SIOUX FALLS, Iowa — For the most part, things have gone according to plan for defenseman Jack Phelan.

He’s become a team leader and team captain in his second season with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede.

“He’s doing a great job as a captain and a leader,” Stampede coach Eric Rud says. “He doesn’t try to do too much, he plays within himself and he’s a very smart player when he’s playing his best.”

The post 2023 Red Wings Prospect Update: Phelan Excelling in USHL Before Injury (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

SIOUX FALLS, Iowa — Detroit Red Wings prospect Jack Phelan will miss an undetermined number of games after sustaining a lower-body injury over the weekend.

Phelan, a 6-3 defenseman who was drafted No. 137 overall last June, was selected a captain for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede this season. He was injured Friday in the Stampede’s 12-4 loss at Fargo.

“He’s going to be out a little while,” Sioux Falls coach Eric Rud said. “Hopefully we’ll get him back real healthy fpr the stretch drive.”

Phelan is in his second season with Sioux Falls and has earned kudos for his play this season.

The Stampede is currently sitting in fifth place in the USHL’s Western Conference, two points behind fourth-place Tri-City.

USHL Part of Phelan’s Plan

Phelan has a goal and six assists in 39 games this season. He’s committed to play at Wisconsin next season, where he plans to major in business.

“The plan was always to play two years in the USHL,” Phelan said in an interview last year. “I’m sure there was an opportunity for me to go in this year (at Wisconsin). But when I committed to play for Wisconsin, I was always on a two-year plan. I think it would be good to go back and have a year of experience under my belt and grow as a player more.”

He is a native of Hinsdale, Ill., about 25 miles southwest of Chicago and played youth hockey with the Chicago Mission

Phelan joined the Stampede after a season with the North Iowa Bulls in 2022-23.  He was the first of two fifth-round draft picks by the Red Wings last June. He played on the Team USA team squad that placed third in the World Junior A Challenge in December.

His twin brother, Danny, plays for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. A younger brother, Michael, is a defenseman for the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks.

The post Red Wings Draft Choice Phelan Suffers Lower-Body Injury appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Danny DeKeyser spent 11 seasons patrolling the blueline for the Detroit Red Wings. But before that, he was a defenseman for the Western Michigan Broncos – and evidently, one of the best players in school history.

DeKeyser is part of the class of 2023 that will be receiving induction into the Western Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to our 2023 WMU Athletics Hall of Fame Class!#BroncosReign

https://t.co/u4xONupydx

— Western Michigan Broncos (@WMUBroncos) August 16, 2023

DeKeyser was a Broncos player from 2010-13 prior to joining the Red Wings as an undrafted free agent. He was a two-time All-CCHA selection, earning Second Team honors in 2012 and a First Team nod in 2013.

DeKeyser helped WMU to the 2012 CCHA Tournament Championship, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He was also part of WMU squads that made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2011 and 2012. DeKeyser won successive CCHA Defensive Defenseman of the Year awards in 2012 and 2013. He was also a two-time American Hockey Coaches Association CCM West Second Team All-American in 2012 and 2013.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Jeff Petry will wear his dad Dan’s No. 46 when he begins playing for the Red Wings
• Although he’s the only unsigned Detroit player, Joe Veleno insists he isn’t worried by that fact
• Might Olli Maatta be the odd-man out on the Detroit defense come the fall?
• Red Wings draftee Jack Phelan is ready to be patient to earn his chance with the team

Red Wings Offseason

It seems that the Anaheim Ducks are reserving jersey No. 18 for ex-Red Wings. The team recently was announcing that defenseman Robert Hagg, with Detroit last season, will be wearing No. 18 for the Ducks in 2023-24.

D Robert Hagg will wear jersey number 18 for the Anaheim Ducks. Number last worn by Patrick Eaves in 2018-19. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/W98rErmKBy

— NHL Jersey Numbers (@NHLNewNumbers) August 14, 2023

Hagg will be the first player to wear those digits for Anaheim since former Red Wings forward Patrick Eaves in 2018-19.

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The post The Daily: Former Red Wings D DeKeyser a Hall of Famer; Toews Bids Adieu to Blackhawks Fans appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Jack Phelan is taking a longer road in his hockey career, one he hopes will include a Red Wings sweater in his future.

Phelan, 19, was a fifth-round pick by the Red Wings in this year’s draft and has already committed to play college hockey at Wisconsin.

A Second USHL Season

But the 6-2, 185-pound defenseman has another year at Sioux City of the USHL first.

“The plan was always to play two years in the USHL,” Phelan says.
“I’m sure there was an opportunity for me to go in this year (at Wisconsin). But when I committed to play for Wisconsin, I was always on a two-year plan. I think it would be good to go back and have a year of experience under my belt and, you know, grow as a player more.”

Red Wings director of amateur scouting and assistant general manager Kris Draper says adding strength will be a key part of Phelan’s development.

“For 17- and 18-year-olds, that’s a common theme for a lot of these guys,” he said. (Phelan’s) going to play another year of junior, going to school. It buys him time to do exactly what he needs to do and that’s to add strength.”

Phelan will be working to be more of an offensive presence at Sioux City this season after recording just one goal and four assists in 59 games last season.

“I want to get bigger, stronger, faster,” he said. “Guys get better and better every year. I’ve obviously got to be more offensive and find the holes to jump into and, um, you know, join the rush more and, uh, be a little more active at the blue line.”

A Hockey Family

Phelan is a native of Hinsdale, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, which is where played travel hockey with twin brother Danny.

“It was super cool,” Jack Phelan said. “It’s obviously fortunate to play with a twin and to be able to play at a high level was pretty cool as well.”

Danny Phelan will play for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres this winter. Both are defensemen, as is younger brother, Michael, who will play at Waterloo in the USHL this seas0n before starting his college career at Arizona State next year.

Last year was Jack Phelan’s first away from home, which took a bit of getting used to as well as moving from Chicago to South Dakota.

“I like it,” he said. “It’s a little slower pace than Chicago, but hockey is a really growing game out there. I love it out there. Um, you know, my teammates are great, coaches are great and my billets have been awesome. So, yeah, definitely, excited to go back there soon.”

Red Wings’ Early Impression

Phelan made an impression on Red Wings scouts early.

“Kevin Gibson and Mark Mullin, this was a right-shot D they liked right off the hop,” Draper said. “They kept talking about him. He does have to get stronger but he’s smart, he has some size, he moves well. He’s a smart defender. That’s something our guys like. I was able to see him as well and that’s exactly how they described him and that’s what he is.”

Draper and the rest of the Red Wings’ brass got a chance to see Phelan in a camp for prospects last month.

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“It was super cool,” Phelan said. “You have Steve Yzerman and Kris Draper, Dan Cleary and Nick Kronwall there. It was super cool to have conversations with them. You learn so much from a camp like that in only five days.”

Training camp in Sioux Falls is about a month away. In the interim Phelan is hitting the gym, skating a couple of days a week and working on both honing and developing skills he hopes will lead to a winged wheel on his chest someday.

The post Red Wings Draftee Phelan Sticking to His Development Plan appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings added to their defense at the start of the second day of the NHL Drat on Thursday in Nashville.

The Red Wings had three consecutive picks in the second round, but traded the third to the Predators for Nashville’s second-round pick and one in the fifth round.

Their first pick, at No. 41, was goalie Trey Augustine, who was born in South Lyon and played in high school at Livonia Churchill before moving to the National Team Development Program. He has committed to play at Michigan State.

Augustine, who is 6-feet, 189 pounds, played in 32 games last season for the USNTDP with a 2.14 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. He won four of six games for the U.S. team at the World Junior Championships, with  2.85 GAA and .891 save percentage. His draft stock rose considerably after that.

The next pick, No. 42, was defenseman Andrew Gibson of the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL. The 6-3, 185 pounder had seven goals for the Greyhounds last season and recorded three assists in seven games for Team Canada in the World Under-18 Games.

“I got a lot of friends and family who are Wings fans,” Gibson said. “I played for the Junior Red Wings in a tournament with Trey. It’s a great feeling being so close to home, being with such a great organization.”

Gibson , who missed eight weeks due to injury last season, uses an accurate wrist shot in traffic to create opportunities for rebounds and tip-ins. He was the Greyhounds’ rookie of the year last season.

“I’m a bigger guy,” he said. “I like to use my size to my advantage. I think I skate well for a big guy as well. I think I can play both ends of the ice, but offensively and defensively.”

After the trade, Detroit took defenseman Brady Cleveland with the No. 47 pick, Cleveland is a Wisconsin native who is signed to play at the University of Wisconsin next winter.

Cleveland was excited to join his teammate, Augustine, in the Red Wings[ draft class.

“I was sitting in the stands when he got picked and I was absolutely pumped for him,” he said, “and then for me to get picked right after is awesome. I really loved playing with him and to be able to go back and play with him again, that would be something really special.”

Cleveland isn’t much of  a scorer — he took only 14 shots in 55 games last season. But at 6-5, 211, he was one of the toughest hitters in the USHL and led the USNDTP with 106 penalty minutes. He’s skilled enough as a defender to play for the U.S. team at the World U-18 Championships.

“That’s kind of what I pride myself on,” he said of his physical game. “I like to be that guy who’s mean and physical and get up in your face and be hard to play against. It doesn’t matter what game, what scenario, I’m going to be out there and make it a nightmare for you.”

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In the third round, Detroit selected forward Noah Dower Nilsson, a 6-0 left wing who played for Vastra Frolunda Jr. of the Swedish Junior League last season, recording 26 goals and 28 assists in 37 games.

“I think my strength is developing,” he said. “When I have the puck I create opportunities for my teammates. My offensive skills. What I need to be better on is to be stronger on the puck, stronger on the whole and my play in the D zone.”

His brother, Liam, was a fifth-round pick by the Red Wings in 2021. He was with the rest of the family when Noah’s name was called.

“He’s always been with me and my whole family has helped me to get here,” Noah Dower-Nilsson said. “Without them I don’t think I’m here. I will also thank my mom. She has helped me get here today. She’s my biggest idol.”

In the fourth round, the Red Wings took Larry Keenan of Culver Academy, a high school in Culver, Ind. He is the grandson of Larry Keenan, who played for four NHL teams in the 1960s.

The younger Keenan wasn’t surprised to be taken by Detroit.

“They were probably one of the teams that had the most interest in me,” he said. “I know their scout Tim Gibson, he was calling my personal trainer quite a big, even like two days ago, just checking in, making sure everything was good.”

The elder Keenan scored the first goal in the history of the St. Louis Blues, and was on the ice when Bobby Orr scored his famous goal against St. Louis in 1970.

Among those celebrating the pick was the elder Larry Keenan, who is now 83.

“I’m really excited to share it with them and take it all in. Enjoying the moment,” the younger Keenan said.

Detroit had two fifth-round picks, their own and Nashville’s. With their pick they took defenseman Jack Phelan of Sioux City (USHL). With Nashville’s choice, they took German forward Kevin Bicker.

In the sixth round, the Red Wings took another goalie, selecting Rudy Guimond of the Taft School of Watertown, Connecticut.

He plans to spend the next two years with the USHL’s Cedar Rapids team before attending Yale. But the draft was a personal highlight.

“It’s something I’ve been dreaming about my whole life,” Guimond said. “So if (being drafted) were to happen I just really wanted to be here. Nashville’s been great, so I’m really happy I came. And obviously, I got drafted.”

Detroit finished the day by taking left wing Emmitt Finnie in the seventh round. Finnie played for Kamloops of the WHL last season.

The post Red Wings Go For Defense in Draft’s Second Day appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.