Detroit Red Wings Clips June 11, 2015

Transcription

1 Detroit Red Wings Clips June 11, 2015 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Red Wings send same message to young players: Get better PAGE 3 Lidstrom: Change is good; Wings might need new voice PAGE 4 Blashill will dive right into Red Wings' problems PAGE 6 Gordie Howe 'doing fine' after latest course of therapy PAGE 7 Approved: Olympia gets OK to raze historic Detroit hotel on Red Wings arena site PAGE 8 Legendary Ted Lindsay has some advice for new Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill PAGE 10 Historic hotel could still stand at Red Wings arena site PAGE 12 Red Wings legend Gordie Howe 'comfortable and happy' after second stem cell treatment PAGE 13 Column: Qualities Jeff Blashill brings to Red Wings outweigh concerns about NHL inexperience PAGE 15 Detroit goalies both elite,' Blashill says PAGE 17 Blashill realizes dream come true as new Red Wings coach PAGE 19 Griffins next coach? Six candidates, including Toledo's Derek Lalonde

2 Red Wings send same message to young players: Get better Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 7:22 p.m. EDT June 10, 2015 The next generation of the Detroit Red Wings was sent off on summer vacation with a message: Hit the gym. General manager Ken Holland and head coach Jeff Blashill spent time earlier this week meeting with the younger players among the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit's top farm club. Some players, such as Teemu Pulkkinen and Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin, enter the off-season on high notes after extremely good regular season and playoff performances. Others, such as Anthony Mantha, had mundane seasons. But regardless of who was in the office, management's sendoff didn't alter. "The message to all of them is the same use this off-season as an opportunity to improve as a player," Holland told the Free Press. "Use it to get quicker, to get stronger. Do everything you can to get better. "Tyler had a great year, he came over from Guelph and stepped right into the AHL and it was impressive. But you can't take your foot off the gas. With young players, it's all about being committed to being a pro. It's a lifestyle, a mentality. The routines, the sacrifices, the decisions you make to give yourself the chance to fulfill your potential." With NHL teams overwhelmingly re-signing their own stars and leaving the free-agency market scarcer every summer, drafting and developing have gained emphasis. Larkin, Bertuzzi and Mantha all date from the two most recent drafts, with Larkin and Mantha both being first-rounders. Bertuzzi, the nephew of former Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi, is a second-round pick from 2013, a guy the Wings took higher than he was expected to go because their scouts liked him. Outside the top five or so first-rounders, few draft picks transition to the NHL in a few years, if then. Some can look like they're iffy to ever make it, then suddenly it clicks (Landon Ferraro is a recent example). "All players are full of potential when you draft them," Holland said. "We'd love these kids to come right in and step up. But what I hear from most young players is, the AHL is a tougher league than they thought. It's an education process. It's the reason we try to be patient we don't pick that high, and pro hockey is tough. We try to put them in the best environment to give them the best chance to maximize their ability and to use adversity as a positive. It's about learning a lifestyle." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 Lidstrom: Change is good; Wings might need new voice By Steve Schrader, Detroit Free Press 4:07 p.m. EDT June 10, 2015 New guy Jeff Blashill might be just the tonic the Detroit Red Wings need, according to former captain Nicklas Lidstrom. "A younger coach coming in, a coach with hunger and drive not to say (Mike Babcock) didn't have that but a new voice in the locker room could help some of the veteran players get recharged again," Lidstrom told nhl.com, from Sweden. At 41, Blashill will be one of the youngest coaches in the NHL 11 years younger than Babcock and even four years younger than Lidstrom. But more than age, the full decade that Babcock spent behind the Wings' bench -- an eternity for NHL coaches -- might be where a fresh voice is beneficial. "(Babcock) having been in Detroit for a lot of years and having a lot of success, he probably feels it's the right step for him to look for another challenge. But I think it could be the same for the team, too," Lidstrom said. Lidstrom and Blashill's paths crossed here for one season, , which was Lidstrom's last in the NHL and Blashill's first, as an assistant coach to Babcock. "He did have some ideas on the power play and looking at different things we can work at, but he came in kind of on the learning curve as well, trying to get familiarized with the team and the NHL, what it's like to be part of the NHL," Lidstrom said. "It was a good learning experience for him to get that one year in before being in charge at Grand Rapids." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

