Detroit Red Wings Clips November 27-30, 2014

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1 Detroit Red Wings Clips November 27-30, 2014 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 3 Brendan Smith cleared, could play Sunday vs. Canucks PAGE 5 Chelios wants Red Wings Hall of Fame in new arena PAGE 7 Drew Miller still looking for first goal against Ryan PAGE 9 Power play, boost from young forwards, health contribute to offensive surge for Detroit Red Wings PAGE 11 Red Wings' Brendan Smith might return on Sunday; Xavier Ouellet prepared to head back to Griffins PAGE 13 Rookie Xavier Ouellet playing well for Red Wings but could be headed to Grand Rapids PAGE 15 Red Wings Q&A: Drew Miller on trash talking, winning the Stanley Cup before his rookie year PAGE 18 Ouellet heading back the Grand Rapids once Smith returns PAGE 20 Gave: 'Pure Red Wings' surprise even themselves with hot start PAGE 22 Griffins smoke the Adirondack Flames 6-1 in offensive explosion PAGE 24 Tomas Tatar responding to Mike Babcock's tough coaching PAGE 25 Why Red Wings won't acquire Tyler Myers PAGE 27 Daniel Alfredsson expected to retire in Ottawa PAGE 28 Why the Red Wings won on Friday night PAGE 30 Babcock says rookie D-man Ouellet 'plays like a veteran' PAGE 31 Down big early, Wings rebound to sink Devils in shootout PAGE 33 Attorneys seek new trial in dispute with Gordie Howe PAGE 35 Red Wings rally for rare shootout victory PAGE 37 Instant analysis: Offensive depth paying off for Wings PAGE 38 Senators will honor Daniel Alfredsson on Dec. 4 PAGE 40 No adjustments needed with three centers on same line, says Red Wings coach Mike Babcock PAGE 42 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Devils' Jaromir Jagr a shell of former self so far this season PAGE 44 Petr Mrazek to start in goal for Red Wings vs. New Jersey Devils, childhood hero Jaromir Jagr PAGE 45 Red Wings 5, Devils 4 (SO): Petr Mrazek comes up big late, Gustav Nyquist scores winning goal PAGE 47 Second-period analysis: Devils 4, Red Wings 3 PAGE 48 Nyquist gives Red Wings a shootout win over Devils PAGE 51 Nyquist lifts Red Wings to SO win over Devils PAGE 54 Wings seek third straight victory PAGE 56 Wings Weiss rolling with high-scoring Datsyuk as linemate PAGE 58 Krupa: Wings' Weiss tosses aside struggle PAGE 61 Red Wings encouraged by what they've seen from Stephen Weiss, who still can be important player

2 PAGE 63 Pavel Datsyuk provides spark for Red Wings in return to lineup against Flyers PAGE 64 You saw just how gifted and special Datsyuk was Wednesday night at Joe Louis Arena. PAGE 66 Eighteen-year veteran Alfredsson expected to announce retirement PAGE 67 YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: On the Blues, Brodeur & rookie Allen; Weiss battles back for Wings; NHL notes PAGE 72 Sheahan looming large for Wings PAGE 74 Detroit 5, Philadelphia 2: Why Red Wings won Wednesday PAGE 75 Detroit 5, Philadelphia 2: Datsyuk dazzles in return PAGE 77 Thanksgiving is a huge hit with Detroit Red Wings PAGE 79 Tomas Jurco heating up but gets bumped to fourth line PAGE 80 Rezoning of Red Wings arena delayed until 2015 PAGE 83 Centers click as unit as Wings blaze past Flyers PAGE 86 Instant analysis: Weiss, Datsyuk spark Wings offense PAGE 87 Even foreign teammates talk turkey PAGE 89 Pavel Datsyuk expected to return for Red Wings tonight PAGE 91 Red Wings 5, Flyers 2: Pavel Datsyuk scores two goals after returning from groin injury PAGE 93 Second-period analysis: Red Wings 4, Flyers 1 PAGE 95 First-period analysis: Red Wings 1, Flyers 0 PAGE 97 Live updates: Detroit Red Wings vs. Philadelphia Flyers (chat) PAGE 98 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Road-weary Flyers facing one of NHL's top home teams PAGE 100 Red Wings' young European players have learned to enjoy Thanksgiving; Mike Babcock home alone PAGE 102 Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader, Danny DeKeyser show school pride as prep teams clash for football title PAGE 103 Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk returns to lineup tonight, starting on an allcenter line against Flyers PAGE 105 Red Wings Q&A: Drew Miller on trash talking, his rich bloodline and winning the Stanley Cup PAGE 107 Datsyuk centers the Wings' all center line PAGE 109 DeKeyser, Abdelkader have special interest in D2 final PAGE 111 Healthy Datsyuk could be difference-maker for Wings PAGE 113 Former Wings GM Murray fights for his life, remembers good times in Detroit PAGE 115 Wings ready to celebrate Thanksgiving PAGE 116 Notes: Datsyuk in Wings' lineup Wednesday PAGE 118 Game preview: Flyers at Red Wings PAGE 120 Notes: Wings likely to get Datsyuk, Smith back this week PAGE 123 Duff: Datsyuk still a player PAGE 125 Griffins notch 3-1 over Rochester, rematch set for Friday night 2

