This morning at a press conference inside the Olympia Club, Detroit Red Wing defenseman, Brian Rafalski announced his retirement.
Rafalski said the decision was made 2 months ago with his wife so that they can "serve their family and serve others." For the past season, Rafalski has had trouble with a sore back and knee. He is leaving the Red Wings with one year left on his contract worth $6 Million.
The Dearborn native played college hockey in Wisconsin. After he graduated, Rafalski started his professional career in Europe before heading into the NHL. The defenseman has won 3 Stanley Cups. (Two with New Jersey and one with Detroit.)
Rafalski's presence will be missed on the blue line. It will be interesting to see how Kenny Holland shapes the team for next season.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Brad McCrimmon Out
According to a release sent out by the Red Wings this morning, Assistant Coach Brad McCrimmon is no longer with the team. McCrimmon's contract expired at the end of the season and he has decided to "pursue other opportunities."
Friday, May 13, 2011
The Rundown: Pride.
Well, that's the season.
Disappointed? A little. But only because the season is over.
Disappointed in the Wings? No, not at all.
The Wings showed us their passion for the game, their determination, and their pride. When they were down 3 games to none in this last series, Jimmy Howard stepped up and said "Why not us?" Those three simple words were just what we needed to hear. Three simple words that made all of us believe in the magic and passion of this team. Three simple words that made the Wings believe and come back to win 3 straight games. There is nothing to be disappointed about. The Wings fought hard. They played hard. To the very last second last night, they did all they could to keep the season alive not only for themselves, but for us as well.
Though things didn't end in our favor, there is still a lot to be happy about. This team gave us one hell of a season full of milestones and memories. Let's reflect a little. Instead of focusing on last night's loss, let's focus on the season as a whole. Let's put things in perspective. Here's some of the best moments this season...
Mike Modano Comes Home- Last summer there was a lot of speculation and rumors about Ken Holland bringing Mike Modano to Detroit. Many were weary at first, but Mikey-Mo signed a 1 year contract with the Wings. Even though Modano's season was cut in half due to that horrific wrist injury, It was still nice to see the hometown hero sporting the winged wheel. Not to mention, he'll probably end up retiring. Modano has come full circle. Starting his hockey playing here in Detroit and coming back to end it. (someone give me a tissue)
Pavel fights- Our Mr. Lady Bing found himself in a fight this season against Corey Perry of the Ducks. Something that we all talked about for days. And let's not forget, in that same game Datsyuk scored a goal and got an assist. (Better known in Hockeytown as the Gordie Howe Hat Trick) Datsyuk joked after the game about being able to open his mind a little more and not having to worry about trying to win the Lady Bing this season.
Chris Osgood's 400th Win- Yeah, we all waited a L O N G time for it to happen. But when that moment came, goosebumps were sent all over my body. Chris Osgood won his 400th career game, an accomplishment that only 9 other goaltenders in the history of the game were able to do. Osgood, who hasn't always had the respect of media and fans, showed everyone that he is hall of fame worthy. Numbers don't lie.
Lidstrom's Hat Trick- Nick Lidstrom is arguably they best defenseman the NHL has ever seen. We're lucky to be able to call him our own. With 4 Stanley Cups, 6 Norris Trophies, and a number of other career achievements (heck, the guy even has a street named after him!) , it's crazy to think that in 18 1/2 seasons, Lidstrom never had a hat trick. That all ended on December 15th. Perfect human, perfect curly fries.
Franzen's Five Goal Game- When he shoots, he scores... and he does it often. On February 2nd, Johan Franzen beat the Ottawa Senators all by himself, scoring 5 goals. Mule gave Hockeytown free curly fries... he even enjoyed some himself.
Bertuzzi's 1000th Career Game- Todd Bertuzzi made it to 1,000 games this year. Through out his career, Bert has experienced a lot of ups and downs and has been one of the most controversial players in the league. Bertuzzi's 1,000 game was well deserved and earned. He even scored the game winning goal in game 1,000. As my Bertuzzi Kuzzi says, Bertuzzi is "#44 in your program, #1 in your heart"
20 Straight Playoff Appearances- We're spoiled. Year in and year out the Wings spoil us with playoff hockey. 20 years in a row, the Wings have found themselves in the playoffs. 4 of those years they went all the way to win the Cup. No other current team in any pro sport has been able to accomplish such a thing. I have a feeling that this streak will continue to grow for years to come.
Other Things That Made Me Smile This Season-
Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader -
These two are really starting to come into their prime. Abby has been able to step up, get in fights, score a few goals, and really make great plays happen. Helm has been able to use his speed to make plays happen, he's been great on the PK, and he's also been able to provide great entertainment every time I see a quote from him in the paper. Example:
Jimmy Howard-
Today, while listening to the radio, one of the DJ's was talking about how for once in Detroit, fans are actually standing behind their goalie with pride. Jimmy's earned it. He's OUR GOALIE. He's our man. He knows that in this town, his job is not so easy. But night in and night out, Jimmy provided us with great saves, great wins, and great chances to win. He was pretty solid through out the entire season and earns all the praise in the world for his efforts.
The Fans-
There is nothing like being a Detroit Red Wing Fan. And I've come to learn that you don't quite understand it from the outside looking in. But once you're in, once you're a fan, you quickly become attached to this team and become proud of what they do every night out on that ice.
There is no better feeling than walking into Joe Louis Arena and realizing that you aren't the only obsessed fan... There is nothing cooler than the Wings having the lead in the 3rd period and hearing everyone in the building sing Don't Stop Believing. There are so many great traditions here in Detroit and we make sure every single one of those traditions live on. There's a reason why Detroit is called Hockeytown, and the fans have a lot to do with it.
The Future- It's going to be an interesting summer. I want to see what will happen next for the wings, I wish I knew the roster for next season already. I'm hoping and praying that last night wasn't the last time that we all get to see Lidstrom and Draper in the Red Wings jersey.
On a personal note, I would like to thank all of you guys for reading. Stef and I wanted to do this for fun and for our love of the Wings and we appreciate you're support more than we could probably say. We'll be updating through out the summer to let you all know about trades, signings, and all the other fun stuff Red Wings related.
Until next time, Go Wings!
Disappointed? A little. But only because the season is over.
Disappointed in the Wings? No, not at all.
The Wings showed us their passion for the game, their determination, and their pride. When they were down 3 games to none in this last series, Jimmy Howard stepped up and said "Why not us?" Those three simple words were just what we needed to hear. Three simple words that made all of us believe in the magic and passion of this team. Three simple words that made the Wings believe and come back to win 3 straight games. There is nothing to be disappointed about. The Wings fought hard. They played hard. To the very last second last night, they did all they could to keep the season alive not only for themselves, but for us as well.
Though things didn't end in our favor, there is still a lot to be happy about. This team gave us one hell of a season full of milestones and memories. Let's reflect a little. Instead of focusing on last night's loss, let's focus on the season as a whole. Let's put things in perspective. Here's some of the best moments this season...
Mike Modano Comes Home- Last summer there was a lot of speculation and rumors about Ken Holland bringing Mike Modano to Detroit. Many were weary at first, but Mikey-Mo signed a 1 year contract with the Wings. Even though Modano's season was cut in half due to that horrific wrist injury, It was still nice to see the hometown hero sporting the winged wheel. Not to mention, he'll probably end up retiring. Modano has come full circle. Starting his hockey playing here in Detroit and coming back to end it. (someone give me a tissue)
Pavel fights- Our Mr. Lady Bing found himself in a fight this season against Corey Perry of the Ducks. Something that we all talked about for days. And let's not forget, in that same game Datsyuk scored a goal and got an assist. (Better known in Hockeytown as the Gordie Howe Hat Trick) Datsyuk joked after the game about being able to open his mind a little more and not having to worry about trying to win the Lady Bing this season.
Chris Osgood's 400th Win- Yeah, we all waited a L O N G time for it to happen. But when that moment came, goosebumps were sent all over my body. Chris Osgood won his 400th career game, an accomplishment that only 9 other goaltenders in the history of the game were able to do. Osgood, who hasn't always had the respect of media and fans, showed everyone that he is hall of fame worthy. Numbers don't lie.
Lidstrom's Hat Trick- Nick Lidstrom is arguably they best defenseman the NHL has ever seen. We're lucky to be able to call him our own. With 4 Stanley Cups, 6 Norris Trophies, and a number of other career achievements (heck, the guy even has a street named after him!) , it's crazy to think that in 18 1/2 seasons, Lidstrom never had a hat trick. That all ended on December 15th. Perfect human, perfect curly fries.
Franzen's Five Goal Game- When he shoots, he scores... and he does it often. On February 2nd, Johan Franzen beat the Ottawa Senators all by himself, scoring 5 goals. Mule gave Hockeytown free curly fries... he even enjoyed some himself.
Bertuzzi's 1000th Career Game- Todd Bertuzzi made it to 1,000 games this year. Through out his career, Bert has experienced a lot of ups and downs and has been one of the most controversial players in the league. Bertuzzi's 1,000 game was well deserved and earned. He even scored the game winning goal in game 1,000. As my Bertuzzi Kuzzi says, Bertuzzi is "#44 in your program, #1 in your heart"
20 Straight Playoff Appearances- We're spoiled. Year in and year out the Wings spoil us with playoff hockey. 20 years in a row, the Wings have found themselves in the playoffs. 4 of those years they went all the way to win the Cup. No other current team in any pro sport has been able to accomplish such a thing. I have a feeling that this streak will continue to grow for years to come.
Other Things That Made Me Smile This Season-
Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader -
These two are really starting to come into their prime. Abby has been able to step up, get in fights, score a few goals, and really make great plays happen. Helm has been able to use his speed to make plays happen, he's been great on the PK, and he's also been able to provide great entertainment every time I see a quote from him in the paper. Example:
Jimmy Howard-
Today, while listening to the radio, one of the DJ's was talking about how for once in Detroit, fans are actually standing behind their goalie with pride. Jimmy's earned it. He's OUR GOALIE. He's our man. He knows that in this town, his job is not so easy. But night in and night out, Jimmy provided us with great saves, great wins, and great chances to win. He was pretty solid through out the entire season and earns all the praise in the world for his efforts.
The Fans-
There is nothing like being a Detroit Red Wing Fan. And I've come to learn that you don't quite understand it from the outside looking in. But once you're in, once you're a fan, you quickly become attached to this team and become proud of what they do every night out on that ice.
There is no better feeling than walking into Joe Louis Arena and realizing that you aren't the only obsessed fan... There is nothing cooler than the Wings having the lead in the 3rd period and hearing everyone in the building sing Don't Stop Believing. There are so many great traditions here in Detroit and we make sure every single one of those traditions live on. There's a reason why Detroit is called Hockeytown, and the fans have a lot to do with it.
_______________________
The Future- It's going to be an interesting summer. I want to see what will happen next for the wings, I wish I knew the roster for next season already. I'm hoping and praying that last night wasn't the last time that we all get to see Lidstrom and Draper in the Red Wings jersey.
_______________________
On a personal note, I would like to thank all of you guys for reading. Stef and I wanted to do this for fun and for our love of the Wings and we appreciate you're support more than we could probably say. We'll be updating through out the summer to let you all know about trades, signings, and all the other fun stuff Red Wings related.
Until next time, Go Wings!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Warm-Up: Round 2, Game 6 San Jose @ Detroit
Warm-Up:
"We're not a team that's going to give up. We're going to keep battling until its over."
-Nick Lidstrom
Once again, ladies and gents, the season is on the line. The Wings need to win this one to force a game 7 back in San Jose. If the Wings can play a complete game (not just the third period), I believe they will come out with a win.
And that's what we all need to do... Believe.
Hometown Hero, Mike Modano will suit up tonight to after Mike Babcock announced this morning that Johan Franzen is scratched. Franzen had just over 9 minutes of ice time on Sunday night and didn't play in the third period
Also, The Sharks will be without Rayne Clowe tonight... there's been various reports on what's wrong with him. Some say he has 'flu like symptoms' others say he has an 'upper body injury' ... either way you look at it, he's just recovering from being kronwalled.
Injuries/Scratches:
Jakub Kindl and Jiri Hudler are the healthy scratches.
Johan Franzen out with an ankle injury/lower body injury.
Other Notes:
It's now or never.
Alright boys, let's do this.
Go Wings!
"We're not a team that's going to give up. We're going to keep battling until its over."
-Nick Lidstrom
Once again, ladies and gents, the season is on the line. The Wings need to win this one to force a game 7 back in San Jose. If the Wings can play a complete game (not just the third period), I believe they will come out with a win.
And that's what we all need to do... Believe.
Hometown Hero, Mike Modano will suit up tonight to after Mike Babcock announced this morning that Johan Franzen is scratched. Franzen had just over 9 minutes of ice time on Sunday night and didn't play in the third period
Also, The Sharks will be without Rayne Clowe tonight... there's been various reports on what's wrong with him. Some say he has 'flu like symptoms' others say he has an 'upper body injury' ... either way you look at it, he's just recovering from being kronwalled.
Injuries/Scratches:
Jakub Kindl and Jiri Hudler are the healthy scratches.
Johan Franzen out with an ankle injury/lower body injury.
Other Notes:
It's now or never.
Alright boys, let's do this.
Go Wings!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Warm-Up: Round 2, Game 5 Detroit @ San Jose
Warm-Up:
Once again, the season is on the line.
Do or die time once more.
Believe.
Let's get to game six. Let's make things interesting. If the Wings play with the same intensity they did on Friday night, this one is in the bag.
I did my part... the cookies were made, nails painted, car flag up, green shirt on, Jimmy on my wrist.
Injuries/ Scratches -
Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen are game time decisions.
Until then we'll just assume that Mike Modano, Drew Miller, and Jakub Kindl are the healthy scratches.
Let's do this boys, Go Wings!
Once again, the season is on the line.
Do or die time once more.
Believe.
Let's get to game six. Let's make things interesting. If the Wings play with the same intensity they did on Friday night, this one is in the bag.
I did my part... the cookies were made, nails painted, car flag up, green shirt on, Jimmy on my wrist.
Injuries/ Scratches -
Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen are game time decisions.
Until then we'll just assume that Mike Modano, Drew Miller, and Jakub Kindl are the healthy scratches.
Let's do this boys, Go Wings!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Warm-Up: Round 2, Game 4 San Jose @ Detroit
The Warm Up:
They say history repeats itself. Tonight- it better not.
It's do or die time.
It's now or never.
Tonight Hockeytown, we need to believe.
Believe that our boys can come flying out onto the ice tonight. Believe that even though we're down by three, we're not out. Believe that this team has what it takes to win game 4 just so that our season can see a few more days (hopefully weeks). It's not going to be easy, but if any team has enough heart to do this, it's the Red Wings.
_______
The Wings host the San Jose Sharks tonight at 7. All the pieces need to come together for the Wings tonight, otherwise they'll spend tomorrow reserving tee-times.
Injuries/Scratches:
Mike Modano, Drew Miller, Jakub Kindl are the healthy scratches tonight.
Other Notes:
There's a lot of talk around town about the end of careers for some of the guys on the team. Modano, Osgood, maybe Lidstrom, maybe Draper. We all know that these guys are towards the end of their careers but for god's sake, can we PLEASE save the retirement talks for after the playoffs? Our guys have more important things to worry about right now.
Let's do this boys.
Go Wings!
They say history repeats itself. Tonight- it better not.
It's do or die time.
It's now or never.
Tonight Hockeytown, we need to believe.
Believe that our boys can come flying out onto the ice tonight. Believe that even though we're down by three, we're not out. Believe that this team has what it takes to win game 4 just so that our season can see a few more days (hopefully weeks). It's not going to be easy, but if any team has enough heart to do this, it's the Red Wings.
_______
The Wings host the San Jose Sharks tonight at 7. All the pieces need to come together for the Wings tonight, otherwise they'll spend tomorrow reserving tee-times.
Injuries/Scratches:
Mike Modano, Drew Miller, Jakub Kindl are the healthy scratches tonight.
Other Notes:
There's a lot of talk around town about the end of careers for some of the guys on the team. Modano, Osgood, maybe Lidstrom, maybe Draper. We all know that these guys are towards the end of their careers but for god's sake, can we PLEASE save the retirement talks for after the playoffs? Our guys have more important things to worry about right now.
Let's do this boys.
Go Wings!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Warm-Up: Round 2, Game 3 San Jose @ Detroit
Warm-Up:
The Wings host the Sharks tonight for game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Final. Our boys are down by 2 in the series, making tonight a must win... otherwise I'll turn on the panic button... and that won't be pretty. Babs is switching up the line up tonight, he's sitting Drew Miller and putting in Kris Draper. Also, Babs is splitting up Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, putting them on the first and second line respectively.
On a personal note... I think that Kindl should be out on the ice instead of Ericsson or Salei... just my opinion though.
Lines for tonight should look something like this then-
Franzen, Datsyuk, Holmstrom
Bertuzzi, Zetterberg, Cleary
Abdelkader, Filppula, Hudler
Draper, Helm, Eaves
Injuries/Scratches:
Mike Modano, Drew Miller, and Jakub Kindl are the healthy scratches tonight
Other Notes:
What/Who To Look For:
Douglas Murray- This guys is definitely letting his presence be known out on the ice.
Those guys in stripes on the ice playing for San Jose. They're real good this time of year.
Also, lets hope Jimmy is wearing his mittens and scarf tonight, there's sure to be some snow showers coming his way.
Predictions:
Final Score-
Stef- 3-2, Wings
Danielle- 2-1, Wings
Player of the Game-
Stef- Johan Franzen
Danielle- Tomas Holmstrom
Go Wings!
The Wings host the Sharks tonight for game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Final. Our boys are down by 2 in the series, making tonight a must win... otherwise I'll turn on the panic button... and that won't be pretty. Babs is switching up the line up tonight, he's sitting Drew Miller and putting in Kris Draper. Also, Babs is splitting up Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, putting them on the first and second line respectively.
On a personal note... I think that Kindl should be out on the ice instead of Ericsson or Salei... just my opinion though.
Lines for tonight should look something like this then-
Franzen, Datsyuk, Holmstrom
Bertuzzi, Zetterberg, Cleary
Abdelkader, Filppula, Hudler
Draper, Helm, Eaves
Injuries/Scratches:
Mike Modano, Drew Miller, and Jakub Kindl are the healthy scratches tonight
Other Notes:
What/Who To Look For:
Douglas Murray- This guys is definitely letting his presence be known out on the ice.
Those guys in stripes on the ice playing for San Jose. They're real good this time of year.
Also, lets hope Jimmy is wearing his mittens and scarf tonight, there's sure to be some snow showers coming his way.
Predictions:
Final Score-
Stef- 3-2, Wings
Danielle- 2-1, Wings
Player of the Game-
Stef- Johan Franzen
Danielle- Tomas Holmstrom
Go Wings!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Warm-Up: Round 2, Game 2 Detroit @ San Jose
The Warm-Up:
Let's not hit the panic button yet. After a tough over-time loss on Friday night, the Wings are looking to come back to Detroit with the series tied 1-1. Though game one wasn't their best game, the Wings aren't a team to let one game get them down. I'm looking forward to seeing the Wings come out strong and willing to do whatever it takes (minus the penalties) to win this one.
We'll also be forced to listen to NBC announce the game this afternoon.
Injuries/Scratches:
Kris Draper, Mike Modano, and Jakub Kindl are the healthy scratches today.
Other Notes:
Happy Birthday to Patrick Eaves!
AND! A big congrats to Hockeytown Rundown-er, Stef for graduating today!!!
What to Look For:
The Wings need to stay out of the penalty box today. In game one, the Wings had 6 penalties called against them, while San Jose only had 2. We'll also need to see some spark coming from guys like Franzen and Helm.
Predictions:
Final Score-
Stef- 4-2, Wings
Danielle- 3-2, Wings
Player of the Game-
Stef- Brian Rafalski
Danielle- Valtteri Filppula
Go Wings!
Let's not hit the panic button yet. After a tough over-time loss on Friday night, the Wings are looking to come back to Detroit with the series tied 1-1. Though game one wasn't their best game, the Wings aren't a team to let one game get them down. I'm looking forward to seeing the Wings come out strong and willing to do whatever it takes (minus the penalties) to win this one.
We'll also be forced to listen to NBC announce the game this afternoon.
Injuries/Scratches:
Kris Draper, Mike Modano, and Jakub Kindl are the healthy scratches today.
Other Notes:
Happy Birthday to Patrick Eaves!
AND! A big congrats to Hockeytown Rundown-er, Stef for graduating today!!!
What to Look For:
The Wings need to stay out of the penalty box today. In game one, the Wings had 6 penalties called against them, while San Jose only had 2. We'll also need to see some spark coming from guys like Franzen and Helm.
Predictions:
Final Score-
Stef- 4-2, Wings
Danielle- 3-2, Wings
Player of the Game-
Stef- Brian Rafalski
Danielle- Valtteri Filppula
Go Wings!
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