Ok… deep breaths… stay calm… nobody panic…
Hockey is finally here, hitting us like a blindside check into the boards.
Ok, maybe not quite like that… this is just the prospects after all and not full time NHLers. But it’s still hockey, REAL hockey, and that’s exciting.
Times: 3:30pm – CBJ vs TOR; 6:30pm – DET vs DAL
Place: Traverse City, MI
How To Watch: Streaming via https://www.nhl.com/redwings/ or team Facebook/YouTube pages
Rosters: Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs
It’s a little thinner this year than in the past, with only 4 teams participating. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun! Detroit has a, frankly, STACKED roster this year with a couple players who have already seen NHL ice time.
And it’s not necessarily those guys closest to more NHL minutes that I’ll be most excited to watch. Of course guys like Kasper and Mazur and Soderblom will have all eyes on them… but I’m excited to see how other players show up. I want to see how Wallinder does on the smaller ice. I want to know if Lombardi can carry over his performance from the Firebirds. Can Cossa keep composed like he was to end the season in Toledo? Is Danielson going to be able to produce on his own like with the Wheat Kings? How many young players can use this as their first warning shot that Yzerman will have to make hard decisions about the roster in a few weeks?
I’m hoping for a few good surprises between this tournament and camp. If you’ll be in Traverse City, be sure to don your fullest collection of WIIM gear and give us your impressions of what it’s like up there. If, like most of us, you’ll be streaming the games and yelling at your phone… then please use this as the day’s Open Thread for both games. We’ll do our best to keep this space updated with any new developments.
LGRW