3 Brendan Smith cleared, could play Sunday vs. Canucks By George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 6:45 p.m. EST November 29, 2014 Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said defensemen Brendan Smith (hand) has been cleared to play, but a final decision on whether he'll return to face the Canucks won't be made until Sunday morning. The Wings host Vancouver at 2 p.m. Sunday (FSD). Smith has missed the past five games after getting an infection in his hand during a fight in a game against the Blue Jackets on Nov. 18. "See how practice goes and see how he feels in the morning," Holland said of Smith's status after Saturday's practice at Joe Louis Arena. Babcock said it appears that Smith will be ready to return. "It's important to get Smitty back, get him playing like he can," Babcock said. "He's a competitive guy, can really help you. I don't see him having a setback here. He'll be a little out of condition, but he'll come back and get going." Smith has two goals and four assists for six points and is plus-3 in 18 games this season. Holland said defensemen Xavier Ouellet, who has played well in Smith's absence, will be sent back down to the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) when Smith is activated. Ouellet would rejoin the Griffins for Tuesday's game in Toronto. "My goal is to be here," Ouellet said. "For sure, it's going to be a little shot, but it's part of the business. I have no control on what's coming. So, I gotta focus my game, keep playing well. I think I've done a lot of good stuff here. "Every opportunity I have I need to be good. I need to show them every time that I can play. I think I've been doing that." Ouellet, 21, has one goal and one assist and is plus-3 in five games for the Wings. "It was good for us because you know what you have," Babcock said of Ouellet. "He's an NHL defenseman, no question about it." Babcock said the Wings have lots of depth among defensemen in Grand Rapids. "He had a great training camp," Holland said of Ouellet. "I've seen him four or five times in the American League. He's good. I like him a lot. "You can never have enough defensemen. That's why at the trade deadline, lots of teams you're always trying to add one more defenseman. Certainly we've got seven here we like. X is obviously, the way Babs has used him, he's probably higher than eighth on our depth chart." MILLER TIME: Drew Miller didn't know the total number, but said plenty of friends and family would be on hand Sunday with his older brother, Ryan Miller, coming to town. 3

4 In his first season with the Canucks, Miller, 34, has a 2.32 goals-against average and a.914 save percentage. Drew Miller, 30, is still looking for his first goal against his brother in an NHL game. Drew Miller did point out he assisted on a goal by Darren Helm a couple years ago that got Ryan pulled from a game. "It's fun," Drew said of facing his brother. "It's definitely different than the first time I played him. "It's still fun, still something unique, playing against your brother." NOTEBOOK: Babcock said he may put Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk back together on a line because of all the scoring the Wings have received lately from the likes of Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Justin Abdelkader, Johan Franzen and Stephen Weiss. "We got lots of guys (scoring), so we can spread it out more than we've used to be able to do," Babcock said. "We never had this many guys scoring in the past. We have more guys battling for those top six forward jobs, which is positive." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

5 Chelios wants Red Wings Hall of Fame in new arena By Carol Cain 12:03 a.m. EST November 30, 2014 It's an idea being considered, a team official said. Could a Detroit Red Wings Hall of Fame or Museum be in the cards for the team's new arena development? Count retired Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios among those who thinks it's an idea whose time has come. Chelios spent an impressive career skating off with the holy grail in NHL Hockey the Stanley Cup three times including twice during his time playing for Detroit. He received many other awards, including induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in After all the hard work, it's a shame those awards and trophies are locked away in his basement gathering dust. Same with other Red Wings players. Which is why the 52-year-old Chelios, who is working in the front office of the Red Wings organization, has been talking with Chris Ilitch, whose dad, Mike owns the team, about putting a Red Wings Hall of Fame and/or Museum inside the new arena. "I'm sure it would bring a lot of stuff out of basements of other players too," said Chelios, who would love to have his wares on display. "The fans would be able to see the great history of the Red Wings." It's an idea being considered, a team official told me. Of the six founding NHL teams Detroit, Montreal, Toronto, Boston, Chicago and New York only Montreal has its own Hall of Fame. With the Red Wings' new $450-million arena set to open in 2017, the timing would be great to celebrate the storied history of the team which has been part of the league since Chelios, who came out with his new memoir, "An American Story," written with Kevin Allen, USA TODAY's hockey writer, talked with me about that and other things on and off the ice. It was after being inducted into the Hall of Fame he decided to write his book. "I thought when I was inducted it would be closure, but it wasn't," he said. "I wanted to make sure I acknowledged the people who helped me get to where I am." Chelios and his wife, Tracee, have four kids two of whom who played hockey at Michigan State University and are pursuing hockey careers. Jake Chelios plays for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League and Dean Chelios plays for the Indy 5

6 Fuel of the East Coast Hockey League. Their daughters, Caley and Tara, play lacrosse for Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Before athletics, it was about the restaurant business. Chelios' parents and four siblings, who are Greek, lived in Chicago. They moved to Australia when Chelios was a boy to open a restaurant. "Life takes unusual paths. We had moved to Australia and I thought I would grow up and be running a restaurant like my parents," he said. "But I ended up playing hockey," he added. He retired in 2010 and made the transition to the front office. "I worked with Kenny Holland and it was like I never left the game," he said. Chelios is honored to have had a chance to spend time with Red Wings legend Gordie Howe, who is recovering from a major stroke. "Every spring and summer, we'd go to Traverse City for training camp and I'd have a chance to spend some time with him and his sons," Chelios said. "We'd sometimes go fishing. How many people can say they had a few beers with Gordie Howe?" If the stars were to line up, Chelios would love to borrow a page from Howe, who had a chance to play pro hockey with his two sons. "It's still possible," Chelios said. "I'm staying in shape." "It wouldn't be in North America," Chelios added. "We'd have to go to Europe, maybe Switzerland or Sweden. And it would have to be something my sons would want to do." Chelios is also enjoying the revitalization of downtown Detroit as his restaurant, Cheli's Chili Bar, which he opened nine years ago, is going strong. "Running a restaurant is hard work," he said. When asked for a headline he'd write about his life, Chelios thought a second and said, "Strange but true. I took a crazy path to get to the NHL. I have been very fortunate." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

