Sebastian Cossa isn’t the only Detroit Red Wings goaltending prospect turning heads in the minor pro ranks. Save some props for Jan Bednar.

The 21-year-old rookie pro with the Toledo Walleye is the ECHL goaltender of the month for March. Bednar went 6-1-0 in eight appearances during the month. He would post two shutouts, along with a 1.59 goals-against average and a save percentage of .939.

ANOTHA ONE Jan Bednar of the @ToledoWalleye has been named the @WarriorHockey #ECHL Goaltender of the Month for March pic.twitter.com/fKcN1W2CUX

— ECHL (@ECHL) April 3, 2024

He allowed two goals or less in six of his seven starts. Bednar stopped all 25 shots in a 3-0 win against Iowa on March 3 and all 25 shots in a 3-0 victory at Greenville on March 16.

Detroit’s 107th overall selection in the 2020 NHL entry draft, Bednar is under contract to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League, Bednar is 18-7-2 in 32 appearances with the Walleye this season. He is tied for second in the ECHL with three shutouts while ranking 11th with a 2.74 goals-against average.

Red Wings Prospect Gibson Feted For Defensive Prowess

While it’s been a season in which Red Wings draftee Andrew Gibson (42nd overall, 2023) has been flexing his offensive muscles, it was his defensive acumen that was earning the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds defenseman recognition. He is rated among the top three Western Conference defenders in two categories of the OHL Coaches Poll.

Getting their flowers
Congrats on Owen Allard, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Arttu Karki, Jack Beck and Andrew Gibson being recognized in the OHL Coaches Poll
RESULTS : https://t.co/4Ek9GheDip#FearTheNorth | @OHLHockey

— Soo Greyhounds (@OHLHoundPower) April 3, 2024

Gibson, Thomas Budnick of the Guelph Storm and Taos Jordan of the Owen Sound Attack each garnered 16 votes to share top spot as the conference’s best shot blocker. Gibson also would finish third in the voting for the best defensive defenseman.

The 19-year-old rearguard put up career-highs in goals (12), assists (32) and points (44) this season for the Soo, while also posting a plus-36 rating. The Greyhounds are on to the second round of the OHL playoffs after sweeping the Storm.

Ice Chips

Red Wings draft pick Anton Johansson (105th, 2022) and Leksands lost 3-2 in overtime to Frolunda in Game 7 of their SHL quarterfinal series . . . Center Nate Danielson (9th, 2023) dished out four assists as the Portland Winterhawks were sweeping Victoria in the opening round of the WHL playoffs . . . The Griffins signed forward Hunter Johannes to an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2023-24 AHL campaign. He also agreed to terms on a standard player’s contract for the 2024-25 season. Johannes, 25, collected 19 points this season playing college hockey at North Dakota . . . Center Brady Gilmour, a 2017 draftee of the Red Wings (193rd overall), has joined the Walleye. He was recently named top player of the U Sports playoffs while leading New Brunswick to the national title.

The post Red Wings Prospect Report: Bednar Top ECHL Goalie; Gibson Gains OHL Recognition appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Red Wings 2023 first-round draft pick Nate Danielson finds himself in an interesting juxtaposition as the 2023-24 hockey season is beginning to unfold. He is basically a player with one skate situated in two different hockey realms.

On the one hand, he’s doing his utmost to emphasize to the Red Wings that they did right by calling his name ninth overall at the NHL entry draft in Nashville not so long ago.

NATE THE GREAT! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/CcGczNZq9u

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 26, 2023

Tuesday, in his NHL preseason debut, Danielson was scoring a goal while turning heads and turning in a solid performance as Detroit was edging the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 at Little Caesars Arena.

“I’m just pretty excited right now to have the first one,” Danielson said.

Danielson was skating on a line with veteran pros Taro Hirose and Jonatan Berggren. He put Detroit on the board at 17:23 of the first period. Danielson finished his first taste of pro hockey skating 13:37 of ice time. Late in the game, Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde was deploying the rookie to defend the club’s one-goal advantage.

“Huge, very valuable, those minutes,” Lalonde said. “He’s building off a good rookie tournament, a good camp in Traverse City. Some learning, too, which is great. We’d like to get him back in soon.”

Early in the second period, Danielson’s inexperience was arriving on the scene. Hanging on to the puck too long, Danielson wound up committing a turnover, compounding the error by taking a holding penalty.

“He scores a goal, creates some offense, does some good things but then gets himself in some trouble holding onto the puck a little too long,” Lalonde said. “He turns it over, takes a penalty, it’s our first penalty of the game.”

It’s all part of the learning curve that every rookie needs to endure in order to grow and become a better and smarter player.

