Sports

Detroit Red Wings – Hockeytown Stars Headed For The Top

The Red Wings 2008-2009 season roster looks pretty good with Dan Cleary, Pavel Datsyuk, Kris Draper, Valtteri Filppula, Johan Frazen, Darren Helm, Tomas Holmstrom, Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler, Tomas Kopecky, Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty, Mikael Samuelsson, and Henrik Zetterberg. Defenders for the Red Wings include Chris Chelios, Jonathan Ericsson, Niklas Kronwall, Brett Lebda, Nicklas Lidstrom, Andreas Lilja, Derek Meech, Brian Rafalski and Brad Stuart. Goalies are Ty Conklin and Chris Osgood.

Red Wings prospects this season are Justin Abdelkader, Joakim Andersson, Dick Axelsson, Randy Cameron, Cory Emmerton, Eric Himelfarb, Evan McGrath, Jan Mursak, Nick Oslund, Ryan Oulahen, Mattias Ritola, John Ryno and Jack Torquato. Red Wings defensive players include Jakub Kindl, Logan Pyett, Bryan Rufenach, Alexander Seluyanov and Brendan Smith. The goalies are Jimmy Howard and Daniel Larsson.

Head Coach Mike Babcock, Assistant Coach Paul MacLean, Assistant Coach Brad McCrimmon, Goalkeeping Coach Jim Bedard, Video Coach Keith McKittrick, Physical Trainer Piet Van Zant, Team Manager Paul Boyer, Assistant Manager team player John Remejes, assistant team manager Adam Sheehan, athletic assistant coach Russ Baumann, team masseuse Sergei Tchekmarev and masseuse Lynn Newman.

The Red Wings are working their way to the top again, second in line in the NHL Western Conference behind San Jose. At 68 points, that’s a leap and a jump from the 73 points the leaders have.

Although the Red Wings suffered a loss in their last game before the break, which was against the Coyotes, they are still in good shape to take home the Stanley Cup as they have in the past. For January, the Wings will take on the Stars and the Capitals for a home and away game respectively. In February, the Wings will host games against the Blues, Coyotes, Oilers, Wild, Avalanche, Predators, Ducks, Sharks, and Kings. Road games will take the Red Wings on the road where they will take to the ice against the Penguins, Predators, Blue Jackets, Wild and Predators.

In March, the Red Wings will also be on the road to play road games against the Blues, Avalanche, Blues, Blue Jackets, Thrashers, Flames and Oilers. They can be challenged on their own ice while hosting games against the Blue Jackets, Coyotes, Flames, Flyers, Islanders, and Predators. Unlike many other NHL teams, in April the Red Wings will take on the Blues, Wild, Predators and Blackhawks on their own ice. They will challenge the Sabers and Blackhawks as a road team in April with road games, including the final game of the season for the Wings, which will be against the Blackhawks on Sunday, April 12.

Hockeytown, as Detroit is affectionately known, is cold and snowy, but general managers Jim Nill and Ken Holland won’t be shivering as they head into the 2009 NHL draft in Arizona. For 4-5 hours a day, Nill and Holland will meet with all draft eligible players from all countries in attendance over 3-4 days.