7 Drew Miller still looking for first goal against Ryan Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 7:45 p.m. EST November 29, 2014 Detroit Drew Miller never has scored a goal against his brother, Ryan, but there was that time against Buffalo two seasons ago that stands out. "I assisted on (Darren) Helm's goal that got him pulled," said Drew Miller, who'll see Ryan in a Vancouver Canucks uniform Sunday for the first time. "I don't think he's happy about that." The Miller brothers, both from East Lansing and Michigan State, are established NHL players and have had long, successful careers. But they still look forward to facing each other -- just twice a season. "It's still fun, something that's pretty unique, playing against your brother," Drew Miller said. "There's no real trash talk, maybe just a jab at each other here and there when you can. The family enjoys it. There will be a lot of friends and family at the game. "For us, it's fun, but it blends to being another game, too." Ryan Miller signed with the Canucks as an unrestricted free agent last summer and has been a key reason in Vancouver's unexpected rise to the top of the Western Conference standings. Miller ranks among the league leaders in victories (15) and shutouts (three). His record, with 2.32 goals-against average and.914 save percentage, shows the elite level at which Miller has played. "Miller has given them real solid goaltending," coach Mike Babcock said. The move to Vancouver may have been re-energizing for his brother, said Drew, after a lengthy stay in Buffalo and a short (but unsuccessful) stop in St. Louis, where the Blues were eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs. "For sure," Drew Miller said. "Definitely it's (Vancouver) been a stop that's been hard on goalies in the past. But the start for him has been good, so good for him. In his career, he needed a change. He was able to pick where he wanted to go in free agency and hopefully he can settle in there." Smith close Brendan Smith (infected hand) practiced Saturday and could rejoin the lineup against the Canucks. General manager Ken Holland said the team will make sure Smith is able to play Sunday morning but doctors already have cleared Smith. "I feel like I'm ready," Smith said. If Smith is cleared to play, the Red Wings likely will send defenseman Xavier Ouellet back to Grand Rapids. Ouellet scored his first goal in Friday's 5-4 shootout victory over New Jersey and has a plus-3 rating in five games. 7

8 "X has done a great job; obviously that hasn't been an issue," Babcock said. "It's important to get Smitty back in there playing. He's a competitive guy who can really help. "We know what we have. He's (Ouellet) an NHL defenseman, no question about it." Ouellet will be disappointed if he's sent down but feels he's benefited from the experience. "Every opportunity I have, I need to be good, I need to show every time I can play," Ouellet said. "I think I've been doing that. Now it's up to them. We'll see what happens. "It's been a real good experience for me, a learning process being around these guys. It's a good thing for my career." Line shuffling Babcock reunited Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on the same line in practice with Justin Abdelkader. Babcock said he'll determine Sunday if he stays with that line. Riley Sheahan centered Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist, while Stephen Weiss was between Darren Helm and Johan Franzen. The Drew Miller, Luke Glendening and Tomas Jurco line remained the same. "We can spread it out more than we used to," said Babcock of the Red Wings' offensive depth currently. "We have more players battling for the top six forward jobs." Detroit News LOADED:

9 Power play, boost from young forwards, health contribute to offensive surge for Detroit Red Wings Ansar Khan on November 29, 2014 at 6:05 PM, updated November 29, 2014 at 6:50 PM DETROIT - The power play has perked up considerably. Young players who were slumping the first month of the season are finding the net more consistently. Better health has provided more depth. Offense was a concern for the Detroit Red Wings coming into the season. Lately, they've been quite productive. They have scored 35 goals in their past 10 games (3.5 per game), after picking up 33 goals in their first 13 games (2.54 per game). The Red Wings (13-5-5) face the surprising Vancouver Canucks (16-6-1) Sunday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena in a clash of teams with three-game winning streaks (2 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit). "Like any team, we were a work in progress at the beginning of the year," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "We were able to find some wins early, get some points on the board. I think we've got some people feeling better about themselves 20 games in." The Red Wings ranked seventh in the NHL in goals per game (2.96) heading into Saturday, largely due to a power play that has gone 15 for 47 (31.9 percent) in 11 games after going 5 for 46 (10.9 percent) in the first 12 games. That takes some pressure off goaltender Jimmy Howard, who will start on Sunday. "We're doing a great job getting to the net," Howard said. "Guys are making the opposing goalie's night difficult, standing in front of him. "When you constantly have traffic in front of you it's tough. The biggest thing is trying to track that puck around. We're doing a great job of getting to the dirty areas, getting rebounds and second and third opportunities." The offensive surge is great, coach Mike Babcock said, but he has another concern. "I explained this to the players today, I like seeing four for us but I don't like to see three for them," Babcock said. "That's unacceptable. We're better defensively than we've been and we're going to sharpen up defensively." They have allowed 16 goals in five games since Howard shut out Columbus 5-0 on Nov. 18. What is behind that? "Who knows?" Babcock said. "We gave up two (Friday) on the penalty kill, we never give up any on the penalty kill. Those things happen sometimes. We just got to straighten it out and make sure we're dialed in and on top of things." 9