I think that’s what you have to experience, the pace of this level,” Lalonde said. “A little different than what he’s experiencing in junior.”

Danielson Watching Wheat Kings

While he’s wearing Red Wings colors, Danielson’s world is also being colored by what’s going on with his junior club, the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings. They’ve already played two regular-season games, going 1-0-1. Danielson, a co-captain last season, is left to watch his other club battle from afar.

“It’s kind of weird,” Danielson admitted. “They started already and we’re just getting started here. Out first regular-season games were last weekend. We got a couple of others this week. We went 1-0-1. Shoulda won the one we lost.”

It feels like a perfect night…

To get to know our ninth overall pick in the 2023 #NHLDraft, @NateDanielson! pic.twitter.com/FR8gwWSd5l

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 19, 2023

At the moment, he can’t help the Wheat Kings, but Danielson can help himself. It’s absolutely unlikely that he’ll be cracking the Detroit roster. But two years ago, that’s also what they said about Lucas Raymond, who defied the odds, earning a place with the Red Wings in training camp.

“I’m here to try to make the team,” Danielson states flatly. “Obviously I’m gonna take it one day at a time and just focus on each practice and each game, but overall, I’m here to make the team.”

Rasmussen Remembers His Red Wings Debut

Six years, ago, Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen was the new sensation. He was also the ninth pick of the draft and like Danielson, came out of the WHL. He remembers it well and sees a similar blossoming in Danielson’s game.

Rasmussen can quickly rattle off a laundry list of the rookie center’s attributes.

“Hockey sense, skill, patience,” Rasmussen assesses of Danielson’s best qualities. “Seems like he’s got a good head on his shoulders.

“He’s impressive. He’s really poised. Really just goes about his business. Good attitude, works hard. Nice to see him get rewarded. Besides the goal I thought he played really well, too. He just handles himself really well.”

In all likelihood, Danielson will soon be on his way back to Brandon. But he’ll get at least one more opportunity to leave another impression with the Detroit brass.

“Two-hundred foot game,” Lalonde said of Danielson. “A little more offense than I probably anticipated.

“We’d like to get him back in soon.”

The post Red Wings Top Pick Danielson Impresses in NHL Preseason Debut appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Another coach who beat the Detroit Red Wings in a playoff series finds himself in trouble for his apparent mistreatment of his players.

Last week, it was Mike Babcock’s removal as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets after searching through the smartphones of his players. This week, it’s Kevin Constantine, coach of the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild, who’s in hot water.

The Western Hockey League announced today, Kevin Constantine, Head Coach of the Wenatchee Wild, has been suspended pending an independent investigation into alleged violations of WHL Regulations and Policies.

STATEMENT | https://t.co/aS4lL8H9Z4 pic.twitter.com/eKkJ5lITsD

— The WHL (@TheWHL) September 25, 2023

Constantine is under suspension pending an independent investigation into alleged violations of WHL Regulations and Policies. The league is in receipt of a complaint regarding Constantine’s conduct.

In 1994, Constantine was guiding the San Jose Sharks to a seven-game first-round series victory over Detroit. Nine years later, future Detroit coach Babcock would lead the Anaheim Ducks to an opening-round sweep of the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Detroit coach Derek Lalonde is planning to try a bulked-up Lucas Raymond on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat in the club’s NHL preseason opener on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m. ET start)
• Feeling his approach to the NHL preseason a year ago was founded in a bad attitude, Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is vowing that he’ll do what’s needed to earn a spot on the team this fall
• In this DHN+ feature, Detroit is hoping to see even more progress this season from sophomore forward Jonatan Berggren
• Could the Red Wings defense being more of an offensive force this season? Moritz Seider thinks so

Red Wings Preseason

On the eve of the preseason opener, the Red Wings were making a trio of roster moves. Forward Emmitt Finnie was returned to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. Forwards Dean Loukus and Nic Sima were released from their amateur tryouts.

#RedWings trim roster by 3.

Details: https://t.co/ggkXJ2I14K pic.twitter.com/vDHjBOqml8

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 25, 2023

The moves leave 54 players on their training camp roster – 31 forwards, 16 defensemen and seven goaltenders.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Forward Milan Lucic will once again be donning the uniform of the Boston Bruins in Tuesday’s NHL preseason opener against the Buffalo Sabres.

Buffalo: Adding veteran defensemen Erik Johnson and Connof Clifton in the offseason, the Buffalo Sabres are counting on them to add chemistry and leadership to the team’s young back end.

Florida: Beating the Nashville Predators 5-2 in an NHL preseason game, the Florida Panthers were also beating Andrew Brunette, their former head coach.

