Tweet of note: ESPN, SHL strike broadcasting/streaming deal

FYI:

ESPN, part of the Walt Disney Company, has entered a partnership with SHL for the upcoming 2022/23 season🏒 The deal covers 130+ countries reaching and expanding the global audience of the SHL.https://t.co/ft206XWKSs #SHL pic.twitter.com/65t4xK1mDj— SHL.se (@SHLse) September 16, 2022

Per the SHL’s website:

ESPN, part of the Walt Disney Company, has entered a partnership with the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for the upcoming 2022/23 season. The deal covers 130+ countries reaching and expanding the global audience of the SHL.

Jenny Silfverstrand, CEO of SHL, is excited about the partnership. – “To enter a global partnership with ESPN, a marquee sports broadcaster globally, is massively important for the global reach of the league. We are proud to bring fans the best European hockey available.”

After a thrilling ending to last season where Farjestads BK won the championship in a game-7 final against Lulea Hockey, the teams are gearing up for an exciting campaign in 2022/23.

Viktor Johansson, founding partner of XVI Sports, SHLs international media partner. – ESPN is a marquee sports broadcaster that will bring the best possible experience for ice hockey fans around the world. SHL and NHL on the service will offer the best ice hockey on one destination.

Duff peeks behind the Swedish paywall for scoops on Wings SHL prospects

The Swedish sports tabloids, Expressen and Aftonbladet, have been posting their preseason previews of Sweden’s SHL teams, but the articles have been locked behind paywalls. Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff got a peek at Sanny Lindstrom and Tomas Ros’s takes on the Red Wings’ SHL-playing prospects, and here’s a snippet of his article…erm…the articles:

Sanny Lindstrom of Sweden’s SportExpressen is a big fan of Kasper’s work. He’s seeing Kasper playing a major role with Rögle this season.

“Austrian super talent Marco Kasper is a player to keep an eye on,” Lindstrom writes about the player the Red Wings selected eighth overall in the 2022 NHL entry draft. “During the playoffs last year, Kasper was one of Rögle’s best players and a lot says that he will be able to take over there this year.

“From what I’ve seen from Kasper during the CHL, he has every opportunity to make a real impact this season. I don’t see it as an impossibility at all that Kasper can score between 30 and 40 points this season.”

Sportbladet’s Tomas Ros also likes Kasper and Frolunda’s Dower Nilsson, but with a caveat. “Kasper and Dower Nilsson are dependent on their surroundings,” Roos writes. “But if they take opportunity with the right players, the points will come.”

Continued

CBS Sports ranks the NHL’s top defensemen, and Moritz Seider comes in at #10

CBS Sports’ Chris Bengel posted a ranking of the NHL’s top 10 defensemen, and you’ve heard of #10:

10. Moritz Seider, Red Wings: It may be crazy to already include Seider among the league’s top defensemen, but the Red Wings blue-liner has accomplished a ton in just one season. He proved to be an asset on both ends of the ice and cemented that fact by winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. At 21, he provides a physical presence and laid his fair share of big hits throughout his rookie campaign. And then there’s his puck-handling ability, which allows Seider to dish those sensational passes that we saw on several occasions last season. The sky is the limit for Seider.

Continued; here’s hoping he reaches that sky-high limit.

Tweet of note: Ken Daniels, Scott Oake appear on the Bob McCown podcast

FYI:

Play next: Co-founder, Ken Daniels, was a guest on the @mccownpodcast. Ken shares with hosts @FadooBobcat and @JShannonhl how he’s managed the grief of losing Jamie, helped those in recovery, and worked to reduce the stigma associated with SUD. Listen: https://t.co/Ah0f8yKQyG— Jamie Daniels Foundation (@JDanielsFund) September 16, 2022

DHN’s Brown discusses the Wings’ better prospect depth

The Detroit Red Wings’ prospects will begin their 2022 Prospect Tournament journey in earnest today as they host Kent Johnson and the Columbus Blue Jackets today at 3 PM EDT (to be streamed by the Red Wings) up here in Traverse City.

As such, Detroit Hockey Now’s Nate Brown posted an article discussing the excitement surrounding the prospect tournament:

On one side you have the towering forward Elmer Soderblom, who very well could be a steal in the sixth round of the 2020 Draft. Patrolling the blue line will be six-foot-four Simon Edvinsson, a giant in his own right. Sure, he’s trying to be the third first-round pick in consecutive years to be on the opening roster following training camp and the preseason.

Edvinsson will be player many fans and analysts are watching closely. But it goes beyond him. In fact, the Red Wings are sitting in one of their best spots in over half a decade. No longer will the prospects signal the future. Many of them could be “right now” if they continue the trajectory they’re on.

But the biggest difference: the angst over whether they’ll make it or not has been replaced with more of “when they’re ready.”

The patience it turns out is more organic now.

Continued; we’ll see what happens today…

DHN’s Allen profiles Amadeus Lombardi

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted a profile of Red Wings prospect Amadeus Lombardi, who stands at 5’10” and 165 pounds, but packs a lot of punch (in addition to a hell of a name):

A unique name fits Amadeus Lombardi because he is not a run-of-the-mill player. There’s something about him that sticks with you.  His playing style has an “it’ factor. Lombardi brings an energy that serves his team and makes him memorable.

“He is hungry to get the puck,” [Flint Firebirds coach and GM Ted] Dent said.

Dent said Lombardi isn’t overly physical, but is a relentless forechecker, with a knack for stripping pucks away from opponents.

Dent is a highly experienced coach. He spent six seasons coaching the Rockford IceHogs in the American Hockey League. Lombardi grew exponentially as a player under his command. By the time the Firebirds reached the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, Lombardi was a more polished performer.

Lombardi has always been an undervalued player. The Aurora, Ont. native was a 13th round selection in the 2018 OHL Priority draft.

“He likes to prove people wrong,” [Dent] said. “He has a swagger to him.”

Continued

The Athletic’s ‘Player Tiers’ yield ‘team tiers’ as well

The Athletic ranked its top 100 players in the NHL via “player tiers” yesterday, and if you recall, they ranked Moritz Seider in the third tier and Dylan Larkin in the fourth tier. This morning, they rank the NHL’s teams by tiers as well, deeming the Red Wings to be a “bottom-feeder”:

The teams at the bottom aren’t all that surprising. The Blackhawks are in the process of stripping their roster down, and two of their core players remain in Patrick Kane and Seth Jones. Kane resides in 3B thanks to his elite playmaking abilities, despite some of his flaws. Jones was a bit tougher to place because his last two seasons have been so disappointing. The combination of the two is 4.9 points, which is tied for Bottom Feeders’ lead with Detroit. Technically, both teams qualify for the tier above[, the Bubble Teams], but the two feel more at home here.

The Red Wings may be tied with Chicago in points, but have a lot more hope thanks to depth behind Dylan Larkin (4A) and Moritz Seider (3B). There’s also a legitimate possibility for those two to move up, plus newcomers like Lucas Raymond to crack the list in the future.

Continued; for better or worse, it’s going to take wins and star power for the Red Wings to regain respect around the NHL, and the Wings are in the process of adding both to the mix…

But the team had to spend its summer adding capable depth players, too.

A bit more about the Red Wings Alumni’s Saturday night game against the ‘Yoopers United’

The Marquette Mining Journal’s Steve Brownlee wrote an article about the Red Wings Alumni’s game against the “Yoopers United,” which is scheduled for tomorrow night in Marquette, MI:

The eagerly anticipated charity hockey game involving the Detroit Red Wings Alumni to be played in Marquette is coming Saturday night. That’s according to a number of Facebook postings and United Way of Marquette County Executive Director Andrew Rickauer.

He said doors open at the Berry Events Center at 5 p.m., special events begin at 6 p.m. and the featured game will be ready for opening puck drop at 7 p.m.

Rickauer said among the special events will be a sled hockey exhibition, and between periods during the featured game, under-8 and under-10 youth hockey teams will play exhibitions. Throughout the event, 50-50 and bucket raffles, chuck-a-puck and sales of team merchandise will be available.

…

This weekend’s exhibition pits former players from one of the NHL’s most storied teams against Yooper United, a collection of local hockey talent.

The event is a fundraiser for the United Way of Marquette County’s Community Investment Fund with tickets costing $20 per person. Tickets may still be purchased online at https://nmu.universitytickets.com or by calling 906-227-1032, or in person at the BEC even on Saturday as long as tickets are still available.

Continued, with speculation as to what lineup the Wings’ alumni might bring…