10 Babcock switched his lines in Saturday's practice, reuniting Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg with Justin Abdelkader. He liked the way the all-center line of Datsyuk, Stephen Weiss (five points in three games) and Darren Helm has played, so he's not sure if he'll change things. "I like (Datsyuk and Zetterberg) playing together and I think we got enough other players now," Babcock said. "Before, we didn't have as much depth. Now we got lots of guys (scoring) so we can spread it out more than we used to. "We have more guys that are battling for those top-six forward jobs, which is positive." If lines are shuffled, Johan Franzen will join Helm and Weiss while Gustav Nyquist will play with Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar. "Right now we want Riley Sheahan playing in that (second-line center) spot, whether Helmer plays in the middle or whether Pav and Z play together, you have options," Babcock said. "I like having too many centers. Mule (Franzen) is a center, too. So we got lots of guys that can play in the middle." Michigan Live LOADED:

11 Red Wings' Brendan Smith might return on Sunday; Xavier Ouellet prepared to head back to Griffins Ansar Khan on November 29, 2014 at 2:39 PM, updated November 29, 2014 at 3:04 PM DETROIT - Brendan Smith was playing his best hockey of the season before being idled with a freak injury. The Detroit Red Wings defenseman hopes to pick up where he left off when he returns to the lineup, which could be as early as Sunday afternoon against the Vancouver Canucks at Joe Louis Arena (2 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit). Smith has been cleared medically, general manager Ken Holland said, after suffering an infected left hand in a fight with Columbus' Nick Foligno on Nov. 18. But the club wants to see how Smith feels Sunday morning before activating him from injured reserve and reassigning Xavier Ouellet to the Grand Rapids Griffins. "It sounds like he might be ready to go, but we'll find out tomorrow whether he's cleared or not," coach Mike Babcock said. "X has done a great job, obviously, that hasn't been an issue for us. "But it's important to get Smitty back and playing like he can. He's a competitive guy, can really help. I don't see him having a setback here. He might be a little out of condition, but he'll come back and get going." Smith has practiced with the team four times this week. "I think I've been doing really well," Smith said. "I feel like I'm ready." Smith had four points (two goals, two assists) in his past five games and six points in 18 games overall. "I thought that things were going well," Smith said. "Sometimes these weird injuries get in the way of momentum of teams or individuals but team's been doing well. I just got to make my game simple and try to get myself back to where I was." Ouellet has played real well. He scored his first NHL goal in Friday's 5-4 shootout victory at New Jersey and has two points and a plus-3 rating in five games, during which time the team went 4-1. "I think it's really good for him and it's good for us because you know what you have," Babcock said. "He's an NHL defenseman, no question about it. "And we got (Alexey Marchenko) and (Ryan) Sproul down there, got lots of guys. It's important to have depth on the blue line." Holland said you can never have too many defensemen in the system. "That's why at the trade deadline lots of teams are always trying to add one more defenseman," Holland said. "X, obviously, the way he battles, he's probably higher than 11

12 eighth on our depth chart, but it's good to know as a young player we can keep him playing (in Grand Rapids). "He looks good. It speaks to him and (Griffins coach) Jeff Blashill is doing a good job." Ouellet said it would be a little bit of a shock to be sent down, but he understands it's part of the business. He is their only defenseman who is exempt from waivers. They don't want to risk losing anyone else on waivers (forward Andrej Nestrasil was claimed by Carolina on Nov. 20). "It's an experience for me, a learning process," Ouellet said. "Being around these guys is a good thing for my career. If I go back there I'll keep doing what I'm doing, keep playing hard and stay ready if they need me. "I just have to focus on my game, keep playing well. I think I've done a lot of good stuff here. I have to show them every time (he is recalled) that I can play. I think I've been doing that." Michigan Live LOADED:

13 Rookie Xavier Ouellet playing well for Red Wings but could be headed to Grand Rapids Brendan Savage on November 29, 2014 at 10:10 AM NEWARK, N.J. - Despite playing well in five games since being recalled from Grand Rapids, rookie Xavier Ouellet will likely be the odd man out when Brendan Smith returns from a hand infection. Ouellet has minor-league options, coach Mike Babcock will put Smith back on the ice as soon as he's ready and the Red Wings probably aren't going to make any major moves with things going so well. So that could leave Ouellet heading back to Grand Rapids. "That's the business part of the game," Babcock said Friday without tipping his hand as to exactly what the plans are for Ouellet. "That's just the way things go. Obviously, Smitty is going right back in. Smitty was playing great when he left. "(Ouellet is) a good player. He's smart, he's competitive, he makes plays. He plays like a veteran player." Ouellet helped the Red Wings win for the fifth time in six games by scoring his first NHL goal in a 5-4 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils. He took a pass in the slot from Darren Helm and buried the puck behind goaltender Cory Schneider to start the Red Wings' comeback after they fell behind 4-1 in the first minute of the second period. In five games, Ouellet has one goal, one assist and a plus-3 rating while averaging almost 16 minutes per game. He's played at least 22 shifts in all five games with the Red Wings. "He's played real well," said forward Gustav Nyquist. "He's a real good D-man who is only going to get better. Strong on the puck, makes the easy play when has to, makes the play when he has it. Great to see him get that first one today. "He's a great player and we're happy to have him here." Ouellet, 21, has impressed the Red Wings since playing in four NHL games last season, when he had four goals and 13 assists in 70 games for Grand Rapids. He followed that up by playing so well in training camp this year that Babcock wanted to keep him on the Red Wings' roster rather than send him back to the AHL during the final cuts before the season opener. But Babcock was overruled by general manager Ken Holland, who instead chose to keep veterans Jakub Kindl and Brian Lashoff instead. 13

