Wings Ticket Info

Found this at the Windsor Star...

"The hottest ticket in town goes on sale this Friday as the defending Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings begin selling single-game tickets for the entire 2009-10 season.
In addition to the entire season of single-game seats, the Red Wings will begin selling the highly successful $9 ticket for select games in September, October and November.

The $9 ticket will only be available for purchase at the Joe Louis Arena Box Office with a limit of two tickets per person."

Hands off...the $9 tickets are mine.

"Reserved seats are priced at $25, $38, $48, $58 and $80 for most games, while select contests, including the North American home-opener vs. Chicago that includes a Wings magnet schedule giveaway, are variably priced. Additionally, season ticket packages for both the Gordie Howe Nine-Game Plan and the Steve Yzerman 19-Game Plan are available.
Special group packages of 20-or-more tickets are also available through the Red Wings Group Sales Department at 313-396-7575."

And I'd like to point out that my personal experience with the Sales Department for the Wings has been absolutely outstanding. They're always very cheerful and eager to help out. Proving again that from the top on down, this is a first class organ-i-zation.

I always encourage people to note the quantity of banners hanging from the rafters...

Morrow: Babcock's Practices are Hard

Found this little blurb on freep.com buried beneath the ever growing trash pile of college football talk...

"I know our practices in Dallas, the tempo's not the same as that. I'm not sure if Detroit practices like that every day -- if they do, that's probably why they have the success they do."

--Brendan Morrow

Working hard in practice isn't exactly a new concept, Brenden. As captain of your team, I think you should know this.

Pay the Few Big Bucks

Stumbled across this at canuckshockeyblog.com of all places...

"In the 2006/2007 season when the salary cap was at $44 million, the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup with 39% of their cap space dedicated to three players: Scott Niedermayer ($6.75 million), Chris Pronger ($6.25 million) and Jean-Sebastian Giguere ($3.99 million). Add Teemu Selanne ($3.75 million) and Andy Macdonald ($3.3 million) and that’s 55% of their cap space dedicated to five players. The other Stanley Cup finalist that year, the Ottawa Senators, had 36% of their cap space to three playes: Wade Redden ($6.5 million), Daniel Alfredsson ($4.677 million) and Dany Heatley ($4.5 million). Include Jason Spezza ($4.5 million) and Martin Gerber ($3.7 million) and that’s 54% of their cap space dedicated to five players."

I look at those salaries and laugh...Andy Macdonald @ $3.3 million, Wade Redden @$6.5 million, and Martin Gerber @ $3.7 million. Then I think about this as the year the Ducks stole the Cup from us in the conference finals and my laughs turn to cries. And I also start wishing Lilja's head to start hurting again (just a little bit).

"In the 2007/2008 season when the salary cap was at $50.3 million, the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup with 40% of their cap space dedicated to three players: Nicklas Lidstrom ($7.6 million), Pavel Datsyuk ($6.7 million) and Brian Rafalski ($6 million). Add Dominik Hasek ($4.05 million) and Nicklas Kronwall ($3 million) and that’s 48% of their cap space dedicated to five players."

I can't believe we were paying Hasek that much. The dude did help us win the Jennings, but my god, $4.05 million to that sociopath? Like his crappy clothing line doesn't earn him enough money. All's well that ends well, I guess.

"Likewise, when the salary cap was at $56.6 million last season, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup with 33% of their cap space dedicated to three players: Sidney Crosby ($8.7 million), Sergei Gonchar ($5 million) and Marc-Andre Fleury ($5 million). Add Evgeni Malkin ($3.834 million) and Brooks Orpik ($3.75 million) and that’s 46% of their cap space dedicated to five players. The finalists, the Detroit Red Wings, had 38% dedicated to three players: Lidstrom ($7.45 million), Marian Hossa ($7.45 million) and Datsyuk ($6.7 million). Add Rafalski ($6 million) and that’s 49% dedicated to four players."

We could have easily just saved that $7.45 million on Mercinary Maryanne Hossa, and traded him at the deadline for someone who was going to score in more than 3 games in the post-season...but I'm not bitter. Wait, yes I am. Also, I've heard people start groaning a bit over Rafalski's Cap hit. Don't. Stats alone compared to others, he's a steal.

"If you haven’t noticed yet, the three previous Stanley Cup winners and finalists all committed big money to a select few players."

Choose, but choose wisely.

Poor "Soupy" Stays in Pantry for Olympics

Found this on chicagonow.com...enjoy!

Aww...Chicago feels slighted by the exclusion of the $7.1 mil turnover machine from Team Canada's Olympic Camp.

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"The immediate word out of Team Canada orientation camp in Calgary is that speed and up-tempo play will be the name of their game as revenge is sought for that last stinkeroo performance in the 2006 Olympics at Turin. Then where is the world is Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell?"

Stinkeroo? That a technical term? Let's see if I can use it in a sentance. The reason your stinkeroo ginger defenseman who's signed to a real stinkeroo contract is not invited to Calgary is due to his stinkeroo play.

"There's quite a simple explanation why Campbell wasn't invited to play with the big boys this week. Team Canada coach Mike Babcock and executive director Steve Yzerman witnessed first-hand the egg he laid when their Detroit Red Wings bounced the Blackhawks from the Western Conference finals.That was just one egg in a season when he skated on eggshells most of the first half and at times in the second half. "

When I said "stinkeroo play", I didn't mean the ONE bad play he made during game 2 of the Western Conference Finals that lead to the GWG (I was at that game, by the way). I meant his play in general is bad. $7.1 million is a lot to be paying a man who has, thus far in his career, accomplished nothing of signifigance. Who signed him to that contract? Dale Tallon you say? Well alright then, can't really blame Campbell for that one.

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And then the article prattles on about how Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook made the camp and are battling for a spot but really....who cares?

Found this picture (including text) at tinypic.com

Breaking News from Yahoo: Economy Sucks

Guess what, Wings fans...Detroit is going through economic hardship. Who knew?

In the latest, "let's kick them when they're down" segment, Yahoo! News puts out an uplifting little article, reminding us all of those who have lost their jobs and the Detroit sports teams that are feeling the pinch of a sluggish economy as well. What do you have to say that hasn't already been said, Yahoo!?

"Detroit's big four professional teams -- Lions (NFL), Tigers (MLB), Pistons (NBA) and Red Wings (NHL) -- are not looking for new addresses but are digging in for what is shaping up as a bruising battle for the shrinking sports entertainment dollar."

I think it's always important to note that no matter how hard we've been hit by the economy, Matt Millen, or other sub-par stretch runs, Detroit retains its extremely loyal fan-base...even without the high draft picks.

"Stanley Cup finalists the last two seasons, the Red Wings were once the hottest sporting ticket in Detroit but it can now be had for as little as $9."

Yeah, for obstructive seating. I didn't even know there WAS obstructive seating in the Joe until I went and bought a crap load of these tickets for dirt cheap. They sit you in a cut-out corner in the top corner behind one of the over-hanging scoreboards and a load bearing concrete column. I almost always was able to sneak down to some fat-cat corporate seat that was un-filled (shhhh!).

And of course, Jimmy Develano, who's always good for a slice of humble pie had this to add when asked to comment on the Tigers' respectable attendance:

"We've done well here mainly because of the performance of the baseball team and we've thrown out all kinds of ticket deals, there is even a section of $5 tickets," Jimmy Devellano, senior vice-president of both the Tigers and Red Wings, told Reuters.
"It's tough, this is a city with four major sports and we are all competing for the same dollar. There is only so much to go around. It's like a ghost town. You see it, you feel it all over."

Gee, thanks Jim. Always good for that feel good quote.

Feeling warm and fuzzy? If the answer is yes, then you've been in the liquor cabinet a bit too early today, my friends.

#3 on the Mend

Malik is at it again, this time finding Swedish interviews reporting something interesting about a certain injured Red Wing defenseman...

"There's huge progress going forward. The headaches decrease every day. My goal is to be at Detroit's training camp which starts on September 12"--Andreas Lilja

Good on Lilja for getting better. But we were kind of counting on his Cap hit coming off the books on LTIR...weren't we?

"I can not play very physically yet, but I've still taken a few elbows to the head without having had more headaches from it."

Um...who the hell are you playing with that his giving you elbow shots to the head while you're trying to recover from a concussion? It's got to be Todd Bertuzzi, I just know it...

Don't expect to see him squaring off for the remainder of his season. When asked if he was scared about coming back, he said, "No, I have so much experience. But I have been banned for fighting. I must avoid fights."

That's fine, Lilja...The 'Tuz has got your back.

But does Lilja's comeback means someone is going to be moved? Whether it's another player being sent to Grand Rapids (Meech), or somebody being sent packing via trade or waivers...we're probably going to have to make a move if Lilja indeed is ready to play.

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Of course, he could just be blowing smoke up our bums with all this comeback talk. We really don't know how far away he is from playing.

Stevie-Y talks Team Canada with NHL.com

Dan Rosen of NHL.com’s conversation with the GM of the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team:

NHL.com: You have 46 of the best players in the world coming together at one venue and ultimately it will be up to you to pick the team that is right for Canada to win gold again? So, naturally, there is pressure. Do you feel more pressure in your current role than you did when you were playing for Canada?

Yzerman: "No, no, no. I think in a lot of ways it's very similar, but as a player you just have your own expectations and your own goals. I think for any real competitive player or anyone that has great aspirations, they put greater demands on themselves and are more satisfied with satisfying their own expectations than anyone else's. We're all part of it and we all have to do our job and do it well. To answer your question, no, I don't feel any more pressure. It's the same really."

Me: Well played, Stevie. He’s not trying to make any players or GM’s mad by saying there is more pressure doing one thing than the other. Instead of taking the whole “well, it’s a different kind of pressure” and moving on, he stays within the politically correct arena, and answers the question as best he could. Remember now, that Stevie is under a ridiculously powerful microscope with the Canadian media with their hand on the focus knob.

NHL.com: If you can come out of this camp Thursday night after the Red-White scrimmage saying one thing, what would you like it to be?

Yzerman: "Most important, I want the players to leave that camp Thursday night thinking, 'I totally understand how the coaches want the team to play, I understand the type of game they're going to play and what is expected of me to make the team.' I guess it's to answer every question that they have leading up to the Olympics so when they get to Vancouver in February all their questions have been answered and they can just focus on playing the first game of that tournament."

Me: That’s a bunch of things, Steve. He asked for one.

NHL.com: Many people are wondering what the point is behind playing the Red-White scrimmage game Thursday because the fear of injury may outweigh the gain the players, coaches and executives get out of the game. Why is the game going to be played and at any point were there thoughts to cancel it, especially because of the insurance issues?

Yzerman: "I could have called this a practice. It didn't need to be called a Red-White scrimmage. People are making way too much of it. Teams in the NHL and every league scrimmage in practice. It's no different than that. We have 45 guys skating (Ryan Getzlaf is out due to offseason surgery) and we're going to practice for three days and we wanted in more of a game-like situation to get out there and do the things they have been working on for three days. We could have just run another practice to go through our forechecking and backchecking systems and work on the power play and penalty kill, but we thought it would be better to incorporate it more into a game. The intensity level expected and what we're going to be doing is no different than what the players do every single day in practice."

Me: My interpretation…”Shut up. Do any of you honestly think I would put these players in a position to get hurt? They should be smart enough to know how hard to play and if they’re dumb enough to get injured, then they were too dumb to play for Team Canada anyway.”

NHL.com: The assumption is the style Canada will play in these games will closely resemble the style the Red Wings play. Is it wrong to assume that, or is it pretty accurate?

Yzerman: "Well, Mike Babcock coaches the Red Wings and he's going to coach this team so the things he's been successful with his teams, and I mean all the teams he's coached -- he's brought a lot of his ideas from one job to the next and the things he's been successful with he's stuck with -- some will be incorporated into the Olympic team. Not all, but some. You play a certain way based on the personnel you have and we're going to have a strong offensive team and good puck-moving defenseman. We're not molding this after the Detroit Red Wings, but he's going to apply some of the things that made the Detroit Red Wings successful."

Me: Babcock also used to coach the Ducks which was a completely different style of play and was successful. Babcock is good at working with what he has. A coach has to be able to adapt on a nightly basis, not only with whom he has on his team, but also by whom he is playing against. Maybe Dan Rosen meant by resembling the Wings in style, he meant “will you win like the Red Wings?”

NHL.com: Of all the players that are coming to camp, is it possible for you to give us a list of five that you are really looking forward to seeing on the ice because it will give you a chance to learn more about them than you already know?

Yzerman: "Probably not. It's a tough one for me to answer. I've watched them all a lot. Some of them I have never met or spoken to before so I don't know if there is just five I can give you. I have shaken hands with Sidney Crosby once, but I don't really know him. Stephane Robidas and I have never met. I have spoken on the phone once or twice to Marc-Andre Fleury, but that's it. Some of the guys I played against, but some of the younger guys I don't know. Being there for me will give me a chance to meet some of the guys I don't know personally yet, but I have watched them play a lot. I would stress that this camp is about information, preparation. It's not about trying out. I'm not looking to study a player and determine if he'll make this team or not make this team based on this camp. It's informative so they are prepared in every way."

Me: So Stevie has shaken hands with Sidney the same amount as Nik Lidstrom (last year’s Finals only)…ah c’mon…I had to say it.

"Screw it, let's get out of here."