Montreal: Where will top draft pick David Reinbacher play this season? With the Montreal Canadiens? The AHL Laval Rocket? Or back to Europe in Switzerland?

Nedeljkovic To Face Red Wings

Pittsburgh: Former Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic is among the Pittsburgh Penguins players who’ll be in Detroit on Tuesday facing the Wings in an NHL preseason game.

Philadelphia: Suiting up for a preseason game on Monday, Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier was seeing his first NHL playing time since 2021.

Washington: Making their first cuts of training camp, the Washington Capitals were trimming their roster to 51 players.

Islanders: Does Arnand Durandeau have a shot at making the New York Islanders roster?

New Jersey: The split squad of the New Jersey Devils won a pair of NHL preseason games on Monday, beating the Montreal Canadiens on the road and the Philadelphia Flyers at home.

Carolina: Vasily Ponomarev, a Carolina Hurricanes prospect, is out due to a knee injury.

Colorado: Three former Dallas Stars players – Frederic Olofsson, Riley Tufte and Joel Kiviranta – are seeking jobs with the Colorado Avalanche.

Chicago: Analyzing the goal scoring of the Chicago Blackhawks since 2020.

Nashville: Prospect Tanner Molendyk is one of the players the Nashville Predators were acquiring via the Mattias Ekholm trade.

Los Angeles: One time lottery pick Alex Turcotte was among the Los Angeles Kings looking good during the club’s preseason games in Australia.

Vegas: Patience is a virtue and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud was revealing to VHN’s Chris Gawlik how patience is helping improve his game.

San Jose: Nikita Okhotiuk, a prospect with the San Jose Sharks, is viewed as a throwback due to his old-school approach to the game.

The post The Daily: Former NHL Coach Under Investigation; Raymond to Debut on Red Wings Top Line appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Brandon Wheat Kings coach Marty Murray is aware how the Detroit Red Wings traditionally treat their newly-drafted prospects. He’s counting on that tradition continuing in regards to center Nate Danielson.

The Red Wings made Wheat Kings co-captain Danielson their top selection in the 2023 NHL entry draft at ninth overall. Historically, Detroit is returning draftees to their clubs for the following season, allowing their development to continue.

Connor Bedard on his bond with Nate Danielson, the Detroit Red Wings’ 9th overall pick: “He’s awesome, he’s someone that I’m really close with and to be able to be here with him and a lot of friends — hearing the news he just got taken. It’s so incredible.” pic.twitter.com/FFt3Uf9TSw

— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) June 29, 2023

“Detroit typically has a path for these guys where they like them to season themselves a little bit in the American Hockey League,” Murray told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun via CHL.ca. “We fully expect Nate back, but it’s a crazy game, as we all know, and sometimes those kids turn into men over the summer and Nate was on the verge of doing that last year.

“Would it absolutely surprise me if he made an NHL roster this fall? No, but at the same time, we expect Nate to be back and a big part of our hockey team.”

Red Wings Won’t Rush Any Player

Detroit GM Steve Yzerman isn’t one to rush players to the show. Even top picks such as Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Moritz Seider (sixth overall, 2019) and forward Lucas Raymond (fourth overall, 2020) were given additional seasoning in the lower leagues before getting their first taste of the NHL.

The Red Wings clearly see Danielson playing a role in the team’s future. This summer, he was signing an entry-level pact with the club. Danielson will be participating in Detroit’s NHL rookie tournament. He may even get a taste of NHL preseason action. However, in all likelihood, his ultimate destination is going to be a return trip to Brandon.

“The obvious answer is they got to be ready to show they can play and play regular,” Yzerman suggested as to how he assesses when a young player is ready to make the jump to the NHL. “I don’t want players at that age, this early stage of their careers simply playing minimal minutes, whatever that is.”

Danielson was Brandon’s leading scorer last season with 33-45-78 totals. Going back to the Wheat Kings for his 19-year-old campaign, he can expand those numbers while filling all roles for the club. He’ll also be growing in terms of maturity in his leadership role for the team.

WATCH | We caught up with @DetroitRedWings prospect Nate Danielson after he was selected ninth-overall in the 2023 #NHLDraft!#MeetTheFuture | @KubotaCanadaLtd | @bdnwheatkings pic.twitter.com/9ZFH2et69A

— The WHL (@TheWHL) August 9, 2023

“Nate is a special player,” said Murray, who is also GM of the Wheat Kings. “It’s not too often you get a top 10 NHL pick coming back to your team.

“We’re expecting him to have a real big year, although you don’t want to put too much pressure on a kid. We just want him to play his game. He’s developed into one of the best players in the league and I’m really excited to see him after a good summer.”

The post Wheat Kings Holding High Hopes For Red Wings Top Pick Danielson appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League  (QMJHL) Thursday formalized the plan to eliminate fighting from the league.

Under the league’s new rules:

• Fighters are automatically ejected from the game.
• A player judged to be an instigator will receive a one-game suspension.
• The player judged to be the aggressor in the fight will receive, at a minimum, a two-game suspension.
•  Starting with the player’s second fight of the season, an additional game suspension is added to the above punishment.

The next question is how the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League will react to this QMJHL change. Also, how will the NHL react to the QMJHL being a non-fighting league when it comes to assessing potential draft picks?

The Red Wings have drafted three first round picks out of the QMJHL in the last decade: Anthony Mantha (2013), Filip Zadina (2018) and Joe Veleno (2018).

Last season, the Red Wings signed Alexandre Doucet as a free agent out of the QMJHL.

QMJHL introduces sanctions to ban fighting from league.

WATCH: https://t.co/rSOli06SpX pic.twitter.com/on8EDzoM1b

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 10, 2023

Red Wings Offseason

The Red Wings have 15 defensemen signed to play either in Detroit, or for the Grand Rapids Griffins, next season. Is that enough? It’s fair to wonder if the Red Wings are considering the addition of one more experienced defenseman. It seems reasonable to conclude that the two teams could end up with three or four defensemen injured at the same time. While it’s true the Griffins could draw from the Toledo Walleye, it’s also true that one of the organization’s missions is to make sure the Griffins are in playoff contention this season.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• An IndyCar driver alleges that Detroit Red Wings player Daniel Sprong assaulted him.
• How many Red Wings prospects will play in Detroit this season. Three, maybe four or five?
• Former Detroit player disagrees with Dominik Hasek over the KHL.

Hockey Now Network

Boston:  Trent Frederic open to playing center this season for the Boston Bruins

Buffalo: Mike Augello explains what the Sabres should like about Gustav Karlsson. Buffalo Sabres.

Chicago: IceHogs sign Anders Bjork to a contract. Bjork had eight points in 13 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season.

Montreal: Marc Dumont says the Dallas Stars could be a good fit for a possible Jeff Petry trade. Montreal Canadiens.

Philadelphia: Chuck Bausman explains why Matvei Michkov was available to the Philadelphia Flyers at the draft.

Pittsburgh: PHN’s Dan Kingerski answers the question about whether Erik Karlsson makes the Penguins a contender. Pittsburgh Penguins.

Washington: GM Brian MacLellan still hoping to trade for offensive help. Washington Capitals.

The post The Daily: QMJHL Eliminating Fighting; Petry-to-Stars Rumor appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Brandon Wheat Kings center Nate Danielson, the player the Detroit Red Wings made the ninth overall selection of the 2023 NHL entry draft, was among 45 players receiving an invitation from Hockey Canada to participate in their summer Program of Excellence in preparation for the next IIHF world junior championship.

Instead of bringing the players together for on-ice sessions, Hockey Canada was opting to hold virtual meetings via Zoom.

Hey #LGRW fans, get excited for this guy!

Captain Nate Danielson selected by the Detroit Red Wings 9th overall! @DetroitRedWings pic.twitter.com/SeDzVaRis3

— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) June 29, 2023

Players took part in virtual meetings that covered a variety of topics. These were including education on the Program of Excellence, sport safety presentations, short-term international competition preparation and meetings with the Hockey Canada management group. The discussions are deisgned to allow participants to continue to evolve as high-performance athletes and utilize the strengths and experience of the Program of Excellence’s leadership.

Danielson was among a dozen players in the squad who 2023 NHL first-round draft choices. The world juniors are slated for Dec. 25-Jan. 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Danielson A Reliable Two-Way Center

His ability to play a 200-foot game could make Danielson a valuable member of the Canadian world junior squad.

“He’s a real smart player, a 200-foot player,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said. “He’s a guy that plays in all-situations. He just plays the game the right way. He’s an impressive young man in the way he talks, the way he presents himself.”

Generational talent Connor Bedard, the first player chosen in the 2023 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, made a point of citing Danielson as his toughest opponent during his WHL days with the Regina Pats.

That tidbit of information emphasized how difficult an opponent Danielson can be to play against.

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“One of the things that was interesting for us was Connor Bedard talking about in the West, Danielson was one of the toughest players to play against,” Red Wings assistant GM and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper said. “That kind of stands out in an interview.

“When we heard that, it was something that put a little smile on our face.”

The post Red Wings Top Pick Danielson Takes Part In Team Canada Summer Event appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.