14 Regardless of what happens when Smith returns, there's no doubt Ouellet - the Red Wings' second-round pick (48th overall) in the 2011 NHL draft - is a big part of the future. "He's playing well," said forward Drew Miller, who scored the tying goal against New Jersey. "He plays well out there with the puck and he wants to score when he has the puck. That's a good thing for a young D-man." Michigan Live LOADED:

15 Red Wings Q&A: Drew Miller on trash talking, winning the Stanley Cup before his rookie year Brendan Savage on November 26, 2014 at 10:10 AM, updated November 30, 2014 at 1:13 AM DETROIT - Detroit Red Wings forward Drew Miller accomplished something few other players in NHL history can lay claim to when he won the 2007 Stanley Cup with Anaheim before ever playing a regular-season game. A native of Dover, N.J., Miller grew up in East Lansing, played college hockey at Michigan State and is among several family members to play in the NHL. They include his older brother Ryan, the All-Star goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks, and cousins Kip, Kevin and Kelly Miller. Miller talked about all of that and more in a Q&A with MLive. MLive: Is there much trash talking that goes on in the NHL? Miller: I don't know how it compares to the NBA but there's some talk about there, here and there. A lot of it's not really heard but seen because of the glass. In basketball, the fans are right there and can see it and hear it. In hockey, the glass is there and they can see it but they can't hear it. MLive: Who is the best trash talker on the team? Miller: I don't know. I don't think we have too many trash talkers on this team. There's only a handful of guys in the league I can think of. MLive: Who's good? Miller: It's not really that good of trash talking. It's stupid stuff. Brad Marchand of Boston is always yapping, yapping, yapping. Most of the time, it's "whatever." MLive: What's the biggest perk about playing in the NHL? Miller: Flying private, that's huge. The bus pulls right up to the plane, you get off the plane, on the bus and right to the hotel. We fly very nice. MLive: If you weren't playing in the NHL, what would you be doing? Miller: I'd want to be a bass pro fisherman. I fish a good amount but I think if I didn't play hockey I'd fish a lot more. MLive: What's your prize catch? Miller: I don't have anything too crazy. I've got a small lake. I got a 17-, 18-inch bass. MLive: You grew up in East Lansing. What was it like playing for MSU in the town you grew up in? Miller: It was a childhood dream. My whole family had played there. I was the 10th person in my family to play for Michigan State so growing up that's what I wanted. I 15

16 wanted ultimately to play in the NHL but my biggest dream was to wear the green and white. MLive: Everybody knows your brother plays in the NHL. You have a couple of cousins who played in the NHL. What is it about the Millers and hockey? Is there something in the water? Miller: I think my cousins kind of paved the way to the NHL. It was a period in my life when I was hanging around the rink and watching them and filling water bottles and watching them train. So my brother and I got a chance to watch their dedication and how they prepared for an NHL season. It was kind of how we were molded into our brain to prepare and want to have a career in the NHL. MLive: Stanley Cup Finals, overtime, Game 7 against Vancouver. You get a penalty shot. Is there anything about your brother you know that other people don't that would help you in that situation? Miller: (laughs) I don't know. I think with all the video technology that's out there, you know what you're going to get. In that situation, I love my brother but I definitely want to score and I want to win. I don't have a specific move but definitely you're going down there 100 percent wanting to score. MLive: You didn't play a regular-season game with Anaheim but were with them the year they won the Cup. What was that experience like? Miller: It was something you don't really expect in your first year when you don't get called up once. They had a really good team that year, they had some injuries and I got to play Game 5 in the first round and Game 1 and 2 in the Finals. So I played three NHL games, won the Stanley Cup and got my name on it. It's something I'll cherish forever, just the experience of being around the team and winning the Stanley Cup. It's something I definitely want to do again. MLive: Given how young you were, did you appreciate it at the time and have to tell yourself not to take it for granted when you win the Cup right out of the blocks? Miller: I came out of college so I wasn't too young like an 18-year-old kid. I was 23. Definitely tou appreicate it and you take in as much as you can. My dad and my brother said "Just be a sponge there." You're playing with guys like Scott Niedermayer, Robbie Niedermayer, (Chris) Proger, (Jean-Sebastien) Giguere. We had a great team that year and I tried to learn as much as I could. MLive: What are you five favorite movies? Miller: My favorite one is The Count of Monte Cristo. From there I've got a lot of ones I like. MLive: Do you have a favorite TV show? Miller: I watch a decent amount of TV shows. The one I'm looking forward to coming back is Game of Thrones. MLive: Who is the best all-around athlete on the team? 16

17 Miller: We've got a lot of good athletes. That's a tough one. I don't have an answer for that tone. Most pro hockey players I've been around are pretty good at all sports. MLive: What's the most common misconception fans have about life in the NHL? Miller: I don't think they consider the fact that when they turn the TV off when our game is over, it's not over for us. We're working out or traveling, getting home late. There's some tough things about playing in the NHL. But it's all worth it. You get to play the game you love. MLive: Who's the one player on the team you'd least like to box? Miller: Probably (Jonathan) Ericsson. He's big and he's got a long reach. Michigan Live LOADED:

18 Ouellet heading back the Grand Rapids once Smith returns By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily Posted: 11/29/14, 3:01 PM EST DETROIT >> Wings defenseman Xavier Ouellet understands the business side of the NHL. Despite playing well in his five games in Detroit since being recalled from Grand Rapids, Ouellet will be heading back once Brendan Smith is ready to return to the lineup. And that comes as early as Sunday. My goal is to be here, Ouellet said after practice Saturday at Joe Louis Arena. That s what I want to do. I want to play for the Red Wings. It s going to be a little shock, but that s part of the business, Ouellet continued. I have no control on what s coming. I just have to focus on my game, keep playing well. I think I ve done a lot of good stuff here. The team will decide prior to Sunday s home game against Vancouver if Smith is healthy enough to go. Ouellet recorded his first NHL goal in Friday s come-from-behind shootout win over New Jersey. He also has an assist and is a plus-3, while averaging just under 16 minutes of ice time. I think it s really good for him and it s good for us because you know what you have, Wings coach Mike Babcock said. He s a NHL defenseman, no question about it. Over time you know how things work out. You betcha, Babcock added when asked if he has confidence in him. Ouellet has minor-league options, which means he doesn t have to clear waivers to be re-assigned to Grand Rapids. He had a great training camp, Wings general manager Ken Holland said. He s good. I like him a lot. He s probably higher than eighth on our depth chart, but it s good to know he s young and we can keep him playing. Ouellet, 21, has impressed the Wings since playing in four games last season, and was even inserted in the final playoff game against Boston, while Jakub Kindl was a healthy scratch. Every opportunity I have I have to be good, Ouellet said. I have to show them every time that I can play. I think I ve been doing that. It s an experience for me, a learning process, Ouellet added. Being around these guys is a good thing for my career. If I go back there I ll keep doing what I m doing, keep playing hard and stay ready if they need me. Smith has missed the last five games with a left hand infection he suffered in a fight. 18

19 X has done a great job, obviously, that hasn t been an issue for us, Babcock said. But it s important to get Smitty back and playing like he can. He s a competitive guy, can really help. I don t see him having a setback here. He might be a little out of condition but he ll come back and get going. Babcock is thinking about putting Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg back on a line together. I like them playing together, and I think we ve got enough other players now, Babcock said. Before we didn t have as much depth, now (Gustav) Nyquist has 10 goals, (Tomas) Tatar has nine. (Johan Franzen) has six, (Justin Abdelkader s) got seven. So when you look at that, we ve got lots of guys (scoring) so we can spread it out more than we used to be able to. We never had this many guys scoring in the past, Babcock added. We have more guys that are really battling for those top-six forward jobs, which is positive. Detroit has seven players that have scored five or more goals thus far. We re doing a great job getting to the net, said Jimmy Howard, who will start in goal Sunday. Guys are making opposing goalies nights difficult, going there, standing in front of them. When you constantly have traffic in front of you it s tough. The biggest thing is trying to track that puck around. We re doing a great job of getting to the dirty areas, getting pucks, getting rebounds and second and third opportunities. Macomb Daily LOADED:

20 Gave: 'Pure Red Wings' surprise even themselves with hot start KEITH GAVE NOV 29, :55p ET Riley Sheahan and Gustav Nyquist are two of the home-grown Red Wings making major contributions this season. The most remarkable factor about these Detroit Red Wings isn't that they're defying all preseason expectations -- including their own -- by sitting in third place all alone in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division, just two points out of the lead with a game in hand on Montreal. Nor is it that they finally found a way to win a shootout game, as they did Friday night with a third-string goaltender who had an otherwise forgetful game. It isn't that they're three games into the second quarter of the regular season and haven't yet lost consecutive regulation games (nor had they won more than two straight until Friday). It's not even that they're doing it without the right-hand-shooting defenseman they so coveted in the offseason -- and didn't sign because all their offers were spurned by free agents who signed elsewhere. Without question, this Wings team -- which was widely predicted to fail to make the playoffs for the first time after 23 straight appearances -- is one of the surprise teams in the NHL. But the most amazing thing is, they're doing it with a roster almost completely made up of what the front offices likes to call "pure Red Wings." Heading into Sunday's game against visiting Vancouver, only three players on their 23- man roster -- Drew Miller, Daniel Cleary and Stephen Weiss -- didn't begin their NHL careers with Detroit. And those two have watched more games from the press box this year than they've played, by a wide margin. Seventeen players on this team were drafted by Detroit. Three others were undrafted free agents signed by the club: defensemen Danny DeKeyser and Brian Lashoff, and center Luke Glendening. In other words, history seems to be repeating itself. That same build-through-the-draft mentality that founded the nucleus of those teams that started this playoff streak more than two decades ago is having a profound influence on a new generation of Red Wings charged with making sure it doesn't end on their watch. And the guy who started it all is sunning himself in Florida with a big smile on his face. "In my 33 years, I don't know if there's a team I've been more proud of," senior vice president Jim Devellano said at the other end of the phone Saturday from his winter home in Sarasota. "I'm very, very proud of them." And by "them," Devellano means not only the players, but a coaching staff who's getting the most out if this young team. He's also referring to Ken Holland's front office and 20

21 scouts, the ones who found the players, signed them and created a minor-league system that develops and prepares them for prime time in the NHL. Scouts rarely get credit for a team's success, though Detroit's European staff has been singled out over the years -- ever since they started finding guys like Sergei Fedorov, Nick Lidstrom and Vladimir Konstantinov in the 1989 entry draft, and later finding Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk in the waning rounds of the draft. But this scouting staff deserves immense praise for finding some gems in North America, too, even while drafting well down in the first round because of the Wings' consistently good regular-season finishes throughout most of the last two decades. Among them: -- Gustav Nyquist, this team's leading goal-scorer, a Swede they drafted out of the University of Maine in the fourth round, 121st overall, in Brendan Smith, their best young puck-moving defenseman, a Canadian taken in the first round, 27th overall, in 2007 draft out of the University of Wisconsin -- Riley Sheahan, a big, strong Canadian center who seems to get better with every game he plays, drafted in the first round, 21st overall, in 2010 out of the University of Notre Dame All three were key members of Grand Rapids' Calder Cup championship team in the American Hockey League a few years ago -- along with key forwards Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco, and goaltender Petr Mrazek. They're all teammates in Detroit now. This is very similar to how the nucleus of that 1986 Calder Cup team in Adirondack helped the Wings start this streak 23 years ago. Purely remarkable. foxsports.com LOADED:

22 Griffins smoke the Adirondack Flames 6-1 in offensive explosion By MLive.com GLENS FALLS, N.Y. Grand Rapids only needed the second and third periods to score a season-high six goals as they posted a 6-1 victory over the Adirondack Flames Saturday night at Glen Falls Civic Center. After a scoreless first period that featured 12 shots by the Griffins to nine by the Flames, it was the home team that got on the scoreboard first at 48 seconds into the second period when Bill Arnold netted a rebound after Emile Poirier's shot attempt in front of Griffins goaltender Jared Coreau to score his fifth goal of the season. The Adirondack ( ) lead didn t last long, as Grand Rapids tied the game 50 seconds later when Mitch Callahan snuck a backhanded shot inside the goalpost to the right of Flames goalie Brad Thiessen for his first of two goals on the night. Grand Rapids continued their second period dominance with two more goals before the end of the period where they outshot Adirondack in the middle frame. The first came from Landon Ferraro at 5:56 when Thiessen mishandled the puck behind his net in which Kevin Porter knocked it towards the goal crease where Ferraro poked the puck into the net for his fourth goal of the season. The second goal came from captain Jeff Hoggan when he batted a loose puck waisthigh into the net to earn his second goal of the season at 10:42. The scoring didn t stop for the Griffins as they added three more in the third period. Andreas Athanasiou scored the first at 1:38 when he skated around Bryce Van Brabant, took a wrist shot on Thiessen and converted the rebound to score for the fourth time this campaign. Nick Jensen s third tally of the season was the only power play goal scored tonight as he took a pass from Teemu Pulkkinen, made a toe drag around a Flames defender and fired a wrist shot past Thiessen at 13:22. The final goal from Grand Rapids ( ) was Callahan s second of the night and eighth of the season. He was the trailing player on an odd-man rush where Pulkkinen fed him the puck and Callahan blasted a slap shot under the crossbar at 14:39. Earning his first win in his sixth appearance with the Griffins, Coreau stopped 35 of 36 Adirondack shots. Thiessen made 39 saves out of the 45 shots he faced. Adirondack was 0-3 on the power play and Grand Rapids converted once from the four power play opportunities. 22

23 The Griffins are idle until Tuesday when they close a four-game road trip against Toronto at 7 p.m. Notes: Coreau became the 30th goalie to win a regular season game in Griffins franchise history. Grand Rapids Griffins 6 at Adirondack Flames 1 - Status: Final Saturday, November 29, Glens Falls Civic Center Grand Rapids Adirondack st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Arnold Adk (hooking), 9:17; Yonkman Adk (interference), 10:44; Aubry Gr (interference), 18:10. 2nd Period-1, Adirondack, Arnold 5 (Poirier), 0:48. 2, Grand Rapids, Callahan 7 (Pulkkinen, Backman), 1:38. 3, Grand Rapids, Ferraro 4 (Porter), 5:56. 4, Grand Rapids, Hoggan 2 (Marchenko, Athanasiou), 10:42. Penalties-Evans Gr (interference), 1:52; Hanowski Adk (goaltender interference), 7:45. 3rd Period-5, Grand Rapids, Athanasiou 4 (Mantha, Zengerle), 1:38. 6, Grand Rapids, Jensen 3 (Pulkkinen, Paetsch), 13:22 (PP). 7, Grand Rapids, Callahan 8 (Pulkkinen, Aubry), 14:39. Penalties-Mantha Gr (closing hand on puck), 4:49; Ferraro Gr (roughing), 9:08; Gillies Adk (roughing), 9:08; Wotherspoon Adk (holding), 12:45; Sieloff Adk (misconduct), 18:29. Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids Adirondack Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 1 / 4; Adirondack 0 / 3. Goalies-Grand Rapids, Coreau (36 shots-35 saves). Adirondack, Thiessen (45 shots-39 saves). A-5,300 Referees-Jonathan Alarie (38). Linesmen-Matt Brady (86), Frank Murphy (29). 23

24 Tomas Tatar responding to Mike Babcock's tough coaching Helene St. James 4:26 p.m. EST November 28, 2014 NEWARK, N.J. Tomas Tatar knows Mike Babcock's priority is winning. That softens the sometimes hard treatment the Detroit Red Wings coach doles out. Ultimately it comes down to this: The way Tatar is playing right now, that's what Babcock believes Tatar can do every month of the season. Entering tonight's game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center, Tatar had packed 10 points into his past 10 games, overturning a sparse start. Babcock said he is harder on Tatar than any other Red Wings player because "he can take it. Because he responds. You've got 23 athletes, you've got to figure out 23 different ways to coach them, because they're all different. Some you treat different, that's just the way it is. But Tats is a guy who has high-end skill, and he's determined, and he's really determined to score. We want our guys to be determined to score and determined not to get scored against." Tatar, who turns 24 on Monday, is in his second full season with the Wings. He has accepted that Babcock's methods are a means to success i.e., victories and that comes from players performing at their best. "Babs is hard on me," Tatar said, "but I think he means it in a good way. He's always tried to help me out since I got here. I appreciate it. Sometimes it's really hard, but that's just how he works with me, I guess, there is no other way with me, and I appreciate that. "He's been a good coach, we have success under him, and I respect that." Tatar had one point his first nine games, but stood at 13 overall after 22 games thanks to his recent elevation. X-FACTOR: Young defenseman Xavier Ouellet was on the lineup sheet for a fifth straight game, as he continues to make a case he should be a regular for good. He makes smart decisions (especially given he's only 21) and has made quick work of figuring out how to adapt to the high-skill NHL. "The game here is really structured, and the guys, they all know how to play," Ouellet said. "That's a big adjustment. The one-on-one battles in the corners, guys are strong, big, that's another one." Brendan Smith could be back Sunday, at which point the Wings will either have to send Ouellet back to Grand Rapids, or figure out how to keep a guy who makes their back end better. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

