Prospect Round-Up: Brattstrom posts rare assist; Rasmussen gets 2 helpers for Graz

Of prospect-related note from a little earlier this afternoon:

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, William Wallinder took 4 shots and finished even at 20:13 as MODO Hockey lost 6-2 to Sodertalje SK;

Gustav Berglund played 15:48 and finished even in Vasteras IK’s 4-0 win over Vasterviks IK;

In the Finnish Liiga, Otto Kivenmaki finished at +1 in 19:16 played, and Kasper Kotkansalo finished at -1 in 19:27 played as Assat Pori won 3-2 in overtime over HPK;

Victor Brattstrom stopped 13 of 15 shots and had an assist as KooKoo won 5-2 over the Lahti Pelicans;

In the Czech Extraliga, Filip Hronek finished at -1 in 23:53 played as Mountfield HK lost 4-1 to Liberec;

Filip Zadina took 3 shots and finished even in 16:49 played as HC Ocelari Trinec won 5-2 over HC Olomouc;

In the ICE Hockey League, Michael Rasmusen had 2 assists and 4 shots in the Graz99ers’ 5-4 win over the Bratislava Capitals;

And in NCAA Hockey, Sam Stange and the University of Wisconsin will battle Notre Dame this evening.

Update: Sam Stange had 3 shots in the University of Wisconsin Badgers’ 2-0 win over Notre Dame.

Update #2: Kyle Aucoin took 2 shots, took a penalty and finished at -1 in the Tri-City Storm’s 5-1 loss to Omaha;

And in other USHL action, Chase Bradley had an assist, a penalty and 3 shots as his Sioux City Musketeers lost 4-2 to Waterloo.

The Datsyukian deke prevails in Sportsnet’s latest ‘Greatest NHL Goal of the 21st Century’ match-up

Sportsnet pitted Pavel Datsyuk vs. Blake Coleman in their latest “Greatest NHL Goal of the 21st Century” match-up…

And the original Datsyukian Deke won:

Some Friday humor(?) from Jonatan Berggren

Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren was not amused to find out at 10:47 AM that his teammates placed his equipment back in #48’s locker 3 minutes ahead of the team bus leaving town:

The Athletic’s Bultman engages in a Q and A with Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill

Yesterday afternoon, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a Q and A session with Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill, and this morning, The Athletic’s Max Bultman offers a new Q and A session with the Red Wings’ bench boss. Among the highlights:

Bultman: When you think about planning a camp after an offseason like this, what goes into that? How normal will that be, whenever it does arrive?

Blashill: Yeah, obviously without knowing specifics of what that looks like, we’ve got to plan with a number of different models, depending on what gets thrown at us. Meaning, how many exhibition games, meaning how long is camp, how many players are at camp? Those are all unknowns.

So I think the most important thing for the Detroit Red Wings, with the fact we’ve been off as long as we’ve been off, is getting our hockey team as ready as possible to be ready to play as a unit when the season starts. And so sometimes during a normal training camp, you’re kind of serving two areas. One is getting your team ready, getting your players ready.

And two is looking at some of the really young players that you’ve drafted or that are potentially going to play for you down the road, and I would say — for a multitude of reasons — that won’t be a focus of this camp. Mainly, those guys won’t necessarily be here, and two we have to get as ready as possible, and we’ve never had a layoff this long. So I just think it helps narrow the focus of camp.

Continued (paywall)

Bob Kaser speaks to player agent Ryan Barnes in Griffins’ latest ‘Blasts from the Past’ video

Grand Rapids Griffins play-by-play announcer Bob Kaser discusses hockey and the transition to sports business with former Griffins player Ryan Barnes, who’s successfully transitioned from athlete to player agent, in the latest episode of Griffins “Blasts from the Past”:

Wings prospect Jack Adams discusses his desire to return to playing hockey in latest blog entry

Red Wings prospect Jack Adams doesn’t know when he’s going to return to playing hockey for Union College, and that’s got the power forward using his latest DetroitRedWings.com blog entry to issue a plea to the NCAA Division I powers that be to allow his team to play hockey again:

Being back at school has been exhilarating, but when I walk into the rink each day, it’s just not the same. Temperature checks, masks, spacing out, you name it. But the joy and excitement my teammates, coaches and I feel every day walking into Messa Rink is the highest it’s ever been.

Our coach has often emphasized throughout the offseason how this year will be the most different and likely most difficult season of our lives. Not only do we not have a schedule yet, we’re not 100 percent sure that we’re playing. All of these factors of uncertainty make it difficult to stay mentally sharp as an athlete.

My teammates and I have taken this challenge head on and I’m confident that we’ll play. I’m confident that we’ll play because we need sports. All of us.

Hockey isn’t just a game. It’s everything. It’s every decision you make. It’s teaching you how to be a good person. I truly believe that student-athletes across the country will really struggle if they aren’t allowed to compete. Human beings love competition in all facets of life and hockey is the epitome of just that.

Selfishly, I want this season so bad. My family, trainers and I have put an insane amount of time into this process, and this is the best I’ve ever felt. I have so much to prove, but more importantly, my team has so much to prove.

Continued

HSJ discusses Raymond and the Wings’ European-playing prospects

Red Wings prospect Lucas Raymond posted 2 assists in the SHL today, and while he’s playing on the Frolunda Indians’ 3rd line for the most part, Raymond sits second on Frolunda in scoring with 10 points (5 goals and 5 assists) in 15 games played.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James wrote an article discussing Raymond and the rest of the Red Wings’ European-playing prospects this afternoon:

The Detroit Red Wings should be fun to watch next fall, at least from the standpoint of enjoying what appears to be a strong youth movement.

While the NHL is trying to figure out how to play as the pandemic rages across North America, select Wings prospects are enjoying success in Europe. Forward Lucas Raymond, the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, is on a four-game point streak with his Swedish Hockey League club, Frölunda. 

Raymond found Joel Lundqvist in the slot for the first goal in Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Färjestad and earned a second assist on the second goal. That gave the 18-year-old five goals and five assists in in 15 games, equaling the points he tallied in 33 games last season with Frölunda.

Continued

Prospect round-up: Raymond, Brome post 2 assists apiece in SHL action

Of prospect-related note this afternoon:

In Belarus, Kirill Tyutyayev finished even in Yunost Minsk’s 3-1 over Lokomotiv-Orsha;

In the SHL, Albin Grewe took 1 shot in 5:39 played as Djurgardens IF won 6-2 over Linkoping;

Lucas Raymond had 2 assists, 6 shots on goal and finished even in 16:20 played as the Frolunda Indians won 4-3 over Farjestads BK. Albert Johansson had 2 shots and finished at +1 in 16:59 played for Farjestad:

Moritz Seider had 1 shot and finished even in 20:13 played as Rogle BK won 4-1 over Brynas;

Matias Brome had 2 assists, 6 shots on goal and finished at +1 in 16:44 as Orebro Hockey won 6-2 over the Malmo Redhawks. Joe Veleno had 1 shot, finished at -3 and won 22% of his faceoffs in 12:28 played for Malmo;

And Jonatan Berggren took 1 shot and finished even in 16:26 played as Skelleftea AIK won 4-2 over the Vaxjo Lakers. Berggren got the “third assist” on a Skelleftea AIK goal:

Kulfan engages in a Q and A session with coach Jeff Blashill

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan checked in with Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill for a wide-ranging, subscriber-only Q and A session today:

Question: It seems like there is some momentum  to get the regular season up and going here pretty soon. Maybe around Jan. 1. Jeff, I would think, after all these months, you’re pretty excited about that.

Answer: I am excited, just to get back at it. When you’re a team like us, that hasn’t done a thing since March in terms of practice or play, we weren’t a part of the summer return to play, there are seven teams that weren’t part of that, we are absolutely itching to get back at it.

But we’re also cognizant of the fact there’s a lot going on in the world and none of this is going to be easy, so we understand that part of it for sure. But we certainly want to get back. The NHL did an excellent job in their Return To Play and were in patient in making decisions when they had to the right information and I’m sure they will again this time.

Q. We still might be weeks away, but what will you and the staff be emphasizing in training camp? You have a bunch of new players, obviously, and it’s been a long time since you guys have played.

A. It’ll be a similar training camp. You start with making sure your work and competitive levels are where they need to be, so that’s the bottom line foundation in order to be successful.

Like any training camp, you have to make sure you’re on the same page as quick as possible. Get your systems in place as quick as possible. We’ll have a lot of new faces this year, so you want to make sure everyone is comfortable and play without thinking and guys aren’t thinking about where they are supposed to be standing, and just instinctly (know) because those habits have been built. That’s what training camp is about, setting the tone and foundation of how you’re going to play hockey.

We don’t know the length of it (camp), we don’t know the number of days or exhibitions (games), which is fine. We’ll adapt on what opportunities we’re given and certainly plan for a different scenarios.

Continued (paywall)

Khan speaks with Tony Granato regarding Wings prospect Sam Stange

MLive’s Ansar Khan profiles Red Wings draft pick Sam Stange today, discussing the University of Wisconsin commit with Badgers coach Tony Granato:

Stange progressed nicely in the USHL in 2019-20 and can further bolster his stock at the University of Wisconsin over the next few years. The 6-1, 200-pound right wing will begin his college career Friday when the Badgers visit Notre Dame.

“Last year was a big jump for him, going from high school to the USHL, and he became an elite scorer at that level,” Wisconsin coach Tony Granato, a former Red Wings assistant coach, said. “He’s a bigger-bodied kid that skates really well. Playing against older players in college will be a challenge but for the most part, the big body that he is and the way he skates, he should physically be able to handle that transition. It’s just playing to the pace of the game that college hockey is.”

Granato described Stange as an athlete who excelled in baseball as well.

“He’s built, he’s got a solid frame and he’s a worker,” Granato said. “The time he puts in the gym and off the ice to help himself to have the best chance at success in hockey is obvious. He’s a kid who’s physically ready for the battles you’re going to have to be ready for in college hockey and potentially pro hockey not too far down the road.”

Continued