this property has lots of room for creativity: It could be a farm
an orchard or an amenity-rich rural retreat
Margaret and Kevin Simanski asked themselves what life would be like if they lived on a large piece of property with horses and cows
That’s how they wound up building a 5,650-square-foot house in rural Red Wing
“We just wanted to get out of the rat race,“ Margaret Simanski said
about 60 miles southeast of the Twin Cities
the Simanskis gave up their garbage-collection business
tore down the property’s old house and built a new one throughout the following year
the two want to downsize and are building a different house about 12 miles away
a large pantry and a deck spanning one side of the home
The lower-level TV room has built-in surround sound and a wet bar
The Simanskis recently refinished the hardwood floors throughout the house
The Simanskis were a part of the construction every day
they rented a stone splitter and cut all of the fieldstone for the fireplace in the main floor’s great room
the pool is low maintenance and has temperature controls
That’s why we put in the sauna,” Kevin Simanski said
Windows throughout the home offer broad views of nature
“When you walk in the front door you look out on this beautiful pasture and this field,” Margaret Simanski said
you can see Frontenac State Park right across the street
“You can see all the way to Wisconsin because we’re on top of the hills,” she said
Frontenac Park has 13 miles of hiking trails and nine miles of cross-country ski trails
said Lisa Filter of the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota
a avian migration route and a diverse landscape that includes prairie
oak savanna and bluffs with various vantage points
noting visitors have spotted 260 bird species there
The picnic area on a large bluff overlooking Lake Pepin offers a spectacular view
“I would describe it as feeling as you were high up and a bird flying over the water,” she said
dating back to the 19th century and early 20th century
the Pottery Museum of Red Wing and the Red Wing Shoe Company Museum
displays what the museum claims is the world’s largest boot
a size 638 ½ piece of footwear that stands more than 20 feet tall on its main floor
It also offers “kind of a history of the company as well as how the boots are made,” said store employee Sam Brady
They kept two silos standing to help maintain the property’s “old farm feel,” Margaret Simanski said
The 12 surrounding acres are good for hunting
and “it’s nothing to drive up there and see 20 to 40 deer right next to the house,” Margaret said
The property has a number of potential uses the Simanskis said
It already holds half a dozen apple trees of different kinds
including the Honeycrisp and Haralson varieties developed at the University of Minnesota
“There was a guy that wanted to know if we could sell him the land so he could raise hemp,” Kevin Simanski said
A particularly ambitious grower could think even bigger
The couple actually owns 92 adjacent acres
so a separate purchase of more land is negotiable
“The house has every amenity you could possibly want,” Margaret Simanski said
including a original well that holds “the best water you‘re ever going to drink.”
Katy Read writes for the Minnesota Star Tribune's Inspired section. She previously covered Carver County and western Hennepin County as well as aging, workplace issues and other topics since she began at the paper in 2011.
Home Gazing
The 1923 house in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood was a stop on Twin Cities’ Bungalow Club’s 2024 tour
Its Art Deco design and access to restaurants and shops in the Midtown Global Market are unique amenities
although the surrounding Phillips neighborhood has weathered challenges
As the Red Wings’ offseason begins in earnest, all the attention has been on whom they could target in what could be an aggressive summer for Detroit
But what about the players already on the roster
we take our first crack at who will stay and who will go
Raymond’s March was quieter than anyone would have liked
taking another step forward as he enters his prime
He’s a pillar and will likely be the Red Wings’ leading scorer for many years to come
Seider is Detroit’s foundation on the back end
playing 25 minutes a night against some of the NHL’s toughest competition
And while his point production has remained constant in the 40s
Seider’s underlying defensive numbers were the best of his career
propelling him to an even 50 percent expected goals share
That’s a big deal given his challenging usage
Edvinsson flashed his high-end potential at the end of the 2023-24 season
He was outstanding when playing with Seider on Detroit’s top pair
and then carried the second pair when the twin pillars were eventually split up
for the towering shutdown defenseman: Edvinsson finished third on the team with 23 five-on-five assists
He’s a stud and a big piece of the puzzle going forward
No Red Wing improved his stock this year more than Kasper
who blossomed throughout the season into a top-six staple and ended it as the Red Wings’ second-line center
His 37 points in 77 games were strong for a 20-year-old
10 (when he was moved into the top six for good) are the most exciting
He’ll have his work cut out for him to maintain that level of production over a full season
but Kasper’s off-puck elements are so strong that he doesn’t even need to score at that rate to be highly impactful
perhaps the Red Wings’ most consistent player from start to finish and Detroit’s leading goal scorer by a wide margin with 39
Just as impressive was his tenacity off the puck
which especially popped after new coach Todd McLellan arrived midseason
He’s been a great addition for the Red Wings
Larkin remains Detroit’s engine and No. 1 center. He’s one of the franchise’s most important players. But his year-end comments (and Yzerman’s response) reflect the toll and frustrations of the team’s nine-year playoff drought
The emerging question is what his patience level is with a rebuild that isn’t moving as fast as his prime years
and his injury in February was a big blow as the Red Wings returned from the 4 Nations break
Kasper’s performance as the second-line center introduces the question as to Copp’s role next season
but the simplest answer is the most likely: Copp centering the third line
He’s a smart player who can do the dirty work and make plays in hard areas of the ice and kill penalties
Chiarot spent much of the second half of the season on Detroit’s top pair
and while he may be in a similar role next season
the best outcome for Detroit would be to slot him more favorably in a third-pair role
possibly next to Albert Johansson or top prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka
That would put him against lighter matchups and allow him to insulate one of the two smaller puck-movers while providing physicality
so putting him in this category is a bit risky
but his end-of-season comments made it clear he’d have interest in coming back
possibly even on another one-year deal packed with bonuses
has a feel for the big moment and seems to genuinely enjoy it in Detroit
This looks like it will be Detroit’s goalie tandem
after Yzerman acquired Mrázek at the deadline with one year remaining on his deal
Talbot finished with a league-average save percentage after a season with its share of ups and downs
and Mrázek turned in a couple of solid starts in Detroit before getting hurt
is whether Sebastian Cossa could disrupt that by winning a job
My gut feeling is Detroit starts the year with these two
then Cossa gets his chance to run with it whenever injury strikes
Both young Swedes are restricted free agents
and both established themselves in the second half as players who should be brought back — particularly Johansson
who looked like a legit NHL regular on defense
He’s probably best cast as a third-pair puck-mover
but held his own on the second pair many nights
and has more in him as he continues to develop
was limited to 26 games in Detroit and finished the year injured
but showed more willingness to make use of his 6-foot-8 frame and has impressive hands for a big man
it poses an interesting question as to whether Compher would then move to the wing or center the fourth line
you’d think Detroit will at least want him in the top nine
and playing him on Copp’s wing would allow the two to alternate faceoffs by handedness
and perhaps there’s some outside trade possibility (Compher has a 10-team no-trade list)
but the most likely scenario is that he’s back again
Rasmussen’s role was diminished from a year ago
and dropping from 33 to 21 points isn’t ideal
but he remains one of Detroit’s most leaned-on defensive forwards
there’s no reason to think he won’t be back in the fold
though it wouldn’t surprise me if teams had interest in him as a 26-year-old center with size
as he left his NHL debut due to injury after just 1:10
he should be a regular for at least most of next season
bringing a gritty game with some secondary offense
as he’s missed time in both of his pro seasons
Gustafsson has one year left on his deal and looked better under McLellan before missing the end of the season to injury
His ability to play either side and run a power play gives him utility as a sixth or seventh defenseman
including in the loss to Montreal that functionally sealed Detroit’s fate
he finished with a 50.58 percent expected goals share on the season and earned some praise from McLellan for his progress after the season finale
His cap hit at $3.4 million is large for a third-pair defenseman taking sheltered matchups
and a buyout would cost Detroit only $1.13 million for each of the next two years
so that puts him into the toss-up category
Berggren just hasn’t found a way to carve out an upper-lineup role and has looked out of place on bottom-six lines
when he got the promotion onto Larkin and Raymond’s wing
but he doesn’t seem like a full-time solution in that spot
either — partly because he would be yet another undersized winger
but with Amadeus Lombardi’s success in Grand Rapids this season
I do wonder if Berggren may have played his last game as a Red Wing
Tarasenko is still under contract next season
but there’s no way around it: His first season in Detroit was a disappointment
he had just 11 goals and 33 points and doesn’t make the kind of defensive impact you’d want for that cost
it’s hard to see him playing above the third line
which didn’t seem to work well for either him or the team this past season
That makes a buyout — which would cost the Red Wings about $1.58 million against the cap for each of the next two seasons — a tempting option
It basically asks the question of whether Detroit could effectively replace him for $3 million next season
I think that answer would be a pretty resounding “yes,” but we’ll see how the Red Wings handle it
but he said he intends to play another season
it’s hard to see the Red Wings keeping Petry
But if the Red Wings were to move on from Holl
it’s easier to envision Petry returning on a cheap
one-year deal as a depth defender with size on the right side
Smith was excited to get traded to the Red Wings at the deadline
and while he didn’t produce much in a fourth-line role
he is a veteran with a track record of scoring that clearly appealed to Detroit
The Red Wings will have to do some re-imagining with their bottom six
and the two points in 19 games will make him a natural candidate to move on as an unrestricted free agent
but it’s not impossible to envision Smith factoring in
Motte is another pending free agent who is a possible candidate to return as a veteran fourth-line energy type who kills penalties
The Red Wings’ penalty kill struggles were not on Motte
but it is an open question how much Detroit will want to just “run it back” with the same personnel on the PK this time around
They likely couldn’t bring back both Motte and Smith
but there is at least a spot in that part of the lineup available if the Red Wings want to retain one of them
The writing has seemed to be on the wall here since the trade deadline
Lyon played in only five games from that point on
and three of those came consecutively when Mrázek and Talbot were banged up
Yzerman indicated he had at least expressed interest in possibly bringing Lyon back
But Lyon is plenty good enough to be at least a full-time backup in this league
3 wouldn’t seem to make much sense for him
Lagesson got into only seven games for the Red Wings this year
and while teams always need good pros to fill out a roster
it’s hard to see him coming back after such limited usage — especially if summer additions push Gustafsson and/or Holl into more of a depth role already
(Photo of Dylan Larkin: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
Max Bultman has covered the Red Wings for The Athletic since 2018. He previously was a general assignment writer in Detroit and is a 2017 graduate of the University of Michigan. Follow Max on Twitter @m_bultman
It’s the second-longest active drought in the NHL behind the Buffalo Sabres 14 years of mediocrity. It’s also been 12 years since the Red Wings won a playoff series, again, only “bettered” by the Sabres 18 years without a series win.
When you lay out those stats, the lengthy droughts, you start to realize how, perception wise, the Sabres have been the Red Wings greatest asset — you can’t be the butt end of a joke because Buffalo exists.
Steve Yzerman is currently completing his sixth season as the Red Wings general manager. In his eight years as the Tampa Bay Lightning GM, the program many Red Wings fans point to as the reason he’ll fix things in Detroit, he reached the playoffs five times and his teams won nine playoff series.
So résumé-wise, as an NHL GM, Yzerman has 14 years in the role and has only reached the playoffs five times. When his teams do get in they typically win at least a series or two.
His record as a GM is 521-442-111 heading into tonight’s game against the Dallas Stars, a career .537 points percentage.
It’s important to establish those before we dive into the narratives and reasonings. This is where it’s OK to point out the situation Yzerman inherited when Ken Holland left, a franchise that valued a playoff streak over actual playoff success, and it’s also where we acknowledge that after six seasons and zero playoff appearances, most NHL GM would have been fired if their name didn’t happen to hang prominently in the rafters at their place of employment.
The Yzerman discourse is messy and it only got messier with the Red Wings mid-season coaching change, which did better the team, but ultimately wasn’t enough for a playoff destination this season.
I don’t want to argue whether Yzerman is or isn’t the man for the job right now in Detroit, but I do want to talk about a Red Wings element that needs to be deeply examined this summer by the organization.
Let’s look at the current Red Wings roster, the players that are making an impact and reason for long-term success.
Young Europeans that the Yzerman regime drafted, like Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Marco Kasper, Simon Edvinsson, Moritz Seider, and Albert Johansson.
Established North American veterans with track record who weren’t asked to elevate to higher roles in Detroit, like Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Andrew Copp, and Patrick Kane.
That’s it. The rest of the Red Wings fall into that mushy middle. Players that have failed to elevate into larger roles/different situations like J.T. Compher, or were simply bad bets for the team he built like Erik Gustafsson.
Shap Shots is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
The Red Wings project transition well, the switch from Europe to North America. It’s why there is so much excitement this week about Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Axel Sandin Pellikka, but it seems, to me, they forget that North American players don’t really evolve that much.
This is something that was eating at me watching the Grand Rapids Griffins in person this weekend. Nate Danielson, I believe, is a fine and viable NHL player, but I struggle to see how he’ll ever be a reliable point producer at the NHL level.
Maybe Danielson can make the jump like Marco Kasper did, but Kasper has even told me this season that offense comes easier for him in the NHL than it did in Europe. For Kasper, switching leagues and styles paid off, he said he probably would never be a big-time scorer in Europe, but can be one in North America because of a style that he adjusted.
Danielson, for argument sake here, has been playing North American style his entire life. Aside from more chaos and speed in the AHL, there really isn’t too much of an adjustment.
The same can be said for decisions Yzerman has made with veterans at the NHL level.
Justin Holl and Jeff Petry for example, have established track records of who they are. Good, but not great NHL defenders. Players that in recent years had slowed a bit. They weren’t going to get better, there wasn’t a magic elixir, but the Red Wings signed them thinking they’d reverse current history.
If you could pick and choose, you’d want the Red Wings running the European operations of your team. You’d want them identifying talent currently playing in Europe, they’ve proven they can do that, but when it comes to domestic scouting in North America, I believe the Red Wings are typically looking for more when there really isn’t too much more to give.
Again, this is a sticky and difficult concept to tackle. Red Wings assistant GM Kris Draper, for example, I think is a pretty good talent evaluator. But I’m not sure how often his input and decisions actually impact Yzerman, who has a reputation of having his own way of thinking about things.
It’s also not amateur vs. pro scouting, it’s more geographical and continental. It’s almost become a self-fulfilling prophecy, if the Red Wings take notice in a player in Europe, you’re probably excited about them. If that player is from North America, you tend to find the warts.
With an organization that operates like Detroit, things are kept close to the vest, there is no way any outside voice can truly diagnose what happens on the inside. There are no “insiders” when it comes to the Red Wings, myself included, who will properly publish the tell-all plan.
So instead we have to pose questions and wait for the evidence to show us one thing or the other.
So, in Detroit, do they know how to scout North American players? Do they understand how players properly progress when playing their entire careers on North American ice?
That’s something Yzerman and his staff will have to discuss this summer, because for better or worse, a decade without a playoff appearance is going to be harder and harder for anyone, even the most ardent Yzerplanner, to defend.
It feels like he has to make a big move. Marner, or some other UFA. And maybe he has and it hasn't worked out. It feels like we're going to be good eventually, but will waste Larkin/Cat's years in the process. Patience is key to a point, but eventually you have to go for it. When is that? No clue but it feels like it has to be soon.
ReplyShareTopLatestDiscussionsNo posts
the Detroit Red Wings will miss the playoffs
It\u2019s the second-longest active drought in the NHL behind the Buffalo Sabres 14 years of mediocrity
It\u2019s also been 12 years since the Red Wings won a playoff series
only \u201Cbettered\u201D by the Sabres 18 years without a series win
the Sabres have been the Red Wings greatest asset \u2014 you can\u2019t be the butt end of a joke because Buffalo exists
Steve Yzerman is currently completing his sixth season as the Red Wings general manager
In his eight years as the Tampa Bay Lightning GM
the program many Red Wings fans point to as the reason he\u2019ll fix things in Detroit
he reached the playoffs five times and his teams won nine playoff series
Yzerman has 14 years in the role and has only reached the playoffs five times
When his teams do get in they typically win at least a series or two
His record as a GM is 521-442-111 heading into tonight\u2019s game against the Dallas Stars
It\u2019s important to establish those before we dive into the narratives and reasonings
This is where it\u2019s OK to point out the situation Yzerman inherited when Ken Holland left
a franchise that valued a playoff streak over actual playoff success
and it\u2019s also where we acknowledge that after six seasons and zero playoff appearances
most NHL GM would have been fired if their name didn\u2019t happen to hang prominently in the rafters at their place of employment
The Yzerman discourse is messy and it only got messier with the Red Wings mid-season coaching change
but ultimately wasn\u2019t enough for a playoff destination this season
I don\u2019t want to argue whether Yzerman is or isn\u2019t the man for the job right now in Detroit
but I do want to talk about a Red Wings element that needs to be deeply examined this summer by the organization
Let\u2019s look at the current Red Wings roster
the players that are making an impact and reason for long-term success
Young Europeans that the Yzerman regime drafted
Established North American veterans with track record who weren\u2019t asked to elevate to higher roles in Detroit
The rest of the Red Wings fall into that mushy middle
Players that have failed to elevate into larger roles/different situations like J.T
or were simply bad bets for the team he built like Erik Gustafsson
Shap Shots is a reader-supported publication
consider becoming a free or paid subscriber
It\u2019s why there is so much excitement this week about Michael Brandsegg-Nyg\u00E5rd and Axel Sandin Pellikka
they forget that North American players don\u2019t really evolve that much
This is something that was eating at me watching the Grand Rapids Griffins in person this weekend
but I struggle to see how he\u2019ll ever be a reliable point producer at the NHL level
Maybe Danielson can make the jump like Marco Kasper did
but Kasper has even told me this season that offense comes easier for him in the NHL than it did in Europe
he said he probably would never be a big-time scorer in Europe
but can be one in North America because of a style that he adjusted
has been playing North American style his entire life
Aside from more chaos and speed in the AHL
there really isn\u2019t too much of an adjustment
The same can be said for decisions Yzerman has made with veterans at the NHL level
have established track records of who they are
Players that in recent years had slowed a bit
but the Red Wings signed them thinking they\u2019d reverse current history
you\u2019d want the Red Wings running the European operations of your team
You\u2019d want them identifying talent currently playing in Europe
but when it comes to domestic scouting in North America
I believe the Red Wings are typically looking for more when there really isn\u2019t too much more to give
this is a sticky and difficult concept to tackle
But I\u2019m not sure how often his input and decisions actually impact Yzerman
who has a reputation of having his own way of thinking about things
it\u2019s more geographical and continental
It\u2019s almost become a self-fulfilling prophecy
if the Red Wings take notice in a player in Europe
With an organization that operates like Detroit
there is no way any outside voice can truly diagnose what happens on the inside
There are no \u201Cinsiders\u201D when it comes to the Red Wings
who will properly publish the tell-all plan
So instead we have to pose questions and wait for the evidence to show us one thing or the other
do they know how to scout North American players
Do they understand how players properly progress when playing their entire careers on North American ice
That\u2019s something Yzerman and his staff will have to discuss this summer
a decade without a playoff appearance is going to be harder and harder for anyone
2025Photos: Leon Hedgpeth; Collage by Brittany LogginsSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors
we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links
What keeps me (along with countless construction workers and Brooklyn baristas) coming back is their craftsmanship and general longevity: these are boots that can take all kinds of beatings
and still polish up enough to wear with a winter-weight suit
After about a decade of being the only guy at fashion gatherings still wearing them, it appears I have company again. Timothée Chalamet has stuck by them on his wowza of a press tour
Head Merchant and Product Line Manager for Red Wing Heritage
tells me the entire line is “being rediscovered by the Gen-Z and youth markets
especially in places like Japan and East Asia.” (All this buzz motivated Red Wing to reintroduce the Shop Moc last spring—essentially the low-top version of the original Moc Toe boot.)
