Red Wings Today, 2011 Playoffs - Round 1 by Detroit Red Wings

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A M I LLI O N M I LE S AWAY, R I G H T D O W N T H E S T R E E T.

MANAGING EDITOR Bill Roose

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bryan Durren

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michelle Chmura

WINGS THINGS Red Wings Team History ..................................................... 5 Hockeytown Trivia ..............................................................15 Detroit Red Wings Save of the Game ..............................17 GM Corner: Q&A with Jim Nill ..........................................19 Your 2010-11 Detroit Red Wings .....................................21 Wings & Things with Drew Miller ....................................43 Detroit Red Wings Photo of the Month ...........................44 Alumni Reunion with Mike Knuble ..................................47 CCHA Update .......................................................................57 Dining & Beverage Guide............................................. 58-59

GAME DAY LIVE Game Notes .........................................................................29 Today’s Line-Up ............................................................ 30-31 Around the NHL ..................................................................32

WRITING STAFF David Burke, Michael Caples, Bill Roose and Jeff Sanford

COPY EDITOR Bill Roose and Jeff Sanford

GAME DAY PAGE CONTRIBUTOR Rick Bowness

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jim Ruffner

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FEATURES Unforgettable ...................6

Dreams Come True....... 34

Will He, Nill He............... 48

By Michael Caples

By Bill Roose

By Michael Caples

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DETROIT RED WINGS - HOCKEY OPERATIONS

Public Relations Coordinator.....................................................................................RICK BOWNESS

Owner/Governor.................................................................................................................. MIKE ILITCH

Director of Marketing..................................................................................................... ROB MATTINA

Owner/Secretary-Treasurer........................................................................................ MARIAN ILITCH

Executive Producer, Event Entertainment.......................................................... AYRON SEQUEIRA

President & CEO, Ilitch Holdings, Inc......................................................... CHRISTOPHER ILITCH

Marketing Manager................................................................................................KIMBERLY PALTER

Senior Vice President/Alternate Governor............................................................ JIM DEVELLANO

Marketing Coordinator........................................................................................................JIM BIEWER

Exec. Vice President/General Manager/Alternate Governor.................................. KEN HOLLAND

Fan Development/Youth Hockey Manager....................................................................PHIL PIERCE

Vice President/Assistant General Manager........................................................................... JIM NILL

Director of Ticket & Premium Sales............................................................................ SARA DANIEL

Advisor to Hockey Operations................................................................................... CHRIS CHELIOS Assistant General Manager of Hockey Administration........................................... RYAN MARTIN Executive Assistant.......................................................................................................... KATHI WYATT Head Coach.................................................................................................................... MIKE BABCOCK Associate Coaches...............................................PAUL MacLEAN AND BRAD McCRIMMON Goaltending Coach..............................................................................................................JIM BEDARD Video Coach.......................................................................................................... KEITH McKITTRICK Director of Pro Scouting.................................................................................................... MARK HOWE Pro Scouts................................ GLENN MERKOSKY, BRUCE HARALSON, KIRK MALTBY Director of Amateur Scouting.................................................................................JOE McDONNELL Amateur Scouts....................................................MARK LEACH, DAVID KOLB, JEFF FINLEY Director of European Scouting.......................................................................HAKAN ANDERSSON European Scouts..........................VLADIMIR HAVLUJ, NIKOLAI VAKOUROV, ARI VOURI Part-Time Scout................................................................................................................ MARTY STEIN Director of Player Development..................................................................................... JIRI FISCHER Athletic Therapist..........................................................................................................PIET VAN ZANT Assistant Athletic Therapist.....................................................................................RUSS BAUMANN Equipment Manager...........................................................................................................PAUL BOYER Assistant Equipment Managers........................................ JOHN REMEJES, ADAM SHEEHAN Team Masseur.................................................................................................SERGEI TCHEKMAREV Team Masseuse..........................................................................................................LYNNE NEWMAN Medical Director...................................................................................... DONALD W. WEAVER, MD Team Physicians......................... ANTHONY COLUCCI, DO; DOUGLAS G. PLAGENS, MD Team Dentists....................................................DR. JEFFREY BOOGREN, DR. RANDY FREIJ OLYMPIA ENTERTAINMENT, INC/DETROIT RED WINGS - BUSINESS OPERATIONS President & CEO/Alternate Governor.............................................................................TOM WILSON Senior Vice President of Operations & Legal Affairs/Alternate Governor..... ROBERT E. CARR Senior Vice President of Sales.............................................................................. JOHN CISZEWSKI Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications................................ CRAIG TURNBULL Vice President of Venue Operations/General Manager, Joe Louis Arena............. TIM PADGETT Vice President of Hospitality, Catering & Restaurant Operations............. MICHAEL PRAINITO Vice President of Food & Beverage, Merchandise...............................................BOB STEFANSKI