4 Blashill will dive right into Red Wings' problems Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 4:27 a.m. EDT June 11, 2015 Detroit Starting about now, the honeymoon likely is over for Jeff Blashill. The Red Wings coach has a long list of issues to deal with before next season rebuilding a roster and aging veterans are at the top of his list. While the Red Wings roster isn't lacking for talent, and the team is coming off a 24th consecutive playoff berth, Blashill knows next season isn't going to be easy. It never is. With that in mind, here are some top issues facing the first-year coach. Who starts in goal? Jimmy Howard or Petr Mrazek? That's the biggest question Blashill, a former goaltender, faces. He won the 2013 Calder Cup in Grand Rapids with Mrazek in net. And Mrazek was handed the spot by Mike Babcock during the playoffs and performed well. But it would be a mistake to forget how good Howard was before he was hurt Jan. 10. He was named an All-Star that night. Many within the organization believe Howard will be motivated to win back his job, and he doesn't have to worry about being traded general manager Ken Holland said that won't happen anytime soon. Aging core Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall aren't getting any younger. Datsyuk struggled with his health the latter part of the season, Zetterberg had a dismal second half and postseason, and Kronwall wasn't consistent. But their leadership is unquestionable. "They come every single day with an unbelievable work ethic," Blashill said. "They're extremely competitive and selfless. They care about team success more than their own success. "You can only win at the highest level and win championships with great character and talent; you have to have both. As a new coach, you're hoping the group has great character. I don't have to hope. I know. I've experienced it. This group oozes character." Young defensemen Defensemen Alexey Marchenko and Xavier Ouellet saw playing time during the season and showed they could be ready to contribute. Nick Jensen and Ryan Sproul showed promise during camp but struggled at times in Grand Rapids. Marchenko and Ouellet would appear to be closest to contributing on a full-time basis. 4

5 With Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Brendan Smith and Jakub Kindl having inconsistent seasons, having Marchenko or Ouellet make a contribution could be necessary. Moving forward How good will the forwards need to be? Better than they were for the Red Wings to make a deeper postseason run. Tomas Tatar (29 goals) and Gustav Nyquist (27) might have to surpass 30 goals next season, and Riley Sheahan and Teemu Pulkkinen need to take next step in their progression. Justin Abdelkader had a career-best 23 goals, but his contributions in other areas are just as important. And Darren Helm showed an ability to play with Pavel Datsyuk and do a lot of the grunt work needed. One forward who needs to rebound is Tomas Jurco, who had 18 points (three goals) in 63 games. NHL parity The Red Wings can't stand still because the teams in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference are getting better. Tampa Bay and Montreal would appear to be set in the division, especially the Lightning, with a young roster capable of contending for a few seasons. Ottawa and Boston finished behind Detroit. Ottawa could be a dangerous given its youth, deep goaltending and confidence from a blazing second half in which it reached the playoffs. And then there's Florida, Columbus and Philadelphia, all teams that missed the playoffs largely because of key injuries, inexperience or sub-par performances. Detroit News LOADED:

6 Gordie Howe 'doing fine' after latest course of therapy Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 3:43 p.m. EDT June 10, 2015 Detroit Mark Howe said his father Gordie is doing well and is moving to Toledo with his brother, Dr. Murray Howe, after completing the latest course of therapy for a stroke. "They are moving him, today, and he's been doing fine," said Howe, director of pro scouting for the Red Wings, who, like his 87-year-old father is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Gordie Howe, who is afflicted with dementia, suffered a major stroke last year and minor strokes more recently. His family said the experimental course of stem cell therapy involves some risk, but improved Howe's quality of life. After each session, a recovery period is expected. "This is part of the program we've decided to follow, and it's worked out well," Mark Howe said. "We continued to be happy with where he was at." Gordie Howe played 25 seasons with the Red Wings, winning four Stanley Cups. In 26 NHL seasons, he and 801 goals and 1,850 points in 1,767 games. Detroit News LOADED:

7 Approved: Olympia gets OK to raze historic Detroit hotel on Red Wings arena site Ian Thibodeau on June 10, 2015 at 7:50 PM, updated June 10, 2015 at 11:35 PM DETROIT - The Detroit Historic District Commission voted in favor of razing the Park Avenue Hotel in Detroit's Cass Corridor neighborhood. A 3-1 vote allows Olympia Development of Michigan, the development arm of the Ilitch family, to tear down the 13-story historic structure to make way for a high-capacity loading bay. Once the bay is installed, a piazza park area is planned for the spot where the blighted hotel currently stands. The hotel is owned by Eventide Property Holdings, a company connected to the developer. It has sat vacant since Wednesday's vote comes after a tumultuous few weeks for the HDC. In April, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan replaced a long-time member of the panel with Kenneth Sanders. Sanders' only known experience with historic restoration is extensive work he and his wife did on their Detroit home. On Wednesday, Sanders voted to demolish the hotel. Commissioner Lauren Hood voted against the demolition. Duggan's second attempted appointment was not shot down. The HDC sat six members Wednesday; two declined to vote because of conflicts of interest. The HDC vote was once postponed by Olympia, who requested more time in May. The Detroit City Council approved plans in April that allowed Olympia to begin vertical construction on the $450 million arena. Approval of the plans was then granted that same week from the Downtown Development Authority. However, it's the surrounding $200 million of shops, restaurants, office space and park areas that seem to hinge upon the Park Avenue demolition. That, and a high-capacity loading bay Olympia has said will allow the new venue to compete with The Palace of Auburn Hills for big shows and events. When the City Council-approved the plans, Olympia agreed to redevelop the Eddystone Hotel next door to the Park Avenue into residential apartments if they are permitted to knock down the Park Avenue Hotel. The developer wants the 20,000-seat arena completed by the start of the 2017 NHL season. Michigan Live LOADED:

8 Legendary Ted Lindsay has some advice for new Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill Brendan Savage on June 10, 2015 at 1:51 PM, updated June 10, 2015 at 4:39 PM DETROIT Jeff Blashill's first taste of coaching in the NHL came during the season, when he served as a Detroit Red Wings assistant under Mike Babcock. Blashill said he learned an "exponential amount" working under Babcock and he'll undoubtedly draw on that experience whether it's what to do or not to do now that he's the Red Wings' new head coach. But when it comes right down to it, there's one thing that Blashill has to absolutely do behind the Red Wings bench, according to one of the most legendary figures in Detroit's storied hockey history. "Coach has got to be his own man," Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay said Tuesday after Blashill was introduced as the new coach at Joe Louis Arena. "Babcock was a special guy. He was here 10 years. That's a long time for a coach to be motivating players, because of a lot of players today leave a lot to be desired sometimes. "We're all different personalities. (Blashill) recognizes Babcock does a good job. He's not Babcock. He's Jeff. That's what he wants to see himself as." Lindsay knows first-hand about coaching the Red Wings. In addition to playing 14 seasons in Detroit where he was a member of the famed Production Line along with Gordie Howe Lindsay coached the Red Wings for 29 games over two seasons. But Lindsay's teams in Detroit were part of the "Dead Wings" era, and he didn't have the luxury that Blashill will enjoy after inheriting a roster that includes players like Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall. "That's definitely going to help him," said Lindsay, who still attends many Red Wings functions with his 90th birthday approaching July 25. "The other thing you look at is five or six of the kids that have been on the team in the last couple of years, he coached them in Grand Rapids. So it's not a strange thing. "I remember one game, a couple of the kids were saying how he doesn't get rattled, he's very calm, no pressure on him. So that's a good asset for a player to have." Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios, now a Red Wings adviser to hockey operations, has gotten an up-close view of what Blashill does on the ice during the past few years. Blashill conducted the Red Wings annual development camp in Traverse City the past three summers, and Chelios served as one of his coaches. Chelios was also a visitor to Grand Rapids Griffins practices the past three seasons during Blashill's tenure as an AHL head coach. 8

9 Chris Chelios, Kris Draper discuss skills of new Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill Both are confident Blashill will succeed as the 27th head coach in Red Wings history. "You talk about structure and accountability, I haven't been around too many guys who are better at it than Jeff," said Chelios, who is reportedly interested in being one of Blashill's assistants. "And one thing he says that hits home is he knows what makes guys tick, he knows how to talk to guys. The fact that he won a Calder Cup with a lot of the guys who are with the Wings is going to help a lot, I think, with his transition. "He's like a parent that speaks well to kids. The only difference is doing it with veterans. He was here as an assistant coach a few years ago, and I didn't really get a chance to work with him too much, but like I said, he's great with people. "Players respect him, and that's a great start." Kris Draper, who won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings before becoming a special assistant to general manager Ken Holland, also visited Griffins practices and has seen how Blashill interacts with players. "He's a coach that is going to go out and be able to relate to his player, but in the end, when he's got to kind of put the pedal down, he's going to do that," Draper said. "I've been able to see that in Grand Rapids the last couple of years, to go there and see how his team has played, how prepared they are, how competitive they are. "The expectations are not going to change. It doesn't matter who's behind the bench. The expectations for this hockey club (are) that they're going to win hockey games and they're going to be successful. "I think that's obviously going to be a tradition that Blash is going to carry on and he's got a fantastic leadership group in that locker room right now and a very competitive group as well." Draper was impressed with the way Blashill conducted himself during Tuesday's standing-room-only press conference. Jeff Blashill says he learned a lot in season as Red Wings assistant under Mike Babcock Blashill was a Red Wings assistant coach in before spending the last three seasons in Grand Rapids. Blashill didn't duck any questions, made time for everyone who wanted a one-on-one interview and confidently said he was looking forward trying to win the Stanley Cup. "He speaks very well, and he's passionate for the game," Draper said. "He has a lot of knowledge for the sport of hockey. I thought the one thing I liked is when they were talking about how the Detroit Red Wings are going to play and obviously Blash has a philosophy, he has an idea. "He obviously understands the personnel that's up here on the Detroit Red Wings and he's going to find a way to maximize everyone's potential in that dressing room." Michigan Live LOADED:

10 Historic hotel could still stand at Red Wings arena site Ian Thibodeau on June 10, 2015 at 11:32 AM, updated June 10, 2015 at 5:17 PM DETROIT - The developers behind the $650 million Red Wings arena and entertainment district project might have to compromise plans to demolish the Park Avenue Hotel. According to a report from the Detroit Free Press, the size of the planned loading dock could be changed to save the hotel. Olympia Development of Michigan, the development arm of the Ilitch family, has said the 1920s hotel needs to come down in order for them to build a high-capacity underground loading bay, which would allow for the new arena to compete with other venues for big shows. In a City Council meeting earlier this year, Olympia officials pointed to The Palace of Auburn Hills as a main competitor. Olympia is scheduled to appear before the Detroit Historic District Commission for a verdict on whether or not they can tear down the hotel. Lauren Hood, a member of the panel, told the Free Press that the decision rests largely on the loading dock. Olympia is expected to argue that the hotel stands in the way of an improvement that will benefit the community, following an exemption to historic preservation laws allowed by the city, according to the report. Olympia has declined to comment on what they expect tomorrow's outcome to be, stating in an that crews have been inside the Park Avenue and Hotel Eddystone recently doing abatement work required regardless of the outcome of tonight's meeting. The hotel has been a sticking point in the arena development. The seven-member HDC panel has been shaved down to six after the replacement of one member fell through. Another long-term member was replaced by Mayor Mike Duggan's office with Kenneth Sanders, a resident of Detroit's University District. The seven members of the HDC are appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council, but Tuesday's memo states that commission members have to be selected from candidate lists that are provided by "local historic preservation organizations." Members of the commission "must have 'a clearly demonstrated interest in or knowledge of historic preservation." Sanders worked for the City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, Public Lighting Department and Recreation Department. According to his resume, which Duggan's office provided to MLive, he lead "the infrastructure team for the construction of" Comerica Park, Ford Field, Greektown Casino, Motor City Casino, MGM Grand Casino and Compuware World Headquarters. 10

11 Sanders lists critical thinking, forensic financial analysis and team-building skills as professional talents on his resume. He lists nothing dealing with historic preservation. Sanders does live in Detroit's University District in a 1930 English Tudor home he and his wife fixed up. Duggan's office began tying up loose ends on the HDC just weeks before a monumental vote that could potentially allow Olympia to demolish the 91-year-old Hotel Park Avenue, but according to spokesman John Roach, the terminations and appointments are routine and unrelated to the vote. Roach said in May, after the first HDC meeting with Olympia was postponed at Olympia's request, that other members of the HDC were sitting on expired terms and their positions were to be reviewed. As the council currently sits, three votes will be required to give Olympia the OK to demolish the building. If denied, Olympia can appeal to the state historic commission. Olympia said frequently in the spring that they are already on a tight schedule with the arena project. The developer wants the 785,000-square-foot, 20,000-seat arena ready for the 2017 NHL season. Recent reports have speculated that the rest of the promised development -- shops, restaurants, apartments, office spaces and nearly 45-blocks of mixed-used development -- will lag far behind the arena construction. The project will redevelop a big portion of land that's been owned by the Ilitch family, who own Olympia, for years. Olympia and others supporting the project have said that it will connect two major sections of Detroit. The Park Avenue decision is the first agenda item on Wednesday's 5:30 p.m. meeting. The meeting is open to the public, and will be open for public comment. Michigan Live LOADED:

12 Red Wings legend Gordie Howe 'comfortable and happy' after second stem cell treatment Brendan Savage on June 10, 2015 at 10:35 AM, updated June 10, 2015 at 12:45 PM Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe is "comfortable and happy" after undergoing a second round of stem cell therapy in Mexico, according to son Murray Howe. Howe, 87, suffered a major stroke in October and his family was prepared for the worst before "Mr. Hockey" made a remarkable recovery after undergoing his first stem cell treatment in December. That allowed him to make an appearance as a tribute dinner in his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in February. Now, he is doing well after a second treatment, Murray Howe told The Hockey News. "Our dad continues to participate in a clinical trial where stem cells are being used in the treatment of a stroke," said Murray Howe, a radiologist in Toledo. "We'd like to wait until the first phase of that clinical trial is complete before providing any more updates. "At this time, our dad is comfortable and happy. That remains our goal. We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support for Mr. Hockey." While the Red Wings were introducing Jeff Blashill as their newest coach Tuesday, Howe reportedly joined Murray for a walk on the beach in San Diego. Michigan Live LOADED:

13 Column: Qualities Jeff Blashill brings to Red Wings outweigh concerns about NHL inexperience Ansar Khan on June 10, 2015 at 6:05 AM, updated June 10, 2015 at 6:07 AM DETROIT Jeff Blashill was the Detroit Red Wings' overwhelming choice the only option they considered as head coach after Mike Babcock left for Toronto. Blashill has a track record of success as a head coach in the USHL (Indiana), college (Western Michigan) and the AHL (Grand Rapids Griffins). He has the necessary makeup (hard-working, well-prepared, detail-oriented, good communicator, a sharp mind for the game). No coach knows this organization and its players better than Blashill, who coached almost half the current roster and many future Red Wings in Grand Rapids. He has the respect of players. Five other NHL clubs thought highly enough of him to ask for permission to speak to him a year ago. How can this not be the right move? Concerned about his age (at 41, he's the second-youngest coach in the NHL) and his lack of NHL head coaching experience? Don't be. For the Red Wings, who have so much time invested in Blashill's development, it would have been a far greater gamble to hire someone else and let a potentially fine, young NHL coach walk away Blashill is drawing comparisons to the Tampa Bay Lightning's Jon Cooper, who had a successful career at lower levels, also winning championships in the USHL (Green Bay) and AHL (Norfolk) before being promoted to the NHL in 2013 at age 45. In just his second full season he's led the Lightning to the Stanley Cup finals, where they have a 2-1 lead over the Chicago Blackhawks. "Coop's one of my best friends in coaching, probably one of my best friends regardless of coaching," Blashill said. "Him and I, our history goes back years, maybe longer than that. We've coached teams together in Michigan in the summer. I've recruited lots of players off of him. He's somebody I have a great deal of respect for. We're probably alike in a lot of ways. He's someone I speak to as a friend." He said the same of Babcock, who won more games than any coach in franchise history. The Red Wings qualified for the playoffs in each of his 10 seasons, the only team to do that every year since the salary cap was implemented. He guided the club to the Stanley Cup championship in 2008 and Cup finals in 2009, but the Red Wings haven't advanced past the second round in six years and have been ousted in the first round in three of the past four. Was Babcock's message getting stale? Was it time for a change? The Red Wings didn't think so, offering him a five-year contract worth $20 million. But when the Maple Leafs offered a mind-boggling $50 million for eight years, Babcock couldn't refuse. 13

14 Blashill shares some of the same philosophies as Babcock; they spoke regularly by phone the past three years. And while Blashill isn't as abrasive as the hard-driving Babcock, he's no pushover, for anyone who might think the Red Wings are going from a tough, demanding coach to a softie. "I don't think he's a soft coach," general manager Ken Holland said. "One of the things I believe is very important in being a head coach is you got to make people accountable. They got to understand there's parameters and expectations and if they don't abide by those parameters and expectations on and off the ice -- commitment to gym, commitment to fitness, attention to detail, playing a 200-foot game, playing 45-second shifts, they got to buy the team game -- you're not going to have success." Holland said the first thing he looks for in a coach is someone who's in charge, whose authority isn't questioned, someone with a presence and confidence. He believes Blashill fits the bill. "I'm going with my instincts that he's a great, young coach who's ready for this opportunity," Holland said. "Is he going to have a different approach than Mike Babcock? Absolutely. But if you think you're going to come out here and have long shifts and do this and that, he's not going to play you. There's players in Grand Rapids he sits and they're high draft picks. "Mike Babcock had no problem making the hard decisions and I believe Blash is going to make the hard decisions. At the same time I believe he's going to have a little different relationship because he's a different person than Mike." Despite familiarity with the players, Blashill said he must earn their respect, and vice versa. "The only way to earn respect is through your daily actions," he said. Blashill sounds a lot like Babcock. The Red Wings have many reasons to believe he'll continue the tradition of success. Michigan Live LOADED:

15 Detroit goalies both elite,' Blashill says By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily Posted: 06/10/15, 4:43 PM EDT Updated: 1 min ago DETROIT >> Wings general manager Ken Holland reiterated his plans when it comes to goalie Jimmy Howard he won t be traded. I don t, Howard said when asked if he d consider trading Howard. I think this is a twogoalie league. Up until the All-Star break I think his goals-against average was 2.01 and his save percentage was.924. He got injured and the wheels went off the track. Holland wants Howard and Petr Mrazek, who surpassed him on the depth chart to be the team s goalie in the playoffs, to battle for the starting job next season. Howard was easily the Wings MVP in the first half of the season and was their only representative on the All-Star team. He went and had a 2.08 goals-against average and.921 save percentage. But a little over an hour after he was named to the All-Star game, he tore his groin and he was sidelined for more than a month. While he was out, Mrazek went Because of Mrazek s play, when he came back, we weren t prepared to let Jimmy kind of play his way out of the injury, Holland said. I don t think he ever really got the wheels back on the track. At the end of the day, I think you re leading me towards is it time for change, Holland continued. To me, it s a two-goalie league. I ve got to have two goalies. Howard, 31, was never the same goalie after that, going in 11 starts over the final month of the season. The game that really solidified Howard s seat on the bench was his final regular season start in Montreal when he allowed three soft goals in an overtime loss. Howard played one period in the Wings opening round series against Tampa Bay, relieving Mrazek in a 5-1 loss in Game 2. The one thing that I know is that both Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek have proved at different points of their careers that they re elite goalies, new coach Jeff Blashill said. I think it s great to have as much depth at every position you can and that s what those guys have proven at different points of their careers. I know they re elite competitors as well and character people. I m excited to coach both of them. Mrazek, 23, was one of the Wings best players in the playoffs, posting a 2.11 GAA and.925 save percentage. He blanked the NHL s highest-scoring team twice. 15

16 Howard, who finished the regular season with a 2.44 GAA and.910 save percentage, has four years remaining on his contract at an average of almost $5.3 million per season. Mrazek, whose salary cap hit is $737,500, will be a restricted free agent after next season. Combined their salaries are $6 million. When you look at what we put into goal in relation to our 29 competitors, we re probably in the middle of the pack, Holland said. There are some teams that have eight or nine million (invested) in goal. So I think we ve got a nice one, two punch. I think we re going to have a motivated guy in Jimmy Howard and I think we re going to have a motivated guy in Petr Mrazek. Mrazek began the season in Grand Rapids, but was forced to play pretty much the whole year in Detroit due to injuries to Howard and backup Jonas Gustavsson, who will not be back next season with the Wings. Macomb Daily LOADED:

17 Blashill realizes dream come true as new Red Wings coach KEITH GAVE JUN 10, :56p ET The first time the phone rang, Jim Blashill wasn't all that surprised when his son said he was putting off plans to continue his education to try his hand at coaching. Jeff Blashill had just earned a finance degree at Ferris State University, where he played four seasons of hockey in goal. "He was talking about law school," the senior Blashill told FOX Sports Detroit. "But we weren't all that surprised when he said he wanted to coach." That decision spoke to his love and passion for the game the entire Blashill family fell in love with in Sault Ste. Marie, where Jim and Rosemary Blashill raised four kids. Jim spent more than 30 years teaching at Lake Superior State University after a decade working the streets in Detroit as a police officer. Hockey is its own form of religion in the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie -- on both sides of the St. Mary's River that separates Michigan and Ontario. A few years later, the phone rang again, and Jeff was telling his dad he was thinking about taking an assistant coaching job at Miami (Ohio) University. And six years later, the calls were coming more frequently. Each time, Jim offered his fatherly advice. "Most of those jobs I advised against," he said. "I would ask, 'Are you sure you want to leave Ferris? Why? You want to leave Miami? Why." That all changed in the early summer of 2010, when his son phoned to tell him that he'd just gotten a call from Mike Babcock. "Who's that?" the father asked. The coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Jeff said. That Mike Babcock. And he wants to talk to me about a job. "Oh my God, it was just unbelievable. It was so out of left field," said Jim, concluding then that there was a method to his son's job-surfing all along. "That's when I decided I'm not giving him my advice anymore." That phone call out of the blue led to Jeff spending a year in Detroit as Babcock's assistant followed by three wildly successful years as head coach in Grand Rapids, the Red Wings' top minor-league affiliate. At a news conference Wednesday at Joe Louis Arena, Jeff realized a dream-come-true when he was introduced as the new coach, succeeding Babcock. "It's a neat thing to ultimately be a head coach of a team that was such a big part of your life growing up," Jeff said. Now the 41-year-old rookie NHL coach is tasked with taking a young team still being retrofitted on the fly, getting younger and, remarkably, better at the same time, into the 17

18 Stanley Cup playoffs for the 25th consecutive year. That streak began when Jeff was just 17 years old and on the cusp of a junior career that began a year later in Des Moines, Iowa. Not that there's any pressure or anything. Wings fans have become a bit spoiled along the way, and their expectations can tend to get a little out of whack. But whatever Jeff is feeling, he's facing it head on. "The pressure for me, and it's a year-to-year thing, is something you put on yourselves as an organization, as a manager, as a coach and as players, and it's bigger than any outside pressure that you could face," he said. "With that said, we don't worry about what could happen if you don't do it. We worry about what it's going to take to do it. That's our focus." That was the focus for his Griffins this spring when they found themselves down 0-2, in the best-of-five opening-round Calder Cup playoff series with the Toronto Marlies. "People were talking about the pressure of Game 3: If you lose, you're done," Jeff said. "We all understood that, and we weren't hiding behind it. But our focus wasn't on what might happen if we lost, it's 'What is it going to take to win?" It is that singular focus, with the kind of attention to detail and structure and process that drew comparisons to his friend and mentor Mike Babcock, that gives General Manager Ken Holland -- and should give Wings fans -- the confidence that the team has the right man at the right time behind the Detroit bench. And Jeff Blashill's father isn't second-guessing anymore, either. foxsports.com LOADED:

19 Griffins next coach? Six candidates, including Toledo's Derek Lalonde By Peter Wallner / MLive.com GRAND RAPIDS, MI The Detroit Red Wings organization has already interviewed two candidates to replace Jeff Blashill as coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, with as many as four more to come, assistant general manager Ryan Martin said Tuesday. Blashill's promotion as the Red Wings coach Tuesday had been in the works since Mike Babcock's departure to Toronto on May 20, which gave the organization a jump on who would be the 10th coach in Grand Rapids. Martin said two candidates were interviewed two weeks ago, with another three expected to meet later this week and another early next week. "We're hopeful that towards the end of next week we will have a new coach for Grand Rapids," he said. Among the candidates is Toledo coach Derek Lalonde, who led the Toledo Walleye to the conference finals in the ECHL. He "is a good candidate, but not the only candidate," Martin said. Pat Ferschweiler, Blashill's assistant in Grand Rapids and his former assistant at Western Michigan, could also be in the mix, while Erie Otters' Kris Knoblauch of the OHL was linked as a candidate Monday in a tweet by Edmonton Journal hockey reporter Jim Matheson. Whoever takes over the program will have big shoes to fill. Blashill, 41, led the Griffins to their most successful three-year span in franchise history with three consecutive playoff appearances and the AHL title in "The new guy is going to come in and, just like a player, he wants to better his coaching game," said Griffins captain Jeff Hoggan. "Who that will be, I don't know. But I think they're going to do a good job of finding the right fit. "Whoever it is, they'll transition for sure. I mean he will have a lot of good young players to work with." Martin said the organization will be challenged to continue to the success of Blashill. The organization liked the relationship between Blashill and Babcock and would like to see that continue. 19

20 "Obviously it will be very difficult to fill Jeff's shoes," Martin said. "But what we've learned over the past few years, is the type of coach that we want here in terms of personality and philosophy as far as skill development. One of Jeff's greatest strengths is his ability to make the player feel part of the development process so they have a vested interest." There is also competition for the Griffins. There are five other AHL teams also looking for coaches. "Not only is it competitive," Martin said. "But there are options out there for coaches, too." 20