25 Why Red Wings won't acquire Tyler Myers Kevin Allen 3:47 p.m. EST November 28, 2014 The Wings need a right-handed defenseman and the Sabres have one, but it's not a perfect trade match Five logical or desirable events that should happen in the NHL but likely won't: 1. Marc Staal signs with the Carolina Hurricanes next summer: Brothers Eric and Jordan are already there and Jared is in the organization. The Staals are a close-knit family. The Rangers undoubtedly would like to see Staal sign for $5.5 million which is what Dan Girardi is earning. Ryan McDonagh is at $4.7 million. The Hurricanes could give Staal a little bit more because he would be the team's No. 1 defenseman. Having the Staal brothers all on one team is a significant national and local marketing story line. Why it won't happen: Marc Staal would have to leave a Rangers team that was in the Stanley Cup Final five months ago to join a Carolina team that is a lower-rung team. Staal seems to enjoy playing for the Rangers and they don't want to lose him. 2. Pittsburgh Penguins trade for Nail Yakupov: The Penguins have a collection of quality young defensemen and not enough prospects at forward. The Edmonton Oilers don't have enough quality young defensemen. Yakupov, a natural scorer, could play alongside Russian countryman Evgeni Malkin. If anyone could bring the best out of Yakupov, it would be Malkin. The Penguins are looking for a scorer to play with Malkin. Why it won't happen: The Penguins are a Stanley Cup contender, and they want a scorer with a track record. What if Yakupov is another Alexandre Daigle? This kind of trade involves risk, and the Penguins probably want a safer bet. 3. Arizona Coyotes end up with Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel: We won't know whether the Coyotes can survive in the desert until they have a contending team, and they need a franchise player to move that process along. It would be good for the NHL if Arizona could draft one of these players to join prospects Henrik Samuelsson, Max Domi and Brendan Perlini. The NHL needs this franchise to work, particularly if Las Vegas is coming into the NHL. Why it won't happen: The Coyotes aren't a bad enough hockey team to get into the sweepstakes. They won't have the NHL's worst or second-worst record and likely won't finish low enough in the standings to have reasonable odds of winning the draft lottery. 4. Las Vegas and Houston become the NHL's first two expansion teams: It's a swell fit, with Las Vegas slotting nicely into the Pacific. Arizona, Las Vegas, Anaheim and Los Angeles are in close proximity. Arizona and Las Vegas would be natural rivals. They are 276 miles apart. It would be a strong Western presence for a league that only boasted one Western franchise for many years. Houston would fit nicely into the Central Division and would serve as natural rival for the Dallas Stars. 25

26 With Las Vegas and Houston coming board, the Eastern and Western conferences would both have 16 teams and no major realignment would be necessary. Why it won't happen: First, there is no official NHL expansion plan, even though there will be one in the foreseeable future. Las Vegas is a likely choice, but there doesn't appear to be any drumbeat for adding Houston. And the Houston/Las Vegas scenario doesn't deal with the reality that Quebec City seems ready to rejoin the NHL. Some folks want to see a second NHL team in the Toronto area. We are a long way from finalizing the expansion cities, and Houston doesn't seem like one of the favorites. 5. Detroit Red Wings acquire defenseman Tyler Myers: The Red Wings have been looking for a right-handed defenseman with some offensive potential for three seasons. Myers, 24, is tied up for four more seasons at $5.5 million, and he's 24. The 6-7 Buffalo Sabres defenseman has regressed in his development, but there is hope he would be re-energized with a move to a new team. Why it won't happen: The Red Wings aren't going to give up Anthony Mantha or Dylan Larkin or any of their top young players. Trying to acquire a potential rental player such as right-shot defenseman Mike Green would be less painful. If they could land Green and they like him, they could have an inside track of signing him. Plus Green is a more natural power-play guy. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

27 Daniel Alfredsson expected to retire in Ottawa 9:53 a.m. EST November 28, 2014 Staff Writer OTTAWA, Ontario Former Ottawa Senators captain and Detroit Red Wings forward Daniel Alfredsson is expected to announce his retirement in the city where he became an NHL star. The Senators confirmed that Alfredsson will be in Ottawa on Thursday and will be part of a ceremony before the team's game against the New York Islanders. "Dec. 4 will be a truly special and historic day for the Ottawa Senators and Sens fans. Welcome home Alfie!" team owner Eugene Melnyk posted on his Twitter account. Alfredsson spent his first 17 seasons with the Senators, scoring 426 goals and adding 682 assists in 1,178 regular-season games. The Swede signed a one-year contract with Detroit before last season and had 18 goals and 31 assists in 68 games. The Red Wings were interested in re-signing Alfredsson, but back problems hampered the 41-year-old and prevented him from committing to another NHL season. Detroit Free Press LOADED: