesars Arena         7:30
22       Sat.         BOSTON                                  Little Caesars Arena        7:00
23       Sun.        at Pittsburgh                              PPG Paints Arena           3:00
25       Tue.        at Chicago                                United Center                   8:30
26       Wed.       at Boston                                  TD Garden                       7:00
28       Fri.          at Toronto                                 Scotiabank Arena             7:30
29       Sat.         TORONTO                               Little Caesars Arena         7:00

 

2018-19 SEASON TICKET PLANS NOW AVAILABLE

Ticket plans are now available for the 2018-19 season. Red Wings FLEX partial plans are back to give fans the opportunity to design a plan based on their schedule. Fans can purchase convenient half-season ticket plans (22 games) or new quarter-season ticket plans (11 games). Red Wings partial season ticket plans feature savings on box office prices and increased savings on premium games. Partial season ticket holders also have the opportunity to lock in their tickets before single game tickets go on sale to the general public. Additional benefits include flexible payment plans, access to the Ticket Donation Program to put unused tickets to good use in the community, presale opportunities for 313 Presents events, a dedicated personal Ticket Service Executive and much more.

In addition to the benefits of FLEX plans, full season ticket plans feature an action-packed 45-game schedule, giving fans the opportunity to see every NHL opponent at the state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena. Full season ticket holders receive a 10 percent discount on all merchandise at the Little Caesars Arena Team Store and Hockeytown Authentics in Troy, invitations to exclusive team autograph sessions and events, personalized entry on the arena’s Season Ticket Holder Interactive Touchscreen Displays, a complimentary in-game welcome on the Little Caesars Arena Scoreboard and much more.

Information on Red Wings full and FLEX partial season ticket plans can be obtained by visiting www.DetroitRedWings.com/SeasonTicketPlans or by calling the Red Wings’ Ticket Sales & Service Office at 313-471-7575.

The community in “Hockeytown North” received sad news recently as long-time prospect tournament and training camp volunteer Charlie Inman passed away recently.

Charlie was a tremendous character and kind soul who would do the jobs that even the equipment managers wouldn’t, and he volunteered his own time to do so. The Traverse City Record-Eagle’s Brett A. Somers penned a remembrance of someone I admired greatly:

Chartwell Drive marks the final half mile of the Grand Rapids Griffins and Detroit Red Wings’ annual trips to Traverse City.

The teams come for the prospect tournament and training camp, respectively, but the organizations’ people have grown particularly fond of one welcoming face — that of Charlie Inman.

Long-time Griffins equipment manager Brad Thompson said he could always count on seeing Inman, a volunteer for two decades, waiting on his four-wheeler for the team to arrive, ready to direct parking and help in any way he could.

But when the Griffins turn off Hammond Road and on to Chartwell in September for the latest prospect tournament, Inman won’t be there to greet them. Inman, of Cedar and in his 70s, died Thursday following a heart attack, sending the Centre Ice community and its extended Red Wings camp family into mourning.

“I’m hoping somebody up there will give him a moment,” Thompson said. “For me, it will be a sad day when I roll into Traverse City and look around and not see my buddy after 15 or 16 years. It’s sad.”

Facebook posts and Twitter messages have poured out over social media since news of Inman’s death first went out. Centre Ice and Red Wings Camps online pages posted notes commemorating Inman and his service, work ethic and hockey fandom, to which hundreds of people reacted to, commented on and shared.

Update: Here’s a bit more from UpNorthLive’s Rachel Schuit:

From the ECHL:

Berschbach, Jenks back with Walleye

Toledo, Ohio – Forwards Shane Berschbach and A.J. Jenks have each agreed to terms with the Toledo Walleye for the 2018-19 season.

The Walleye are the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings and the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Continue reading Toledo Walleye re-sign Jenks, Berschbach

Of Red Wings-related note over the past couple of days (the vacation is going well, but it’s a cloudy day, so it’s time to work!), on a source-by-source basis:

A. Detroit Red Wings:

1. NHL.com’s Dave Hogg penned a profile of Red Wings draft pick Jonatan Berggren;
2. Arthur J. Regner wrote a “By the Numbers” look back at Dylan Larkin’s 2017-18 campaign;
3. And Dana Wakiji wrote a “By the Numbers” assessment of Dominic Turgeon’s 2017-18 season.

B. MLive:

1. MLive’s Peter J. Wallner posted an article regarding 9 of the Grand Rapids Griffins’ roster players who are no longer with the team as the Griffins re-tool this summer with the aim of getting younger.

C. Detroit Free Press:

1. The Free Press’s Helene St. James penned a mailbag feature in which she addresses Jeff Blashill’s future with the team, Dan Bylsma’s addition, Evgeny Svechnikov’s immediate future and who’s next-in-line to replace Zetterberg as captain;
2. Marc Daalder reports that the beloved Cobo Joe’s bar has closed;
3. Jamie Samuelssen mentioned several Wings in an article discussing Detroit pro athletes’ social media habits.

D. Detroit News:

1. Ted Kulfan penned a profile of Otto Kivenmaki.

E. Hockeybuzz:

1. Bob Duff wrote an article about Joe Veleno’s desire to prove the teams that passed upon him at the draft wrong.

F. The Athletic:

1. Craig Custance examined the possibility that former Toronto Maple Leafs executive Mark Hunter might land with the Red Wings, Islanders, Canucks or some other team:

Detroit Red Wings — There have at least been discussions about the possibility of Hunter joining the Detroit front office, but nothing appears to be imminent. GM Ken Holland got a two-year extension and there currently isn’t a clear succession plan if this is Holland’s last extension. Bringing in Hunter to create one would certainly run counter to how Holland traditionally operates; he typically prefers to promote from within. And there’s no shortage of front-office executives in Detroit eager to one day become general managers who might be irked about an outsider jumping to the front of the line. Considering the departures from the organization over the years, the Red Wings definitely have space for another assistant GM to complement Ryan Martin, but the preference may be to promote Kris Draper, Shawn Horcoff or Jiri Fischer into that role.

2. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman spoke with Sweden’s World Junior Summer Showcase coach, Tomas Monten, about a multitude of topics:

CP: Last guy we’ll talk about today is Jonatan Berggren (DET). He had an interesting season. He had a lot of points with his junior team, with the U18 team his role got bigger as the year went on, he wasn’t a power play guy initially and by the World Championships he was your go-to guy.

Monten: Ya, I agree. He was our top scorer in April and that’s why he’s here. He wants to have the puck, he wants to shoot, he wants to make a difference. I see a lot of Jesper Bratt in him. We’ll look to him to be an offensive forward who can change the pattern in the game and put up points.

G. WHMI 93.5 FM:

1. According to WHMI 93.5 FM, Darren McCarty is hosting the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Foundation’s charity golf classic on September 14th at the Kensington Metropark.

H. USA Hockey:

1. Keith Petruzzelli made the final U.S. roster for the latter half of the World Junior Summer Showcase;

2. Coach Jeff Blashill will be one of the presenters at USA Hockey’s coaching symposium in Lake Placid, New York from August 23rd to 26th.

Other Stuff:

1. The Charlotte Checkers signed Zach Nastasiuk to an AHL contract;

2. NHL.com’s Brett Amadon suggested that the Red Wings are an “overlooked fantasy hockey team” for the 2018-19 season;

3. The Toledo Walleye re-signed Kevin Tansey.

4. According to Michigan Hockey’s Michael Caples, on August 11th, several current and former Red Wings will take part in the “Play With Purpose” charity game in Plymouth, MI.

The Malik Report will enter some uncharted territory tomorrow as the sole content provider (me) is going on vacation for a week. I’m heading up to Grand Marais, MI for the annual family trip.

I’m not quite sure how things will work while I’m away. I will have some limited internet access, and I haven’t decided whether I’ll post a daily update or whether you’ll get an every-couple-days catch-up post.

It’s been a very busy summer news-wise, but the last week of July/first week of August is usually the nadir/low point of the summer news cycle, so I hope that I don’t miss too much.

In any case, I’m assuming that TMR will survive one down week in the off-season, and that you will all be on your best behavior while I’m gone 😉

The Free Press’s Helene St. James engaged in a Q and A with former Red Wing Chris Chelios. Among the items of note:

How long was the decision to leave Detroit in the making?

CC: Since a few months after my dad passed. My mom gets help from my sister, but the commute just got really old driving back and forth trying to help my sister. Over the years, I’d talked with the Ilitches about it, about returning home at some point. Then after my dad passed, that’s really when I started thinking about it seriously.

The kids also had a bearing on it — I’m an empty nester now. My daughter graduated from Northwestern a few months ago. Two of them are going to be here in Chicago. So it’s basically all family based.

…

Where do you see yourself in five years?

CC: I’m still not ruling out coaching because so far that’s where I’ve had the most fun. I just have to decide if I want to do it 100 percent — the travel, the grind. That’s the only thing holding me back — and again, my mom, being able to help her out whenever I can. I wasn’t there when my dad passed, I was actually at the rink getting ready for a game. You can’t always be there, but it bothers me a lot that I wasn’t there with my mom when he passed. So we’ll see.

Being president of a team allows you to make your own schedule — you’re working a lot but still, if something comes up, a family matter, you can still make that. That seems like a pretty interesting job to me. Coaching, it’s a lot of hours, and all the instruction with video — to me it’s overkill, but that’s how a lot of young coaches are now.

I’ve never had a partner in the restaurant business and I don’t like being told what to do with my schedule. I listen, but I like being the boss.

Will you keep your restaurant in Detroit? 

CC: For now, yes.

Continued

 

The Hockey News’s Matt Larkin wrote an exhaustive list handicapping the top 200 fantasy hockey players for the 2018-19 season. Here are his Red Wings mentions:

107. Dylan Larkin, C, Red Wings: He’s unquestionably Detroit’s No. 1 pivot now. Lack of goals and a weak supporting cast limit his upside for now. More interesting if Filip Zadina makes the team and ends up on his line.

154. Anthony Mantha, RW, Red Wings: Strong bet to lead the Wings in goals again, but watch out for Zadina. If you’re not on the first line in Detroit, you’re in a bad fantasy situation, especially if Henrik Zetterberg doesn’t play this year.

164. Filip Zadina, RW, Red Wings: He reminds me of Marian Hossa. You’ll want to reach on him if he makes the team, but keep in mind he’s eligible to return to major junior and that his QMJHL squad hosts the Memorial Cup this year, hint hint.

178. Mike Green, D, Red Wings: Someone has to quarterback the Wings’ power play, and Green will keep holding down that job, but further decline isn’t out of the question for a 32-year-old coming off neck surgery.

Continued

Chris Chelios was officially “welcomed home” to both Chicago and the Blackhawks at the Hawks’ annual fan convention, and Chelios told the Chicago Tribune’s Shannon Ryan that he’ll be opening up a Mexican restaurant in Chicago:

Aside from his Hall of Fame hockey career with the Canadiens, Blackhawks and Red Wings, many Chicagoans remember Chris Chelios’ family restaurant on Madison Street near the United Center.

The Hall of Famer who has returned to the Hawks as a team ambassador is already tossing around ideas about opening up a restaurant now that he’s back living in his hometown.

In Dearborn, Mich., Detroit and Chicago, he operated Cheli’s Chili Bar with the help of his family. He said he’s going to switch it up this time.

“I don’t have the location, but it’s going to be Cheli’s Cantina,” he said. “I love Mexican food now.”

97.1 the Ticket’s Jamie and Stoney had an interesting debate this morning, wondering which athlete has been the most beloved in Detroit sports history:

Detroit Tigers fans have waited 17 years for Alan Trammell to make it into the Hall of Fame.

“I’m thrilled that both are getting in at the same time,” Jamie Samuelsen said, adding that no one would argue that Trammell is the best Detroit athlete of all time.

But is he the most beloved in history?

Co-host Mike “Stone” Stone answered: Alan Trammell and Steve Yzerman are the most beloved athletes he can remember seeing in Detroit.

He added that Trammell is special and so beloved, despite his lack of ability as manager, because people just don’t hold the manager years against him.

“Yzerman and Trammell are the two in my mind,” Stoney said.

Continued, and I’d argue that Steve Yzerman may be the most beloved Red Wing this side of Gordie Howe, but that’s just my opinion.

Who do you feel has been the most beloved Red Wings player?