Premium Sales Account Executives................RYAN COYLE, TINA SADOWS, KEVIN LAO, ........................................................ KEVIN MCCONNELL, BRAD EASON, ERIK PEDERSEN Group Sales Manager............................................................................................... KRISTIN OUIMET Group Sales Account Executive............................................................................................. PAUL BEE Group Sales Fundraising Coordinator...............................................................CAROLYNN GLEICH Ticket Sales Account Executives.........................................CHAD WARDIE, KRISTEN ESTES, ..................................................................................................... ERICH FREINY, RYAN MICHAELS Manager of Inside Sales.................................................................................................MIKE MARTIN Inside Sales Account Executives...................................ASHLEY GILLESPIE, JUSTIN PRICE, ............................................................................................................SEAN McCOY, JOHN KAPRAL Director of Client Retention & Service..........................................................................LIZ KAROLAK Premium Service Executive........................................................................................... KIM RECKLEY Premium Service Coordinator.......................................................................................KATE DECKER Director of Ticket Service & Corporate Partnership Marketing......................MOLLY WURDACK Senior Ticket Service Executive.................................................................................. RACHEL LUPO Ticket Service Executives.................................................................MATT BOYCE, JASON ROSE, ...................................................................................................................................JODEE CISZEWSKI Director of Strategic Hockey Alliances.........................................................................MIKE BAYOFF New Media & Publishing Manager.................................................................................. BILL ROOSE Video Web Specialist........................................................................................................SEAN GALVIN Social Network Manager............................................................................................ JAKE DUHAIME Director of Broadcasting.....................................................................................SHELDON NUEMAN Director of Corporate Partnership Sales.......................................................................... ROB CROLL Director of Corporate Development.........................................................................RUSS GREGORY Corporate Partnership Sales Managers........................................ MARK KELLY, CRAIG SHAW, .................................... GREG BOZEK, CRAIG PEISER, STEVE VENTURA, LOU KORPAS Corporate Partnership Marketing Managers................................................ NICOLE CHAMBERS, ............................................................... LAUREN CAMPBELL, DOUG MURPHY, MIKE FERA Director of Private Event Sales.................................................................................. ERIN MAZUREK Senior Director/General Manager, Hockeytown Café.......................................STEVE DAVIDSON Director of Operations.................................................................................................... JAMES BULLO Director of Hospitality.................................................................................................... MIKE BEREND

Vice President of Security & Parking Operations.......................................................RICK FENTON

Director of Venue Security....................................................................................JOHNNY JACKSON

Vice President of Finance, OEI..............................................................................KEITH DOWDICAN

Director of Digital Marketing & Analytics..............................................................LAURA MURRAY

Director of Finance........................................................................................................JEFF HANCOCK

CRM Manager....................................................................................................... YEA’STARI THOMAS

Vice President of Finance, DRW......................................................................... PAUL MacDONALD

Creative Director.......................................................................................................... BRYAN DURREN

General Accountant.............................................................................................. BRIDGET MERRITT

Production Director.............................................................................................MICHELLE CHMURA

Accounting Administrative Assistant............................................................................JULIE DAILEY

Director of Ticket Operations......................................................................................DAVE DECKERT

Senior Director of Public Relations.................................................................................. JOHN HAHN

Director of Concessions.................................................................................................. MARTY BAITY

Detroit Red Wings Foundation Director......................................................................... ANNE HAYES

Director of Merchandise............................................................................................. JOHN STARNES

Media Relations Manager.................................................................................................. TODD BEAM

Director of Human Resources.............................................................................. MICHELE BARTOS

Community Relations Coordinator................................................................ CHRISTY HAMMOND

Information Systems Manager.................................................................................... TOM HORROM

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DETROIT RED WINGS TEAM HISTORY

HISTORY BEHIND THE NAME Detroit joined the NHL for the 1926-27 season and was known as the Cougars. After an unsuccessful four years of play, coach Jack Adams thought a name change might help spur a winning season. The name was changed to the Falcons beginning with the 1930-31 season. When James Norris, Sr. purchased the hockey franchise in 1932, he changed the name a third time to the Red Wings. Red was a part of the name because the existing uniforms were red and white.

TEAM COLORS Little is known about why red and white were chosen for the team’s colors back in 1926. However, red is an emotionally charged color, demonstrating passion, strength, energy, fire and excitement. And initially, the sport of ice hockey, with roots dating back to the mid1880s, was played outdoors surrounded by snow, thus the color white. The colors of red and white do indeed seem fitting for an energetic hockey team that provides so much excitement to its fans.

THE LOGO After James Norris, Sr. changed the name from the Falcons to the Red Wings, he searched for a new logo. He was reminded of the logo worn by the Montreal Winged Wheelers – an amateur hockey team he had played for years before as member of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. That logo’s wheeled center seemed quite appropriate for Detroit, a city that had put the world on wheels, and the wing would denote speed as the players soared around the rink in smooth flight.

EVOLUTION OF THE LOGO The original Red Wings logo was rather crude, but it has been refined over the years. When Mike and Marian Ilitch purchased the team in 1982, they enlarged the logo on the game jerseys to demonstrate the pride they felt for the hockey team and the franchise’s long and rich history.

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UNFORGETTABLE

MORE THAN HAPPY: When given the opportunity, Kris Draper is always happy to share a few of his playoff highlights with his locker room neighbor, Darren Helm. A particular favorite is the tale of Draper’s Game 2 overtime goal against Washington in the ‘98 Stanley Cup Finals.

reporter approached Kris Draper in the Red Wings’ locker room and asked the assistant captain about Game 2 of the 1998 Stanley Cup finals. The fourtime Cup winner flashed a brilliant smile before nudging his neighbor, 24-year-old Darren Helm. “You listening?” Draper said. “Yeah, I’m listening,” Helm responded. “I can’t tune you out.” It was a conversation that the two had clearly had before; Draper, the Wings’ 20-year veteran telling tales of his on-ice achievements to the very player expected to eventually fill his skates. Yet this story – Draper’s game-winning goal in overtime, which gave the Wings a commanding twogame lead – was worth another listen from the player who was 11-years old in ’98. 8

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“Yeah, I always tell him about my highlights,” Draper said. “’Remember when? Did I tell you about this one, Darren?’ That’s usually how they start.” The story, as Helm listened, occurred as Draper and the Red Wings trailing 4-2 with 10 minutes left in the third period. Martin Lapointe started the comeback for the Wings, as the former forward beat Washington goalie Olaf Kolzig with a rebound try after a wild scramble in front of the Capitals’ goal. The Wings avoided another two-goal deficit when Esa Tikkanen beat Chris Osgood with a deke, but slid the puck through the crease, missing the net to the far side. Detroit took advantage of Tikkanen’s miscue, tying the game when Doug

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UNFORGETTABLE

LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY: Obviously a special moment in his 20-year career, Draper clearly recalls the details leading up to his overtime goal. And like a good teammate, Draper is sure to include teammates Marty Lapointe, Igor Larionov and Brendan Shanahan who helped set up his game-winner.

Brown, who stole the puck from Adam Oates, beat Kolzig top-shelf with fourminutes left. “They obviously felt great about themselves for probably about 50 minutes … and then we had that great 10-minute push where we ended up scoring goals and tying it up,” Draper recalled. “It was just pandemonium here at the rink. We could still hear the crowd when we came into the dressing room, they were that into it.” With about five-minutes remaining in the first overtime, the Wings’ forward line of Lapointe, Igor Larionov and Brendan Shanahan had sustained pressure in the 10

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Capitals’ end. Larionov took advantage of his opportunity to make a line change while the puck was deep in the Caps’ zone, and Draper charged to the net. Not knowing that that Draper had entered the play, the Capitals left him uncovered as he circled the net and waited to Kolzig’s right. “I was yelling as loud as I could, and Marty just kind of turned and fired it towards me,” said Draper, who has scored three career game-winners in the playoffs. “I was just kind of coming back (far) post and I was able to one-time it in. “I Just had a pretty good little dance there afterwards. When it went in, that’s

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UNFORGETTABLE

BUILDING MOMENTUM: Draper’s game-winning goal in overtime of Game 2 was his only goal of the 1998 playoff season. However, the goal gave the Red Wings a 2-0 advantage going to Washington where they swept the series and captured back-to-back Stanley Cups.

just childhood stuff that you dream about, scoring in the Stanley Cup finals – scoring an OT winner – and that was certainly one of the goals that I will never forget.” Osgood was the standing at the other end of the ice when Draper scored the game-winning goal – his only goal of 1998 playoff season. While Osgood was far enough away in the locker room from Draper to not have to listen to the story once again, the veteran goalie confirmed the details. “That was a game that changed the series,” Osgood said. “We were up 1-0 in the series, but we were down in that game, by quite a bit, and we came back in what I want to say was the last six- or sevenminutes, to win it. After that, they didn’t 12

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have much left when we went back to Washington. That was the biggest game of the series, and obviously the biggest goal.” The Wings completed the sweep of the Capitals to win back-to-back Stanley Cups – a feat that has not been accomplished in the NHL since. “That’s something I’ll certainly never forget,” Draper said, “but also the fact that that put us up two nothing. It was one of those games that they should have won, we probably didn’t deserve to win but we found a way to tie it up and win it in overtime. It was a real special memory for myself to being able to score that goal.” And it was a goal that he will be talking about for a long time to come, to whoever is listening.

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SLIDE INTO THE

SMOOTHEST

CLUB ON ICE TAKE A BREAK FROM THE ACTION WITH A CC & GINGER

BY MICHAEL CAPLES

How well do you know you Stanley Cup playoffs? Test your knowledge with this quiz that looks at NHL playoff history involving the Flyers, Bruins, Rangers, Capitals, Sharks and Blackhawks. 1. Who was the fi rst NHL expansion team to win the Stanley Cup? A. Pittsburgh Penguins B. Philadelphia Flyers C. New York Islanders D. Calgary Flames 2. What is the Red Wings’ record for most goals scored in a single playoff game? A. 8 B. 9 C. 10 D. 11 3. When was the last time the Boston Bruins captured Lord Stanley’s Cup? A. 1972 B. 1978 C. 1988 D. 1990 4. How many times have the Washington Capitals reached the Stanley Cup fi nals? A. 3 B. 2 C. 1 D. None 5. Who is the franchise leader for all-time playoff scoring for the San Jose Sharks? A. Joe Thornton B. Vincent Damphousse C. Owen Nolan D. Patrick Marleau 6. Who holds the Detroit franchise record for most points in one playoff season? A. Steve Yzerman B. Gordie Howe C. Brendan Shanahan D. Henrik Zetterberg 7. Who is Chicago’s career playoff scoring leader? A. Stan Mikita B. Denis Savard C. Bobby Hull D. Jeremy Roenick 8. In what year did Lord Stanley of Preston donate the Stanley Cup, originally presented to the champion of the Canadian amateur league? A. 1892 B. 1893 C. 1894 D. 1895 9. An amateur team from which Canadian city fi rst won Lord Stanley’s Cup? A. Toronto B. Windsor C. Montreal D. Vancouver 10. When the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1952, which player’s name was misspelled? A. Alex Delvecchio B. Gordie Howe C. Terry Sawchuk D. Ted Lindsay ANSWERS: 1 (B) The Flyers won the Stanley Cup in 1974, beating the Boston Bruins in six games; 2 (B) The Wings scored nine goals vs. Toronto in 1936 and ’47; 3 (A) The Bruins beat New York Rangers, their second championship in three years; 4 (C) Once, when the Wings swept them in 1998; 5 (D) Marleau has 75 playoff points; the next closest is Thornton, with 47; 6 (D) Zetterberg collected 13 goals and 14 assists in 22 games in 2008; 7 (A) Mikita posted 150 playoff points with the Blackhawks; 8 (A) The first time it was awarded was 1893, and pro teams first played for the Cup in 1910; 9 (C) The Montreal Amateur Athletic Association won it 1893; 10 (A) Delvecchio was incorrectly spelled with a ‘B’ instead of a ‘D’. It was never fixed.

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DETROIT RED WINGS SAVE OF THE GAME

GLOVE LOVE: Goalie Jimmy Howard gloves one of 39 shots on goal made by the Nashville Predators on March 19. Still, the Red Wings dropped a 3-1 decision that night at Bridgestone Arena.

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GM CORNER

Q&A WITH RED WINGS ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER

jIM NILL I knew I wanted to be a GM when… I started scouting. I knew that I enjoyed the business side of it. For relaxation, I… like to workout. I can’t live without... family I’m up and at work by… 5 o’clock in the morning catching a flight, or 10 o’clock in the office. My monthly cell phone bill is… too much. My favorite player growing up was… Bobby Orr. The players I most admire in any sport are... hockey players. If I could be a GM in another league, it’d be… Major League Baseball. The best thing about my job is… the relationships that I have with the people. The one former player I’d deal for, no matter the price, is… Steve Yzerman. The last vacation I took was to… Hilton Head. My biggest role model in my sport is… John Ferguson. My greatest moment as an athlete was… playing in the 1980 Olympics and the Stanley Cup finals (with Vancouver in 1982). The worst job I ever had… as a pole-tester for a utility company. I had to hand-drill into the base of the utility poles to get a core sample out to see if they were rotted, or not.

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YOUR 2010-11 DETROIT RED WINGS JUSTIN ABDELKADER

TODD BERTUZZI

Born: February 25, 1987 Muskegon, MI - USA

Born: February 2, 1975 Sudbury, ON - Canada

Pos: LW Shoots: Left Ht: 6’1” Wt: 215 lbs.

Pos: RW Shoots: Left Ht: 6’3” Wt: 225 lbs.

DANNY CLEARY

PAVEL DATSYUK

Born: December 18, 1978 Carbonear, NL - Canada

Born: July 20, 1978 Sverdlovsk, Russia

Pos: RW Shoots: Left Ht: 6’0” Wt: 210 lbs.

Pos: C Shoots: Left Ht: 5’11” Wt: 197 lbs.

KRIS DRAPER

PATRICK EAVES

Born: May 24, 1971 Toronto, ON - Canada

Born: May 1, 1984 Calgary, AB - Canada

Pos: C Shoots: Left Ht: 5’10” Wt: 190 lbs.

Pos: RW Shoots: Right Ht: 5’11” Wt: 190 lbs.

JONATHAN ERICSSON

VALTTERI FILPPULA

Born: March 2, 1984 Karlskrona, Sweden

Born: March 20, 1984 Vantaa, Finland

Pos: D Shoots: Left Ht: 6’5” Wt: 220 lbs.

Pos: C Shoots: Left Ht: 6’0” Wt: 193 lbs.

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YOUR 2010-11 DETROIT RED WINGS JOHAN FRANZEN

DARREN HELM

Born: December 23, 1979 Vetlanda, Sweden

Born: January 21, 1987 St. Andrews, MB - Canada

Pos: RW Shoots: Left Ht: 6’2” Wt: 220 lbs.

Pos: C Shoots: Left Ht: 5’11” Wt: 195 lbs.

TOMAS HOLMSTROM

JIMMY HOWARD

Born: January 23, 1973 Pitea, Sweden

Born: March 26, 1984 Syracuse, NY - USA

Pos: LW Shoots: Left Ht: 6’0” Wt: 205 lbs.

Pos: G Catches: Left Ht: 6’0” Wt: 210 lbs.

JIRI HUDLER

DOUG JANIK

Born: January 4, 1984 Olomouc, Czech Republic

Born: March 26, 1980 Agawam, MA - USA

Pos: LW Shoots: Left Ht: 5’9” Wt: 178 lbs.

Pos: D Shoots: Left Ht: 6’1” Wt: 215 lbs.

JAKUB KINDL

NIKLAS KRONWALL

Born: February 10, 1987 Sumperk, Czech Republic

Born: January 12, 1981 Stockholm, Sweden

Pos: D Shoots: Left Ht: 6’3” Wt: 210 lbs.

Pos: D Shoots: Left Ht: 6’0” Wt: 190 lbs. RED WINGS TODAY

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YOUR 2010-11 DETROIT RED WINGS NICKLAS LIDSTROM

JOEY MacDONALD

Born: April 28, 1970 Vasteras, Sweden

Born: February 7, 1980 Pictou, Nova Scotia - Canada

Pos: D Shoots: Left Ht: 6’1” Wt: 193 lbs.

Pos: G Catches: Left Ht: 6’0” Wt: 197 lbs.

DREW MILLER

MIKE MODANO

Born: February 17, 1984 Dover, NJ - USA

Born: June 7, 1970 Livonia, MI - USA

Pos: LW Shoots: Left Ht: 6’2” Wt: 170 lbs.

Pos: C Shoots: Left Ht: 6’3” Wt: 212 lbs.

JAN MURSAK

CHRIS OSGOOD

Born: January 20, 1988 Maribor, Slovenia

Born: November 26, 1972 Peace River, AB - Canada

Pos: RW Shoots: Right Ht: 5’11” Wt: 184 lbs.

Pos: G Catches: Left Ht: 5’10” Wt: 180 lbs.

BRIAN RAFALSKI

RUSLAN SALEI

Born: September 28, 1973 Dearborn, MI - USA

Born: November 2, 1974 Minsk, Belarus

Pos: D Shoots: Right Ht: 5’10” Wt: 195 lbs.

Pos: D Shoots: Left Ht: 6’1” Wt: 212 lbs.

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YOUR 2010-11 DETROIT RED WINGS BRAD STUART

Born: November 6, 1979

TOMAS TATAR

Rocky Mountain House, AB - Canada

Born: December 1, 1990 Ilava, Slovakia

Pos: D Shoots: Left Ht: 6’2” Wt: 215 lbs.

Pos: LW Shoots: Left Ht: 5’11” Wt: 176 lbs.

MIKE BABCOCK

Born: October 9, 1980 Njurunda, Sweden

Head Coach In his sixth year as Wings head coach.

HENRIK ZETTERBERG

Pos: C Shoots: Left Ht: 5’11” Wt: 195 lbs.

PAUL MacCLEAN

BRAD McCRIMMON

Assistant Coach In his sixth year as Wings assistant coach.

Assistant Coach In his third year as Wings assistant coach.

JIM BEDARD

KEITH McKITTRICK

Goaltending Coach In his 14th year as Wings goaltending coach.

Video Coach In his third year as Wings video coach.

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Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings create lasting memories for cancer patient Riley Wild

By Bill Roose with photos by Stephanie Cosby

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DREAMS COME TRUE

GEARIN’ UP FOR PRACTICE: With a little help from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Riley Wild, from Mendota Heights, Minnesota, laces up his skates and prepares for a practice skate with the Red Wings.

t’s a diagnosis that nobody ever wants to hear. And the anxiety is only heightened when it’s associated with a child. A cancer diagnosis is beyond scary. The word ‘cancer’ alone has the ability to carry a crippling punch to the human spirit. But not to the young man who visited Joe Louis Arena one afternoon in March. Riley Wild, a 13-year-old boy, from Mendota Heights, Minn., had the unique opportunity to skate with some of the Red Wings before their practice. He also spent significant time on the ice after practice with his absolute favorite NHL player – Pavel Datsyuk. 36

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It’s been nearly two years since doctors told Riley’s family that a tumor – called a sarcoma – was growing on his pelvic bone. Riley endured surgery to remove the mass, followed by months of debilitating radiation and chemotherapy. “It was a tumor that was attached to his pelvic bone, and the radiation that he had after the surgery, there was some concern because there is a pretty large growth plate right there,” said Mark Wild, Riley’s father. “It wasn’t known how it would impact his growth, but he doesn’t have the same range-of-motion on his left side – where the tumor was – than he has on the right side.”

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DREAMS COME TRUE GO WILD: Riley takes some pointers from goaltending coach Jim Bedard while patiently waiting for his hockey dreams to come true — a chance to meet and skate with Red Wings Center Pavel Datsyuk.

But as Mark Wild continued to describe his rambunctious, brown-haired son, he said one thing has been a constant since that fateful day in June 2009 – very little gets this seventh-grader down in the dumps. “He doesn’t really know any limits,” said Mark, as he watched from the Red Wings’ bench as his son skated with Datsyuk. “He just wants to go, go, go. Obviously, it was quite incredibly scary for him when he was diagnosed, but once he got into treatment he was like, ‘Well, this is my thing right now.’ He’s just never complained.” The Wilds are a hockey family living in a hockey-crazy state. So it’s no wonder that 38

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Riley began playing when he was 6. And all of them, including Riley’s grandfather, who was on the 1948 U.S. Olympic hockey team, are huge Datsyuk fans. “He’s a Pavel fan because we’ve all been Pavel fans,” Mark said. “His cousin was real helpful during his chemo. He was a caddy master at a golf course and he kind of got Riley started caddying there. They’ve become pretty good golfing buds. His dad is a huge Pavel fan, as I am, so Riley couldn’t help it.” Riley also appreciates Datsyuk’s craftiness, his ability to magically snatch the puck away from an opponent or to dazzle an unsuspecting goalie with

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DREAMS COME TRUE

HOCKEY HERO: Riley Wild spends some quality time with his hockey hero, Pavel Datsyuk. After some tips on shooting, puck-handling and skating, the pair headed to the bench for an autograph, a few laughs and some well-earned rest.

a Datsyukian move, which leads to a spectacular goal. “He never stands still,” said Riley of his hockey hero. When it was finally time to meet his idol, Riley couldn’t help but be a little tense. “In the beginning, when I first got out there, I was nervous,” said Riley, whose Red Wings adventure was made possible by the Michigan and Minnesota chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “But then it wasn’t as bad. … He’s real nice.” Datsyuk offered shooting, puckhandling and skating tips to Riley, whose 40

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Pee-Wee A season with the Sibley Area Generals recently concluded. “I liked that he was teaching me stuff, with his pointers on shooting, and also skating and stuff, like doing crossovers,” said Riley, who also got into a mock scuffle with the Wings’ all-star center. As his son mucked it up with Datsyuk, Mark Wild beamed about the overall experience. “This is like being a kid in a candy store,” Mark said. “Riley is probably a little bit more excited than what us older people are.”

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WINGS THINGS WITH RED WINGS FORWARD

DREW MILLER Born: February 17, 1984, in Dover, New Jersey Status: Married Alma Mater: Michigan State University What’s on TV: How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men, Gold Rush Alaska on the Discovery Channel. What’s in my iPod: A little of everything, but mainly country music, like Easton Corbin, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban. What I’m reading: Vince Flynn’s “Executive Power” on my iPad. I’m on the fourth one and it’s really good. What I’m driving: Yukon Denali Favorite ﬂicks: The Count of Monte Cristo is probably one of my favorite ones. Worst habit: You’d have to ask my wife. Love to trade places for a day with: Bill Gates. First job: Car detailer. For dinner: A lot of the home-made stuff; my wife likes to cook. She’s always trying new things. Favorite athlete to watch in another sport: Roger Federer, he’s fun to watch. I like Jimmie Johnson in NASCAR, and I like watching different guys on the Tigers, especially Justin Verlander. Favorite teams as a kid: Definitely the Detroit teams, but I also liked the Colorado Avalanche, because of Joe Sakic. Dream date: My wife. My heroes: Definitely my father. And I looked up to people in hockey; I had three cousins who played in the NHL. My bucket list: I would like to see a little more of the United States. Travel more. My motto: Every day you have to work hard and continue to prove yourself.

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DETROIT RED WINGS PHOTO OF THE MONTH

OVER HERE, GUYS! Defenseman Niklas Kronwall moves the puck past Edmonton forward Magnus Paajarvi during the Red Wingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2-1 overtime win on March 11 at Joe Louis Arena.

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Photo by Dave Reginek

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ALUMNI

REUNION A Q&A WITH

MIKE KNUBLE By Bill Roose

Do you keep in touch with any of your former Red Wings teammates? If so, who? “No, not really. It was such a long time ago. There are a few guys still here, but I’ve kind of moved on.” Which of the current Red Wings is your favorite? And why? “I’ll say Justin Abdelkader, because he’s from my area of western Michigan.” What was your favorite memory as a Red Wing? “Probably my first game, it was against Colorado with the big brawl and it’s a game that everybody remembers. It’s an easy one to bring up, even with people who have no connection to Detroit; they remember that game.” Which of the guys you played with was the toughest? “Joe Kocur. He was just so well-respected in the league, and he was just a force when he was doing his job. It was just amazing to watch.” Who was the funniest? “Jamie Pushor, a young guy who was coming up like I was. He was a funny dude.” Who had the biggest heart? “You remember a guy like Darren McCarty. He played with a lot of passion and would do anything to win.” What was your favorite restaurant in metro Detroit? “We used to eat some pretty good pre-game meals at Roma Café. We used to eat there a lot.” How has the NHL changed since you played? “It’s a young guy’s game now. When you came in you where the minority as a young player; there were a lot of veteran guys, it seems, on a lot of the teams. Seems to be a young guy’s game now and you have to skate. You really have to skate a lot now.”

Toughest team (other than the Red Wings) when you played in Detroit? “Everybody. But I would say Colorado, because we always were butting heads. Those were great hockey games.” Who did you sit next to in the Red Wings’ dressing room? “I think it was Darren McCarty and Kris Draper. I don’t really remember, because there was always media around.” What do you love most about the game? “It’s been a very rewarding career, and you get to do something that you enjoy to do. … I don’t think you can ask for anything more.” Who had the greatest influence on your career? “It’s probably my younger brother, Steve. He’s my biggest critic and my best fan all at the same time. He’s always one to tell me the way that it is. He doesn’t sugarcoat things when things are going bad, and tells me when I do well.” What advice would you give to kids playing today? “Just have fun and enjoy the game. Love what you’re doing, and you never know, it might take you to some great places, and give you a great career.” RED WINGS TODAY

RED WINGS TODAY

WILL HE, NILL HE

AT CENTER OF IT ALL: Jim Nill joined the Red Wings front office in the summer of 1994 after a nine-year NHL career and a brief scouting position with the Ottawa Senators. Seventeen years later, Nill is in charge of finding the young, talented players needed to ensure the future success of Hockeytown.

erving as the man in charge of all scouting for one of the most successful teams in NHL history means that Jim Nill has had plenty of offers from other teams. Yet the Red Wings’ vice president and assistant general manager has stayed in Hockeytown for 17 years, and has no intentions of taking his skills anywhere else. “Everybody kind of becomes family, and it’s tough to leave when you have a good thing going,” Nill said. “I’m in a great situation with great people. We have our days, where we’re going to battle. We’re all competitive, we want to be the best, we’re going to fight for what we think is right, and we do that. But 50

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they’re great people, who respect each other, we have a common goal. We all want to win, and win the right way.” Nill, who spent nine seasons as an NHL player, has cherished his opportunity in Detroit, because it has allowed him to focus on his family as much as hockey. “As a player, you get traded two, three, four, five times, and it gets hard on the family,” said Nill, a father of three. “I knew I needed to get somewhere stable, and I wanted my kids to go to the same school, grow-up in the same place for a while, get their roots in, and they’ve done that. It has worked out well.” While Nill has always put an emphasis on keeping work at work and focusing

RED WINGS TODAY

WILL HE, NILL HE

NO AVERAGE HOCKEY DAD: Nill’s only son Trevor just finished his junior season with the Michigan State Spartans. And while his job responsibilities make it difficult to be the average hockey dad, Nill manages to balance his role as a successful hockey executive and father.

on his family during his free time, his passion for the sport still spills over to his only son, Trevor. A Michigan State forward, who finished his junior season, Trevor Nill said his dad does a great job of balancing his roles as a hockey executive and father. “He always has comments and critiquing, but he can read when I’m getting irritated about stuff and say, ‘I’ll stop talking,’ ” Trevor said. “He knows that I want to know, but he’s so supportive and understanding when I say, ‘I don’t want to talk about hockey right now.’ ” The time and amount of travel required for Nill’s job make it difficult for him to be an average hockey dad. But he always 52

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does what he can to attend Trevor’s games – an effort that does not go unnoticed. “As I got older, I definitely missed him at my games, but we would talk about it,” Trevor said. “He would say, ‘I know I’m busy with work, but I’ll make it up to you, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.’ “Some of those times I remember he would get off an airplane after he flew back from Europe and he came straight to my game, or he’d get back late at night and woken up three hours later to take me to early morning practice. I really can’t complain with how much effort he’s put into that.” When Nill is not at an ice rink watching his son, he’s at another rink watching somebody else. He describes his day-to-

RED WINGS TODAY

WILL HE, NILL HE

EVER FORWARD: As a forward in the NHL, Nill played right wing for Boston, Vancouver, St. Louis, Winnipeg and Detroit. Today he is still on the move, by car or by plane, to go and watch the next wave of potential NHL stars.

day lifestyle as waking up in the morning to read game reports from the night before, then hopping in a car or a plane to go watch a potential star. “I’m very blessed. I have a great job. Kenny Holland, Jim Devellano, Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch give me full flexiblility to do my job,” Nill said. “I do my own schedule, a lot of travel, which is a real juggling act with the family, I have to be careful there, always make sure you’re home for important times. Luckily I have the flexibility to do that. “A big part of our success here is that we like to hire people that will grow and when they get to their opportunity to move on, they move on, and that’s a 54

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compliment to our organization.” And when the Wings have won the Stanley Cup, Nill thinks about how hard those players worked to reach hockey’s ultimate goal. “It’s seeing the players succeed, that you’ve helped bring into this environment and watched them grow,” he said. “It’s easy for us to sit back and say, ‘Boy, I remember seeing this guy get drafted.’ But it’s really the players. We gave them an opportunity, and they grabbed it. They’ve improved their games, they’ve worked hard to become better players; it’s just rewarding to see them have success. “I’m very blessed. I have a great job.”

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UPDATE

By beating Notre Dame and Western Michigan, Miami captured its first CCHA Tournament crown and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Miami captures the Mason Cupe Cup JO E LO UIS

AREN A

11 T, 20 IT RO DET

March 18-19 Detroit’s Fox Theatre hosted the CCHA Awards presented by RBC Financial Group. Miami’s Andy Miele was named RBC CCHA Player of the Year.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing was among the city dignitaries that participated in the “Ceremonial Slap Shot” to open CCHA Fan Fest. Western Michigan upset Michigan in the semifinals, 5-2, to advance to the CCHA Championship Game for the first time since 1986.

(From L to R) Former MSU coach Ron Mason, former CCHA Commissioner Jim Ruehl and former Notre Dame captain Dave Poulin in a ceremonial puck drop prior to the title game.

Miami forward Reilly Smith (above) was one of RED WINGS TODAY 57 four RedHawks named to the All-Tournament Team. Miele was named Tournament MVP.

joe louis arena

dining & Beverage CONCOURSE LEVEL CONCESSIONS DINING OPTIONS HOT DOGS Hot Dog...........................................104,106,108,112 ........................................................119,120,122,126 All Beef Dog ........................................................112 Kielbasa .........................................104,106,108,112 ........................................................119,120,122,126 Smoked Sausage............................104,106,108,112 ........................................................119,120,122,126 Chili Dog........................................................112,126 Philly Cheese Steak.............................................112 Hot Italian Beef....................................................112 BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich................................112

Popcorn..........................................104,106,108,112 ........................................................119,120,122,126 Caramel Corn....................... Most Concession Stands Desserts Dippin Dots...................................................108,112 Donuts & Muffins......................................... 108, 121 Ice Cream Novelty................ Most Concession Stands Large Candy......................... Most Concession Stands Cookies..................................................108,116,121 Mike’s Inside Scoop Ice Cream, Sundaes, and Soft Serve...................112

East End Joe’s Subs.........................................116 Hockeytown Grill Chicken Club Sandwich, GRILL Cheese Burger & Specialty Entrees....................126

BEVERAGE OPTIONS Non Alcoholic Beverages Frozen Coke..................................................114,128 Soft Drinks...............................All Concession Stands

Little Caesars Pizza..............................................................114,128 Super Slice....................................................106,125 Deep Dish Specialty Pizza...................................125 Crazy Crust/Cheese Bread..................................110 Buffalo Wild Wings Traditional Wings, Boneless Wings, Tenders & Buffalo Chips......................................126

Bottled Water...........................All Concession Stands Vitamin Water..........................All Concession Stands Energy Drink.....................104,105,112,116,119,126 Full Throttle..........................................................119 Tim hortons Tim Hortons Coffee.........................108,112,115,121 Hot Chocolate.........................................108,112,121 Iced Cappuccino...........................................108,121

Sides & Salads Chili with Toppings..............................................112 Nacho.......................................105,108,112,119,122 Specialty Salad....................................................116 Soup.....................................................................116 Snacks Peanuts................................ Most Concession Stands Potato Chips......................... Most Concession Stands Soft Pretzel..............................108,112,119,120,122 58

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French Vanilla Cappuccino....................108,112,121 Alcoholic Beverages Wine.........................................104,105,112,116,126 Cocktails..................................104,105,112,116,126 .................................................121,123,124,125,126 Frozen Cocktails..................................................126 Margaritas........................104,105,112,116,119,126 Mike’s Hard Lemonade.....104,105,112,116,119,126

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N o En rt tr hw an e ce st

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107

108

109 110

Mike’s inside scoop

111

2 11

101 102 1 03

104 105 106

11 7

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115 116

127 128

113 114 East end Joe’s Subs

120

121

122

123 124 125

So En ut tr he an as ce t

118 119

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draft beer / bottles & Cans BY brand & concourse location

Bottles & Cans.................. 106, 108, 110 .......................................... 112, 115, 126

Draft Beer.................. 104, 108, 112, 118 ..........................................119, 124, 126

Bottles & Cans.................. 112, 115, 124

Draft Beer..........................104, 118, 124

Bottles & Cans.......................... 112, 126

Draft Beer..........................................102

Bottles & Cans.................. 108, 109, 112 .......................................... 114, 126, 127

Draft Beer.................. 104, 108, 112, 118 ..........................................119, 124, 126

Bottles & Cans.................................. 110

Draft Beer..........................121, 122, 126

Bottles & Cans.......................... 110, 124

Draft Beer..........................104, 112, 115

Bottles & Cans.................................. 111

Draft Beer..........................................104

Bottles & Cans.......................... 104, 112 Bottles & Cans.................. 104, 105, 112. .......................................... 116, 119, 126

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