Mazur prepares to make his NHL debut and Rasmussen returns to battle a plucky Utah HC team

As Carter Mazur prepares to make his NHL debut against Utah HC tonight…

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan reports that Mazur’s parents were spilling the beans about their son’s recall yesterday afternoon on Facebook:

For sure there wasn’t — or isn’t, by this time — anyone in Jackson who doesn’t know Carter Mazur was recalled by the Red Wings. His parents Jeff and Erin pretty much let everyone know the day before on social media.

“My dad knows enough people who are his friends, and (Mom) spread the news, too; I think everyone knows,” said Mazur, a Jackson native who the Wings officially recalled Thursday and inserted into the lineup against Utah. “They’ve been part of the journey. I’m going to have 200 to 300 friends and family, and it’s going to be pretty exciting.”

Yes, you read that right. Mazur expected to have over 200 family and friends at Little Caesars Arena.

“I don’t have 200 to 300 family members, and I have a lot of friends, but nowhere near that number,” coach Todd McLellan said with a smile. “This guy is pretty popular.”

Mazur has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 20 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and 11 points (seven goals) in his last 11 games. Mazur (6-foot, 170 pounds) missed much of the first half of the season after suffering an upper-body injury. The Wings are hoping Mazur’s combination of offensive ability and edgy play can spark the lineup.

“It sounds like he has a tenacity to his game we could use right now,” said McLellan, adding Mazur was going to open the game on the fourth line. “But if we’re relying on Carter to drive our team, to spark us, it might happen a little bit, but there are some other players that have to find their own internal spark, too.”

97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield also told Mazur’s story, and coach McLellan’s take on his new young winger…

Continue reading Mazur prepares to make his NHL debut and Rasmussen returns to battle a plucky Utah HC team

The Forecheck previews Red Wings-Utah HC

Daniella Bruce and Ken Kal preview tonight’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Utah HC (7 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/Utah16/97.1 FM) on the latest episode of “The Forecheck”:

Tweets of note: Utah starts Vejmelka vs. Lyon

Per the Salt Lake Tribune’s Belle Fraser, we receive a few morning skate updates from Utah HC…

And here’s coach Andre Tourigny’s morning presser, via Utah HC:

Also:

Columbus claims Christian Fischer on waiver wire

Per TSN’s Chris Johnston:

And Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman:

All about Carter Mazur’s NHL debut

Carter Mazur will be making his NHL debut tonight, and the Jackson, Michigan native spoke with the Free Press’s Helene St. James about the circumstances of his call-up…

Carter Mazur woke up from a nap to see three missed calls from Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman. Mazur wasn’t sure what to think, given it’s the week of the NHL trade deadline.

“It’s kind of a bad time to get a phone call from Steve right now,” Mazur said Thursday, “but it was pretty awesome to hear what he had to say to me.”

That’s because the message was for Mazur to make his way from Grand Rapids to Detroit, and to ready himself for his NHL debut.

“I was awake for two minutes, so it was pretty quick,” Mazur said. “It was like, yeah, we’re calling you up. I thought it was still dreaming for sure, but it was awesome.”

And St. James spoke with coach Todd McLellan about what the Wings’ expectations are for #43…

“The feedback from the coaching staff and management is that he had a really good training camp, was on the cusp of staying here, but maybe needed a little more time,” Wings coach Todd McLellan said Thursday. “And then the injury that he sustained probably set him back a little bit. I understand he’s extremely competitive, really competes for open ice and has some pace and intensity to his game. We could use that. This wasn’t loss-driven, this was ingredient and earned.”

MLive’s Ansar Khan also spoke with Mazur, McLellan and Elmer Soderblom about Mazur’s imminent debut…

Continue reading All about Carter Mazur’s NHL debut

Tweet of note: Lucas Raymond weighs in on the playoff race

Per WXYZ’s Brad Galli:

Tweet of note: Maatta holds no ill will toward the Wings

Per EliteProspects’ Sean Shapiro:

Video: Carter Mazur, coach Todd McLellan speak with the media ahead of Red Wings-Utah HC

The Detroit Red Wings held an optional morning skate ahead of tonight’s game against Utah HC (7 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/Utah16/97.1 FM), but the morning skate revealed that Alex Lyon will start for Detroit, and that Carter Mazur was in attendance.

Mazur was a very popular figure with the Wings’ media corps after the morning skate, and coach Todd McLellan confirmed both that Mazur will make his NHL debut this evening, and that Michael Rasmussen will return from his “upper-body injury.”

So Mazur and coach McLellan were the subjects of the Red Wings’ morning skate video:

Update: The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a shorter clip of Mazur and McLellan’s comments, too:

Meanwhile…

There’s also this from Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen:

Coach Todd McLellan’s group understands that they desperately need to take down the Utah Hockey Club in their game tonight at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network). After tonight’s game, the Red Wings only have 20 games remaining and only seven of them are home contests.

Tweet of note: A dream come true

From 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield comes this reminder that Carter Mazur, who will make his NHL debut tonight, has always wished that he might play for the Red Wings one day:

Tweet of note: Tarasenko rooting for Brother Rice hockey

Per WXYZ’s Brad Galli: