Detroit Red Wings Clips June 21-23, 2014

Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Hockey Hall of Fame: Ex-Red Wing Dominik Hasek expected to headline

class PAGE 4 In the NHL draft, not all years are winners for Red Wings PAGE 6 Mike Modano's brilliant career included forgettable season with Detroit

Red Wings PAGE 8 Unconventional, ultra-competitive Dominik Hasek poised to join many '01-

02 Red Wings in Hall of Fame PAGE 12 Hasek a near lock to get 2014 HHOF induction PAGE 14 Detroit Red Wings trade talk: Defenseman Keith Yandle would command

hefty price PAGE 16 Detroit Red Wings' home opener: Boston Bruins on Oct. 9 PAGE 17 Red Wings to start home season against Bruins; complete schedule to be

released Sunday PAGE 18 Sidney Crosby should be MVP, plus other NHL award picks PAGE 21 Red Wings open 2014-15 season at home against Bruins on Oct. 9;

schedule to be released on Sunday PAGE 23 Wings hope to have found another hidden gem PAGE 25 Four former Red Wings, including Mike Modano, await Hall of Fame call PAGE 29 Report: Red Wings interested in Sharks captain Joe Thornton PAGE 30 Could Sarnia Sting defenseman Anthony DeAngelo be on Detroit Red

Wings' draft radar? PAGE 32 Red Wings will start another search for an assistant coach after Bill Peters

hired by Carolina

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Hockey Hall of Fame: Ex-Red Wing Dominik Hasek expected to headline class

3:42 PM, June 22, 2014 |

Associated Press

TORONTO — Dominik Hasek was still playing hockey a few years ago at age 46.

He put on his goalie pads for the final time Feb. 27, 2011, in Russia’s KHL.

At the age of 49, “the Dominator” is expected to be part of the class of 2014 at the Hockey Hall of Fame, which will be announced Monday.

“For me it’s a no-brainer,” former Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said earlier this year.

Hasek, a six-time Vezina Trophy winner, won one Stanley Cup as a starter with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002, then split time with Chris Osgood and became the backup in the playoffs for the 2008 title. He came close to the Cup in 1999 with Buffalo, only to be beaten by the Dallas Stars on Brett Hull’s overtime goal.

Hasek’s best years came with the Sabres, when he had seven straight seasons with a save percentage of .930 or higher. He finished with 234 regular-season victories.

Veteran goaltender Tomas Vokoun “knew all along” Hasek would be great from watching him play in their native Czech Republic.

“It took him a little bit just because of his style and all that to convince people here,” Vokoun said in a phone interview with the Canadian Press.

“I definitely consider him, if he’s not the best, one of the top three to ever play. … He definitely deserves to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”

Swedish center Peter Forsberg could also get the call to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. American-born center, former Red Wing and Westland native Mike Modano leads the other new candidates and is the most likely to be inducted, ahead of three-time Cup-winner Mark Recchi.

Forsberg, who began his career with the Quebec Nordiques following the blockbuster Eric Lindros trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, went on to win two Cups with the Colorado Avalanche. He finished with 885 points in 708 regular-season games as his career was cut short by foot injuries.

With 1,374 points over 21 seasons, Modano became the most prolific American-born scorer in NHL history.

Former coach Pat Burns remains a candidate in the “builder” category, a year after Fred Shero was posthumously elected 38 years after leading the Flyers to back-to-back Cups. Burns, a three-time Jack Adams Award winner as coach of the year, died in November 2010 at the age of 58.

This is the first year John Davidson is serving as chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee, replacing Jim Gregory. Bobby Clarke, David Poile and ex-Wing Luc Robitaille were appointed to the committee for the first time.

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Clarke’s addition raised the question of whether Lindros would stand a better chance of being elected. Despite a contentious relationship with the Lindros family, the longtime Flyers general manager is considered a proponent of his Hall of Fame case.

Lindros has similar numbers to Forsberg — 865 points in 760 games over 13 seasons — and won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1994-95.

The three-time Canadian Olympian’s resume isn’t as Hall of Fame-worthy as Hasek’s. The goaltender is expected to be inducted Nov. 10.

“I appreciate it, it’s very nice to be among all these big players,” Hasek said recently when asked about impeding election to the Hall of Fame. “I appreciate to be one day, maybe, in the Hockey Hall of Fame, however … it was never my goal when I was playing hockey.”

The Hockey Hall of Fame will announce its 2014 class on Monday. Goalie Dominik Hasek, finally eligible at age 49, could become the seventh player from the Red Wings’ famed 2002 Stanley Cup-winning team to be inducted, joining Igor Larionov (2008), Steve Yzerman (2009), Brett Hull (2009), Luc Robitaille (2009), Chris Chelios (2013) and Brendan Shanahan (2013). Still to come: Nicklas Lidstrom (2015), maybe Sergei Fedorov and maybe Pavel Datsyuk. Other locals in today’s discussions:

Mike Modano: No American-born player has more points than the Westland native and one-year Wing.

Rod Brind’Amour: Former Spartan won the Selke twice; in second year of eligibility.

Doug Weight: Warren native who played for Lake Superior is another member Hockey USA’s “Greatest Generation.”

Chris Osgood: First year of eligibility; backstopped Wings in the playoffs to two Stanley Cups.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.23.2014

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In the NHL draft, not all years are winners for Red Wings

June 23, 2014 |

By George Sipple

Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

Hall of Fame day

The Hockey Hall of Fame will announce its 2014 class this afternoon. Goalie Dominik Hasek, finally eligible at age 49, could become the seventh player from the Red Wings’ famed 2002 Stanley Cup-winning team to be inducted, joining Igor Larionov (2008), Steve Yzerman (2009), Brett Hull (2009), Luc Robitaille (2009), Chris Chelios (2013) and Brendan Shanahan (2013). Still to come: Nicklas Lidstrom (2015), maybe Sergei Fedorov and maybe Pavel Datsyuk. Other locals in today’s discussions:

Mike Modano: No U.S.-born player has more points than the Westland native and one-year Wing.

Rod Brind’Amour: Former Spartan won Selke twice; in second year of eligibility.

Doug Weight: Warren native who played for Lake Superior is another member of Hockey USA’s “Greatest Generation.”

Chris Osgood: First year of eligibility; backstopped Wings in the playoffs to two Stanley Cups.

NHL draft facts

When: Round 1 on Friday; Rounds 2-7 on Saturday.

Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia.

TV: Friday — 7 p.m., NBC Sports Network. Saturday — 10 a.m., NHL Network.

Top picks: 1. Florida, 2. Buffalo, 3. Edmonton, 4. Calgary, 5. N.Y. Islanders.

Wings’ picks: Nos. 15, 76, 106, 136, 166, 196. The Wings traded their No. 46 pick to Nashville.

The Red Wings figure they’ll get a pretty good player with the 15th overall pick in the NHL draft on Friday in Philadelphia.

The Wings haven’t had a pick in the teens since taking defenseman Jakub Kindl 19th overall in the 2005 draft. They haven’t had a top-15 pick since taking forward Martin Lapointe with the 10th overall pick in the 1991 draft.

Here’s a look at five of their worst drafts since 1994:

■ 1996: This draft class produced one NHL player and no goals for the Wings. Defenseman Jesse Wallin, the 26th overall pick in the first round, had two assists in 49 career games for the Wings. Of course, the Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998.

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■ 2001: Goaltender Drew MacIntyre, a fourth-round pick, never played for the Wings, but he has played in six career NHL games with three different teams. He played in two games this past season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Defenseman Dmitry Bykov was the only other player from the class to reach the NHL. He had two goals and 10 assists in 71 games for the Wings in 2002-03, but returned to Russia the next season to continue his pro career. He played last season in the KHL with Khabarovsk Amur.

■ 2006: The Wings didn’t have a first-round pick, but they didn’t benefit much from the three second-round picks — Cory Emmerton, Shawn Matthias and Dick Axelsson. Emmerton had 12 goals and nine assists in 139 career games for the Wings. He is heading to Russia next season after playing this past season for Grand Rapids (American Hockey League). Axelsson played in 17 games for Grand Rapids before returning to Sweden to continue his pro career. Matthias, the 47th overall pick, was traded in February 2007 for forward Todd Bertuzzi, who played in eight games for the Wings, before signing with the Ducks as a free agent.

■ 1995: Each of the first three picks reached the NHL, but none made an impact. Defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov, a first-round pick, played parts of three seasons with the Wings in 2000-01 and 2002-03. Forward Philippe Audet, a second-round pick, played in four games. Forward Darryl Laplante, a third-round pick, played in 35 games.

■ 1997: The first pick was forward Yuri Butsayev, taken 49th overall in the second round. He had six goals and four assists in 75 games over three seasons with the Wings, then played parts of two seasons with the Thrashers. The next two picks, forwards Petr Sykora and Quintin Laing, played in the NHL with other teams, but neither made an impact. Sixth-round pick B.J. Young played in one game with the Wings.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.23.2014

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Mike Modano's brilliant career included forgettable season with Detroit Red Wings

Brendan Savage | bsavage@mlive.com By Brendan Savage | bsavage@mlive.com

on June 22, 2014 at 12:12 PM, updated June 22, 2014 at 12:36 PM

He's been called by some the greatest American-born hockey player of all time, although fans of Chris Chelios might have something to say about that.

But it's hard to deny that Michigan native Mike Modano is the greatest American-born forward in history given his accomplishments during 21 NHL seasons.

No player born in the United States has scored more goals than Modano's 561 or racked up more points than his 1,374. His 1,499 career games rank second only behind Chelio's 1,651 among American-born players.

Modano also helped the Dallas Stars win the 1999 Stanley Cup, served as team captain before finishing his career in Detroit with the Red Wings and on the international stage won a gold medal in the 1996 World Cup and silver medal in the 2002 Olympics.

Add it all up and it's no wonder Modano could very well be headed to the Hall of Fame when the Class of 2014 is announced Monday afternoon.

Modano is among a group of first-year candidates that include former Red Wings goalies Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood; Peter Forsberg, who won a pair of Stanley Cups in Colorado; and Mark Recchi, who won the Cup with three different teams.

While Hasek appears to be the only genuine lock for induction among that group, Modano's chances seem as good as anyone else on a ballot that also includes Eric Lindros, Jeremy Roenick, Dave Andreychuk and coach Pat Burns.

Modano ranks 23rd on the NHL's all-time list for goals and points and every player ahead of him who is eligible is already in the Hall of Fame. His 1,499 career games rank 15th all-time and everybody ahead of him there that is eligible for the Hall of Fame has already been inducted.

Modano, who was born in the Detroit suburb of Livonia in 1970, was drafted No. 1 overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1988 after averaging 39 goals and 98 points during three junior seasons with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders.

He was just the second American-born player ever to go No. 1 overall in the draft.

Modano never played a day in the minors and spent the first five years of his career in Minnesota before the franchise moved to Dallas, where he enjoyed his greatest success beginning in 1993-94, when Modano had his first and only 50-goal season.

He helped the Stars win the 1999 Stanley Cup, enjoying the best postseason of his career with 10 goals among 23 points in 23 playoff games.

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Modano, who holds the Stars' franchise records in virtually every major offensive category, left Dallas in 2010 and returned home to Detroit for one last shot at a Stanley Cup.

The Red Wings had won their fourth Cup in 11 seasons two years earlier, lost in the Finals the following season and were considered one of the top contenders again in 2010-11.

But Modano had no impact during his brief tenure with the Red Wings.

He suffered a severed tendon and nerve damage in his right wrist 20 games into his only season with the Red Wings, underwent surgery the next day and missed three months before returning for the final 20 games of the season.

Modano finished with career-low totals for goals (4) and assists (11) in 40 games. He was a healthy scratch in nine of Detroit's 11 playoff games, drawing just one assist in the two games he played.

How forgettable was Modano's stint with the Red Wings? Well, consider this: Nowhere on his personal website is his one year in Detroit mentioned.

The website says Modano is "a retired American professional ice hockey player, who most notably played for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise" without mentioning the Red Wings.

Modano's other career highlights include being a three-time Olympian (and U.S. captain); winning the Bob Johnson Award for excellence in international competition; making the All-Rookie team in 1990; serving as captain of the 2003 Western Conference All-Star team; and playing in eight All-Star Games.

He's also a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and Texas Hall of Fame.

So with all that on his resume, why isn't Modano a lock to make the Hall of Fame?

Modano never had a 100-point season in the NHL, never won a major award and was named to a postseason All-Star team once, making the second team in 2000. The closest he came to winning a major award was being a finalist for the 2003 Lady Byng Trophy.

These days, he runs the Mike Modano Foundation, which provides resources for underprivileged and neglected children in the Dallas area.

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.23.2014

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Unconventional, ultra-competitive Dominik Hasek poised to join many '01-02 Red Wings in Hall of Fame

Ansar Khan | akhan1@mlive.com By Ansar Khan | akhan1@mlive.com

on June 22, 2014 at 6:01 AM, updated June 22, 2014 at 11:45 AM

DETROIT – His unorthodox flopping style, amazing flexibility and lightning quick reflexes, coupled with an unparalleled competitive streak, made Dominik Hasek one of the greatest goaltenders of all time.

He was a vital part of the 2002 Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup championship team that was loaded with legendary players.

Hasek, 49, is poised to join many of his former teammates in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The winner of six consecutive Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goalie, a two-time Hart Trophy winner as league MVP and the catalyst for the Czech Republic's 1998 Olympic gold medal-winning team, Hasek is widely considered a lock to be selected for the Hall on Monday when the committee reveals its 2014 class.

The other members of the star-studded 2001-02 Red Wings already in the Hall of Fame are Igor Larionov (2008); Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille (2009); Chris Chelios and Brendan Shanahan (2013) and coach Scotty Bowman (1991).

Nicklas Lidstrom is certain to be elected next year. Sergei Fedorov might join them one day.

"Between Dom, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur, they were the three best goaltenders of their era and the history of the NHL," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "They revolutionized the art of goaltending."

Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch summed up Hasek's acrobatic act after he announced his retirement from the NHL in 2008.

"Up and down and sideways," Ilitch said. "Only the Dominator could make those moves."

The Dominator takes charge

A 10th round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1983 (199th overall), Hasek broke into the NHL in 1990-91 but was stuck behind Ed Belfour, another future Hall of Famer.

Hasek was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 1992 for fellow goalie Stephane Beauregard in what proved to be a ridiculously one-sided deal. Hasek soon was dubbed "The Dominator," establishing himself as one of the league's premier goalies in the 1990s.

Hasek was a role model for former Red Wings defenseman and fellow Czech native Jiri Fischer. Fischer said Hasek's performance in the 1998 Olympics, especially in the 2-1 shootout victory over Canada in the semifinals and the 1-0 victory over Russia in the gold medal game, made him the biggest celebrity in the Czech Republic. He still is an icon in his homeland.

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"Dominik and (NHL star) Jaromir Jagr are the two most recognized celebrities in the Czech Republic, and that's including anyone else from sports and movie stars," Fischer said. "People in my generation, my parents' generation, everybody knows Dominik Hasek."

Hasek led the Sabres to the 1999 Cup finals, where they lost to the Dallas Stars in Game 6, 2-1 (Hull scored in triple overtime).

In 2001, at age 37 and desperate to win his first Cup, Hasek requested a trade from the rebuilding Sabres, submitting a short list of teams for whom he would approve a move. The Red Wings were second on that list to the St. Louis Blues.

After winning the Cup in 1997 and '98, the Red Wings experienced three consecutive early exits – two in the second round and one in the first – and Hasek was concerned about the team's advancing age.

Sabres GM Darcy Regier gave Holland permission to speak with Hasek. Holland and assistant GM Jim Nill made an aggressive pitch during a pair of hour-long conversations with Hasek.

"We felt we had a lot of pieces in place to be a championship team but needed to make a move with real impact to have a legitimate chance of winning the Stanley Cup," Holland said. "Jim Nill and I went through the process of convincing him we're a championship team. We pushed real hard.

"The next day, Ritch Winter (Hasek's agent) called and said (Hasek) decided on Detroit because he wanted to play with Yzerman, Lidstrom, Shanahan, etc. Then we had to work out a deal with Buffalo."

The Red Wings sent left wing Slava Kozlov, a 2002 first-round pick and a conditional 2003 first-rounder (to be relinquished if they won the Cup) to the Sabres.

Holland said it was difficult to replace goalie Chris Osgood, who he likened as his "fifth child," but said "the opportunity to put Dominik Hasek in a Red Wings uniform – those opportunities don't come along very often."

An unusual style, an intense competitor

After acquiring Hasek, the Red Wings added firepower to an already strong lineup by signing free agents Robitaille and Hull. Suddenly, they were the Cup favorites.

Hasek had a quirky personality that prompted teammates to dub him "Kramer," after the character on Seinfeld. But he fit in extremely well in the room, where teammates respected his work ethic and marveled at his competitiveness.

"The thing that always stood out was how he competed," Kris Draper, a longtime center and now a Red Wings executive, said. "His practice habits made me a better player. He didn't want anyone to score on him in practice."

Hasek once challenged a group of players that included Draper, Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty and Martin Lapointe to a post-practice shootout competition.

"He said the first to 10 (goals or saves) wins and said, 'I'll give you seven goals,' " Draper said. "We were all laughing because all we had to do was score three goals. He

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beat us 10-7. We were embarrassed. It shows the confidence and competitiveness he had. Or maybe he picked five shooters he knew couldn't score."

Fischer, now Detroit's director of player development, said, "Ken Holland made this very interesting comment a couple of years ago that a goalie makes the practice and that's absolutely true. The better the goalie is in practice, the better it is for all players, the harder it is to score and it keeps everybody on their toes. Dom was the most competitive practice goalie ever and that translated into games."

One of Hasek's favorite off-ice drills was trying to catch tennis balls behind his back.

"He never quit on a play; all the sudden he'd make a glove save with some unorthodox move," Draper said.

Hasek, during his retirement announcement, said he wasn't sure how he developed the unique style.

"Most of the things I did, it came natural, I didn't even think about them," Hasek said. "I just started to do something because it worked in my game."

Many goalies these days are 6-foot-5 or taller, leaving little room for shooters. That Hasek excelled with his 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame is further credit to his amazing athleticism.

"For a goalie stopping 100-mile-per-hour slap shots on a regular basis with the frame he had, you'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger competitor," Maltby said. "He had only one objective and that was to win the Stanley Cup.

Mission accomplished in 2002

Having run away with the Presidents' Trophy for the best record in the NHL, the Red Wings, with nothing to play for, struggled down the stretch. It carried over into the playoffs, when they lost the first two games at home against Vancouver. Holland credited Hasek for stepping up big in Games 3 and 4 with the season on the line.

But his best was yet to come.

Facing elimination in the Western Conference finals against Colorado, Hasek posted back-to-back shutouts (2-0, 7-0) to get the Red Wings into the Cup finals.

Hasek once said Game 6 vs. the Avalanche was one that would always stick in his mind.

"It was amazing how strong he was bouncing back after a performance he didn't feel was up to his standards," Fischer said. "The bigger the game the better he got."

Draper recalled how Hasek reacted immediately after the 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina in Game 1 of the Cup finals.

"We came into the room and Dom was intense, mad, (ticked) off, you could tell how bad he wanted it," Draper said. "We all sat back and watched and let him show his frustration. You could see that passion, intensity, how badly he wanted the Stanley Cup."

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The Red Wings won the next four games, including a 3-2 triple-overtime victory in Game 3. Hasek allowed only four goals in the final four games and set a playoff record with six shutouts (Brodeur now holds the record with seven).

Lidstrom won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Hasek became the first European starting goalie to win the Cup.

"Dom dug in mentally; he was a tough, fierce competitor," Holland said. "Even though he was a little past his prime he was still a little better than everyone else. The great ones can defy Father Time."

Flourishing into his 40s

Hasek retired after winning the Cup, but that didn't last long. He returned to the Red Wings in 2003-04 but a groin injury ended his season in January.

After a lockout canceled the 2004-05 season, Hasek signed with the Ottawa Senators and turned in a solid season. That prompted the Red Wings to bring him back in 2006-07, at age 41.

"Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood led the team to the Jennings Trophy (best team goals-against average)," Holland said. "It set us in motion to win the Cup in 2008."

Hasek led the Red Wings to another Presidents' Trophy in 2007-08 but at age 43 seemed to run out of stream midway through the first round of the playoffs against Nashville. Ironically, he was replaced by Osgood.

Osgood, who won 401 games and also is eligible this year for the Hall of Fame, excelled the rest of the way and the Red Wings won their fourth Cup in 11 seasons.

"Even though (Hasek) wasn't in net he played a big factor in helping Chris Osgood become a better goalie," Holland said. "He had his fingerprints on the championship."

Hasek returned yet again after a one-year retirement, playing one season each in the Czech Republic and Russia before retiring for good in 2011.

Hasek left quite a legacy. He ranks 11th all-time in wins (389) and his .922 career save percentage is first among all goalies with at least 200 games.

His Hall of Fame credentials are beyond reproach, and on Monday, he is expected to be enshrined during his first year of eligibility.

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.23.2014

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Hasek a near lock to get 2014 HHOF induction

By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily

Posted: 06/22/14, 3:49 PM EDT |

DETROIT >> The Detroit Red Wings weren’t on top of Dominik Hasek’s list of teams he wanted to play as he searched for that elusive Stanley Cup.

But in the end the team from Hockeytown won out.

In 2001, Hasek asked Buffalo general manager Darcy Regier to be dealt to a legitimate Cup contender. The first team on his list was the St. Louis Blues. Detroit was second.

“He was concerned about our age,” Wings general manager Ken Holland recalled. “Jim Nill and I went through the process of talking to him to convince him we’re a championship team. We pushed real hard.”

After a couple of one-hour conversations the Wings got the news they had hoped the next day when Hasek’s agent, Ritch Winter, called and said his client had decided on Detroit because he wanted to play with the likes of Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom.

To complete the deal Detroit sent winger Slava Kozlov, a 2002 first-round pick and a conditional 2003 first-rounder, if they won the Cup, for the 37-year-old netminder.

“He was pushing 40, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Holland said.

On Monday, Hasek will more than likely join another elite group when the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2014 is announced.

“His track record speaks for itself,” Kirk Maltby said. “Dom was in category by himself at the time. He was a world-class goalie. To add him to a team with the firepower we had …he had only one objective and that was to win the Stanley Cup.”

Hasek’s resume is impressive – six consecutive Vezina Trophies, given to the NHL’s top goalie; a two-time Hart Trophy winner, awarded to the league MVP; an Olympic gold medal.

“He was unique,” said fellow Czech native Jiri Fischer. “He was special. The bigger the game Dom played, the more confidence he gave us as a team.”

And what really made Hasek, who took a million dollar pay cut to join the Wings, unique was his ability to bounce back.

“Dom dug in mentally,” Holland said. “He was a tough, fierce competitor. Even though he was a little past his prime he was still a little better than everyone else. The great ones can defy Father Time.

“Between Dom, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur, they were the three best goaltenders of their era and the history of the NHL,” Holland continued. “They revolutionized the art of goaltending.”

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Hasek ranks 11th all-time in wins (389) and his .922 career save percentage is first among all goalies with at least 200 games.

“He’s the most competitive goalie I’ve ever been around,” Fischer said. “There are very few others in the history of the sport that can even come close.”

Fischer recalled Hasek conducting his own power skating sessions prior to practice without a goalie coach on the ice.

“Dom was just dedicated,” Fischer said. “His history of groin injuries he had in Buffalo it didn’t hinder his career at all. He embraced it. I’ve never seen a goalie prepare for each practice, make sure he was warm, make sure he had done his skating, his exercises and go right into the practice.”

“The one thing that always stood out was how he competed,” Draper said. “His practice habits made me a better player. He didn’t want anyone to score on him in practice.”

Draper recalled a practice where a bunch of grinders like him were practicing breakaways on Hasek.

“At the end of practice, he challenged us to a little game, the first to 10 goals or saves wins and he said he would give us seven goals,” Draper said. “We were all laughing because all we had to do was score three goals. He beat us 10-7. He made 10 straight saves. We were embarrassed. He’d give you seven goals and still expected to beat you. It shows the confidence and competitiveness he had. Or maybe he picked five shooters he knew couldn’t score.”

Hasek led the Sabres to the 1999 Cup finals, but lost in triple overtime to the Dallas Stars in Game 6 on a goal in triple overtime by Brett Hull.

He won the Cup with the Wings in 2002 and was a member of the 2008 Cup winning team, backing up Chris Osgood.

“Ken Holland made this very interesting statement a couple of years ago that a goalie makes the practice and that’s absolutely true,” Fischer said. “The better the goalie in practice, the better it is for all players, the harder it is to score and it keeps everybody on their toes.

“Dom was the most competitive practice goalie ever and that translated into the games,” Fischer added. “You can make an argument for several guys that would be the most dominate goalie of their era he’s certainly one of them.”

Mike Modano and Peter Forsberg are also expected to be named to the 2014 class.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 06.23.2014

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Detroit Red Wings trade talk: Defenseman Keith Yandle would command hefty price

June 22, 2014

Helene St. James

The Red Wings will host the Boston Bruins on Oct. 9, the NHL revealed Saturday when it announced home openers for all teams. The rest of the 2014-15 schedule will be released today.

Bittersweet that the first team the Wings have to welcome to Joe Louis Arena is the Bruins because they’re the ones who bounced Detroit from the first round of the playoffs back in April.

The Red Wings intend to bolster their team during this off-season, with specific focus on adding a top-four defenseman and a top-six forward. The free-agent market opens July 1, but it’s not a particularly deep pool of players who will be available, which is prompting increasing trade talk. This month, Free Press sports writer Helene St. James will take a look at possible targets for the Wings and assess the pros and cons.

Today's focus: Defenseman Keith Yandle

Yandle is a franchise face for the Phoenix Coyotes, an aggressive top-notch defender who loves to make plays offensively. He has finished in the top seven among NHL defensemen in scoring the past two seasons. Last year, he had eight goals and 45 assists for 53 points. He has topped 40 points in four of the past five seasons and had 30 points in the lockout-shortened 2013 season.

Yandle is an excellent point man, producing a team-leading 31 power-play points in 2013-14, six more than any Wings player contributed during man advantages. He has got a durability not seen in Detroit since Nicklas Lidstrom headed back to Sweden, with Yandle having a perfect attendance record for five straight seasons. He turns 28 in September, so he has only just crossed into his prime.

Yandle is three seasons into a five-year, $26.25-million contract that has an annual salary-cap hit of $5.25 million. It’s an extremely palatable contract given that if Yandle were an unrestricted free agent this summer, he’d easily command $7 million a season.

Here’s the sobering fact about a possible Yandle trade: The Coyotes are going to want the moon in exchange for so valuable an asset. At the very least, they would demand one of the following young players — Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Tomas Jurco, Anthony Mantha — and a high-end draft pick. Demands might even extend to a second player, such as Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm or Jakub Kindl.

The Wings are in a “win-now” mode, because superstars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are both in their mid-30s.

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Yandle is an impact player, the kind who could push the Wings back toward Stanley Cup contender status. What the Wings have to decide is whether Yandle is worth the high cost.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.22.2014

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Detroit Red Wings' home opener: Boston Bruins on Oct. 9

3:23 PM, June 21, 2014

Helene St. James

The Detroit Red Wings will host the Boston Bruins on Oct. 9, the NHL revealed today when it announced home openers for all teams. The rest of the 2014-15 schedule will be released Sunday.

Bittersweet that the first team the Wings have to welcome to Joe Louis Arena is the Bruins, since they’re the ones that bounced Detroit from the first round of the playoffs back in April.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.22.2014

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Red Wings to start home season against Bruins; complete schedule to be released Sunday

Ted Kulfan

Detroit — The Red Wings will begin their home season Oct. 9 against the Boston Bruins.

It was the Bruins, remember, who ended the Red Wings’ season in April with a first-round, five-game defeat in the playoffs.

The game will mark the 11th time in franchise history the two Original Six opponents have met in the Red Wings’ home opener — and the first time since 1973-74.

The Wings’ complete 2014-15 regular season schedule will be released at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Detroit News LOADED: 06.22.2014

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Sidney Crosby should be MVP, plus other NHL award picks

Ted Kulfan

Detroit — The NHL Awards Show is Tuesday, and it promises plenty of fodder for radio talk shows the following day.

You can count on some presenter to totally butcher Martin St. Louis’ name (or more likely, Ondrej Palat). The background music is gosh awful. There will be plenty of fake smiles and laughter.

Being that it’s in Las Vegas, it’s pure schmaltzy Las Vegas.

Hopefully it won’t take away from the actual awards, because there were some outstanding individual performances this season.

Here’s one person’s opinion on how the results should go Tuesday night.

Cue the orchestra.

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Finalists: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh; Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim; Claude Giroux, Philadelphia

I voted Crosby one, Getzlaf two and Giroux three on my ballot, so I nailed this one in terms of the finalists.

Getzlaf and Corey Perry drove the Anaheim machine all season, and Getzlaf’s accountability and leadership likely will bring one more Stanley Cup to Anaheim in the future.

Giroux was a major reason the Flyers turned around their season.

But Crosby had the best individual season of anyone. He had points in 60 of 80 games, led the NHL with 104 points, and spurred the Penguins to an outstanding regular season despite a league-high man-games lost to injuries by the Penguins.

Pick: Crosby

Norris Trophy (defenseman)

Finalists: Zdeno Chara, Boston; Duncan Keith, Chicago; Shea Weber, Nashville

One of these seasons, Weber will win the Norris Trophy, and I’m banking on this being the season. The Predators’ star has been runner-up twice and, frankly, this will not be an easy field to beat Tuesday.

Keith had a plus-22 rating and has seemingly taken his level of play upward each of the past few seasons. And Chara, simply put, remains a tower of power of strength for the Bruins.

But Weber is gradually evolving into the premier all-around defenseman in the game, capable of beating you in a variety of ways.

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Pick: Weber

Selke Trophy (defensive forward)

Finalists: Patrice Bergeron, Boston; Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles; Jonathan Toews, Chicago

One thing about this category, and the Norris, in particular: The talent pool and quality of players to choose from seem to get bigger and wider each season. It’s difficult to comprehend, sometimes, the amount of outstanding defensemen and two-way forwards in the league currently.

In this category, really, how can you choose between Bergeron, Kopitar and Toews?

I will say this: If it were to include the playoff season, I would have voted for Kopitar. He was outstanding in shutting down Toews, Getzlaf and Joe Thornton (San Jose) in the three Western Conference playoff series, then dominating the Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals.

But this being an award based on the regular season, I’ll go with Toews, who was dominant on a nightly basis for the Blackhawks.

Pick: Toews

Vezina Trophy (goalie)

Finalists: Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay; Tuukka Rask, Boston; Semyon Varlamov, Colorado

All three goaltenders carried their respective teams, but statistically, Rask had a bit of an edge over the other two.

Rask led the league with seven shutouts, ranked second with a .930 save percentage, fourth with a 2.04 goals-against average, and was fifth with 36 victories.

Varlamov led the league with 41 victories, but didn’t rank in the top 10 in goals-against. Bishop ranked seventh in both GAA and SVS.

On a stout Bruins team, it was difficult to get a puck past Rask, as the Red Wings found out in the postseason.

Pick: Rask

Calder Trophy (rookie)

Finalists: Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay; Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado; Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay

Johnson and Palat had great seasons for the Lightning, and both appear to have bright futures ahead of them.

But MacKinnon lived up to being the No. 1 pick in the draft, leading all rookies with 63 points, 39 assists and eight power play goals.

And though it doesn’t count for award purposes, MacKinnon made a dazzling impression in the playoffs for Colorado.

Pick: MacKinnon

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Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship)

Finalists: Patrick Marleau, San Jose; Ryan O’Reilly, Colorado; Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay

It’s tough to pick against O’Reilly, who averaged 19 minutes 49 seconds of ice time, had a big offensive seasons (28 goals, 36 assists), had a nearly even rating (finished minus-1) and yet was whistled for only one penalty (two minutes) all season.

That’s a difficult thing to do.

Pick: O’Reilly

Jack Adams Award (coach)

Finalists: Mike Babcock, Detroit; Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay; Patrick Roy, Colorado

Babcock arguably did one of his best coaching jobs stitching the injury-ravaged Red Wings together into the playoffs. Cooper, a Lansing native, took a largely inexperienced Lightning team further than most thought they’d go.

But Roy deserves this award by lifting the Avalanche to a Central Division championship (over powerhouses St. Louis and Chicago) with a team that some predicted (including this reporter) was going to be a last-place team.

Pick: Roy

Detroit News LOADED: 06.22.2014

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Red Wings open 2014-15 season at home against Bruins on Oct. 9; schedule to be released on Sunday

Ansar Khan

June 21, 2014 at 3:45 PM

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings won't have long to wait to get another shot at the team that eliminated them from the playoffs.

The Red Wings will open the regular season against the Boston Bruins Oct. 9 at Joe Louis Arena (7:30 p.m.).

The Bruins defeated the Red Wings in five games in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. It will mark the 11th time in franchise history that the Red Wings have opened at home against the Bruins, the first time since the 1973-74 season.

The entire NHL schedule will be released Sunday at 4 p.m.

Here is the complete list of home openers, released by the NHL:

Anaheim Ducks: Friday, Oct. 17 vs. Minnesota

x-Arizona Coyotes: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Winnipeg

Boston Bruins: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. Philadelphia

Buffalo Sabres: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Columbus

Calgary Flames: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. Vancouver

Carolina Hurricanes: Friday, Oct. 10 vs. NY Islanders

Chicago Blackhawks: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Buffalo

Colorado Avalanche: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Minnesota

Columbus Blue Jackets: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. NY Rangers

Dallas Stars: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Chicago

Detroit Red Wings: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Boston

Edmonton Oilers: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Calgary

Florida Panthers: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. New Jersey

Los Angeles Kings: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. San Jose

Minnesota Wild: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Colorado

Montreal Canadiens: Thursday, Oct. 16 vs. Boston

Nashville Predators: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Ottawa

New Jersey Devils: Saturday, Oct. 18 vs. San Jose

New York Islanders: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Carolina

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New York Rangers: Sunday, Oct. 12 vs. Toronto

Ottawa Senators: Thursday, Oct. 16 vs. Colorado

Philadelphia Flyers: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. New Jersey

Pittsburgh Penguins: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Anaheim

San Jose Sharks: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Winnipeg

St. Louis Blues: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. NY Rangers

Tampa Bay Lightning: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Florida

Toronto Maple Leafs: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. Montreal

Vancouver Canucks: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Edmonton

Washington Capitals: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Montreal

Winnipeg Jets: Friday, Oct. 17 vs. Nashville

x-Franchise's name officially changes Friday at NHL draft.

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.22.2014

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Wings hope to have found another hidden gem

Chuck Pleiness

Posted: 06/21/14, 4:44 PM EDT |

DETROIT >> The Detroit Red Wings are hoping they have stumbled onto another hidden gem overseas.

The team signed Tomas Nosek, of the Czech Republic, to a two-year, two-way entry-level deal last week.

“He’s a competitive guy, but needs to bulk up,” Detroit assistant general manager Ryan Martin said in a phone interview. “He has the ability to protect the puck down low.”

Martin added that Nosek, who’ll be 22 in September and went undrafted, will compete for a job with the Wings, who beat out a handful of teams for his services.

“If he doesn’t make it, our expectations are he’ll play in Grand Rapids,” Martin said.

Jiri Fischer, the Wings’ director player development, coached Nosek, who’s a two-way center or can play wing, on the Czech junior team in 2011-12.

“He’s very smart,” Fischer said. “He was a late bloomer. He was on our radar his draft year, but he was injured so he didn’t get drafted.

“He’s a smart player and does the little things right,” Fischer continued. “He can move up and down the lineup. He really did a great job this season. He was the best player on Pardubice.”

Nosek had 19 goals and 25 assists in 52 games with HC Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga.

“He can run the power play at that level, but we’ll see how it translates to North America,” Fischer said. “He needs to get stronger and work on his skating. He is a very willing and hard worker.”

Wings scout Vladimir Havluj was high on Nosek during his draft year.

“Vlady really liked him his draft year,” Martin said. “He kept in contact with him and watched his development closely.”

Also helping Detroit possibly land Nosek is his agent Ales Volek, who’s Tomas Jurco’s agent.

Volek liked what Grand Rapids coach Jeff Blashill did to help develop Jurco.

“I’m very excited about him,” Fischer said. “He’s very smart and very responsible defensively. He makes good plays.”

Fischer added that Nosek is more of a playmaker than a natural finisher.

“This past year he worked on his shot,” Fischer said. “He just keeps getting better every year.”

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Nosek’s hometown of Pardubice is also the hometown of Jakub Kindl, Dominik Hasek, Ales Hemsky and Milan Hejduk.

“He can run the power play at that level. We’ll see how it translates to North America.”

They’re hoping he can attend the development camp next month to get acclimated to the organization.

The Wings had success finding players under the radar overseas, the last of which was Damien Brunner, who played the lockout shortened 2012-13 season in Detroit. He had 12 goals and 14 assists in 44 games.

Brunner left after one season and inked a deal with New Jersey.

The Wings are hoping Nosek can attend the development camp next month to get acclimated to the organization.

The Wings will open the 2014-15 season at home on Oct. 9 against the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins eliminated the Wings in the first round of the playoffs in five games.

It’s the first time Detroit has opened at home against Boston since the 1973-74 season and 11th time overall.

The complete 1,230-game schedule will be released Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

Detroit will not be the home opener for any team.

The Wings’ preseason schedule features home and away matchups with Chicago (Sept. 23 away; Sept. 25 home), Boston (Sept. 27 home; Oct. 4 away), Toronto (Sept. 29 home; Oct. 3 away) and Pittsburgh (Sept. 22 away; Oct. 1 home).

Macomb Daily LOADED: 06.22.2014

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Four former Red Wings, including Mike Modano, await Hall of Fame call

Ted Kulfan

Detroit — Thursday marked the 15th anniversary of Brett Hull’s dramatic triple overtime goal over the Buffalo Sabries, giving Dallas its first Stanley Cup.

Westland native Mike Modano assisted on both Stars goals that night against Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek and hoisted the Stanley Cup minutes later.

But there wasn’t much Thursday in terms of celebrating the anniversary. Modano and his wife Allison are expecting twins within a few weeks.

“A lot going on,” Modano said. “The anticipation and preparation. It’s an exciting time.

“I can’t believe it’s been 15 years. Gone by quick.”

Hasek and Modano are likely to be linked again Monday. Both are expected to be named to the Hockey Hall of Fame, two of four former Red Wings on the ballot with Hall of Fame credentials.

Chris Osgood and Brian Rafalski are also on the ballot and are at least in the discussion of being Hall of Fame worthy.

Incidentally, all but Hasek were on the 2010-11 Red Wings team and retired that summer.

“I know for a lot of guys, making the Hall of Fame, that’s what you think about, that’s what you wonder if you’ve done enough,” Osgood said. “It’s something I’d like to make.”

Modano spent his final season with his hometown team after a legendary career with the Stars, where he is now in the front office.

As Monday’s announcement draws nearer, Modano admits he’s been thinking more about the possibility of receiving the call from the Hall of Fame.

“You wonder whether you’ve done enough to get in there,” Modano said. “When you’re a young player you don’t really think much about it, it seems so far away. When you’re done, it’s something you think about.

“It would be an honor to be recognized.”

This could be one of the deeper and most talent-filled Hall rosters in recent seasons.

Modano and Hasek are near locks to get in Monday on their first nomination. Peter Forsberg, despite an injury-riddled end to his career, seems a near certainty.

Players such as Rob Blake, Eric Lindros, Bill Guerin, Mark Recchi, Curtis Joseph, Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk are also on the ballot.

Individually, among the players with Red Wings ties, the expectations differ:

Mike Modano

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Modano is generally regarded as the best American-born player ever. He holds the record for most goals (561) and points (1,374) by an American-born player in the NHL, and won gold (1994 World Cup) and silver (2002 Olympics) medals.

Certainly few players have played with the speed and offensive and skating ability that Modano did.

“A dynamic player, skater, just an exciting player,” general manager Ken Holland said. “We felt Mo was going to be a key addition to our team, and he was rounding into form, then he got hurt.”

Modano suffered a severed tendon in his wrist which caused him to miss 41 games and essentially the remainder of his final season.

Obviously, Modano will forever be linked to the Stars, making hockey a viable sport in a non-traditional market.

But getting an opportunity to play his final season with the Red Wings was special.

“I had a ball,” Modano said. “I really did, until I got hurt. Just the response I received around town from people, getting the opportunity to play in front of family, it was special.

“Had I not gotten hurt, I really believe I could have played there another season or two.”

Dominik Hasek

Some fans, some players for that matter who were never his teammates, felt Hasek was a bit laid-back.

Maybe that was partly true.

“But once the game started, he was 100 percent competitive as any teammate I ever played with,” Osgood said.

Said Holland: “Dominik Hasek was a fierce competitor.”

Hasek, of course, was a key figure in the Red Wings winning a Stanley Cup in 2002. He retired after that season but returned for a bizarre, injury-shortened 2004 season, then was signed for a third term and led the Red Wings to the Western Conference Finals in 2007 and backed up Osgood during the Stanley Cup run in 2008.

Holland feels Hasek, Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy transformed and revolutionized the goaltending position.

“What better compliment can you give a player when they’ve done that?” Holland said. “Dom would just figure out a way to make the save.”

Osgood and Hasek were goaltending partners for two seasons and Osgood said he learned quite a bit in that time.

“One of the best big-game goalies,” Osgood said. “And I learned so much from him, even at that point in my career, from the way he practiced, what he put into those practices.”

Modano never played with Hasek, but was impressed with the goaltender’s career.

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“You look at his consistency throughout his career,” Modano said. “And the way he won behind two different styles (of play) in Detroit and Buffalo. It was two different styles, but he won in both.”

Chris Osgood

One of the biggest debates in hockey toward the end of Osgood’s career, and one that will fester now that’s he’s on the Hall of Fame ballot, is whether Osgood belongs in the Hall.

He ranks 10th all-time with 401 victories, was a three-time Stanley Cup champion (starting goalie in 1998 and 2008), and leads the Red Wings with 67 playoff victories and 14 shutouts.

One of the arguments against Osgood has always been it was a dominant Red Wings team in front of him. But Holland counters that many Hall of Fame goalies played on championship-caliber teams.

“Ozzie was an important player on our championship teams, and he won a lot of important games for us over the years,” Holland said.

Osgood feels he could have clinched the argument in his favor had he won Game 7 in 2009 against Pittsburgh and earned yet another Stanley Cup.

“That one still stings, I think about that one,” Osgood said.

Forever doubted by Red Wings fans, Osgood didn’t have an always smooth ride, but it likely made him a stronger-minded goaltender.

“I persevered and it probably made me mentally stronger,” Osgood said. “I always looked forward and moved on. Ken Holland taught me ‘no excuses’ and I took that on throughout my career.”

Brian Rafalski

Playing in the shadow of teammates such as Nicklas Lidstrom, and Scott Stevens and Scott Neidermayer in New Jersey, Rafalski didn’t always garner the most attention.

But the defenseman enjoyed a stellar career which should earn him consideration in the coming years.

“To me, I don’t know if we win the Stanley Cup in 2008 without Raffy,” said Holland, who signed Rafalski in free agency the previous summer.

A tremendous offensive defenseman, Rafalski could make an outstanding first pass, run a power play, but also play a smart defensive game despite not being a huge defenseman.

Rafalski was an ideal partner for Lidstrom.

“They complemented each other so well,” Holland said. “They sort of defied Father Time, just the way they played. They worked so well together on the ice, knowing where each other was.

“Raffy was a perfect fit for us.”

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A three-time Stanley Cup champion (2000, 2003 in New Jersey, 2008 Red Wings), Rafalski also won a Silver Medal with Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics, where he was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Defenseman.

“Probably the most underrated teammate I ever played with,” Osgood said. “Until I played with him, I had no idea how good he was.”

Detroit News LOADED: 06.21.2014

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Report: Red Wings interested in Sharks captain Joe Thornton

Staff Writer

Detroit — The Red Wings are interested in Sharks center Joe Thornton, according to ESPN NHL columnist Pierre LeBrun.

LeBrun, in a discussion on tsn.ca, said Thornton, 34, wants to remain with San Jose, which in a rebuilding phase.

But LeBrun added the Red Wings are among teams who have called the Sharks inquiring about Thornton’s availability.

Thornton, the Sharks’ captain, signed a three-year extension in January, and the team can’t trade him without his approval. He was second in the NHL in assists last season with 65, trailing only the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (68).

Detroit News LOADED: 06.21.2014

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Could Sarnia Sting defenseman Anthony DeAngelo be on Detroit Red Wings' draft radar?

Brendan Savage

June 20, 2014 at 4:33 PM

If the Detroit Red Wings want to select a defenseman in the first round of next week's NHL draft, Anthony DeAngelo of the OHL's Sarnia Sting could still be on the board when they pick 15th overall.

There's no doubt the 5-foot-11, 175-pound offensive dynamo is highly skilled. But there are questions about his character. Is he a guy the Red Wings would be willing to take a chance on with their highest first-round pick since 1991?

That's a question they'll have to ponder in the next seven days.

DeAngelo is among the top offensive players in the draft – especially on the back end – but he's also had some issues that have raised red flags for many people.

Specificially, he was suspended for eight games last season after directing a slur at a teammate.

"I made a mistake in what I did and know I was wrong for the comment I made," DeAngelo told NHL.com. "I was deserving of disciplinary actions. It was my fault so I served it and am just ready to play again. The most important thing I learned out of this is that I didn't just hurt myself for being suspended, but I hurt a teammate and the organization.

"I've realized that letting my emotions get to me isn't the best thing for me or the team. I'm a very passionate person and player, and I learned that I need to control that into more positive instead of letting it be negative like it was in that situation. I let the frustration get the best of me and realize it was wrong."

The Red Line Report's scouting reports ranked DeAngelo seventh among the best skaters in the draft – calling him "exceptionally nimble and light on his feet with superb edging. Gets even faster with the puck on his stick" – but ranked DeAngelo No. 1 under the category of "$5 million skills/10 cent heads" and called him the "WORST! TEAMMATE!!EVER!!!"

At the same time, another of Red Line Report's scouting reports called him the 13th-best natural goal scorer in the draft. "Yes, a D-man. Have to make an exception for this dynamic offensive stud since he plays like a forward anyway."

But yet another ranked him among the players having "top 10 talent/bottom 10 character" while calling him at "bad teammate."

In its rankings of the top 100 players available in the draft regardless of position, TSN.ca has DeAngelo No. 15 – right where the Red Wings will be picking if they don't make a deal to move up or down.

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DeAngelo, who turns 19 in October, has led OHL defensemen in assists the past two seasons with a total of 105.

In 51 games for Sarnia last season, the right-handed shooting DeAngelo had 15 goals, 56 assists, a minus-34 rating and 90 penalty minutes.

He's ranked No. 14 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

"Anthony is a skilled offensive defenseman," NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards told NHL.com. "His puck skill and playmaking ability are excellent. He sees the ice very well and creates offensive scoring chances with great passes. He has a very good shot and gets it on net. Likes to jump up into the rush. He normally makes good decisions with the puck; however he gets himself into trouble when he over-handles the puck."

DeAngelo, who became the youngest player in USHL history when he debuted at age 14, had 30 goals, 122 assists and 196 PIM in 181 career games with Sarnia over three seasons.

"DeAngelo is a smooth skating, offense-generating defenseman who has some very quick feet," Eliteprospects.com says of the New Jersey native. "He's slippery and very creative with the puck. His offensive awareness is incredible but is easily out-muscled in his own" (zone).

A mock draft by CSNPhilly.com thinks DeAngelo will be available right around the time the Red Wings make their first-round pick. CSNPhilly has him going No. 14 to Dallas.

"The Stars need a future power play quarterback in the system," wrote Russ Cohen of CSNPhilly.com. "He's a very gifted passer. He stickhandles well. He sometimes has a turnover in bad spot, but over time he'll fix that. His excellent first pass is among the best in this draft. "

One of The Red Line Report's scouting services that provides mock drafts doesn't see DeAngelo getting picked in the first round but another has him getting taken at No. 23 by Colorado, saying

"We know he can quarterback a PP," said Red Line Reports mock draft, "but only he knows where his head is at. He is the most skilled offensive defenceman in the draft — there's absolutely no question about that."

Red Line Report ranks DeAngelo No. 34 among its draft eligible prospects.

"Talk about generating buzz! Wow! Creates a lot of excitement with his terrific puck skills and offensive instincts. But unfortunately, just as much of that buzz centres on the attitude and his, shall we say, less than ideal concept of what a good teammate should be. He's a dynamic game-breaker from the blue line with exceptional puck skills. Has no panic in his game. Has his head up at all times scanning for plays. Sees the ice extremely well. His outlets are crisp tape-to-tape.

"Tremendous on the PP, where he can act as either QB or triggerman. Gains the zone with ease, walks the line to create shooting/passing lanes, and can fire bullets or make creative slap-passes. Has to learn when to dump puck in - makes costly turnovers trying to force plays. In a weak draft with so few talented rearguards, we don't see any way he won't be selected in the first round. But talk about buyer beware..."

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Red Wings will start another search for an assistant coach after Bill Peters hired by Carolina

Ansar Khan

June 20, 2014 at 6:07 AM

DETROIT – Bill Peters' departure forces the Detroit Red Wings to start yet another search for an assistant coach.

Peters, who'll be introduced Friday as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, is the fifth Red Wings assistant since 2008 to land a head-coaching job, the third to do so with an NHL team.

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said he and coach Mike Babcock will take their time to find Peters' replacement.

"Mike Babcock's done a good job in finding replacements when we've lost people," Holland said. "We'll exchange ideas. I'm sure some people will reach out to us and let us know they're interested in the job and we'll slowly find a replacement."

It remains to be seen if the position can be filled from within the organization.

Chris Chelios, an advisor to hockey operations, and Kris Draper, a special assistant to Holland, aren't interested in coaching. Jiri Fischer, the director of player development, and video coach Keith McKittrick might have interest.

Holland said Jeff Blashill will remain the Grand Rapids Griffins head coach.

Holland and Babcock are likely to gather information about outside candidates at next week's entry draft in Philadelphia.

"Mike has his tentacles out in the coaching fraternity and knows who to talk to," Holland said. "Mike has brought back names and those names have led to Jeff Blashill, Bill Peters and (current assistant) Tom Renney.

"I'm sure Mike is thinking about it right now. I'm in no rush. I think there are so many people that have been let go in the industry the last month I'm sure there's people looking for another opportunity that have got some experience and I'm sure there's people out there with real good experience in the (AHL) or juniors that would like an opportunity."

Todd McLellan (San Jose, 2008) and Paul MacLean (Ottawa, 2011) are other recent Red Wings assistants who became NHL head coaches. The late Brad McCrimmon was hired as head coach of the Kontinental Hockey League's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl but perished when the team plane crashed before the season opener. Blashill took the Griffins head-coaching job after one season as a Red Wings assistant.

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.21.2014