Red Wing's iconic Moc Toe boots out and about on a recent blustery day
So if your Red Wing boots have been gathering dust since the #menswear heyday, now’s the time to polish them up. And if you've been rocking them all along, now's the time to lean back, lace up, and (gently) say, “I told you so.”
…plus a handful of its other shoes I plan on wearing into the ground.
Assets Red Wings Could Trade For Young Scorer (DHN+)
The Daily: Griffins Have Been Here Before; Crosby Joins Canada
Griffins Seek Elusive Chemistry With Season on Line
The Daily: Blashill Interviewing For Head Jobs; Augustine Update
Red Wings Legends Compete For Coveted Coaching Position
Red Wings Have Cap Room and Desire to Land Big Name UFA (DHN+)
Players Red Wings May Consider at No. 12 (DHN+)
Are Buyouts in Play for the Red Wings? (DHN+)
Five Moves Red Wings Should Have Made Earlier (DHN+)
Poor game managment cost Detroit the postseason
And he’s equally certain who the Wings can blame for that not coming to fruition
That would be the guys that the see in the mirror
“You look at some of the teams that made it,” McLellan said
“We were good enough the way we were constructed to make and play in the playoffs
"We were good enough with the way we were constructed to make & play in the playoffs."
Red Wings HC Todd McLellan had some strong words on his team's performance down the stretch in some winnable games
"It's not about who wasn't here
📹 @Local4News pic.twitter.com/sxPBowLKY1
— Hobie Artigue (@HeyItsMeHobie) April 29, 2025
we went deeper into it instead of pulling ourselves out
game mismanagement – is what was ultimately finishing of the Red Wings
They simply let too many winnable games get away from them
McLellan’s frustration with his players’ inability to close out games was palpable while he was discussing many of the games that they threw away
“If we don’t piss away the points against Tampa Bay (in a 6-4 loss) before the 4 Nations break,” McLellan said
“We weren’t prepared to play that night
Man. Todd McLellan is honestly a breath of fresh air at pressers like this. Handles the tough criticism and almost always seems to include his job and his staff's job when acknowledging that the organization didn't do well enough.#LGRW
— Kevin Coons (@KevCoons) April 29, 2025
it’s 2-1 (for Detroit entering the third period)
“Then we go into Montreal, we have an opportunity to win. We go to St. Louis, it’s 1-0 (for Detroit) with 30 seconds left, we have a chance to win (Detroit lost 2-1 in overtime
“There’s enough points right there in games that we had control of
So it’s not about who wasn’t here
it’s about who is here and who is here has to do a better job.”
McLellan scoffed at the notion that the team was let down by not making a major move at the NHL trade deadline
as captain Dylan Larkin was suggesting following the season
“It doesn’t matter who (GM) Steve (Yzerman) drops in or who shows up and walks into the locker room,” McLellan said
“If the mentality of the group as a whole is like that
“So the group has to change (its approach) and then we can augment with others
We were good enough as a group to make the playoffs and we didn’t
And we proved that with the win streaks that we went through
We proved that with the games that we were in
We’re good enough right now if we perform the way we can.”
Red Wings Ready to Give Tarasenko Another Chance
The Daily: Griffins Lackluster in Playoff Loss; A Line For Sullivan
and lack of depth of scoring by the forwards yes
But Talbot and Lyon are not the reasons they failed to make playoffs
The other tings we have mentioned surely are and have not changed
There were some games this season where the team
It doesn’t appear there will be much patience with some of the mental laziness or excuses going forward
Enter your email address to sign-up and receive notifications of new posts by email
Please select what you would like included for printing:
Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application
After graduating from LeSueur High School in 1952
Anne’s Catholic Church in LeSueur and they made their home in Red Wing
Don had attended barber school and worked as a barber for several years
Don became a firefighter with the Red Wing Fire Department and retired as the assistant fire chief
he became one of the first local Disaster Coordinators
working in various aspects of the community and the nuclear power plant
Peterson American Legion Post 54 and the Golden K’s
fishing and boating and had even went sky diving at the age of 50
as he loved spending time and making memories with them
he loved to “tinker”—he was very mechanical and was a self-taught man in many things
he found learning and reading about spirituality and the bible to be important to him
Joel (Petrona Melgarejo) Felmlee of Roberts
WI and Donna (Dan) Devine of Rochester; 12 grandchildren
Megan (Tyler) Doyle and Abby (Mark Hovland) Devine; 20 great-grandchildren
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife
Joseph with Father Brandon Theisen presiding
Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service
Burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery with military honors
Arrangements handled by Mahn Family Funeral Home
The family would like to thank the Red Wing Fire Department and Mayo Clinic Cardiac ICU physicians and staff for their care and honor they showed Don when he needed assistance in recent days
Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
DETROIT — Since Steve Yzerman became the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings six years ago
seldom has he opened a news conference with a prepared statement
conducting his end-of-season media availability
Yzerman addressed the scrutiny of his quiet trade deadline
declared his willingness to use draft picks
prospects and “any player” in a trade to make the Red Wings better
saying he understood the “demand and the want for success here.”
Between that statement and the 47 minutes of questions that followed
here’s what his season-ending comments revealed
and what they say about the hugely important offseason ahead
This was one of the most anticipated topics for the news conference
after Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said at his year-end news conference that the lack of trade deadline moves might have affected players during the stretch run
“It was hard that we didn’t do anything,” Larkin said
“And then I felt the group kind of — we didn’t gain any momentum from the trade deadline and guys were kind of down about it
It’d be nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice
offered up that he was “very comfortable” — albeit not necessarily happy
either — with not parting with top prospects or first-round picks at that time of year
He said they had hoped to try to improve the team then
He also noted that the team is “prepared” to use premium assets to get better
and referenced having done so in the 2023 Alex DeBrincat deal
in a trade that makes us better and helps us in our timeline to get better,” he said
“and ultimately be a team that not only make the playoffs but compete for a Stanley Cup.”
who at the trade deadline were sitting outside of a playoff spot
Yzerman said soon after that Larkin’s comments were not what prompted him to go out of his way to discuss the deadline — “Not really
I mean it’s been talked about since the trade deadline,” he said — but that last line in particular
Louis Blues making the playoffs “led by their best players,” certainly seemed pointed
with four goals and nine points in 14 games
And when asked later about Larkin’s comments and the team’s morale
So though Yzerman said he didn’t have Larkin in mind when including so much about the deadline in his opening remarks
it seems fair to say Larkin hit a nerve with his general manager
Yzerman said he’s spoken to Larkin about his comments
but declined to elaborate on that conversation
After his comments about being willing to use picks
prospects and players to make the team better
Yzerman was asked whether the franchise was prepared to “go north of 10 (million) or 11 million” for a player who could dramatically alter the team
we’re going to look at any good player — any player that can help us in any role — if there’s a player worthy of spending whatever amount on
that has an interest in playing in Detroit and fits a need for us
absolutely we would try to do that,” Yzerman said
“We’re in a different stage than we were maybe five years ago in that we have a good young nucleus of players
And if we can add to that with a prominent free agent
The clearest insight Yzerman gave into what he’ll be looking for this offseason might have come in response to a question about his team’s struggles in March and how he wants to address them
He started out talking about needing more depth on the team
which was heavily reliant on the power play for offense
but we also didn’t get enough five-on-five scoring from our top six,” Yzerman said
and good players come in different varieties
I think I’d like us to be bigger — although
And I think we can demand that out of our own players
The 2025 unrestricted free-agent crop is not loaded
but there are a handful of players at the top of the class that could apply to
a 100-point winger who plays on both special teams
Players of Marner’s caliber don’t reach free agency often (time will tell whether Marner even makes it to market)
But he would be a bona fide impact player at the top of the lineup
there is the Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett
a physical center whose career high is 51 points
but who consistently raises his production in the playoffs
The Colorado Avalanche’s Brock Nelson is likewise a proven playoff performer with more size than Detroit has up front
is a smaller body on the wing but plays with unquestioned edge and is still a productive player as he nears age 37
There are other notable names worth considering
such as the Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser and the Winnipeg Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers
there is the Los Angeles Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov
a 6-foot-3 left shot who played for Red Wings coach Todd McLellan with the Kings
and who had arguably the best underlying defensive numbers in the NHL this season
Yzerman also made clear he was “certainly open to trade
But for those hoping he will go the offer-sheet route
Yzerman said he had “never really ever considered one (before), because usually you never get a player,” adding that you can end up “overpaying” that way. After St. Louis successfully pulled off two last year, landing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, there is a notion the approach could become more common
there might be fewer teams in vulnerable spots that make them susceptible to offer sheets
One of the main criticisms of Yzerman’s tenure in Detroit has come via the team’s approach in free agency
where some of the veterans the Red Wings have brought in on longer-term deals have struggled to live up to their contracts
that has been placed at the feet of the pro scouting department
which over the past few years has lost key figures in Mark Howe and Pat Verbeek
Yzerman called the team’s free agency “a bit of a mixed bag,” and noted “a lot of our shorter-term signings have been very good.” And that’s true
Olli Määttä and Shayne Gostisbehere made real impacts for the Red Wings before moving on
some of them I wouldn’t mind having here now.”
But that mixed bag includes some big misses
Vladimir Tarasenko signed a two-year deal with a $4.75 million AAV last offseason and significantly underperformed
Defenseman Justin Holl signed a three-year deal at a $3.4 million AAV two summers ago and has struggled to live up to it
Detroit probably wants a bit more than it got from center J.T
As for the pro scouting department’s role in that
“We’ve got some new faces on it that have come in throughout the last two or three years
and I think very highly of these young men,” Yzerman said
“And they are kind of a team and they’re starting to understand — one
learn the league more — understand what we’re trying to do
“We just simply have to walk away from some of these contracts
Yzerman recognized he was talking simultaneously about being willing to go after the big fish in free agency and about being more diligent
But his final thought on the subject was more about the players than the scouts
The main news item to come out of the news conference surrounded Detroit’s coaching staff
with McLellan saying the team would move on from goaltending coach Alex Westlund and video coach L.J
and Scarpace has been with Detroit since 2019
those are important people in our organization and those were really good people,” McLellan said
“I talked about our staff and how they fit in
It’s sometimes not a reflection on the job they do
but just something that we needed to do in the coaches’ room to stir things up
the head coach and everybody else that’s involved in it
we’ll likely look at promoting from within
but we also want some growth within the organization when people are capable of accepting more
And as we move forward throughout the summer
That would seem to indicate assistant coaches Alex Tanguay and Jay Varady — both holdovers from Lalonde’s staff — are expected back next season
Minnesota and Wisconsin unite to sell crock pots and find connection along the Mississippi River
Driving south through downtown Hastings on Thursday morning
61 pointed to a place selling a bowling pin for a buck and an antique sewing machine for $100
It was opening day of the 100 Mile Garage Sale
held along the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the Mississippi River
The region’s biggest bargain-hunting weekend
has been going on for more than two decades
expanding on the original 85-mile garage sale of the 1990s
Shoppers come from as far away as Texas and Maine and have filled RVs with wares
the annual sale is as much about camaraderie as deal-hunting
Money saved on an instant pot can be later spent at a sale offering 10 kinds of homemade pie
including early birds pecking for deals while she and her friends were still setting up
Shoppers bought so much — even the ugly clay pots and creepy doll — that Judge started pulling more stuff out of the house
The group had also cracked four digits in revenue
was true: “One person’s junk is another person’s treasure.”
Michelle Liberty was in Judge’s “she shed,” perusing the barware and cigarette-rollers
Paul resident considers herself something of a garage-sale anthropologist
She likes peeking into others’ homes — she pointed out Judge’s couch
photos of Vikings players — and imagining their lives
“I just like looking at other people’s junk,” Liberty said
so it’s like: I got all the time,” he said
But they could be tempted to go off script
by a cute pair of pink-tasseled throw pillows
Locals know to avoid the 100-mile route over the weekend
when drivers’ necks are craning and brake lights are flashing
The sale signs come up fast at 60 miles per hour
from “cheese curds” to “fishing gear only.”
shoppers could find the sale by the scent of doughnuts her mom was frying up beside a cooler full of garden rhubarb
Wuollet and her sister said some customers return every year due to their well organized
“The biggest downfall is that we don’t get to do much garage sale shopping,” Wuollet lamented
“Maybe our husbands think that’s a benefit.”
The family had just seen a surprising repeater
they helped a woman scour their sale for her missing engagement ring
which she believed she’d lost somewhere along the route
“We searched everywhere for her and we couldn’t find it,” Wuollet said
“She came back this year and said she found it six months later in her dresser.”
Kristi Flynn smoked a cigarette beside her garage and joked about putting out a few umbrellas
(“They’d sell like hot cakes.”) A minute later
part of a multigenerational entourage pulled up: Two sisters were spending the next three days shopping with their adult daughters
They all wore matching hats with winged dragon pins, representing a fantasy-romance book series they’d read. Flynn asked about the plot, starting a conversation about flirtatious, warring dragon riders.
At garage sales up and down Flynn’s block, shoes and suitcases were getting soggy, but the life jackets were fine. A woman lifted up a tarp to peek at a giveaway pile and plucked out a toy for son. “Free entertainment,” she said. The same might apply to “garage sailing."
Here’s some financial advice: Don’t ever buy a new puzzle, because garage sales are awash in them. Same goes for croquet sets and panini makers. Secondhand china sets sell for practically the price of paper plates. But also, people try to wring money from used milk cartons, worn bras and empty pill bottles.
The 100-mile sale truly has it all. Motorcycle jackets, prom dresses and scented candles. A bonsai tree, snowblower and ice auger. Old yearbooks, a trumpet and fake decorative fruit. Kenny Rogers records, vintage Barbie dolls and Tonka trucks. Hand-crank drills and telephones. “Fargo” on VHS.
One 40-year garage seller is known for cleaning up and repairing old beer signs, then offloading the excess from his vast basement collection. “It kept him from going to the bar,” his wife joked of the hobby. They were also selling a trailer to haul one’s finds for $400.
Near Lake City, Ed and Janet Plein of Kasson Minn., have brought their mini-doughnut truck to the same frontage road every year for two decades, except for the times the sale was canceled for COVID and walloped by a freak snowstorm. When the property the Pleins park in front of changed hands, they told the buyers they came with the house.
Ed said he didn’t think the size of the crowds changes in relation to economic conditions, as shoppers always delight in a score. “Garage sales are typically people out looking for the Willy Wonka golden-ticket-type thing,” he said.
Even if you don’t buy anything along the 100 miles of sales — how?!? — the drive alone is worth the trip. The Mississippi runs languidly and almost lake-like in these parts, cradled between the towering bluffs. At this time of year, neon-green buds pop out from gray branches. And the spooky sloughs are full of dead trees and mud.
The view from Wisconsin’s Hwy. 35 feels like the fraternal twin of 61. The garage sales on this side aren’t notably different, except for the abundance of Green Bay Packers apparel. Among the stops worth a mention are the adorable “Bread Hut,” filled with sourdough loaves sold on the honor system, just across the Winona Bridge, north of Trempealeau, Wis. And, in Alma, the American Legion hall has a grandpa’s basement vibe and sells golf balls by the egg carton.
Somewhere between Pepin and Prescott, after you’ve seen your 29th croquet set and considered buckling a human-size, blow-up Corona bottle into your passenger seat, you’ll know it’s time to quit garage sailing.
