In Red Wings Land

Tough times in Hockeytown | TSN

Through 31 games (38 per cent of the regular season), Detroit’s record is 7-21-3. The average game this season – thanks to a -58 goal differential – has seen them losing by just under two goals. And they are uniquely bad, to be sure. New Jersey just fired their coach with a 9-15-5 record and a -35 goal differential. Ottawa and Los Angeles, mentioned previously, have a -16 and -25 goal differential, respectively. The Red Wings are another class of bad.

Where are the goals being lost? The truth is that it is happening at every game state, though to slightly varying degrees. Special teams have been a disaster: The Red Wings are 28th in scoring on the power play (4.5 goals per 60 minutes) and are 31st in goals against on the penalty kill (10.0 goals against per 60 minutes).

Hard to argue with the numbers in this one. It’s been a very ugly season for the Wings.

World Juniors

#WorldJuniors UPDATE | @DetroitRedWings prospect Joe Veleno will join Canada’s National Junior Team in the Czech Republic for preparation camp ahead of the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.

More on 2020 @HC_WJC ⤑ https://t.co/4q0ellkzA4 pic.twitter.com/8eBMzT20bM

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 9, 2019

Joe Veleno joins Jared McIsaac and future Red Wings prospect Alexis Lafrenière (or Quinton Byfield) on Team Canada. Meanwhile, Robert Mastrosimone is on USA’s preliminary roster.

Announcing the preliminary roster of the 2020 U.S. National Junior Team! 🇺🇸#USAWJC | #WorldJuniors

Details → https://t.co/iSYrLEUaye pic.twitter.com/nnM5W2V58R

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) December 9, 2019

Assuming Mastrosimone makes it, the Wings will have 7 players at the World Juniors

Germany - Moritz Seider
US - Robert Mastrosimone
Canada - Joe Veleno, Jared McIsaac
Sweden - Jonatan Berggren, Jesper Eliasson
Finland - Otto Kivenmaki

Someone to watch in every game

— Prashanth Iyer (@iyer_prashanth) December 9, 2019

Around the League

NHL plans platform for whistleblowers of abuse, training program | ESPN

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- The NHL will create a platform for whistleblowers and an annual training program on diversity and inclusion in response to recent abuse scandals in its coaching community, commissioner Gary Bettman announced at the league’s Board of Governors meeting in Pebble Beach on Monday.

”Our message is unequivocal: We will not tolerate abusive behavior of any kind,” he said.

I’m sure Bettman and the league can do even more, but it’s a start.