The Left Wing Lock

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Cory Emmerton faces an up hill battle to earn an NHL roster spot next season. The former 41st overall pick in the 2006 NHL entry draft signed a new three year deal with the Red Wings on Tuesday. The deal ensures that Emmerton will earn a guaranteed NHL salary in the final two years of the pact.

The 6-foot, 188 pound forward is out of AHL options next season, meaning that he will have to clear waivers in order to be sent to Grand Rapids. The Red Wings have had high hopes for Emmerton because of his playmaking ability … Continue Reading

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500 points is an accomplishment for any player, but for Tomas Holmstrom it is a milestone that seems improbable. The 6-foot, 198 pound winger is not particularly gifted offensively and certainly isn’t the best skater on the ice. None of that matters for Holmstrom, who has earned his paycheck the hard way by crashing the crease and scoring ugly deflection goals near the net.

The Red Wings discovered the 38 year-old winger after Detroit scout, Hakaan Andersson, watched him play in 1993 Swedish national team selection camp. They drafted him a year later in 1994 with a 10th round selection – 257th overall.

The Pitea, … Continue Reading

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Detroit’s shot at the Stanley Cup was nearly over before it started on Saturday as Jimmy Howard was helped off the ice. The 6-foot, 210 netminder suffered a sprained shoulder when Toronto’s Joffrey Lupul crashed the Red Wings crease early in the third period.

The Red Wings are already without Chris Osgood who had a setback in his recovery from a sports hernia surgery and was placed on long-term IR earlier this week. He isn’t eligible to return until April 8th leaving the Wings with the strong possibility of entering the playoffs with journeyman Joey MacDonald as their backup.

Howard has … Continue Reading

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The Detroit Red Wings will again host their annual prospects tournament and training camp at Centre I.C.E. Arena in Traverse City, Mich.

The prospect tournament, which is scheduled for Sept. 10 to 14, will feature entries from the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The full schedule has not been determined.

Tickets are expected to be $5 per day and should be available on game days.

Training camp will begin Sept. 17 and run through Sept. 20 with morning practices, with ticket prices of $20 for Mezzanine, $15 … Continue Reading

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On Wednsday, The Red Wings announced that they had signed 20 year-old goaltender Troy Passingham to a 24-hour amateur try-out contract. The 6-foot-4, 223 pound netminder is coming off his overage season with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL where he posted a 4.79 goals against and a .879 save percentage.

The move is one was made because the Red Wings do not have enough salary cap space to recall both forward Jan Mursak and Joey MacDonald. The Red Wings had hoped Osgood would be ready to backup Howard tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, but with his recurring post surgery soreness ruled … Continue Reading

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Coach Mike Babcock is nothing if not intense. From the moment he stepped on the ice in Traverse City for the 2005 Detroit Red Wings training camp, he set the tone for the veteran team. Babcock is an intense and demanding coach who runs his practices like a drill sergeant. That being said, he’s delivered nothing but results in his six years as coach for the Red Wings.

His 600 regular season wins in just six seasons puts him in impressive company that includes former Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman and Glen Sather. He’s also coached the team to a … Continue Reading

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In case you missed my feature story over at Red Wings Central, please check it out here. Thanks to Petr Mrazek for his time and willingness to chat with me.

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The Red Wings want Gustav Nyquist, but does the young Swede want the Red Wings this year or next year? The 5-foot-11, 170 pound forward is in his junior season with the University of Maine. The team was eliminated from the Hockey East playoffs on Saturday in a 6-2 loss to the fourth seeded Merrimack College. Maine, which is a perennial entry into the NCAA Division I hockey championships, will likely be on the outside looking  in when the tournament starts this year. If that happens it will essentially end Nyquist’s season and possibly his collegiate hockey career.

With … Continue Reading

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Zedo Chara’s hit on Max Pacioretty on Tuesday night was yet another black eye for the NHL. The scary incident (which can be seen here) left the young Montreal Canadien forward with a severe concussion and a non-displaced fracture to the fourth cervical vertebra in his neck.

The hit was legal, but it was extremely dangerous and could have been avoided. Instead, Chara caught Pacioretty in a very vulnerable position leaving him little chance to brace for the impact and the result was the possible end to a bright hockey career. The incident occurred along the corner glass near the … Continue Reading

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Darren Helm’s feet have always been faster than hands. The 5-foot-11, 195 pound forward is one of the fastest players in the NHL, but he hasn’t always been able to capitalize on that blazing speed.

The former fifth round selection in the 2005 NHL draft has developed into a solid bottom six forward for the Red Wings. He is also a staple on Detroit’s penalty kill where his speed routinely results in shorthanded opportunities. Thus far this season, he’s converted just two of these chances.

Helm is one of those player’s whose game isn’t measured in statistics alone. He provides a … Continue Reading