Friedman, Zeisberger: NHL Alumni Association establishes ‘post-retirement wellness plan’ with $4 million donation from NHL/NHLPA

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke this story, as he tends to do, and it’s more important than you might think:

NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger has more from the NHL Alumni Association’s annual Alumni Celebrity Golf Classic in Collingwood, Ontario today:

The recent collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Players Association features a $4 million-plus donation from both parties combined for a post-retirement wellness plan.

The final details of that program were ironed out last week, allowing Healy to announce details of it to the 40 former players on hand for the NHL Alumni Celebrity Golf Classic at the picturesque Coppenwood Golf Club on Monday. With Hall of Famers like Paul Coffey, Doug Gilmour, Bryan Trottier, Mike Gartner and Mark Recchi showing their support, the association president outlined just how deeply its members now can get help once they’ve taken their final NHL shift.

“The way it’s set up now, if you’ve played one shift in the NHL you will get a family doctor. If you played one shift in the NHL you get a mental health wellness professional for you, your wife and your kids,” Healy said.

Continue reading Friedman, Zeisberger: NHL Alumni Association establishes ‘post-retirement wellness plan’ with $4 million donation from NHL/NHLPA →

Grand Rapids Griffins sign center Kaden Bohlsen to a 1-year AHL contract

The Grand Rapids Griffins signed 25-year-old center Kaden Bohlsen to a 1-year AHL contract on Monday night.

The 6’3,” 192-pound Minnesota native posted 20 goals and 29 points in 55 games for the ECHL’s Carolina Stingrays last season.

GRIFFINS SIGN KADEN BOHLSEN TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Monday signed forward Kaden Bohlsen to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season.   

Bohlsen totaled 29 points (20-9—29), 39 penalty minutes and a minus-two rating in 55 regular-season games with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingray this past season as a rookie. In addition, the 25-year-old showed two goals in five games with the Hershey Bears in 2025-26. Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, Bohlsen made his professional debut with the Calgary Wranglers and notched one assist in four games at the end of the 2024-25 season. The Willmar, Minnesota, native, has three points (2-1—3) and two penalty minutes in nine-career AHL outings, adding 29 points (20-9—29) in 55 ECHL appearances.  

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Press release: Red Wings sign defenseman Ronnie Attard to 1-year, 2-way contract

The Detroit Red Wings have signed Ronnie Attard, a 27-year-old right-shot defenseman who stands at 6’3″ and 207 pounds, to a 1-year, 2-way contract:

RED WINGS SIGN RONNIE ATTARD TO ONE-YEAR, TWO-WAY CONTRACT

  … White Lake Native and Western Michigan University Product Has Skated in 29 Games with Philadelphia Flyers …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today signed defenseman Ronnie Attard to a one-year, two-way contract.

Attard, 27, played the 2025-26 season with the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles, recording 17 points (3-14-17), a plus-three rating and 38 penalty minutes in 44 regular-season games. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound defenseman also netted two goals in four Calder Cup Playoff games with the Eagles. Attard split the 2024-25 campaign between the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Bakersfield Condors, logging 17 points (7-10-17) and 80 penalty minutes in 66 games. Originally selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Attard registered six points (2-4-6) and 14 penalty minutes in 29 games with the Flyers from 2021-24. He has also tallied 93 points (32-61-93), a plus-nine rating and 196 penalty minutes in 226 AHL games with Lehigh Valley, Bakersfield and Colorado since 2022-23.

Continue reading Press release: Red Wings sign defenseman Ronnie Attard to 1-year, 2-way contract →

Tweet of note: NHL Network’s Grimson and Coyle discuss Patrick Kane’s attributes

The NHL Network posted a 1-minute clip of Stu Grimson and Jamison Coyle discussing what Patrick Kane can bring his future NHL employer. It probably won’t be Detroit, but I can hope against hope:

Tweet of note: Myles Brosnan officially heads to QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats

As noted yesterday by Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff, Red Wings 7th round draft pick Myles Brosnan has a college commitment to Harvard, but fans of the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats were abuzz that the young defenseman would be joining Moncton for a “gap year” (or two) of Major Junior Hockey.

Today, via Red Wings Prospects on Twitter, Moncton confirmed the news that Brosnan’s headed to New Brunswick:

Tweet of note: Trey Augustine named Big Ten Distinguished Scholar

Grand Rapids Griffins forward and University of Michigan alumnus Kienan Draper was named a “Big Ten Distinguished Scholar” today. A little later this afternoon, Michigan State University named Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine a “Big Ten Distinguished Scholar” as well:

Video: Red Wings free agent signing Theo Rochette speaks with Swisshabs.ch…en Francais…

The Detroit Red Wings signed free agent forward Theo Rochette, a 24-year-old dual Swiss/Canadian national who stands at 5’11” and 172 pounds, just before I returned to the blog.

Rochette posted 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points in 46 games with Lausanne HC of the Swiss NLA last season, and PuckPedia states that Rochette will earn $1.025 million at the NHL level and $85,000 at the AHL level.

Today, the Swiss hockey blog SwissHabs.ch posted a 3-minute video interview with Rochette today, but it’s regrettably in French. I can surmise that Rochette talks about his signing with Detroit and his background as a QMJHL-bred star player, but that’s about all I’ve got as I speak some German, not French.

Enjoy?

Tweet of note: Kienan Draper named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar

From the University of Michigan’s men’s hockey team:

Here’s the press release:

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Press release: Clarifying Michal Svrcek and Michal Pradel’s World Junior Championship-related summer plans

Earlier today, Red Wings Prospects pointed out a Tweet from Dennik Sport’s Matej Deraj, stating that both Red Wings prospects Michal Svrcek and Michal Pradel will take part in Slovak Under-20 team tournament in Piestany, Slovakia.

This afternoon, the Canadian Hockey League provides some English-language details regarding said camp via a press release:

Four OHL players named to Slovakia’s National Junior Team summer camp roster

Four OHL players have been named to Slovakia’s National Junior Team summer camp roster ahead of preparations for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Sudbury Wolves forwards Adam Nemec and Ján Chovan are joined by incoming OHL imports Michal Svrcek of the Windsor Spitfires and Lucian Bernát of the Owen Sound Attack among the 31 players invited to Slovakia’s five-day camp in Piešťany from July 20-24.

The camp marks the beginning of Slovakia’s preparations for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship and will include two exhibition games against the country’s Under-18 National Team as it readies for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Svrcek, a 19-year-old winger, is coming over to North America this year after playing in Brynas IF’s junior system (and a bit for Nicklas Lidstrom’s old team, Vasteras IK) this past season; Pradel, a 19-year-old goaltender, is committed to Colorado College for this upcoming season after having dominated playing for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm this past season.

Tweet of note via Red Wings Prospects: Svrcek, Pradel to participate in Slovak summer tournament

Via Red Wings Prospects on Twitter/X, Dennik Sport’s Matej Deraj reports that Red Wings prospects Michal Svrcek and Michal Pradel will play for the Slovakian Under-20 team this summer as the Slovak Under-20 and Under-18 teams battle in Piestany, Slovakia between July 20th and July 24th:

A Red Wings blog