On Thursday, the final straw was the sight of two throw pillows: The same set Michelle Liberty purchased 8 hours earlier, at the very first sale. But at this one, they were a dollar cheaper.
Rachel Hutton writes lifestyle and human-interest stories for the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Stage & Arts
As the titular character, Sally Wingert is by turns gentle and caustic in a show that shows God is the ultimate entertainer.
Gioachino Rossini’s comic opera plays at the Ordway Music Theater in St. Paul.
Benson Boone’s American Heart Tour will open at Xcel Energy Center on Aug. 22, just two years after he played in town at the Fine Line.
the Red Wings have an 85.7% chance of picking 12th going into next month’s draft lottery
Martin totaled 33 goals and 72 points in 59 Ontario Hockey League games this season
McKenzie had 6-foot-6 Czechia defenseman Radim Mrtka (Seattle
Detroit Hockey Now will do a round-up of what mock drafts are projecting about the Red Wings
GM Steve Yzerman does have concern about the Red Wings being infected by losing culture
Years without a postseason can take a toll
The Grand Rapids Griffins
with four Detroit first rounders on the roster
will play Game 2 of their AHL playoff series on Monday
Bob Duff writes that the Dylan Larkin-Steve Yzerman tiff is being overblown
Yzerman and Larkin talked after Larkin said players were disappointed that Yzerman didn’t do more at the NHL trade deadline
Former Detroit player Jake Walman was worth the first-round pick the Edmonton Oilers paid to acquire him from the San Jose Sharks
In the Oilers’ first-round triumph over Los Angeles
Walman averaged 20.44 minutes per game and was plus-eight
Montreal: Lane Hutson won’t come cheaply on his contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens.
New Jersey: As it turned out, the Devils tried to land Mike Sullivan as their coach before they settled on Sheldon Keefe last summer. New Jersey Devils.
Philadelphia: William James weighs in on what would be a perfect offseason for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Yzerman on Cossa: ‘Not Prepared Today to Put Him in the NHL’
GM Yzerman Worries About Losing Culture Infecting Red Wings
The Daily: Yzerman Keeps Eye on Griffins; WMU Coach Update
The Daily: Who Goes for Red Wings?; Kane Plan
The City of Virginia Beach provides quality services to residents
From upcoming events to the latest news
check here regularly to learn more about what's happening around Virginia Beach
Learn about current survey opportunities
The City of Virginia Beach is composed of departments and offices that provide countless services to residents
Virginia Beach is the most populous city in the state and one of the largest employers in Hampton Roads
The park will be open for 2025 Cherry Blossom Festival
When Red Wing Park reopens in a few months following construction of roadway improvements
visitors will notice a widened entryway to the park allowing for greater accessibility
as well as repaved parking lots and park lanes throughout the park
These improvements are essential for enhancing traffic flow and safety
Red Wing Park closed last October to begin park upgrades
The end phase of the project is approaching
however weather conditions since the beginning of the year slowed progress of the work requiring an extension on the park closure
While construction delays due to inclement weather are factored into project schedules
the weather so far this year has been consistently uncooperative leading to poor site conditions unworkable for the contractor
freezing temperatures during January initially prevented the installation of the asphalt road
the site has been too wet to handle the weight of large construction equipment needed to finish the project and install the asphalt road
Completion of this project is targeted for end of June
Along with roadway improvements throughout the park
other projects have also been underway within Red Wing Park
The playground at the middle parking lot has been replaced with new equipment and experiences
Replacement of the existing restroom in the back of the park is currently in the design phase
The park will reopen temporarily for everyone to enjoy the annual festival and cherry blossom blooms
A temporary gravel road has been installed to provide access into the park
public access to the park will close again on April 23 to finish construction and will remain closed until the project is complete
During this closure, all park entryways and facilities, including playgrounds, tennis courts, walking paths, and athletic fields, are closed and unavailable to the public. The Red Wing dog park is also closed during renovations. Dog owners are encouraged to visit the Marshview Dog Park located at 136 Marshview Drive
Alternative recreational spaces are available at many parks throughout the city. Download the VB Park Finder app to search for parks and facilities by name
location and specific features such as playgrounds
Thank you for your continued patience while improvements and upgrades to Red Wing Park are completed. For ongoing updates and information about the project, visit VirginiaBeach.gov/RedWingPark
Waterfront Property Owners Can Learn About Ordinance Changes at Open House
ReadyVB: Time for You and Your Family to Get Ready for Hurricane Season
These Are the Lifesaving Programs and Initiatives Compassionate Billing Will Fund
Steve Yzerman was a Hall of Fame center for the Detroit Red Wings
but at his season-ending news conference April 29
he showed off some excellent defensive skills
the Wings general manager spent a good amount of time over a 50-minute interview being very defensive
poke-checking reporters’ questions and even hip-checking one media member into the boards after he dared to ask about the Jake Walman trade
On June 25, Yzerman traded the defenseman to San Jose, and attached a second-round pick, for future considerations. On March 6, the Sharks traded Walman to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2026 first-round pick
which made it look like the Sharks hustled Yzerman like a naïve kid getting taken in a boardwalk shell game
So Yzerman curtly shut down any questions about the trade
“There’s things I don't want to share with you.”
But the subject that drew the most pointed response from Yzerman, and even McLellan, was captain Dylan Larkin’s public criticism on April 19 over the team’s failure to add any significant player at the NHL trade deadline in March while the Wings were fighting for their playoff lives
“I've addressed Dylan's comments directly with Dylan
“If Dylan wants to share what I had to say with him
Larkin was somber when he recounted the lack of roster additions at a crucial time and the team’s ensuing slide in March that led to a ninth straight year of missing the playoffs
He cited his frustration and the morale boost the team could have gotten from a trade upgrade
that the players’ morale suffered from not making the playoffs again
he seemed to imply that a lack of leadership in the dressing room was part of the problem
backed up Yzerman and said Wings were good enough to make the playoffs with the roster they had but needed to step up
and when it got (bad) for us we went deeper into it instead of pulling ourselves out,” he said
It doesn't matter who Steve drops in or who shows up and walks into the locker room
it's about who is here and who is here has to do a better job
Yzerman also defended his mild moves at the trade deadline by highlighting his ability to hold on to his prospects and draft picks
“I sit here today and I feel very comfortable,” he said
but I’m very comfortable with the fact we weren’t able to make a trade that involved our top prospects
our first-round picks – any of those highly valuable assets
'With all due respect'After the Wings’ final home game on April 14, I wrote that Yzerman should return for another season because he finally made a bold move by replacing Derek Lalonde with McLellan and rescued a season that was about to go down like the Titanic
But if the Wings don’t make the playoffs next season
So I asked him if he felt he was on the hot seat and whether he deserved to keep his job if the Wings miss the playoffs next year
that's not necessarily for me to answer,” he said
“and I don't do my job worrying about whether I'm on the hot seat or not
and they'll make the decision if or when that comes
So I'm going to continue to do my job and do what I think is right
and always do what's right for the Red Wing organization.”
because that would be another organizational reset that likely would require even more time for a new GM and probably a new coach to come up with a new way of doing things
But next season will be Yzerman’s seventh in charge of the Wings
That’s inexcusably too long for a proud hockey organization like the Red Wings
Maybe McLellan’s right and the current roster is good enough to make the playoffs
Maybe the Wings need better leadership from Larkin and other players
Maybe Yzerman needs to make a big trade or sign a big name when free agency starts July 1
But something has to change if Yzerman wants to keep his job
he’s on the hot seat and needs to act like it by doing anything and everything he can to take this team back to the playoffs
Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez
Virginia Beach’s cherry blossom season is here and Red Wing Park will open
home to more than 150 Yoshino cherry trees
including widening the entry and repaving parking lots
construction won’t get in the way of visitors seeing the blush-colored blooms that emerge every year from late March to early April
The park will be open Saturday through April 5
The park also hosts a fair for the flowers, showcasing Japanese art and culture at its annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
The festival kicks off Saturday and continues through the following weekend with performances
a vendor market will sell artwork and other merchandise
Virginia Beach established a sister city relationship with Miyazaki
Red Wing Park has several monuments to the relationship
including the Japanese garden and an azumaya
a Japanese gazebo with pillars representing the cardinal directions
Not the least of those monuments are the cherry trees: Miyazaki gave Virginia Beach 100 in 2005 and another 55 in 2010
The cherry trees brought the millennia-old tradition of hanami
“flower viewing,” the custom of enjoying the ephemeral beauty of spring blooms
The cherry-blossom front is a closely watched seasonal event in Japan
The Japan Meteorological Agency tracks over 50 benchmark trees nationwide
On Monday, an agency official declared the start of Japan’s cherry blossom season: More than five blooms had appeared on a specimen tree at Tokyo’s Yasukini shrine
the minimum number required for the announcement
Get local news every weekday in your inbox
Sign-up here.
She graduated from Red Wing Central High School in 1988
and then attended the Red Wing Vo-Tech receiving her RN degree
worked as an LPN and then as an RN in the Emergency Department for many years
More recently she had been at the Red Wing Shoe Company
especially her cats and dogs and looked forward to the opportunity to relax in the warmth and sun
She was a very personable person and had an infectious laugh
enjoyed being social and making others laugh was a proud mother to her daughter
Terry (Darren) DeGross of Ellsworth and Keith Murphy of Red Wing; one niece and nephew
Brittney (Ryan) Brenner and Zachary DeGross; one great niece and nephew
She was preceded in death by her grandparents and daughter
while helping my daughter get ready for her hockey game
she asked me why she had to wear a neck guard
Now my wife and I have done our best not to lie to the kids
I did tell her that wearing a neck guard could save her life from a skate blade
Later that night I watched the Detroit Red Wings play the Montreal Canadiens on TV
Kasper will be the only player wearing a neck guard in the game because the two Blues that wear them
Since Adam Johnson’s tragic on-ice death various leagues have taken steps to make cut-proof neck guards a requirement, including the AHL. In the NHL, however, few players are wearing neck guards, and as of November only 55 of 708 skaters were using that form of protection
It’s something that you can’t help but think about, especially after the recent close call where Michael McCarron was cut by Lian Bichsel’s skate up higher on his neck, something he quickly pointed out wouldn’t have been helped by a neck guard.
So on Monday morning I asked Kasper why he still wears a neck guard in the NHL, when most of his peers discard the piece of equipment after graduating from the AHL, where everyone is required to wear one.
“They’re actually really comfortable for me, with the brand I’ve used with it built into my shirt,” Kasper said. “I think the biggest thing for some guys is the comfort level, they just feel more comfortable without it.”
There’s also an unspoken peer pressure to it, Kasper said. Once you reach the NHL, it’s normal to ditch the neck guard, almost a rite of passage, and when Kasper made his NHL debut during the 2022-23 season, a one-game cameo, he actually did his best to roll the neck guard down to better fit in.
“When you look around and nobody is wearing it, you try to fit in like that,” Kasper said. “So you try to roll it down or don’t wear it all, because you want to be like everyone else, prove you belong. But then the accident happened (with Johnson), and you think about it and I’ve never thought about rolling the neck guard down again.”
Kasper is only 20, he admittedly doesn’t think much about the role model element of being an NHLer, but when I told him the impetus for this story — a conversation with my own kid about neck guards — Kasper said he was happy to be an example on TV for parents to show their kids.
“There are options now to keep yourself safe, and I think you just have to find what feels comfortable and grow to get used to it,” Kasper said.
One of the wonderful things about being a parent is how kids make you think about the world
so while I didn\u2019t use graphic details
Since Adam Johnson\u2019s tragic on-ice death various leagues have taken steps to make cut-proof neck guards a requirement, including the AHL. In the NHL, however, few players are wearing neck guards, and as of November only 55 of 708 skaters were using that form of protection
It\u2019s something that you can\u2019t help but think about, especially after the recent close call where Michael McCarron was cut by Lian Bichsel\u2019s skate up higher on his neck, something he quickly pointed out wouldn\u2019t have been helped by a neck guard
So on Monday morning I asked Kasper why he still wears a neck guard in the NHL
when most of his peers discard the piece of equipment after graduating from the AHL
\u201CThey\u2019re actually really comfortable for me
with the brand I\u2019ve used with it built into my shirt,\u201D Kasper said
\u201CI think the biggest thing for some guys is the comfort level
they just feel more comfortable without it.\u201D
There\u2019s also an unspoken peer pressure to it
and when Kasper made his NHL debut during the 2022-23 season
he actually did his best to roll the neck guard down to better fit in
\u201CWhen you look around and nobody is wearing it
you try to fit in like that,\u201D Kasper said
\u201CSo you try to roll it down or don\u2019t wear it all
But then the accident happened (with Johnson)
and you think about it and I\u2019ve never thought about rolling the neck guard down again.\u201D
he admittedly doesn\u2019t think much about the role model element of being an NHLer
but when I told him the impetus for this story \u2014 a conversation with my own kid about neck guards \u2014 Kasper said he was happy to be an example on TV for parents to show their kids
\u201CThere are options now to keep yourself safe
and I think you just have to find what feels comfortable and grow to get used to it,\u201D Kasper said
sitting next to head coach Todd McLellan and touching on multiple topics
One of those had to do with upcoming free agent forward Patrick Kane
whose time in Detroit may be far from over
Yzerman confirmed during his end-of-season press conference that both sides are interested in a new deal
“We had a brief discussion in our meeting,” Yzerman said
“We would preferably try to get some things in place
we’ll figure out something down the road
“But there’s strong mutual interest on both parties
I know Patrick had suggested it in his time up here with the media
Kane, 36, wrapped up his second season in Detroit with 21 goals and 38 assists for 59 points in 72 games. He ranked fourth in total points among his teammates as well as tied for third in assists
all of that despite battling through injuries and missing 10 games
Kane's current totals with the Red Wings stand at 41 goals and 65 assists for 106 points over 122 games
which translates to a 71-point pace over a full 82-game season
played an important role for us,” Yzerman said
“He’s a very professional guy in his approach and his attitude
Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) celebrates a goal at Little Caesars Arena
“Those are conversations that still need to be had with myself
my agent and obviously with the organization,” Kane said
“But I thought it worked well for both sides.”
Kane, who has the third-most points among American-born NHL players
sits at 1,343 career points in 1,302 games
He said his personal goal is to reach 1,500 games and continue playing for “a few more years.”
**UPDATED SERVICE INFORMATION** Celebration of Life will be Saturday
His family moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
where Darrell grew up in Ironwood and then Bessemer
where he graduated from AD Johnson High School
Darrell married Carrie Hubbard and they had two children
Darrell had an enthusiasm for all things mechanical earning him a reputation as a self-proclaimed "gear-head” and he was able to work at Hastings Ford Dealership and Big Wheel Rossi
putting his mechanics and parts knowledge to work
Darrell married Kim (Riegelman) Johnson on May 8
he continued to work at Big Wheel Rossi and later (Coast to Coast) Ace Hardware
Darrell had many hobbies and interests that brought him happiness
Family vacations held a special place in his heart
and he always dreamed of traveling to new places
He was a member of the Red Wing Elks Lodge BPOE #845 and the Red Men Club
He had also been a part of a local pool league and beanbag league
Darrell brought a dry sense of humor and a mischievous grin to everyone he met
He was a “kick ass” Detroit Lions fan--always cheering them on with enthusiasm and never missing a chance to rub a win into his Vikings-loving wife
and they were very dedicated to one another
facing life’s joys and challenges together
He also loved being with his family and held a special place in his heart for his children and grandchildren
Missy (Charles) Jennings of Goodhue and Shannon (Joshua) Wilder of Topeka
Zachary (Tricia) Johnson of Big Lake; grandchildren
He was preceded in death by his grandparents
Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more
Welcome to “Today in Gear,” your daily snapshot of the most important releases in style
From a revamped summer boot to a racing-inspired roadster
these are today’s most exciting new drops from Red Wing Heritage
Today in Gear: The most important news in the product world, independently curated by our editors. Catch up on other key releases across all the topics you care about
(ABC 6 News) — The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) has released its investigative report into the death of a juvenile at the Minnesota Correctional Facility – Red Wing
Related: Juvenile found dead at Red Wing correctional facility
The Southern Minnesota Medical Examiner’s Office’s autopsy report said the cause of death was a self hanging
the correctional facility violated four correctional standards
The report states that the facility was supposed to remove a staff person from their position on June 29
due to not cooperating with background check studies
That staff person was working during the incident on October 18
The facility also failed to complete an on-time well-being check on October 18
while 30-minute checks were documented overnight of the juvenile
camera footage showed the checks lasted approximately one second
not allowing enough time to ensure the safety and well-being of residents
Another violation stemmed from a time frame of 1:26 p.m
during which the juvenile was unaccounted for with no documentation as to where the juvenile was during that time
the facility is required by Minnesota Rule
Subpart 11 to document attempts to contact the child’s parent or guardian to seek permission for administering medication
The report states that there were no documented attempted to seek permission to administer medication
Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the FCC Public file should email news@kaaltv.com or call (507) 288-7555
NEWARK, N.J. -- Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren each had a goal and an assist for the Detroit Red Wings in a 5-2 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Wednesday
Simon Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond each had two assists, and Alex Lyon made 28 saves for Detroit (39-35-7)
"For us right now it's about building an identity
something to build off for next season,” Edvinsson said
The season didn't go the way we wanted and everyone knows it
to keep building at the end and finish off strong."
DET@NJD: Larkin makes it 3-0 with his 30th goal of the season
Dougie Hamilton returned to the lineup for the Devils after the defenseman missed the previous 18 games because of a lower-body injury
He had four shots on goal and four blocked shots in 23:43 of ice time in his first game since March 4
"It was great just to be back playing," Hamilton said
So I just want to keep it going for the next couple days and keep trying to get better and get ready."
Erik Haula had a goal and an assist, and Nico Daws made 22 saves for the Devils (42-33-7) in their regular-season finale
3 seed in the Metropolitan Division for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will face the Carolina Hurricanes
"It's a team that knows exactly who they are," New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said of the Hurricanes
"Not a lot of change over the years for them except
I think they've developed more skill within their lineup
They're going to put lots of stress on you and it's going to be on us to manage that."
The Red Wings appeared to take a 1-0 lead 7:40 into the first period when Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a snapshot from the left circle on the power play, but the Devils successfully challenged for goalie interference by J.T. Compher
Berggren gave Detroit a 1-0 lead at 17:07 of the first period on a snap shot from low in the left face-off circle
Compher scored off a rush down right wing for a 2-0 lead at 5:20 of the second period
Larkin pushed it to 3-0 on a snap shot from the high slot at 2:55 of the third period for his 30th goal of the season
it's starting to come," Detroit coach Todd McLellan said
"The teams we're playing are not as loaded as we'd like them to be
We'll take what we can get and find ways to win
The Red Wings will conclude their regular season at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday
"We're hockey players and we had a job to do
so it felt good to get a win tonight," Lyon said
It's always good to get the win for sure."
Haula scored a power-play goal on a tip-in from the slot to pull the Devils to within 3-1 at 11:32
DET@NJD: Haula puts Devils on the board with a tip-in PPG
Dawson Mercer made it 3-2 on a snap shot from the slot at 14:21
Alex DeBrincat scored his 38th goal of the season on a wrist shot from the high slot during a 4-on-4 at 17:09 to give Detroit a 4-2 lead. Marco Kasper scored an empty-net goal at 19:50 for the 5-2 final
"You're trying to get out of these last couple and now we go for real," Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon said
obviously we had some moving parts in and out of the lineup
I love that we came back to make it a one-goal game then the fourth one was kind of the killer
But we got to be ready to rock and roll in a couple days
Bratt's streak of 249 straight games that began on April 24
TAMPA BAY -- Several hours before the Detroit Red Wings dug deep to clinch a 4-3 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lighting at AMALIE Arena on Friday night
head coach Todd McLellan took some time to speak privately with Marco Kasper
“He was one that I pulled aside this morning,” McLellan said about the 21-year-old forward
“I didn’t think it was his best effort [on Thursday night] in Florida and he certainly agreed
Anytime a young player like that is challenged and comes back with a game like this today
that’s a real good sign for not only him as an individual but us as an organization moving forward.”
including the game-winning goal at 3:22 of overtime
to record his third career NHL multi-goal game and ninth multi-point performance of the season
who also became the fourth-youngest player in franchise history at the time of his first career NHL overtime goal
“We had a couple of really tough losses the last two games
We still want to be a team that goes out there and plays our best every shift.”
Kasper’s night against the Lightning (45-26-8; 98 points) helped the Red Wings (37-35-7; 81 points) stave off elimination from postseason contention and move six points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the Eastern Conference’s second Wild-Card spot
we need to try to give it our all,” Kasper added
“I think we did a good job of that today and came up with a big win.”
GOOD NIGHT, HOCKEYTOWN. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/pPIG3y5eFa
Detroit found itself facing a 1-0 deficit just over a minute into Friday's season series finale with Tampa Bay
which scored on its first shot of the night
Brandon Hagel threaded a backhand pass up the ice to Anthony Cirelli
who sped in and beat goalie Alex Lyon for a partial breakaway goal
That was the only goal in the first 20 minutes
which saw the Atlantic Division rivals both head to their respective dressing rooms with nine shots apiece
but we stayed with it and found a way to scrape out a win in a building that’s really tough to play in,” McLellan said
The Red Wings came out of the first intermission determined to make it a 1-1 game
Showtime's 21st. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/uwg8QkXAgV
gave Detroit a 2-1 lead at 16:37 of the second period
Justin Holl’s shot took a friendly bounce off the back boards and ended up in Tampa Bay’s crease
then Motte poked the puck through netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy to notch his fourth goal of the campaign
William Lagesson also picked up a secondary assist on Motte’s second-period goal
collecting his first point as a member of the Red Wings
The Lightning took advantage of a lucky bounce of their own just 1:11 later
as Gage Goncalves applied pressure deep in Detroit's zone and was rewarded for his hustle with a funky goal that tied it 2-2
Motte gets a stick on it! pic.twitter.com/U6b5PuOfTc
while Moritz Seider went to pick up his helmet that had fallen off
Goncalves got a pass from Hagel and scored his second goal of the night to push Tampa Bay back in front 3-2
“I don’t know if those things have to be snapped on a little tighter
but there were four or five times in the game tonight where helmets came off,” McLellan said
“That’s twice now in three games where it’s cost us a goal.”
Kasper buried his 17th of the season off a feed from Alex DeBrincat to make it 3-3 at 12:59 of the third period
giving the veteran forward his 15th multi-point game of the season
when Kasper jumped on a turnover by the Lightning in the neutral zone and brought the puck into the left face-off circle before he fired a shot past Vasilevskiy (22 saves) for his 18th of the campaign
OTW! pic.twitter.com/KYyLeB4vNM
“I think they were kind of tired,” Kasper said. “I made a good play, just skated by and scored.”
Lyon, who made 18 saves in his first start since March 27, stressed how Detroit has "a lot of pride" and a lot left to play for in its final three regular-season games, especially with the club's Wild-Card hopes still alive.
“This is the NHL,” said Lyon, who also earned his 50th career NHL win. “There’s always pressure. That’s just the reality of it. There are no easy games. Some ways, it’s harder too. The hamster wheel never stops, so you just got to keep grinding. Like I said, you either sink or you swim."
NEXT UP: The Red Wings will host the Dallas Stars for Fan Appreciation Night, marking Detroit’s final home game of the 2024-25 regular season, at Little Caesars Arena on Monday.
Meijer Postgame Comments | FLA vs. DET | 04/10/25
“They showed each other a lot, not necessarily what they showed me. That’s way more important when they play for their teammates. They did respond. We had a good discussion this morning about what we expected from each other, and I thought they played to it. There were a few guys that spoke up.”
Lyon on what Friday’s overtime win means to Detroit
“It shows a lot of character. It’s pretty evident what our position is right now, so it’s just cool playing for the guy next to you. It feels good. It’s our third game in four days; a back-to-back on the road; tough team, tough barn. Just incredibly resilient and excited to get back home.”
Lyon on the Red Wings coming out on top of Friday’s back-and-forth battle
We go down 1-0 right away. We’re up 2-1. I shoot a puck into my own net, which stung a little bit. Then we go down 3-2 and we didn’t quit. That’s awesome. That’s what it’s all about. We all obviously know the position we’re in, but we’re still hockey players. We still love playing hockey, so that’s why we do it.”
“He’s an extremely mature individual. An extremely talented player who is going to play for a long time and have a fantastic career. It’s fun to see young guys like that…A lot of credit to him. He’s a great guy, teammate and player. Really happy for him.”
Veteran forward Valtteri Filppula announced his retirement as a player
“One of the greatest Finnish hockey players of all time
is ending his playing career,” his Finnish club Jokerit posted on the social media site X
Yksi kaikkien aikojen suomalaisista jääkiekkoilijoista
maailmanmestaruus – ja viimeiseksi Mestis-mestaruus Jokeri-kapteenina
Kiitos, Valle. ❤️💛#Jokerit pic.twitter.com/TOIhCsMVtp
— Helsingin Jokerit (@jokerithc) April 29, 2025
world championship – and finally the Mestis championship at Jokerit.”
Filppula, 41, was the last remaining active player from the 2007-08 Stanley Cup champion Red Wings team
seeking to help his old club earn promotion
He was captain of the team and played without taking a salary
“It was great to play,” Filppula told Finnish TV network MTV
“I’m happy that I decided to continue the season.”
Filppula played for the Red Wings from 2005-13 and again from 2019-21
He won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2007-08
Filppula is also among 30 players who are members of the triple gold club
He’s captained Finland to gold-medal performances at the Winter Olympics and the IIHF World Hockey Championship
However, when he was hoisting the Champions Hockey League trophy aloft in 2024, Filppula was joining a club of which he is the only member. No player previously was showing Stanley Cup
Olympic and world titles and a Champions League crown on their hockey resumes
Valtteri Filppula is calling it a career after 1,056 NHL games! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/X3Gor3UARJ
— NHL (@NHL) April 29, 2025
“I am happy to join other big European names with my record,” Filppula told RTSsport.ch
“I was lucky to be able to play for so long and to have been part of teams capable of winning
The Daily: Cossa’s Time To Shine for Griffins; Why Sullivan is Out
— Red Wing Park will reopen temporarily this weekend
despite ongoing construction delays — the park is preparing to welcome visitors during the Cherry Blossom Festival
While it means the public can go back into the park for a little bit
some residents want to see it reopen officially again
“I feel let down by the city because it’s been so long," Angela Morrison
Residents have been curious about the progress at the park
“We’ve been peeking around just to see what they’ve done to the park
and everything just seems the same," Morrison added
The city has been working to widen the park’s entrance
including freezing temperatures in January
The area has also been too wet to handle the weight of large construction equipment needed to finish the project and install the asphalt road
Originally set for completion in early 2025
the Cherry Blossom Festival will provide an opportunity for guests to experience the work completed thus far
a neighbor who has lived behind the park for over 30 years
believes the event marks the beginning of spring for many
to do what it is going to take to reopen the park for visitors just to close it up and finish construction I think they get points for that," Hatty said
If you are unable to visit Red Wing Park this weekend for the festival
the park will remain open until April 14 before closing again for construction
at the Pine Haven Care Center in Pine Island
in Red Wing to Arville and Lillian (Bjorngaard) Jagusch
He grew up on Old West Main Street and was a “West End Kid” along with his cousins
During his younger years he spent a lot of time at his maternal grandparent’s farm in Minneola Township
He had a special relationship with his grandmother
Tom also looked forward to attending Red Wing Aces games every year and would attend as many games as possible
after an Aces game he would partake in his other favorite pastime………enjoying a cheeseburger at Randy’s or a piece of Pie at Perkins
he will be missed by his good friends in Red Wing
He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents
Add to Calendar
Mahn Family Funeral Home - Bodelson-Mahn Chapel
Add to Calendar
Red-wings refuse to fade into the background
They’re loud and proud when it comes to marking their territory
and they know the role their flashy plumage plays in making a statement
Between the creativity they show at nesting sites and their spirited efforts to protect their own
Red-winged Blackbirds are an ever-present source of intrigue for birders of all stripes
1.) If you’re looking to spot Red-winged Blackbirds
During their breeding season in spring and summer
The species prefers dense stands of plants like cattails
take to the countryside: They’re more likely to be moving by flock in an open field
potentially mixed with other blackbirds or starlings
2.) There’s no missing a Red-winged Blackbird’s song—and for good reason. Their trademark vocalization, a loud conk-la-REE! that culminates in an intimidating trill, is often their first line of defense. Researchers have found that non-singing birds are more likely to have their territory encroached upon by rivals. Males will typically combine the song with a forward lean and tail feathers spread out
as in the loops of cloth you’d see on the shoulders of a uniform
Red-winged Blackbirds’ epaulets don’t exactly denote rank
but they do play a role in emphasizing status
Males will actively puff out the spots to attract a mate or defend their territory—or
hide them when they’re on someone else’s domain
females tend to prefer birds with more brilliant epaulets
which in practice means they usually mate with older males
whose feathers become brighter over time. Females
lack the male's black plumage and red shoulders
instead sporting brown feathers and bold breast streaks that often cause them to be confused for a sparrow.
naturalists recommend keeping well away from nesting sites to avoid an uncomfortable peck
but donning a hat or even a helmet is also advisable if you’re concerned.)
meaning males mate with more than one female
Up to 15 females have been found as part of a single harem
location — the best spots have good access to food
6.) Most Red-wings in the United States and central America are year-round residents
but breeding populations in the northern states and Canada are migratory
heading north as early as January to establish a territory
Females arrive up to a month later to assess who’s claimed the best digs
7.) Red-winged Blackbirds are opportunistic foragers with varied diets, but they won’t eat just anything. Experiments have shown that, if a companion eats something that makes them sick, the birds avoid that food even without having tasted it themselves
8.) That’s not their only talent, though. Red-winged Blackbirds are also polyglots, understanding the vocalizations of other birds. When researchers played a warning seet call used by Yellow Warblers to signal the parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird was in the area, Red-wings reacted and mounted their own defense
They may even have a nuanced understanding of the other birds’ sounds
because Red-wings in the study didn’t respond to other
9.) Like warblers keep an eye out for cowbirds
Red-winged Blackbirds have an archrival of their own: the Marsh Wren
which is known to puncture Red-wing eggs and kill nestlings
Red-wings of both sexes are proactively aggressive against the wrens
and females will “clump” their nests to cooperatively defend their young from enemy incursions.
The person responds by lobbing a shell that cuts the bird on its wings
leaving marks of blood that remain recognizable to this day
Pledge to stand with Audubon to call on elected officials to listen to science and work towards climate solutions
The Devils face the Red Wings tonight at Prudential Center
TruTV and MAX or listen on the Devils Hockey Network
The Devils wrap up the regular season as they fall to the Red Wings 5-2
The Devils will rest many of their regulars against the Red Wings tonight
Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go
It’s been a wild season in Hockeytown for reasons we don’t need to recap today
I provided some updates in the form of a league-by-league look at how players were progressing
I decided to take on the fool’s errand of ranking Detroit’s prospects
which I think can help provide a little more context
I first wanted to do this a couple of months ago when it looked like another lost season for the Red Wings because we are still in that dreaded “rebuild,” but things got more interesting fast at the NHL level
the success of this particular team matters only so much – there are a lot of young players up right now who will benefit from checking that first playoff appearance box off the list
But the core of what will hopefully be Detroit’s next contending team is still learning the grind of the NHL or working their way up to that
this is still as deep of a group as I can remember the Red Wings having – and industry experts agree
as they’re consistently ranked among the top two or three by those who task themselves with ranking each team’s prospect system
I find that exercise is great for assessing the top end of each team’s system
which makes sense – first- and second-round picks comprise the bulk of NHL rosters
But there’s a depth to Detroit’s system that I think is hard to match — that’s not to say there are 20+ NHLers on this list
but there are many players with a good chance
I present what I see as the top 25 prospects in Detroit’s system
and an overview of how their season is going
I also included five players currently on Detroit’s roster – some would consider them “graduated,” but for this exercise
I still wanted the challenge of finding a place to slot them
I’ll assemble some capsules on the rest players in the system
because I think there are plenty of interesting players outside this list and some may just be the victim of underexposure
2024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 51 GP
The term “prospect” hints at the future – but make no mistake
Edvinsson’s first full NHL campaign has been a massive success
and I’d throw him in the Calder discussion if he were eligible – he’d be eighth in rookie scoring
He was excellent on a pairing with Moritz Seider
but the progress he’s made since he was broken off onto the second pair is one of the top factors coinciding with Detroit’s post-coaching change surge
slick-handed defenseman is developing as advertised
To make the inevitable comparison to Detroit’s other cornerstone defenseman
Edvinsson seems to like pinching and joining the rush a bit more
While he rarely gets burned doing so thanks to his speed in getting back
the remainder of the season (and beyond) will be for finetuning those instincts and reducing the burden of ridiculously tough deployment from Seider
Edvinsson with a little more strength could become an absolute beast
as we’ve seen him manhandle players occasionally in scrums
though he’s not yet to the overall physicality of Seider
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 47 GP
If you regularly listen to the Friday edition of The Athletic Hockey Show
you’re familiar with the Danielson debate that prospect experts Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler regularly engage in
Much like in his junior career with the Brandon Wheat Kings
Danielson’s counting stats do not match the eye test in his rookie pro campaign with the Griffins
who in my eyes is generally harder to please when it comes to offensive skill
is still very high on Danielson and believes he can be a high-end offensive player at the next level
finding it harder to ignore that the lower production than expected is a trend across multiple seasons
If I weren’t a regular viewer of the Griffins
I’d be more concerned about the four goals for what I’m calling Detroit’s best offensive prospect – I’m definitely in Pronman’s camp in this debate
He’s generally one of Grand Rapids’ most dangerous-looking players
his vision and creativity are tops on the team
The Griffins are one of the AHL’s best teams
and they recently were shut out in three straight games
With the early promotion of Kasper and long-term injuries to Mazur and Lombardi
they’ve been without several potential go-to players
and Danielson has manned the fort admirably as the team’s usual top-line center
it’s a lot of responsibility for one of the youngest players in the league
The details of his game are great – two-way responsibility
where he’ll produce when he’s surrounded with a little more high-end talent (no offense intended to the Dominik Shines
And I wouldn’t be surprised if that starts down the stretch in the AHL this year as the team gets healthier
2024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 50 GP
but one of the reasons I believe he’s on the right track is because it’s not too different than Kasper’s rookie season last year
who had already played 2.5 seasons of pro hockey in Sweden
had relatively modest offensive totals before turning it on late in the season
looking like the team’s best player down the stretch and into the playoffs
He transitioned that into a great training camp
and while he didn’t make the team initially
he lasted all of two games with the Griffins before he was called up
he got an early look on the top line with Larkin and Raymond
He’s answering the questions surrounding how much offense is in his game by scoring at a near point-per-game level on the top unit
primarily through his relentless work ethic and ability to retrieve pucks
but with plenty of subtle skill plays mixed in between his deceptive shot and passing ability
It seems likely that Detroit will probably want Kasper at center long-term
maybe finally filling the second-line center hole that has existed for an eternity
but if he ultimately can’t drive his own line (or
it’s nice to know that he’s an option as a top-six winger
2024-25 Stats: Skelleftea (SHL) – 37 GP 11-15-26
6 PIMEven coming off a strong 2023-24 where he helped Skelleftea to an SHL championship
it’s been a coming-out party for Sandin Pellikka
as he’s seen his role increase and his game improve at every level
He’s the highest-scoring prospect in the entire SHL
and is on track to author one of the top-10 most productive offensive seasons by a defenseman in SHL history
He’s just four goals shy of the league record by a defenseman
Sandin Pellikka captained and starred for Sweden at the WJC
where he was named the tournament’s best defenseman despite the personal disappointment of walking away without a medal
Some would have him at 2 or 3 on a list like this
and I certainly put up much of an argument – Edvinsson is my top prospect
His offensive ability seems to be exactly what Detroit needs – a true power-play quarterback with the high-end skill that can break a game open
and the only question is how the defense and size disadvantage translates to North America
There are a handful of examples of smaller defensemen putting up big numbers in the NHL today
but unfortunately more examples of guys who don’t make it or need extremely sheltered deployment to avoid being eaten alive
everything I’ve seen from Sandin Pellikka shows he’s quite defensively conscious – and the possibility of him joining Seider and Edvinsson as building blocks on the NHL roster as early as next season is very enticing
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 27 GP
There was a good two-year period when the hockey world had decided Detroit made a massive mistake in taking Cossa over Jesper Wallstedt
Cossa is an AHL All-Star on one of the league’s best teams
and Wallstedt is sputtering with an 0.871 save percentage
I’m not ready to say Cossa’s won the battle – both have looked potentially elite to me at different times
and prospects as a whole… a little more patience wouldn’t hurt
the slow rollout of Cossa appears to have been the right move
There was a period where it seemed Cossa’s confidence was easily shaken
and an off-night doesn’t seep into the next start
but he’s the starter – Ville Husso was red hot when he was sent down but has had a few rough outings of late
and Jack Campbell has been fairly steady in limited use
I’m assuming it’ll be Cossa’s crease to lose down the stretch and into what should be another playoff run for the team
He looks as confident as advertised from his junior days
and while I wouldn’t be shocked to see him in Grand Rapids for his last year of waiver exemption next season
I think Cossa is well on his way to becoming the guy in Detroit down the road
2024-25 Stats: Skelleftea (SHL) – 33 GP
Sandin Pellikka’s strong season overshadows an interesting fact: Skelleftea has been a bit of a mess this year
Brandsegg-Nygard has struggled to produce regularly
The defending champions have climbed back up the table
but they actually fired their coach in early November – quite a short leash after they had been so strong last year
It’s important to note that what ASP is doing is freakish – the SHL is not a kind league to young players
having spent his draft year in the Allsvenskan (second tier).
Lucas Raymond had six goals and 18 points in 34 games in the same league – not crazy far off from what MBN is pacing towards
From his brief stint in North America during this training camp
MBN showed off his big-league shot and relentless pace
It sounded like the Red Wings wanted him in Grand Rapids this year
and it’s hard to think he wouldn’t have had an opportunity for a big role down there
I wouldn’t be surprised if MBN will be one-and-done and AHL-bound next season – if not before the end of this one
as the SHL wraps up a bit earlier than the AHL does
2024-25 Stats: Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) – 15 GP
4 PIMI can see why the chatter on Plante is a bit quiet – he missed about two months due to injury
is generally a strong program but typically built on older players than top prospects
being a local product and getting the chance to play with his older brother
he’s lighting it up – four points off the team lead despite playing in about half of the team’s games
but I think the fact that he made Team USA says a ton about his game – he wasn’t healthy enough for pre-camp
but he played well enough after returning from injury that they gave him a spot over players they were theoretically giving a closer look to
I’ve only been able to catch a few of his games
a great sign for a team that typically favors older players
not a ton of turnovers or missed opportunities from overhandling
I think a full year next season will help his profile rise
especially if he can take an expanded role at the WJC as the United States bids for a third-straight gold
The next few wingers in this list are interchangeable to most
but at the moment Plante is my preference for how I think his game will translate to the next level
2024-25: Michigan State (B10) – 23 GP
2 SO / USA (WJC) – 5 GP – 4-1-0
The case for Augustine being a serial winner just won’t go away
as he was drafted following a 37-2-2 career record with the NTDP U18 team and has followed that up with a U18 gold medal
back-to-back WJC gold medals and a 38-14-5 record as a collegiate goaltender for the Spartans
Not sure this guy is familiar with the concept of a losing streak
where he’s already so cemented atop the level he’s at that I’m unsure what he can do to improve his stock
Michigan State’s turnaround as a program coincides with his commitment flip from Michigan to MSU to play for his former NTDP coach
After struggling for the better part of a decade
they became instant Big Ten contenders with Augustine as a freshman and have been nationally a top-ranked team for nearly the entire season in Augustine’s sophomore campaign
He’s lowered his GAA by nearly a full goal and improved his save percentage by .011
The real question is will Detroit sign him after this season to (likely) tandem with Cossa in Grand Rapids next year
possible national championship-level quest as a junior for the Spartans and bring him in once Cossa (presumably) graduates (I’d wager the former)
Augustine will always be slightly overlooked for slightly less-than-average size
but he’s yet to find a level of competition where his extremely calm
but I don’t see another team with two better bets than the Red Wings between Cossa and Augustine
Russian prospects continue to be a little mysterious
so while Buchelnikov’s breakout KHL season and frequent social media highlights are encouraging
there’s always a layer of hesitation for me based on how many top scorers come over and just can’t deal with the style of play
But I think this is a prospect fans should be excited about
and it’s a good look for the scouting staff for a pick that some draft analysts panned
He’s likely the most purely skilled player in Detroit’s system
but the physicality of North America is just different than Russia
even if the years of essentially hit-free games are over
When Buchelnikov gets that chance is up in the air
He’s in the first year of a two-year contract
which had previously seemed pretty ironclad
though there are a few more recent examples of players being able to buy themselves out of their contracts
and it’s a good sign that Buchelnikov came to North America to work out with fellow prospects last summer
the KHL season ends earlier than any other European league
and Vityaz doesn’t look like a playoff team
He looks set to finish top-20 in league scoring – the second-highest scoring prospect in the league and is just four points behind Montreal’s Ivan Demidov
who plays on a much more talented SKA team
20202024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 38 GP
It’s well-documented that Detroit has used a lot of high picks on defensemen
no team has benefitted more than the Grand Rapids Griffins
Exit Edvinsson and Albert Johansson… enter William Wallinder
Wallinder’s in his second year with the Griffins
playing a much bigger role after the NHL graduations of his fellow countrymen
but he’s a clear first-pair defenseman on a team that’s sat near the top of the AHL for the entire season
His impact does remind me of Johansson’s from last season
While Edvinsson was more attention-grabbing with his puck ability
That’s the role that Wallinder has inherited this season
Working in his favor is that his tools are more NHL-level than Johansson – he’s bigger (6’4”) and a better skater
I’d give the hockey sense edge to Johansson
but I’ve seen much more of him since he’s been in North America longer
Wallinder is in the mix for a third-pair NHL future
with maybe a touch higher upside if he can find a little more offense in his game and continue adding strength
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 13 GP
Mazur had a slow start once returning from the lineup
with three goals and four points in his last four games
The presence of Mazur should really bolster the power play
and he could help bump Danielson’s numbers up a bit now that he’s back
But that’s the important part – he’s back and returning to play at the most important time of year
He demonstrated during last year’s playoff that he’s built for that kind of hockey – chippy
He’s still an appealing option for Detroit’s middle-six in the next couple of seasons
and has so far shown he has the offensive chops to complement skill players well
20212024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 44 GP
8 PIMAfter two national championships in three seasons with Denver
Buium has made a smooth transition to the professional ranks
establishing himself as a regular on a deep Griffins blueline (the obvious strength of the team) and gaining more confidence as the season progresses
he’s likely on track to compete for a third-pair job at the next level
but I wouldn’t call either one-dimensional
Buium in particular has pretty slick hands – not in the same league as younger brother Zeev
a Minnesota prospect currently torturing the NCAA – but he can get himself out of trouble and shows great patience in waiting for his outlet passes
Buium’s also had pro size essentially since he was drafted – 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds – and isn’t afraid to throw the body
If Wallinder ends up getting a look in Detroit at some point next season
it seems Buium will keep that high draft pick pipeline going and can hopefully continue to expand his role
20222024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 20 GP
2 PIMThe jump from major junior right to the AHL might be the hardest in hockey
and that’s something that I have to remind myself of at times despite working in the AHL for a time and watching the Griffins regularly ever since
I was slightly skeptical while some got excited for Lombardi
who was capable of dazzling high-skill plays
but ended his debut professional season with five goals in 70 games
The hallways of AHL history are littered with 50-goal
100-point junior players who vanish off the prospect radar once the skill advantage they’ve coasted by on their entire lives is reduced
It’s harder to create offense in the AHL if you don’t win battles
and all the other cliches you hear coaches use that are boring but unfortunately true
Lombardi was well on his way to proving he’s in the minority of that type of player who appears he can adjust his game enough to continue to flourish
He nearly doubled his rookie-year goal total in just 20 games and looked to be the Griffins’ most dangerous player early on
his season was derailed by an upper-body injury
AHL teams don’t typically provide injury timelines
but a recent Griffins broadcast shared Lombardi is back to practicing with the team
Whether that means he’s days away or a few weeks remains to be seen
but the combination of Mazar and Lombardi back in the lineup and rolling again before the playoffs begin is great news for a Griffins team with the talent to make an extended run
20182024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 53 GP
The challenge I brought onto myself by including some players others would consider graduated is what I may inadvertently suggest about those ahead of them in the rankings
Berggren is the most senior example of this
as a player with 132 games of NHL experience who will be 25 this summer
but having spent all but seven games in the AHL last season
is a player I’ve been monitoring as a “prospect.” We all essentially know what he is at this point
and I’m not suggesting that other similar skilled forwards ranked around here will be better than Berggren – in fact
they might be lucky to even get to where Berggren is currently as a top-nine forward
It’s more that we know pretty well the limitations of Berggren’s game at the NHL level
and if everything works out for the Mazurs
who is among the many players that has looked better under McLellan than he did under Lalonde
I felt the extended time he saw in Grand Rapids last season really helped his game
as he was commanding the puck in a way I hadn’t seen from him in North America
playing huge minutes and scoring clutch goals for the team down the stretch and into the playoffs
that’s shown itself in a game that is probably more well-rounded overall than his true “rookie” season in 2022-23
chipping in from the third line and occasionally showing some chemistry with Tarasenko
I’d like to see where his confidence is at if he can find a 10-game stretch where he’s on the scoresheet more regularly
he’s a useful middle-six winger who can make plays on the second power play whose role is in jeopardy as more prospects advance towards the NHL
20192024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 34 GP
The same caveats for Berggren above apply to Johansson
who is older for this list but still settling in as a true rookie
I think it’s a little understated how difficult it is for an undersized defenseman to find an NHL role when they don’t have elite offense in their game and aren’t a specialist in any other fashion
There was a time when they were a bit more common as the classic behemoth immobile defensive defenseman went the way of the dinosaur
but the problem is those types of players started taking the same private skating lessons and skill development camps
making NHL teams go right back to picking the 6’4” guy by default for the third pair
I was a little worried about what he’d look like
comparing him to someone like Gustav Lindstrom
who was even a bit bigger and loved playing physically but offered little offensively and was prone to the occasional defensive lapse
the trust of his coaches has something to do with it
but I also didn’t feel Johansson was doing much in the first few months of the season to seize a role – especially compared with how he looked right before the break
Once he was reunited with frequent Griffins partner Edvinsson
looking more confident with the puck and just looking stronger in front of the net
showing that Detroit is playing better with him in that role than they were when he was not
The challenge for him going forward is to maintain that consistency
and since he’s now on his offhand in an era when teams pretty strongly stick to left/right-handed pairings
proving that he’s still a better option to stick with Edvinsson than an upcoming free agent (or Sandin Pellikka)
he’ll have to hope that the confidence he’s gaining now will allow him to positively impact a third pair that’s been a rotating door for Detroit for a long time
2023 by Nashville2024-25 Stats: HPK (Liiga) – 38 GP
Here’s a cool trick you can use the next time you’re at a party and you hear someone say the Red Wings traded Jake Walman for nothing (commonly said at parties)
say – just like this – “well ackshully”– and drop this on them: the Red Wings first traded Andrew Gibson (a former second-round pick) for a second-round pick and Jesse Kiiskinen (a former third-round pick)
then dealt that second to get out of Walman’s contract
That’s felt overlooked to me all season (at least until complaining about that trade slowed when the team took off) because Gibson and Kiiskinen were fairly even in terms of value and allowed Detroit to use part of its prospect system strength (defensive defensemen) to address a weakness (natural goal scorers)
leading his team in scoring by six points despite missing 12 games due to the WJC and a brief injury
The Finnish league is a little more apt to give young players significant roles than Sweden
but it’s still fairly uncommon to see a 19-year-old leading his team in scoring
He also led Finland and ranked second among all players at the WJC with six goals in seven games
chipping in plenty around the net and regularly beating goalies from a distance
so I’m expecting some seasoning needed at the next level
so it’ll be interesting to see if the Red Wings sign him to start him in Grand Rapids next year or give him one more year in Finland
20232024-25 Stats: Kamloops (WHL) – 44 GP
There was quite a run of consecutive Griffins and recently graduated Griffins on this list from 10-15
and maybe that shows some bias as the AHL is the non-NHL league that I watch the most
followed by college (though those are mostly first- and second-round picks)
But I’ve made a point to catch some late-night WHL games and have found Finnie to be as advertised – he’s one of the top all-around WHL players
leading his team in scoring by a decent clip and sitting 18th in the league overall
He’ll ultimately land somewhere around a 40-goal
90-point clip on a team currently on the outside looking into the playoff picture (who don’t typically upset top-seeded seeds in junior hockey
since those teams load up at the deadline)
definitely plenty of skill and competent as both a playmaker and a shooter
He’ll face the same steep climb mentioned above with Lombardi once he hits the pro ranks next year
but I think he has a more mature two-way game and should be able to contribute right away
The Red Wings already signed him to an ELC last year
which is a sign they’re pretty high on him
and the silver lining of potentially being on a non-playoff team is he could slot into a depth role for Grand Rapids once his season is over
20222024-25 Stats: North Dakota (NCHC) – 29 GP
We’re starting to get into the most interesting part of the list – most casual observers would probably have nearly everyone I have listed above on this list
but the remainder is where the most interesting debates are – I’ve probably moved 14 players around the last eight slots
James is the highest of that group because he was the biggest “no-brainer” remaining to include here
He’s a guy to me where the stats don’t match the eye test – he’s always stood out at UND with the speed and energy he plays with
but as older players and higher picks have moved on
He’s already matched his career offensive highs with another month and change to play
coming on a team having a bit of a down year (which means hovering around .500 when you’re a college hockey blueblood)
His confidence with the puck has noticeably improved and he has the shot to chip in even more
I think what stands out is his relentlessness on the puck and his physical play
he definitely has the makings of a future energy line player at the next level
Whether you want more from a second-round pick is another debate
but I think he’ll get a contract this summer or next and will be interesting to watch develop at the next level because there’s definitely skill in his game
20192024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 9 GP
The last of the five “rookies” currently on the NHL roster
He went 20 games without scoring to start the year in Grand Rapids and was frequently invisible when I tuned in
that’s usually the sign it’s time to write a guy off
he’s Detroit’s third-line left wing and has given the team no reason to send him back down
but it clicked in a hurry and that’s why I like to keep tabs on every prospect – the margins from league to league can be razor-thin
Red Wings fans saw what Soderblom can bring when he made the team out of camp three years ago
but the time since has been a frustrating mix of injury
he started playing much more physically – frequently on the same line as Austin Watson
who is another big body (by mortal standards) who found a way to stick around the NHL for a long time by doing that
Being able to bring energy and cause havoc around the puck is what will help Soderblom stick beyond what is just a nine-game sample right now
because he’ll always have the hands and reach to be dangerous around the net – he just needs to make sure he’s doing more than just that
20242024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 35 GP
Becher’s a rare case of a player playing in the AHL the season after he was drafted
since he’s already 20 and was passed over in the draft twice
Teams couldn’t ignore him after a 96-point WHL season and strong WJC in 2023-24
but he ended up in another interesting spot coming into the season
An ankle injury sidelined him for all of training camp and for the first month of the season
so the Red Wings had a decision to make on whether to start him in Grand Rapids without ever having worked on-ice
or send him back for an overage season in the WHL
and signed him to an entry-level contract within a couple of months
but again – rinse and repeat – Grand Rapids has struggled to score
At some point that is an indictment on the roster
but you definitely can’t blame a first-year player who was thrown into the fire without a training camp and preseason to find his legs at the pro level
He’s mostly playing a bottom-six role without a ton of power play looks
but he’ll continue to grow into that as he earns the coaching staff’s trust
it appears that getting into pro hockey was probably a smarter choice for Becher than returning to a WHL that he lit up last season
20192024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 43 GP
Tuomisto’s now a third-year pro and second-year Griffin and there’s a lot to like about his game – I just feel Wallinder and Buium have passed him up should Detroit need a depth defenseman
Being a right-handed shot plays into Tuomisto’s favor
and I’ve been watching him a little closer since the absence of Jeff Petry leaves Detroit with only Seider and Holl as naturals on the right
Tuomisto’s a big body and is solid with the puck
outscoring both Wallinder and Buium this year
but his skating isn’t quite at the same level
and I see more defensive warts in his game
he does see a lot of PP time for the Griffins and that could be something that makes him more appealing for the next level
he can run a second power-play unit because his shot is a big weapon
Tuomisto’s future hinges on his ability to get a little stronger in his own end and continue improving his footwork
He’s improved in both of these regards since I first saw him play in college
but it’s just an area that will need continued refinement to get to the NHL
20222024-25 Stats: Leksands (SHL) – 37 GP
The wave of reinforcements on the blueline after the current generation in GR sorts itself out should include Johansson – much bigger and of no relation to current Red Wing Albert
Last season was much more noteworthy for Johansson
but that’s kind of the deal once you age out of the junior ranks
Johansson was the only non-first-round pick to crack Sweden’s WJC team after never previously playing for the national club (and these teams tend to come up together with their age group)
He went on to crack the lineup and was impactful in a depth role for his physical play
He’s having a similar year statistically for Leksand
where he’s logged 2.5 pro seasons and steadily seen his minutes increase over time
The Red Wings have two more years to decide on a contract
but based on how he’s progressed since he was drafted
I’d expect he’ll eventually be signed and brought over to North America
so he has a role at the next level if he continues progressing
20232024-25 Stats: Frolunda (SHL) – 30 GP
The most important stat for Dower Nilsson is easily the games played column – 30 this season after just 8 games combined last year between the SHL
especially being spread over three leagues where no one is going to be able to find a role or get in a rhythm
So while he’s still missed a dozen or so games this year
he hasn’t been out any extended periods and some of those are probably the result of playing on a deep Frolunda team with championship aspirations – not always a situation where a team is prioritizing ice time for prospects (though Frolunda has one of the better development track records in Sweden)
Getting back on the radar is a good step forward
It’s unfortunate that he was overlooked for the WJC team after previously contributing to a strong U18 club in his draft season
Dower Nilsson is a highly-skilled playmaker who is a little undersized
but is one of the big mid-round swings at skill the Red Wings have taken over the last few drafts
but he’ll have up to two more years in Sweden before Detroit needs to make a decision and establishing himself as an SHL regular is a good first step
20192024-25 Stats: Toledo (ECHL) – 21 GP
0.890 SV%Gylander is a first-year pro after a four-year collegiate career at Colgate and is off to a strong start
even if he’s pretty buried on the depth chart
With Grand Rapids carrying three goalies between Husso/Cossa/Campbell
Gylander has started in Toledo and is splitting time with Jan Bednar
who is not officially a Red Wings prospect anymore
but is clearly still being monitored by the organization as they’ve kept him around on an AHL contract
it was probably always Gylander’s best path to playing regularly
and Detroit is clearly pleased with the ECHL-to-AHL path they previously established with Cossa
Gylander has a slightly better record (13-4-4 vs
but Bednar has a slight edge in GAA and SV%
both have good numbers relative to the rest of the league as Toledo remains an absolute juggernaut in the ECHL
The Walleye are less than an hour from my house (and I highly recommend checking them out if you’re a metro Detroiter – an elite in-arena experience and entertaining product)
so I get to a handful of games and think it’s a great place for a goalie to develop
There are a lot of talented offensive players who have just aged out of a significant role in the AHL over teams who want to play prospects
but defense can get a little chaotic… so goalies are in a good spot to see a lot of high-level shots and
probably benefit from a little chaos in front of them
Gylander will be in the mix for the AHL next year
but the potential of Augustine joining the Griffins next season does complicate his path to expanded playing time
20212024-25 Stats: Michigan State (B10) – 20 GP
Our final ranked prospect comes with a downer note
but his college career is likely over as he’s out with a long-term injury
No word on if there’s any chance of getting back should MSU go on a long postseason run
but college playoffs run just a few weekends (and are single-elimination) so it certainly doesn’t sound good.The resume Savage compiled is certainly worthy of an entry-level contract
He represented Team USA twice at the WJC and doubled his offensive point totals after transferring from Miami to Michigan State prior to his junior season
Then to be named captain after just one year at a program says a lot – and tracks with what people have said about Savage at every level regarding his impact: he’s an elite teammate and dressing-room guy
The only thing working against him is just sheer numbers
as there are a handful of other forwards above that are in contention to join the Griffins for next season
and Savage projects as more of an energy-line player
I still think his overall game is enough where he’s worth a contract – and maybe the resume speaks for itself and it’s silly to debate
But years of surplus draft picks can lead to tough decisions
so we’ll see what happens to the coolest name in the system
Looking for an easy way to support Winging It In Motown? Use our Affiliate Link when shopping hockey merch.
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today recalled forward Austin Watson and defenseman Brogan Rafferty from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions
Watson has also registered 19 points (10-9-19) and 48 penalty minutes in 45 postseason contests
helping the Predators reach the 2017 Stanley Cup Final
Watson has played in parts of seven AHL seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals and Griffins
a plus-19 rating and 183 penalty minutes in 290 games
Attorney General of Minnesota Keith Ellison answers a question during the State Attorneys General Association meeting in Boston.Charles Krupa | AP 2023Go Deeper.CloseCreate an account or log in to save stories
We have added it to a list of your favorite stories
Superintendent Bob Jaszczak wrote in an email to parents the event was canceled over concerns of “significant disruption,” but didn’t specify what those disruptions could be
Red Wing school officials forwarded the email sent to parents but did not provide additional comment
Ellison has been outspoken against White House immigration policies and the banning of transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding
Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all
The White House targeted Ellison, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and City Council Vice President Hwa Jeong Kim in a memo earlier this week accusing St
Paul of refusing to cooperate with immigration efforts
meaning city employees won’t question people about their immigration status
The White House specifically called out Ellison for a video he posted on X
“There’s nothing in American law that requires local officials to cooperate with federal law enforcement officials.”
“It’s not the job of local law enforcement to carry out the dictates of the Trump administration,” Ellison said in the video
Jaszczak said the district is committed to uplifting marginalized students despite the cancellation
“Educating students about racial harm is essential to help them recognize how words and actions
can perpetuate discrimination and inequality,” he wrote
Jaszczak wrote the event had been planned in order to celebrate the historic achievements of Black leaders
Ellison is the first Black person to be elected to a statewide office in Minnesota and the first Muslim elected to Congress
St. Paul is joining a lawsuit with other cities against an executive order that threatens to withhold federal funds from cities the Trump administration says don’t support its immigration efforts
Paul’s policy does not oppose lawful immigration enforcement
Ellison joined a lawsuit with 18 other attorneys general protesting the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to private information
Here is some key information if you plan on attending Red Wings games this season
Vintage photos: Here's what baseball looked like in Rochester more than 50 years ago
You can also purchase space in the left field terrace where a table including four swivel seats costs $104
A drink rail chair in the foul pole patio goes for $21
there is a $2 discount per ticket if purchased at the ballpark box office
It comes as voucher books or diamond debit cards and can be used for any game
the cost is $155 and it’s $115 in the 200 level
If you’re interested in purchasing season tickets
the cost is $475 per seat in the 100 level and $460 per seat in the 200 level
there are 10 Tuesday home games and all single-game tickets are half-price
Post-game fireworks following most Friday and Saturday night games start on May 16
visit https://www.milb.com/rochester/tickets/single-game-tickets
More: Red Wings to showcase exciting prospects, established players as 2025 season starts
be it for a work outing or perhaps a celebration
you can purchase a suite for the day or night
To book a suite or ask questions you can call (585) 454-1001 or send an email to mewing@redwingsbaseball.com
The 16-person package costs $849 and includes game tickets
Four additional tickets can be purchased at $26 each
The 10-person package costs $699 and includes game tickets
Two additional tickets can be purchased at $26 each
The ballpark menu food package includes 12 hot dogs
and three six-packs of bottled water/Coca-Cola products
Additional items can also be order from the catering menu
no alcohol will be allowed to leave the premises
Information on large party venues for Red Wing gamesThe Wings also offer several large party venues holding between 40-100 guests
The options are the Hardball Cafe ($1,600 for 100 tickets); Silver Stadium Club ($1,140 for 40 tickets); The Perch ($840 for 40 tickets); Club 3000 ($2,600 for 100 tickets); MLB Suite ($1,140 for 40 tickets); and Power Alley Suite ($840 for 40 tickets)
Each location offers spacious and private settings with personalized service and the purchase also includes a welcome on the scoreboard
and your group name printed on your tickets
Party suite menus start for as low as $33 per person
call (585) 454-1001 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m
or send an email to Tickets@RedWingsBaseball.com
an online document that should answer any of your questions
visit https://www.milb.com/rochester/ballpark/fan-guide
as cash will no longer be accepted anywhere in the stadium
parking and tickets must be made via major credit cards and debit cards including Visa
Any fans who only have cash will be able to exchange it for Digital Diamond Dollars at the ticket office which can be used throughout the ballpark for concessions and team store purchases
More: Rochester Red Wings are going cashless. Here's how to pay Conehead at Innovative Field
COLUMBUS -- An unforgettable experience and a wild win
The Columbus Blue Jackets and their fans got it all in their first NHL outdoor game Saturday
Justin Danforth scored off his own rebound at 17:43 of the third period, Elvis Merzlikins made 43 saves
and the Blue Jackets defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 in front of 94,751 at Ohio Stadium in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium
"Definitely knew this day was going to be special but I was still blown away," Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner said
the walk in and then seeing the crowd in warmup -- I mean warmup was pretty much sold out
I knew Columbus was going to show up and they did
The Blue Jackets and Red Wings played in front of the second-largest crowd to attend an NHL game
behind the 105,491 that were at Michigan Stadium for the 2014 Winter Classic between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan
"This night was definitely my favorite night so far that I've played," Merzlikins said
DET@CBJ: Danforth takes lead late in 3rd period
The Blue Jackets (30-22-8) have won four games in a row
and moved two points ahead of the Red Wings for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference
"Since the break, the pace of play has upped and a lot of guys are stepping up," Columbus forward Mathieu Olivier said
it was like the perfect storm and obviously quite a magical moment tonight."
The event was a celebration of hockey in Columbus mixed with Ohio State football gameday traditions
It was also a night to honor and remember the late Johnny Gaudreau
the former Blue Jackets forward who was killed with his brother
when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver while riding bicycles near their homes in Salem County
The Blue Jackets were led into the stadium on their walk from a pep rally at St
who was holding the couple's youngest child
The Gaudreaus led the Blue Jackets onto the ice during the pregame ceremonies
"I know we just lost to those guys twice, but you know what those guys have been through," Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said
like they've been through the ringer and this city
Gaudreau had something to smile about tonight
and I think those guys have quite the story going right now
Those guys are doing something that I tip my cap to and can appreciate."
DET@CBJ: Gaudreau family leads way into Stadium Series
Merzlikins also had late teammate Matiss Kivlenieks on his mind
a goalie who played eight games for the Blue Jackets between 2019-21
was killed in a fireworks accident on July 4
the most important thing was making this game done in a positive way for Johnny
for the Gaudreau family and for Matiss," Merzlikins said
"This is why I put on the helmet both of them
long time and it was really important to win as well because I feel home here
I came here as a young guy and now I have family
I had first kid and the second one should pop out any day
But it was really important to win for this city because this city
they really care about the sports they have here
us -- they really love us and it was really important to get that win done."
Alex DeBrincat scored two goals, Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists, and Cam Talbot made 16 saves for the Red Wings (30-24-6)
"It was an incredible night," Detroit coach Todd McLellan said
obviously the Blue Jackets deserve a lot of credit for the way they put this game on
It was real smooth and first class all the way through
I think the fans got a hell of a game to watch
We'll all tell those stories 10 years from now but you'd love to end that story by saying and
by the way we won.' We can't do that now."
Rookie defenseman Denton Mateychuk gave Columbus a 1-0 lead
scoring the first Blue Jackets goal in an outdoor game at 5:31 of the second period
"Something I'll never forget," Mateychuk said
DET@CBJ: Mateychuk gives Blue Jackets lead in 2nd period
The Red Wings tied it 1-1 on DeBrincat's power-play goal at 13:06
Columbus needed eight seconds to score on its first power-play opportunity and take a 2-1 lead at 17:23. Dmitri Voronkov cashed in from in front of the net
Olivier made it 3-1 when he kept the puck in with a good pinch on the wall
came around the right post and backhanded it in over Talbot's left pad at 17:55
"Sometimes you just have to make winning plays at the right time," Kane said
Kane cut Columbus' lead to 3-2 at 3:34 of the third period
and DeBrincat scored on his own rebound to tie it 3-3 at 16:36
NHL in ASL: Kane rips in a long wrist shot
However, 67 seconds later Danforth fought off Simon Edvinsson for the puck
and scored off his own rebound to give the Blue Jackets a 4-3 lead
"Probably the highlight of my career," Danforth said
Adam Fantilli scored an empty-net goal at 18:52 for the 5-3 final
tied for the most in NHL history with Jonathan Toews and Henrik Zetterberg
Detroit Red Wings fans watched their heroes from afar when they wore the winged wheel as active players in the National Hockey League
Red Wings alumni games like the one held annually in Livingston County will give those fans a chance to meet some of those players up close
The Red Wings’ alumni will play a team representing The Well Church in Brighton at 3 p.m
It’s the 16th year the event has been held as a fundraiser for organizations within Livingston County
All three rinks in the county have hosted it at one time or another
Boys track: Who are the top 5 boys track and field athletes in Livingston County in 2025?
Girls track: Who are the top 5 girls track and field athletes in Livingston County in 2025?
“It’s always fun to be out there,” said Scott DesAutel
who plays in and helps organize the event for The Well
“The alumni players are so much fun to be on the ice with and interact with the crowd
There’s always a line for pictures and autographs and they stay around and talk to people
“I remember the guys at Channel 7 did an interview one year with Mickey (Redmond) and John Ogrodnick
Both said this is one of their favorite events all year
The crowd comes out for this one more than anything else
Former Red Wings who have confirmed their attendance as of Monday are Ogrodnick
Other players will be added closer to game day
whose career ended in a limousine crash six days after the Red Wings won the 1997 Stanley Cup
will drop the ceremonial first puck for the fourth straight year
the wife of late Red Wings forward Bob Probert
She will present him with a pair of gloves from his rookie season that he originally gave to Probert
“The family wants to give them back to Vlady,” DesAutel said
“Dani’s going to come out and surprise Vlady at puck drop with some of the kids.”
for a 30-and-over high school alumni game between the winners of Friday semifinals involving Brighton
Howell and a Milford-Lakeland combined team at 1:30
The Arc of Livingston
which provides opportunities for people with developmental disabilities
will stage a 20-minute game to raise awareness for its program
The Red Wings alumni will take the ice around 3 p.m
Tickets are available for $10 at thewellmi.com under “Hockey Night 2025.” Online sales are expected to end Thursday night. Tickets will cost $15 at the door.
VIP tickets for $75 include a dinner at Chemung Hills Golf Club & Banquet Center after the game.
There will be live auctions at the dinner and silent auctions online that don’t require attendance at the game or dinner. Raffle tickets for $50 each are being sold to win a Yamaha Wave Runner from Wonderland Marine in Howell.
This year’s beneficiaries of the game are The Torch 180, Amber Reinick House, Bendix Academy and Livingston County Shop with a Cop.
“We focus on our community,” DesAutel said. “Livingston County is our home. That’s where we try to help first and foremost.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
The puppet "Lili" by Minneapolis-based puppeteer Sofía Padilla on display for a Minnesota puppetry exhibition at the Anderson Center in Red Wing on Jan
Cipolle | MPR News PlayListenThe puppets take Minnesota: A new exhibition features the art of puppetry from around the stateGo Deeper.CloseCreate an account or log in to save stories
On each white mitt is a pair of black dots drawn on for eyes
giving them the appearances of a couple of dopey waving ghosts
but what I think is just hysterical are the two oven mitts,” says curator Neal Cuthbert
Oven mitt puppets by Mark Safford with a cat puppet by Erica Warren and dog-like puppet by Oanh Vu.Alex V
Cipolle | MPR News“It’s just the most simple thing where you take two things
and all of a sudden you have a character that’s sharing a story,” Stephanie Rogers adds
Rogers is the executive and artistic director for the Anderson Center at Tower View, an arts organization. Together, Rogers and Cuthbert have been working on an exhibition for a year. “Puppetry! In Minnesota!!” showcases the puppet artistry cultivated in the state from the 1970s to today
The Anderson Center will host a free public artist reception 2 p.m
riding a bicycle (by artist Sandy Spieler)
The exhibition spans two galleries with puppets from the miniature to the colossal
shadow and stop–motion figures and marionettes
a dragonfly and even a puppet of a puppeteer operating a puppet
A life-size mastodon puppet by artists Alison Heimstead and Chris Lutter-Gardella during installation of "Puppetry
In Minnesota!" at the Anderson Center.Alex V
Cipolle | MPR News “One of the things you see in the show is the incredible range of puppetry
delicate hand pieces to wooly mammoths that are lifesize,” Cuthbert says
The wooly mammoth in question is actually a mastodon by Minneapolis artists Alison Heimstead and Chris Lutter-Gardella
The beast’s tusked head is mounted on the gallery wall
“How many puppeteers does it take to bring this to life
Artist Michael Sommer’s “Mephistopheles” puppet from the 1999 Walker Art Center commission “A Prelude to Faust” is featured next to bear heads by artist Alison Heimstead and a papier-mache toad and beaver by artist Liz Sexton.Alex V
Cipolle | MPR News Cuthbert and Rogers say the exhibition is historic
Never before has there been a broad-ranging exhibition of Minnesota puppetry from across the state
which is one of the nation’s hubs for the art form
was the 1999 “Theatre of Wonder: Twenty-Five Years In the Heart of the Beast” at Weisman Art Museum
which focused solely on the Minneapolis theater.)
“The people bringing puppetry to life in Minnesota are unbelievable sculptors
“It’s an amazingly deep and diverse community,” Cuthbert says
Rogers and Cuthbert and many puppeteers MPR News spoke to cite a couple reasons for Minnesota’s rich puppet community. At the top of that list are In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre and the MayDay Parade and Festival
which have been cultural mainstays in south Minneapolis since the ‘70s
Rogers and Cuthbert say these two institutions have cultivated generations of puppeteers
Minnesota is home to many puppet-forward outfits like Barebones Puppets
the Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe and the Good Harbor Hill Players
“We have this really amazing community of people who have taken things that they learned at Heart of the Beast and in other places as well
and now the field is fabulous,” says artist Sandy Spieler
who was the artistic director of In the Heart of the Beast for half a century
One of many Befana puppets by Heart of the Beast founder Sandy Spieler display for a Minnesota puppeOne of many Befana puppets by Sandy Spieler
the longtime former director of In the Heart of the Beast
Cipolle | MPR News Spieler has a gaggle of her storied befana puppets in the exhibition
ranging from a mouse-sized one riding a bike to larger-than-life figures
The befanas were used in dozens of performances at In the Heart of the Beast over the decades
“I chose to give those particular puppets to Neal because many people who come
will recognize the story that they came to see and that inspired them
Cuthbert points to another cultural touchstone that inspired the local creative community: puppetry at the Walker Art Center
This includes “Adventures in New Puppetry,” a series that ran in 1999-2000 and 2010-2011, and the 1998 Walker commission “A Prelude to Faust,” a puppet performance created by Michael Sommers
the Twin Cities theater artist and co-founder of Open Eye Theatre
who has been the Walker’s senior curator of performing arts since 1997
The "Puppet Cinema for Puppets — An Unlikely Installation" was on view in 2011 at the Walker Art Center's McGuire Theater.Courtesy of Walker Art Center“I saw a movement of contemporary visual art and performance art embracing and finding inspiration in a very ancient form of performing arts
“If we could frame it as a thread of serious contemporary performance that just happened to involve puppets
and maybe gain the art form greater respect.”
Bither says puppetry programming has been popular, and it continues to this day. In January, the Walker hosted the puppet-forward “Boney Vanilli” as part of its annual Out There experimental performance series
“It surprised me how many people turned out for these things
Most of the houses were full,” Bither says
pictured here during New Puppetworks programming in 2024
started Monkeybear’s Harmolodic Workshop in 2016 in the Twin Cities.Courtesy of Bruce SilcoxMore adventures in new puppetryRogers
says they designed the exhibition to shine a light on the next generation of puppeteers coming up in Minnesota
“There’s also a generational shift happening
A lot of the artistic directors and big names who really lit the fuse that exploded into this richness of creativity in the 1970s into the ‘80s and ‘90s
the theaters they helped found,” Rogers says
the things they made and the knowledge that they hold are still here
and so we’re at a moment where we can both feature the work of that generation and shine a spotlight on the up-and-coming talent.”
Minneapolis puppeteers Atim Opoka and Erica Warren performing with Opoka's mother and daughter puppets at a 2024 Monkeybear's Harmolodic Workshop New Puppetworks program.Courtesy of Bruce SilcoxRogers says she’s excited by the work of Monkeybear’s Harmolodic Workshop and Puppet Lab at Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis
Artist Chamindika Wanduragala founded Monkeybear in 2016
The workshop provides training and funding to artists of color in creating puppet theater and films
Wanduragala says that the Twin Cities and the state have a “large puppetry community
a creature created from organic materials and wire cables
“Those are all from a walk with my dog — the wood
the black walnuts are from the tree in my backyard
and the root bulbs are from daylilies that I dug up from our garden,” Wanduragala says
There are many puppets on view at the Anderson center by Monkeybear and Puppet Lab artists
Opoka says her exposure to puppetry before Monkeylab was mostly “Eurocentric.”
she created the pair to help tell the creation story of the Luo and Acholi people of Eastern Africa
Mother and daughter puppets by Atim Opoka with Mr
Rogers puppets by Bart Buch at the Anderson Center.Alex V
and it was a way for me to continue connecting with my culture
“I’m excited for the fact that puppetry is one of the oldest art forms and so
so many cultures have kept their stories or their culture alive through puppetry
and surviving a lot of hard times through government changes or changes within the landscape.”
Opoka’s mother and daughter share a wall with red-cardiganed Mr
In Minnesota!!” is on view at the Anderson Center at Tower View through April 26
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today signed defenseman Anton Johansson to a three-year
entry-level contract beginning with the 2025-26 season
Johansson will report to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2024-25 season
has spent the 2024-25 campaign with Leksands IF in the Swedish Hockey League
recording 10 points (5-5-10) and 50 penalty minutes in 46 games
196-pound defenseman played the 2023-24 season with Leksands IF in Sweden’s top professional league
a plus-three rating and 16 penalty minutes in 46 regular-season games
in addition to four points (2-2-4) in seven postseason contests
Johansson also skated in one game with Leksands IF’s under-20 team during the 2023-24 season
Selected by Detroit in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft
Johansson has registered 19 points (9-10-19) and 68 penalty minutes in 117 SHL games with Leksands IF since 2021-22
Johansson is a cousin of San Jose Sharks forward Alexander Wennberg
who has compiled 365 points (99-266-365) and 165 penalty minutes in 773 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Johansson is also the son of longtime European pro Thomas Johansson
who won a bronze medal with Sweden at the 2002 IIHF World Championship alongside former Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg
Johansson has developed with Leksands IF since 2020-21
notching 23 points (12-11-23) and 106 penalty minutes in 55 games with the under-20 squad
along with 28 points (10-18-28) and 66 penalty minutes in 40 games at the under-18 level
Johansson won a silver medal with Sweden at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship alongside Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka
logging a plus-one rating and 14 penalty minutes in seven games
who has opposed President Donald Trump’s initiatives regarding deportations and transgender athletes
was set to speak at an optional assembly for high school students
The Red Wing School District has canceled a Black History Month event featuring Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison due to “concerns over significant disruptions.”
Superintendent Bob Jaszczak announced the move in a letter to parents and faculty Wednesday
He did not elaborate on what disruptions were anticipated and did not immediately return a request for more information from the Minnesota Star Tribune
who has been outspoken about his opposition to President Donald Trump’s initiatives regarding deportations and transgender athletes
was set to speak at Red Wing High School on Thursday in an optional assembly for students
The event was meant to celebrate historic achievements of Black leaders
particularly those who broke through barriers in public service
Ellison is the first Black person to be elected to a statewide constitutional office in Minnesota
Jaszczak said the district’s “commitment to uplifting the voices and experiences of our most marginalized students remains steadfast.”
can perpetuate discrimination and inequality,” the statement continued
The move to cancel the event comes as the Trump administration has attacked Ellison for not embracing its immigration mandates
Wednesday, the White House released a memo that called out Ellison and two St
Paul officials for public statements they’ve made about local law enforcement not needing to cooperate with federal efforts to arrest and deport noncitizens
Specifically, Ellison said state law and the U.S. Constitution prohibited local law enforcement from holding people in jail for the sole purpose of turning them over to federal immigration authorities
Thursday, it was reported that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested a lawsuit could come if Minnesota continued to allow transgender athletes to compete in girls’ and women’s sports
Trump issued an executive order banning such participation
Anne Robertson, a spokesperson for the Red Wing School District, said its Black History Month programming this year included hosting a Black Student Union conference with students from other districts, along with other daily lessons and field trips to learn about local Black history figures.
Elliot Hughes is a general assignment reporter for the Star Tribune.
Minneapolis
Minneapolis’ 2025 city elections will include Mayor Jacob Frey defending his post and all 13 city council seats on the ballot. Here’s who’s announced so far.
It’s a key step toward the opening of Minnesota’s marijuana market.
The Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct, which has two DFL and two GOP members, didn’t move to investigate or dismiss the complaint.
It’s effectively an off day for the Detroit Red Wings.
The team is flying back from California today, won’t practice, and returns to Little Caesars Arena later this week after a disastrous three-game swing through the Golden State where the Red Wings lost to the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks.
Today, Nov. 19, the Red Wings are tied for second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with the Columbus Blue Jackets based on points percentage, and have just one win, against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 24, against a team currently in a playoff position.
It’s also a fact that the Eastern Conference is rough this season. And despite all of those facts I laid out before, the Red Wings are only three points out of a playoff spot. The east is top heavy, with seven “haves” so far, and room, seemingly, for one “have not” to get an unceremonious waxing in the playoffs by a top seed.
And those are things that the Red Wings and general manager Steve Yzerman have to think about today, because after the showing in California, and Game No. 20 nearing, it’s justifiable to ask if a new coach should be in place before Detroit hosts the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Whether you like or dislike what Derek Lalonde has done as a head coach, all signs point to him being the fall guy for Detroit missing the playoffs this season. He’s a lame duck coach in Year 3 of deal where he was expected to make the postseason, and in today’s NHL coaches are effectively hired to get fired, especially when it’s a tool to protect the GM.
While it’s not a fact, it seems likely that Lalonde’s contract won’t be renewed, and it feels like more of a question of when rather than if that decision will be made by his boss.
It makes it hard not to think about that while watching the Red Wings play, and brings up the very fair question of what a new coach could actually do with this team.
Before talking anything tactical or logistical, we have to look at the Red Wings emotional makeup and acknowledge how this team operates.
It’s a very quiet team, effectively a team of introverts and business-like professionals. The largest personalities were effectively weeded out this summer when David Perron walked in free agency and Jake Walman was traded.
This isn’t just my observation, it’s been made abundantly clear talking to players on a semi-daily basis and Lalonde himself admitting publicly how it’s one of the quietest hockey teams he’s ever been around.
Sometimes you need the wildcard in the room, you need them to pull out other personalities and some of the energy during an 82-game season. When the Red Wings went from curiosity to playoff contender last season, eventually missing because of a tiebreaker and an empty-net goal by the Washington Capitals, it was largely because of how Perron drove the group.
Perron was the vocal one in the room asking for higher standards, pushing for more point totals during segments, other players and coaches praised him for this throughout the campaign.
Perron was also the ideal foil to Dylan Larkin in the leadership group. Quiet, unspoken “follow as I do not as I say,” captains work in the NHL, but they typically have a lieutenant wearing an “A” that is emotionally driven and outspoken. When Perron left, Larkin lost that and this season it’s been a struggle for anyone to step properly into that role.
Now, to be clear, Perron hasn’t been good for the Ottawa Senators. He has zero points this season, so it probably was time to move on from the veteran forward, but after his departure no one has stepped into a void that needs to be filled.
It puts more pressure on the coaching staff to drive the energy, to push the chutzpah, and that’s not how this staff is constructed. Lalonde isn’t a fiery group motivator, he’s better in one-on-one coaching from my understanding and discussions with players. Bob Boughner, the Red Wings associate coach, has a little bit more fire but is also more of a tactician and one-on-one motivator.
So the next Red Wings coach, whether it’s now or later, needs to be a better group motivator, someone who is able to drive energy themselves at first and then, ideally, allow that to transfer to a group of younger players like Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Simon Edvinsson — who all have a bit of that hidden “F you” attitude, that could be channeled into future Perron-type motivation.
Edvinsson, for example, was steaming about the Red Wings missing the playoffs last season, he doesn’t have trouble hiding that, and with a bit more or a leadership role could potentially grow into Larkin’s ideal foil and lieutenant as a leader.
It all adds another wrinkle to the Red Wings situation for potential candidates, it’s a job that’s certainly desirable — there are only 32 NHL head coaching jobs in the world — but between the roster construction and having to alter a team ecosystem, this is one of the toughest jobs in the NHL.
So from the Red Wings perspective, the right person probably isn’t available right now in the middle of the season, which brings up another key question of whether it’s even worth making a change and slapping an “interim” tag on Boughner or rushing Dan Watson up from the Grand Rapids Griffins to try and save a sinking ship.
There aren’t many great answers right now for Detroit. The roster isn’t great, the team is a mess, and while the Red Wings have some intriguing prospects, there isn’t a Macklin Celebrini-type players walking through the door like he walked through Detroit in overtime last night.
So maybe the best answer is for Detroit to let this play out, let Lalonde coach out the string and hope for some lotto luck in a soft “tank.” Because a new coach, while it’s fun online discourse and a blame game, doesn’t seem like it would change much this season either way.
