Of prospect-related playoff note:
In the Ontario Hockey League championship series, Kaden Fulcher stopped 30 of 34 shots as his Hamilton Bulldogs out-gunned the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 6-4.
Hamilton leads the best-of-7 series 3 games to 2; Jordan Sambrook had an assist but finished at -2 with 2 shots for Sault Ste. Marie.
Hamilton now returns home for a potentially championship-clinching Sunday.
I was happy to see David Pope earn a contract with the Red Wings after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Pope’s worked his tail off since the age of 18 to “turn pro” at 23, and I can recall attending summer development camps in which Pope, now 6’3″ and 190-ish, was a waif-like 150 pounds (at most).
As Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff notes, however, a 23-year-old prospect (who will turn 24 before the upcoming season begins) can’t be left in the AHL to “over-ripen” too much–instead, Pope will have to develop quickly to earn a spot in the lineup, as Duff suggests in a conversation with Wings director of player development Shawn Horcoff:
“He’s a big kid, got good size, got a long reach,” Horcoff said. “He’s wiry, hard to knock down. He’s kind of slippery out there. But he’s a shooter.
“He’s a kid that has improved his skating over the years and I think that’s helped him get to the areas where he can score. He’s great on the PP, he’s got a real good one-timer off the flank and a great wrist shot in stride, but he’s a kid that’s really come on the last couple of years and had a great senior year last year. We’re happy to sign him.”
At the same time, the club recognizes that Pope is a project and with his advanced age in terms of hockey prospect status, he’s a limited time offer, hence the two-year deal. And he’s got to work quickly to make it happen and make the necessary improvements to his game to gain an NHL chance.
“Just strength, adding more speed to his game,” Horcoff listed as the top items on Pope’s to-do list. “It’s going to be the little things with him that make him a successful winger in the NHL. His board play, he’s competitive but I think it’s been easy for him in college, so he’s just going to need to raise his compete level a little bit. I think strength is going to be the biggest thing.”
The Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore penned a fine profile of Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, but it’s rather typical of any profile of Yzerman in that it does not include the GM’s comments.
Aside from the fact that he’s built a pretty damn good team that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup yet, I believe that Steve Yzerman would not be a good fit as the Red Wings’ general manager because he doesn’t like interacting with the media. The incredible level of scrutiny his managerial moves would result in, should he move back to his adopted hometown, would require regular interaction with a press corps that he tends to distrust, and has distrusted since Mitch Albom…maximized…his access to the Red Wings’ players in the 90’s.
Anyway, this isn’t Red Wings-related per se, but I think that Kilgore’s profile of Yzerman through people who are more comfortable interacting with members of the media is still worth your time:
When he arrived in 2010, Tampa Bay was a financial and competitive mess. Through his shrewd trades, sharp prospect identification and unflinching negotiation, the Lightning have advanced to five conference finals, including three in the past four years.
Yzerman became one of the most highly regarded NHL general managers by utterly rejecting a golden parachute. He works. He is known for his preparation and comprehensive knowledge of both the league and the salary cap. In a league where financial restrictions have caused immense turnover, Yzerman has managed to replenish his roster around a crucial core.
His current roster reads like a compendium of savvy decisions. Yzerman drafted forward Nikita Kucherov, a potential future Hart Trophy contender, in the second round in 2011, then signed him to a stunningly team-friendly extension that pays him an average of $4.766 million per season. He convinced franchise pillar Steven Stamkos to sign an eight-year extension on the even of his free agency. He turned disgruntled former top draft pick Jonathan Drouin into Mikhail Sergachev, who at 19 has become a key defenseman.
“There have been people I’ve dealt with in management working with teams who either don’t have a very good grasp of the players in their own organization,” longtime NHL agent Allan Walsh said. “Or they know their organization really well and don’t have a very good grasp of players around the league.
“He knows the players in his organization really well, including the players in the American League, including the players they’ve drafted. He has great knowledge of the players around the league. Obviously, he’s a legend when he played. And he was known as a player for being incredibly prepared, and having this tremendous work ethic. Lots of players who have gone on to either coach or work in management don’t always carry that work ethic with them.”
Kilgore continues, discussing Yzerman’s departure from the Red Wings–a departure which began something of a real “brain drain” which cost the Wings a significant number of front-office and scouting defections, and thus a drop in the team’s drafting and developing, which people like Jiri Fischer worked their butts off to resuscitate…
And I’m gathering that more of you will hold Ken Holland’s desire to continue managing the Wings against him than I would. I have always viewed Yzerman’s exit from the organization as somewhat inevitable–I have the feeling that he wanted no part of the “Joe Dumars experience”–and I don’t believe that he’s going to come back, even when Ken Holland eventually decides he’s done managing the Wings. But I’ve come to peace with that perspective, and I can’t say that it was easy.
The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with former Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar regarding his playoff run as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights:
“It’s a little bit crazy,” said Tatar, who has experienced the hoopla for almost three months. “The whole city is behind us. Everybody is talking about it on the radio. Everyone is excited. It’s like being part of a hockey boom around here. This is a lot of fun. To be in the playoffs, with a great group of guys here, it’s amazing.”
Now, things aren’t entirely perfect these days for the popular former Red Wing. While the playoffs have been thrilling, for Tatar, it would be that much better had he consistently been playing in them.
Tatar has only played in four of the Golden Knights’ 10 playoff games, being a healthy scratch in the other six. He has no points in the four games, with a zero plus-minus rating, and four shots on net.
For a player who the Golden Knights sent the Wings a first-round draft pick this year, a second-rounder next year, and a third-round selection in 2020, it is a bit eye-opening to not see Tatar in the lineup.
It upsets you a little bit sometimes,” Tatar said of the benching. “But right now, it’s all about winning and doing whatever it takes to help the team win. I want to win. It upsets you sometimes, but it’s all about being supportive, creating a good environment and it’s all about winning.”
Kulfan and Tatar continue at length…
From PR Newswire comes a press release regarding the auction of items from Joe Louis Arena:
General Public Sale of Joe Louis Arena Hockey Seats – Starts Saturday, May 12!
PR Newswire
DETROIT, May 11, 2018
DETROIT, May 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Finally, every Detroit Red Wings fan now has the opportunity to own a piece of the Joe Louis Arena history! These seats, which witnessed 4 Red Wings Championships, are now available to the general public for immediate purchase.
Miedema Asset Management Group, Inc. and Robert Levy Associates, LLC will manage the sale of the seats and other assets from the Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings’ home for 38 seasons. The City of Detroit owns the arena.
The general public sale of seats will begin Saturday, May 12 – buy your seats now at http://www.TheJoeSeats.com. Seats will be sold in minimum sets of 2 – and will start at $150 per seat. Purchased seats will be available for either on-site pick-up or shipping at a future date. Please check the website for pricing, availability and terms. All seats will include a signed Certificate of Authenticity.
Robert Levy states “The seats are priced at a level that is affordable for everyone to own a piece of Joe Louis history, even though there are limited quantities available.”
Scott Miedema further adds “The seats are sold in all their glory, I’m sure a few Bud Lights were spilled on them in the day, and we are pulling them from their location and loading them directly into your car or bringing them to the shipper you choose.”
The sale of the other Joe Louis Arena assets will be sold via an online auction at www.orbitbid.com and www.rlevyinc.com/sales this June. These will include items ranging from furniture, lighting, signs, chilling systems and other basic infrastructure, but also will include suite wet bars and The Joe’s official scoreboard. The sale of the infrastructure items will be available at private sale. Interested individuals can find out more by calling 1-800-LAST BID (1-800-527-8243).
The Detroit Red Wings played at the Joe Louis Arena, from 1979 through 2017. In addition to being the home base for four Stanley Cup championships, six Stanley Cup finals, various sporting events and concerts, the arena also hosted the 1980 Republican National Convention.
The one-time revenue from the auction will be used to offset the city’s cost of maintaining the arena, particularly utility and security costs. Miedema and Levy will be donating a portion of their fees to three Detroit Charities.
At the World Championship in Denmark:
Frans Nielsen’s Danes won 3-0 over Norway, as noted by IIHF.com’s Andrew Podnieks:
“We’re playing good hockey,” said Nielsen. “We knew we had a good team. We’re not perfect, but Freddy has been great for us back there as well when we’ve had breakdowns. We’ve done a good job so far, played some tight games which are exciting for fans to watch.”
Denmark now has eight points and sits in fourth place in the group while Norway remains stalled in seventh place with three points, ahead of only Korea.
The Danes are right back at it, playing Korea tomorrow, while Norway has a day off before another tough test in the U.S. on Sunday.
“We’ve put ourselves in a good position right now,” Nielsen continued, “but we have another game coming up tomorrow that we have to focus on. I know we’re the favourites, but it’s not going to be easy.”
Libor Sulak scored a goal as the Czech Republic won 3-0 over Belarus:
Dylan Larkin had 2 assists as Team USA beat Korea 13-1, and Team USA’s website posted a recap:
HERNING, Denmark – Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./Chicago Blackhawks) and Charlie McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y./Boston Bruins/Boston University) each recorded two goals and three assists and 15 others recorded at least one point as the 2018 U.S. Men’s National Team earned a 13-1 victory over Korea in preliminary round play of the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship.
The United States (3-2-0-0/W-OTW-OTL-L) is back in action Sunday (May 13) when it faces Norway. Puck drop is set for 4:15 p.m. local time/10:15 a.m. ET live on NHL Network.
Anders Lee (Edina, Minn./New York Islanders/University of Notre Dame), Derek Ryan (Spokane, Wash./Carolina Hurricanes), Blake Coleman (Plano, Texas/New Jersey Devils/Miami University), Cam Atkinson (Riverside, Conn./Columbus Blue Jackets/Boston College), Tage Thompson (Orange, Conn./St. Louis Blues/University of Connecticut), Neal Pionk (Hermantown, Minn./New York Rangers/University of Minnesota Duluth) and Sonny Milano (Massapequa, N.Y./Columbus Blue Jackets) also scored for the U.S.
Scott Darling (Lemont, Ill./ Carolina Hurricanes/University of Maine) made 12 saves on 13 shots in the victory.
Team USA has added Nick Bonino to the roster as well.
#IIHFWorlds Prem Final, Day 8. | #2018MWC
?? – 3 vs. ?? – 0
?? – 0 vs. ?? – 3
?? – 13 vs. ?? – 1Nielsen – 2 SOG, 19:55 TOI
Hronek – 1 SOG, 17:05 TOI
Sulak – 1G, 5 SOG, 14:03 TOI
Larkin – 2A, 4 SOG, +2, 18:18 TOI
Jensen – 1A, 1 SOG, +2, 15:12 TOI pic.twitter.com/5ZHyqbSiJ7— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) May 11, 2018
Red Wings prospect Jack Adams had an abbreviated rookie season at Union College, and his in-and-out-of-the-lineup status yielded a decent but not great set of “numbers” for DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner to analyze.
As such, Regner’s conversation with Adams’ coach is more telling than the stats from Adams’ freshman season:
Quotable: “Jack really improved throughout the course of the season for us. What was really impressive about Jack was his vision, his ability to create plays coming out of our defensive zone, making the right play which led to rushes and scoring chances. That was one of the areas where Jack was kind of a surprise. His size and skating ability, he was able to use that as the season wore on and he became a valuable asset for us and he actually had some power play time. One of the hardest things to do is to get players, especially after the season he had in the USHL, transitioning to college, to get a player with his skill set to play a 200-foot game. People have a variation to what a 200-foot game is. Ours is a little different at Union College than somewhere else and for what we wanted I think Jack had his ups and downs with it and towards the end of the season he was really starting to pick that up. Players when they’re not playing sometimes they’re not happy and if they are happy, I’m not sure that’s a guy the Red Wings want.” – Rick Bennett, head coach at Union College
Red Wings defenseman Nick Jensen is playing for Team USA at the World Championship, and journalist Julie Robenhymer penned an article profiling Jensen for DetroitRedWings.com:
Instead of the sandy beaches of the Caribbean, Jensen packed his bags for Denmark, host of this year’s event.
“I decided it was time to come to the homeland,” he said with a smile. “I have great-great ancestors who are from here. I don’t know if you saw all the Jensens on Team Denmark, but we’re popular over here. There’s even a Nicklas Jensen on their team too and we’re about the same age so people get us confused a lot.”
This is Jensen’s first time wearing the USA Hockey jersey at an international event, but he said it has been well worth the wait.
“Coming over here with some of the best American players available — all of them in the NHL and one really good prospect coming up in the draft (Michigan’s Quinn Hughes) — they’re all really high-skill guys on the ice and great character guys off the ice,” the stay-at-home defenseman said. “It’s everything I expected it to be. It has been so fun playing in front of this crowd, even if they’re not cheering for us. These fans have been great and it’s still just so much fun to be out there.”
After four games so far in the preliminary round, USA sits atop the Group B standings with 10 points after wins against Canada (SO), Denmark, Germany and Latvia (OT).
Jensen, who went goal-less with the Red Wings this season but finished the season with 15 assists, has a goal and an assist for Team USA.
The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan wrote an article about the NHL prospect factory that is the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth, and it’s a superb organizational profile:
“Starting off we had some tough sledding out of the gate,” [coach John] Wroblewski said. “Like most things, it doesn’t happen overnight. You build momentum, it takes time, and we got in a groove and started winning medals.
“We’re at a point where it’s a landmark for kids. I have to imagine when you’re 10 or 11 or 12-years-old, they already have their eyes on Plymouth and wanting to be part of the NTDP.
“That’s what we’ve grown into. There’s a lot of people who have had a huge hand in it.”
Next month at the NHL Entry Draft the USA NTDP has, generally speaking in most mock drafts, six of the top 20-25 players who either played this season or graduated from the program a year ago.
Defensemen Quinn Hughes (Michigan), Mattias Samuelsson and Bode Wilde, and forwards Oliver Wahlstrom, Brady Tkachuk and Joel Farabee are players who will hear their names called early in the draft. All have pushed each other while in the NTDP, one of the reasons the program has been successful.
“You challenge yourself against the best kids in the country in your age bracket every day,” said Scott Monaghan, NTDP senior director of operations, and an original member of the program.
Both the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye and the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins are going to support an influx of Detroit Red Wings prospects over the next season.
After a year’s worth of Walleye and Griffins retaining the vast majority of their previous season’s playoff rosters in attempts to repeat post-season successes, both teams will have to move forward as the entire organization “trends younger.”
As such, Walleye coach Dan Watson’s comments to Toledo Walleye fans during the team’s end-of-season celebration foretold a summer of change for the Red Wings’ developmental arms, as noted by the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe:
Watson, the second-year coach, said it was important to hold the event to recognize the team’s veterans.
The Walleye were led by a core group of players that have been with the team for several years. The fans offered loud cheers for Bonis, Alden Hirschfeld, Shane Berschbach, A.J. Jenks, Tyler Barnes, and Beau Schmitz.
“There are a lot of guys who have been here since the 14-15 season that may not be returning,” Watson said. “They’ve really turned the culture around here when we were just hoping to get a winning season. Now it’s become, ‘We’re going to make the playoffs. Let’s see how many rounds we can win.’ We’re hoping for bigger and better things next year.”
If you’re interested in following the AHL affiliate’s changes, the Griffins have posted an off-season player tracker, and it’s updated on a regular basis.