ReplyShare1 replyTopLatestDiscussionsNo posts
It\u2019s effectively an off day for the Detroit Red Wings
The team is flying back from California today
and returns to Little Caesars Arena later this week after a disastrous three-game swing through the Golden State where the Red Wings lost to the Anaheim Ducks
the Red Wings are tied for second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with the Columbus Blue Jackets based on points percentage
against a team currently in a playoff position
It\u2019s also a fact that the Eastern Conference is rough this season
And despite all of those facts I laid out before
the Red Wings are only three points out of a playoff spot
for one \u201Chave not\u201D to get an unceremonious waxing in the playoffs by a top seed
And those are things that the Red Wings and general manager Steve Yzerman have to think about today
it\u2019s justifiable to ask if a new coach should be in place before Detroit hosts the New York Islanders on Thursday
Whether you like or dislike what Derek Lalonde has done as a head coach
all signs point to him being the fall guy for Detroit missing the playoffs this season
He\u2019s a lame duck coach in Year 3 of deal where he was expected to make the postseason
and in today\u2019s NHL coaches are effectively hired to get fired
especially when it\u2019s a tool to protect the GM
it seems likely that Lalonde\u2019s contract won\u2019t be renewed
and it feels like more of a question of when rather than if that decision will be made by his boss
It makes it hard not to think about that while watching the Red Wings play
and brings up the very fair question of what a new coach could actually do with this team
Before talking anything tactical or logistical
we have to look at the Red Wings emotional makeup and acknowledge how this team operates
effectively a team of introverts and business-like professionals
The largest personalities were effectively weeded out this summer when David Perron walked in free agency and Jake Walman was traded
it\u2019s been made abundantly clear talking to players on a semi-daily basis and Lalonde himself admitting publicly how it\u2019s one of the quietest hockey teams he\u2019s ever been around
Sometimes you need the wildcard in the room
you need them to pull out other personalities and some of the energy during an 82-game season
When the Red Wings went from curiosity to playoff contender last season
eventually missing because of a tiebreaker and an empty-net goal by the Washington Capitals
it was largely because of how Perron drove the group
Perron was the vocal one in the room asking for higher standards
pushing for more point totals during segments
other players and coaches praised him for this throughout the campaign
Perron was also the ideal foil to Dylan Larkin in the leadership group
unspoken \u201Cfollow as I do not as I say,\u201D captains work in the NHL
but they typically have a lieutenant wearing an \u201CA\u201D that is emotionally driven and outspoken
Larkin lost that and this season it\u2019s been a struggle for anyone to step properly into that role
Perron hasn\u2019t been good for the Ottawa Senators
so it probably was time to move on from the veteran forward
but after his departure no one has stepped into a void that needs to be filled
It puts more pressure on the coaching staff to drive the energy
and that\u2019s not how this staff is constructed
Lalonde isn\u2019t a fiery group motivator
he\u2019s better in one-on-one coaching from my understanding and discussions with players
has a little bit more fire but is also more of a tactician and one-on-one motivator
someone who is able to drive energy themselves at first and then
allow that to transfer to a group of younger players like Moritz Seider
and Simon Edvinsson \u2014 who all have a bit of that hidden \u201CF you\u201D attitude
that could be channeled into future Perron-type motivation
was steaming about the Red Wings missing the playoffs last season
and with a bit more or a leadership role could potentially grow into Larkin\u2019s ideal foil and lieutenant as a leader
It all adds another wrinkle to the Red Wings situation for potential candidates
it\u2019s a job that\u2019s certainly desirable \u2014 there are only 32 NHL head coaching jobs in the world \u2014 but between the roster construction and having to alter a team ecosystem
this is one of the toughest jobs in the NHL
the right person probably isn\u2019t available right now in the middle of the season
which brings up another key question of whether it\u2019s even worth making a change and slapping an \u201Cinterim\u201D tag on Boughner or rushing Dan Watson up from the Grand Rapids Griffins to try and save a sinking ship
There aren\u2019t many great answers right now for Detroit
and while the Red Wings have some intriguing prospects
there isn\u2019t a Macklin Celebrini-type players walking through the door like he walked through Detroit in overtime last night
So maybe the best answer is for Detroit to let this play out
let Lalonde coach out the string and hope for some lotto luck in a soft \u201Ctank.\u201D Because a new coach
while it\u2019s fun online discourse and a blame game
doesn\u2019t seem like it would change much this season either way
passed away peacefully with his family at his bedside
to parents Larry and Janet (Rucker) Degener
After graduating from Red Wing Highschool in 1987
he attended Minneapolis School of Barbering until 1989
He worked in Lake City Barbershop and later worked with his dad and step-dad for many years at Larry and Dels Barbershop in Red Wing until he took over ownership
Chris retired from barbering about eight years ago
Chris married Jennifer Campbell in Red Wing
where the couple resided until moving to Rochester in 2008
Chris had many hobbies which included fishing
Hannah (fiancé Luke Runge) Degener and Natalie (Javin Logan) Degener; parents
Janet Hague and Larry (Irma) Degener; parents-in-law
Ren Degener and Reed (Julie) Degener; and step-siblings
He is preceded in death by both his paternal and maternal grandparents; and his step-father
2024 from 5-8 pm at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes (5421 Royal Pl
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday
2024 at Resurrection Lutheran Church (4520 19th Ave NW
MN 55901) with a visitation beginning one hour prior to the service at the church
Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Degener family
The Rochester Red Wings came out of the gates swinging Saturday afternoon
posting a season-high 17 hits in a 12-3 win over the Worcester Red Sox to snap an eight-game skid
All nine Red Wings starters recorded a hit in the contest
paced by 3B Brady House with four and C Andrew Knizner with three
RHP Jack Sinclair took the ball first for what was his third career start and first since September 6
and RHP Patrick Weigel turned in 2.0 perfect innings in relief to earn the win
and start winning exciting prizes! App Store | Google Play
Rochester held Worcester scoreless in the top of the first
and immediately went to work in the bottom half
Brady House stung a hard ground ball past the diving shortstop for a base hit
DH Franchy Cordero then pulled a line drive through the right side for a single of his own to put two runners on base for RF Andrew Pinckney
The University of Alabama product drove the first pitch he saw the other way into the right-center field gap and over the fence for a three-run homer to give the Red Wings an early lead
This was his team-leading third of the season
Andrew Knizner followed suit and crushed a full-count slider over the left-center field fence for a homer of his own
the first time Rochester has hit back-to-back shots in 2025
Worcester wasted no time cutting into the lead in the top of the second
LF Nate Eaton led off the inning with a single
and came all the way around to score on a double deep down the right field line from veteran C Yasmani Grandal to make the score 4-1
Coming off his first Triple-A home run Friday afternoon
2B Paul Witt kept his bat hot to lead off the top of the third with a line drive double into the left-center field gap
SS Jackson Cluff dropped down a bunt and beat out the throw for a single that allowed Witt to reach third in the following at-bat
turning the lineup over to CF Robert Hassell III for a run-scoring opportunity
The former first-round pick found a hole in between first and second
allowing Witt to trot home for the Wings’ fifth run
After a caught stealing for the first out of the inning
DH Drew Millas made it four consecutive hits and increased the lead to 6-1 with an RBI single of his own
Brady House came to bat for the second time in as many innings and cracked the first pitch he saw over the triangle in left-center field for his second home run of the season
The score stayed at 8-1 as the Red Wings came to bat in the bottom of the fifth
Andrew Knizner led off the inning with a single and moved to second two batters later on a walk to 2B Darren Baker
Jackson Cluff reached on his second single of the ballgame to load the bases in the following at-bat
Drew Millas hit a hard ground ball to short that resulted in a fielding error
allowing Knizner and Baker to cross the plate and make the score 10-1
After two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh
up to the plate for the fifth time worked a walk to set things up for Brady House
The Georgia native cranked a 1-1 fastball deep to right-center field that carried over the fence for his second home run of the day
Rochester took a 12-1 lead into the eighth inning
Worcester came to bat in the top of the ninth facing an 11-run deficit
A fielding error and a throwing error put runners on the corners with no outs
and both came around to score on a double from 2B Marcelo Mayer to make the score 12-3
3B Abraham Toro then worked a walk following a pitching change
A ground ball from LF Nate Eaton began as a fielder’s choice
and resulted in a wild double play at the plate to end the game
Jack Sinclair made his first career Triple-A start Saturday afternoon
and his seventh appearance with the Red Wings in 2025
The right-hander limited the WooSox offense to one earned on three hits with three strikeouts across 2.0 innings before handing the ball to RHP Tyler Schoff
and was replaced due to injury in the fourth by Patrick Weigel
He turned in 2.0 perfect innings with three strikeouts
his longest hitless appearance since September 22
RHP Clay Helvey came on for the sixth and turned in 2.0 scoreless innings of his own on two hits
RHP Daison Acosta allowed two unearned runs on 1.0-plus innings pitched with two strikeouts and a walk before he was also replaced due to injury by RHP Joan Adon
The Red Wings veteran finished things off with a scoreless ninth while adding a strikeout
3B Brady House is the Player of the Game for Rochester’s Saturday matinee
The 2021 first-round pick out of Winder-Barrow High School notched his third professional multi-homer game
launching a two-run shot in the second and another in the seventh
House is also the last Red Wing to homer twice in a contest
He finished the contest with a career-high four hits in five at-bats
Rochester will look to string together wins against the WooSox to finish off their six-game series Sunday afternoon
Tuesday’s starters will match up for a second time
as RHP Chase Solesky faces Worcester southpaw Shane Drohan
Find the box score attached here
Download the Red Wings Rewards app today to earn points
Use code BattleOfRed for an additional 25 points and unlock exclusive experiences and rewards
Download on the App Store | Get it on Google Play
The Rochester Red Wings are proud to announce the return of Autism Awareness Day
when the Red Wings host the Worcester Red Sox at 1:05 p.m
Autism Awareness Day is a cornerstone of the Red Wings’ continued efforts to make the ballpark a more inclusive and welcoming space for all fans
Innovative Field will feature fan-friendly adjustments designed to provide a more comfortable
sensory-considerate experience for individuals and families affected by autism
the Red Wings are proud to offer their Sensory Suite at every home game throughout the 2025 season
Located on the Suite Level along the first base side
the Sensory Suite is a thoughtfully designed space featuring:
The Sensory Suite is available for just $270 per game
which includes eight tickets and two VIP parking passes
“We’re committed to ensuring Innovative Field is a welcoming place for every member of our community,” said DAN MASON
“Autism Awareness Day is a meaningful tradition for us
and the Sensory Suite allows that spirit of inclusivity to extend throughout the entire season.”
For more information about Autism Awareness Day, or to reserve the Sensory Suite for an upcoming game, please visit www.RedWingsBaseball.com or contact the Red Wings front office at (585) 454-1001. For discounted tickets in the Autism Aware Section (218), please reach out to [email protected] or (585) 454-1001 x 3036
in partnership with Visions Federal Credit Union
are proud to announce the launch of a new TEACHER APPRECIATION PROGRAM designed to recognize and celebrate outstanding educators in the Greater Rochester area
with a special TEACHER APPRECIATION NIGHT at Innovative Field
this program will spotlight five exceptional teachers throughout the 2025 season—one each month—as the official “Teacher of the Month.”
“We’re excited to partner with Visions Federal Credit Union to spotlight educators who go above and beyond in their classrooms and communities,” said DAN MASON
General Manager of the Rochester Red Wings
“This is a chance for fans and families to help us recognize the teachers making a difference every day
The Red Wings are now accepting nominations for dedicated and deserving teachers in the Greater Rochester area. Submissions are open to students, parents, colleagues, and community members, and can be made online HERE
Each selected Teacher of the Month will receive:
The program will launch with TEACHER APPRECIATION NIGHT
when the Red Wings take on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) at Innovative Field
Local educators will be treated to discounted tickets
15% off in the Red Wings team store (must show School I.D.)
and the night will feature a special recognition before the game to honor a local teacher
“We’re proud to support the incredible work educators do every day
and we are thrilled to recognize their dedication and passion,” said Micah Mellander
“Whether it’s our Visions Loves Educators Program or special partnerships like these with the Red Wings
it’s a meaningful way to honor and celebrate those who shape the future.”
For more information or to purchase your discounted tickets, please visit RedWingsBaseball.com
The Rochester Red Wings are operated by Rochester Community Baseball
and have been a community-owned professional baseball franchise since 1957
The current franchise has been playing in Rochester since 1899
It is one of only six franchises in North American pro sports history to have been playing in the same city and league continuously since the 19th century
Rochester's pro baseball history dates back to 1877
Since the ballpark's inception in 1997
Innovative Field has drawn nearly 12 million fans
and the Detroit Red Wings treated the Hockeytown faithful in attendance to an entertaining 2024-25 regular-season home finale by rallying past the Dallas Stars
“All the boys really took this game seriously,” Jonatan Berggren said
“The fans have been incredible for us all season
so really important to finish strong for them.”
The Red Wings (38-35-7; 83 points) were led by Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider
who registered one goal and two assists apiece
In net for the Stars (50-25-6; 106 points)
netminder Jake Oettinger finished with 31 saves
“I think it means a lot to our fans who have supported the team through the whole year,” Detroit assistant coach Trent Yawney said
for some of our younger players to continue to play the right way and execute properly.”
GOOD NIGHT, HOCKEYTOWN. ♥️ pic.twitter.com/bgGdwd0PFH
The Red Wings and Stars traded goals before the 10-minute mark of the first period
beginning with Albert Johansson’s third of the season just 4:27 after puck drop
Upon taking a pass from captain Dylan Larkin
Johansson found open space in the high slot and fired a wrist shot past Oettinger to give Detroit a 1-0 lead
Berggren also assisted on the game-opening goal
AJo snipe. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/UdD1XXRdie
Dallas briefly tied the game with a goal from Lian Bichsel
Alex Debrincat gave Detroit a 2-1 advantage by capping off a highlight-reel passing sequence with Patrick Kane and Marco Kasper to record his team-leading 37th tally of the season
Kane became the fourth active player to collect a point while appearing in his 1,300th career NHL game
“He’s big for our team,” Raymond said about Kane
who leads the Red Wings with 27 points in 25 games since the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off
"You see what he does on a game-to-game basis
but just the way he carries himself off the ice -- with a guy like that
you just try to soak in and learn as much as you can.”
A beaut 🤌 pic.twitter.com/8bacrT8DrG
Deflecting Roope Hintz’s shot from the blue line
Evgenii Dadonov tied it 2-2 nine minutes into the second period
Colin Blackwell’s short-handed strike gave the Stars a 3-2 lead
“I thought we were pretty sloppy in the second period,” Yawney said
Most of their scoring chances came off the face-offs
That’s something we talked about as coaches and what we had to change for the third period.”
and he ripped a one-timer from the right face-off circle to tie things up 3-3
“I feel like I’ve become a better two way forward this season,” said Berggren
but it makes it easier when you play with those skilled guys."
Johnny Burgers. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/trzNkfI1A1
Picking up a secondary assist on Berggren’s game-tying goal was Seider, who lit the lamp on a power-play opportunity to put Detroit back ahead 4-3 at 4:19 of the third period. It was Seider's eighth goal of the season, with Raymond and Larkin picking up the assists.
Continuing that momentum for the Red Wings, Raymond netted his 27th of the season to stretch their advantage to 5-3 at 9:49. He intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, flew up the ice and sent a shot from the left face-off circle past Oettinger.
Wyatt Johnston got Dallas’ deficit to 5-4 with 7:04 remaining in the final frame, but Vladimir Tarasenko scored on an empty net at 18:04 to give Detroit some late breathing room for the eventual 6-4 final. The assists on Tarasenko’s 11th goal of the season went to Michael Rasmussen and Seider.
“It’s about playing the right way and not losing some of the things we had in our game over the last little while,” Yawney said about how the Red Wings are approaching their final two regular-season games later this week. “Breaking out clean, defending with a purpose and the power play to continue doing what it’s been doing all year long. Our penalty kill has gotten better over time, so you want to continue to have those habits.”
NEXT UP: The Red Wings will finish off their campaign with a midweek back-to-back road set, first squaring off against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Wednesday night.
Meijer Postgame Comments | DAL vs. DET | 04/14/25
Yawney on if it can be difficult for players to feel that extra motivation after being eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoffs contention
"Absolutely. When you're pushing to get in and you don't get in then you still have a few games left, as coaches it's hard because you want them to be motivated. But at the same time, you're not crossing the line because, for myself, I've been in their shoes. I talked to the D this morning a little bit, and there's really only two forks in the road you can take: execution or excuses. Proud of the team that they executed."
Raymond on getting a win on Fan Appreciation Night
“Obviously, the season didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but to be able to get a win here on home ice in front of our fans means the world to us. It was a fun night, especially seeing them afterwards. It’s pretty special.”
Raymond on what Berggren brought to Detroit’s top line on Monday
“[Berggren] played really good tonight. Just with his vision and the way he skates, it brings an extra edge to the game. He sees the ice very well, so it was really fun to see him out there tonight.”
Berggren on finding more consistency on offense
“This was the first time I played with [Raymond] and [Larkin], and I felt like it went pretty good. They are skilled players, so I just give them the puck and they will handle it well. I’m pretty happy with this game.”
Berggren on the club’s upcoming back-to-back set and finishing this season on a positive note
“It’s huge for the group to end strong. That’s our goal these last two games, to play really good, and hopefully we will get two wins. It’s nice to end with good spirits, so it’s important.”
there are likely big moves ahead for the Red Wings’ forward group
Along with free agency and trade acquisitions
there will likely be several players who will not return to the team
With an influx of young prospects on the way and the team failing to meet expectations in 24-25
As general manager Steve Yzerman begins making these decisions
let’s play a few rounds of Keep/Trade to predict which 24-25 Red Wings’ forwards will return next season
Below are groups of three players who are either free agents or failed to meet expectations this year
Our job is to predict who will be kept on the team
and Rasmussen are each forwards on decent-sized contracts that play similar roles on the bottom lines of the Red Wings
It would be shocking to see all three return next year
Copp and Compher have been criticized more than nearly anyone on Detroit’s roster over the past few seasons
While each has been praised for their leadership in the locker room
neither has lived up to expectations or to their hefty contracts
Copp signed with the Red Wings before the 22-23 season
He was coming off an impressive year with the Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers
he has not come close to that production in any of his three seasons in Detroit
The most points he has had were 42 in 22-23
but Copp still only had 10 goals and 23 points across 56 games
He has two years left on his contract and will make $5.625 million each of those years
Whereas Copp’s output has declined significantly since joining the Red Wings
Compher has actually stayed constant with his pre-Detroit numbers
During his six seasons with the Colorado Avalanche
He has also remained relatively strong defensively and in the face-off dot
posting a 45% face-off percentage in both of his Detroit seasons
The criticism around Compher circulates around his contract
He has three years remaining and will make $5.1 million each of those seasons
and fans wish that money were being spent elsewhere
Rasmussen may play a similar role on the Red Wings
but the opinion around him could not be further from that of Copp or Compher
Taken ninth overall by Detroit in the 2017 NHL Draft
Rasmussen spent the first few seasons of his career failing to meet expectations and being viewed as a bust
he has carved out a role for himself these last few years
He has averaged only around 10 goals and 30 points per season
but his physical presence has been much-needed for a Detroit team that has lacked that for several years
This has endeared him to fans and teammates alike
When considering his contract and the intangibles he brings
Rasmussen is the easy decision to keep of these three players
He is also younger (26) than Copp (30) and Compher (30)
meaning Ras may have more room to grow as he enters his physical prime
but if they have to decide between trading and buying out one
Compher makes the most sense to trade and Copp to be bought out
Though Detroit would likely have to retain some of his contract
Compher’s consistent production and Stanley Cup pedigree with the Avalanche could make him an intriguing trade target for a contending team
Copp has too many concerns with his injuries and poor play
so it is hard to imagine Detroit finding a trade partner for him
and Tarasenko are an interesting trio because they are all in different phases of their careers
Kane is a first-ballot Hall of Famer who appears to have a little more left in the tank
Tarasenko is a former superstar who now seems thoroughly washed
and Berggren is a young player who has failed to live up to expectations
each player is on the Wings to provide offense and there may only be room for one of them on next year’s team
he has been a positive influence during his two seasons with the Red Wings
and the initial concerns around his hip resurfacing are a distant memory
Although he may not be the MVP he used to be
he still had 21 goals and 59 points in 24-25
Showtime also continues to be an incredible player on the power play
and comes up huge in the clutch with his team-leading six game-winning goals
As evidenced by Alex Ovechkin’s 44 goals in his age-39 season
elite players can play at a high level into their 40s
and Detroit's top brass has to be worried about a potential drop-off
The Wings may be extra careful before giving Kane a long-term deal because of how they were burned by Tarasenko this season
The four-time All-Star signed with Detroit last offseason for two years and $4.75 million per year
Tarasenko never had less than 50 points in a full season aside from his rookie year in 13-14 where he had 43 points
He was also coming off a 23-24 season where he had 23 goals
and helped the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup
Nobody in Detroit expected him to reach 40 goals again
but few could have thought that Tarasenko would be as putrid as he was in 24-25
He also often looked lifeless on the ice and would go weeks without making any significant impact
he was vocal last offseason about his disappointment with not being given an opportunity with the Red Wings and spending most of the 23-24 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins
Fans were excited for Berggren to break out when he was finally given a legitimate chance with the Wings in 24-25
He finished with 12 goals and 24 points across 75 games
Whereas Marco Kasper showed tremendous growth throughout the year
Berggren seemingly plateaued and has not shown a whole lot in the NHL aside from occasional flashes
and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård are also on the way
so there is quickly becoming less and less room in Detroit’s forward group for an underperforming Berggren
and there is little proof that next season will be any different
will Yzerman value experience or potential
He should lean more towards the experience and give Kane a three-year extension to take him through his age-39 season
With the abundance of young forwards in the Wings’ system
the team could use a veteran like Kane more than another young forward like Berggren
but he could also fetch a decent package on the trade market to help Detroit win now
it is worth noting that Kane seemingly wants to retire a Red Wing
whereas Berggren appears to be growing more frustrated with his lack of opportunity in Detroit
The experience Kane brings along with his consistent production will be instrumental as the Red Wings bring up more prospects
Yzerman will let him continue his tenure here
© 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved
The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only
Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands
All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem
crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER
Will Patrick Kane finish his career in Detroit?