The 2009/2010 hockey season will not be the only way to get great Red Wing entertainment. The 2010 winter olympics, set to take place February 12th-28th in Vancouver, may be seeing a lot of the Detroit Red Wings on a number of teams.

Initial team rosters for men's hockey consist of around 30-40 players. Final team rosters do not need to be submitted until December, but teams around the world are already getting into gear and hosting orientation camps for prospective team members.

-Team U.S.A. invited 34 players to their orentation camp in August. Only one Red Wing, defenseman Brian Rafalski, will be attending.

-Team Canada, coached by Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock, will see forward Dan Cleary at their orientation August 24th-27th in Calgary.

-Team Russia has announced its initial roster of 38 players. They will begin their orientation camp in Moscow August 29th through September 1st. Forward Pavel Datsyuk was invited to attend.

-Team Finland's orientation camp beginning August 10th will include forwards Ville Leino and Valtteri Filppula.

-Slovakia has also announced its initial roster, which includes former Red Wing Marian Hossa.

-Team Sweden will announce their roster at the end of the week. Red Wing potentials for this team include forwards Thomas Holmstrom and Henrik Zetterburg, and defensemen Johnathan Ericsson, Niklas Kronwall and Nicklas Lidstrom. Daniel Larsson, goaltender for the Grand Rapids Griffins, is also a potential team member.

The Red Wings are a mix of talent from across the globe. Next year we'll be seeing them fight, some side-by-side, and some against each other, for the olympic gold.

-Terri

For the 2009-2010 season, the Detroit Red Wings will be returning to the ice as a very different team.

The official roster is looking thin, as many of the players will not be returning to Hockeytown. With so much trading and contracts flying around, it can all get a bit confusing. I thought I would clear some of air, so here's where the Wings stand. The following information can be found at http://redwings.nhl.com/ and http://sports.yahoo.com/.

Players leaving the team

-Marian Hossa joined the Chicago Blackhawks for a 12-year, $62.8 million deal.

-Thomas Kopecky also joined the Chicago Blackhawks.

-Jiri Hudler joined Dynamo Moscow of the KHL, the same league as former Red Wing star Sergei Fedorov.

-Mikael Samuelsson joined the Vancouver Canucks for a 3-year, $7.5 million deal. The Red Wings could only offer $1.5 million.

-Ty Conklin joined the St. Louis Blues for a 2-year, $2.6 million deal.

-Long-time teammates Chris Chelios and Darrin McCarty will also be leaving the Red Wings.

Joining the Red Wings

-Goalie Jimmy Howard will be moving up from the AHL Grand Rapids team and will replace Conklin as back-up goalie.

-With many players now gone and more wiggle room under the salary cap, the Wings were able to keep Ville Leino after signing a 2-year deal.

Although we are missing our Detroit team this summer, the Red Wings have already announced their preseason schedule. It won't be long before a new, and hopefully stronger team, will emerge for a great season. So with only a few more weeks of summer sun, we won't have to wait long for the Wings to return to the ice.

-Terri

Photos courtesy of Detroit Free Press

Although the Detroit Red WIngs may have lost the cup, there is still plenty to be proud of. Here are some of the many accomplishments I would like mention:

*It was just announced this afternoon that former Red Wings Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, and former captain Steve Yzerman have all made it into the Hockey Hall of Fame. They will be inducted at a ceremony in Toronto on November 9th.

*Pavel Datsyuk was awarded two trophies during the 2009 NHL Awards. He received his second Frank Selke Trophy, for being the top defensive forward, as well as his fourth Lady Byng Trophy, given to the most gentlemanly player. Datsyuk is the first and only player in NHL history to win these awards back-to-back. *

*Jonathan Ericsson was named ‘Rookie of the Year’ by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA).

*The Red Wings' Beard-A-Thon raised $17,335 for the Detroit Red Wings Foundation.

The team's success this year is more than extraordinary. As for their future, it remains to be seen. The team may be very different come next season. Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson, Tomas Kopecky, Chris Chelios and Ty Conklin are all free agents who may sign with any club on July 1. It has already been confirmed that Chelios will not be returning to the Wings, although he still wants to play. So some Wings may go, others will come, but hopefully where ever a player may end up, it brings positive changes to the team. Congrats to all the Detroit Red Wings for all they have achieved!

-Terri

Photos courtesy of Detroit Free Press Photographers Kirthmon F. Dozier, Julian H. Gonzalez, & Mary Schroeder

No Stanley Cup. No parade. No bragging rights. No beards... the Red Wings are done.

There's really no point going into detail of Friday night's Game 7. Once again the Wings were outplayed, and lost. Not to say that the Wings did poorly, they played quite well, they just weren't as good as they could have been. Part of it could have been due to the number of injuries that the team suffered this season. The full, honest list of injuries was finally revealed. Kris Draper took a stick to his throat, then suffered a groin injury. Andres Lilja suffered a concussion and did not play during the playoffs (he was replaced by Ericsson, who  I must say did a fabulous job). Niklas Lidstrom suffered an injury to his testicles, while Brian Rafalski had a herniated disk and also separated his shoulder. It has also been said that Cleary had some partial tears in his groin. Ouch.

So the question isn't so much of what went wrong, but more of "what now?". Where do the Red Wings go from here? What can the Wings do to make themselves better? One big question on everyone's mind is whether the Wings will keep Marian Hossa. Poor guy. I'd hate to live with the irony that you switched teams to win the cup, only to lose it to the team you just left, though he seems to be handling it well. Hossa cost the Red Wings $7.45 million this season. With Henrik Zetterburg & Johan Franzen now signed to long-term contracts, the Wings would not be able to afford Hossa without sacrificing other players in the process. Hurray for team salary-caps! Do you think Hossa has earned his place? I'm on the fence with that question.

So the summer may be more eventless than we were hoping for, but don't worry, I got some entries up my sleeves the next few months. Now the Wings get to rest and relax for a well deserved break. Congrats to all of them for a great season!

-Terri

Photos courtesy of Detroit Free Press Photographers Mandi Wright and Julian H. Gonzalez

You would think that after such a compelling victory of 5-0 that winning the series would have been easy.  Of course the Penguins were angry after such a loss, and in their do-or-die situation, they came out onto the ice with enough fuel to fly a plane. The Wings knew they would, so why weren't they ready for it?

You would think that the Red Wings would have been more prepared going into what could have been the final, championship-winning game of the series. However, for the first two periods, the Red Wings were outshot 24-12. Thank goodness for Osgood, otherwise the game's final score of 2-1 could have been a lot worse. The Wings did pull it together for the final period, with more energy and some good plays, but by that time it was too late. The Penguins outplayed us, and won.

So now here we are, one game left. One game to determine everything. It's do-or-die for both teams now. In a series where home-ice has shown its power, we can only hope that the home team will once again be the victors. The Red Wings need to be ready this time... really ready. The team can't expect to wait until the third period to get their act together and still earn the Cup. As the defending champions, the Wings are better than that. So no more dilly-dallying. It's time to show the Penguins why we won the Cup in the first place.

-Terri  

Photos courtesy of Detroit Free Press Photographer Andre Jackson

The Red Wings still got it. Saturday's 5-0 victory at the Joe sure hit the sweet spot.

The team definitely came together and shared the glory as each goal was scored by a different player. Cleary, Filppula, Kronwall, Rafalski, and Zetterburg all earned a point for the team. Pavel Datsyuk returned to the ice after a long absense, making his presence known with two assists.  Other Wings helped with assists, including Hossa, Franzen, Lidstrom, Hudler, Samuelsson, and somehow, even goaltender Chris Osgood chipped in with his own assist. Poor, defeated Fleury of the Penguins was pulled out of the game and replaced with goaltender Mathueu Garon.  Red Wing Chris Osgood on the other hand, made 22 saves for his second shutout of the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Penguins had 12 penalties, including three 10-minute misconduct penalties- think they were a little upset?  I almost felt bad for them... almost.

There's no denying that playing on home ice has had its advantages, as every game has been won by the home team. So it is a worrysome as the Wings head back to Pittsburgh for tonight's game. However, with only one game keeping them from the Stanley Cup I can't see them not winning the game. It would be the second year in a row that the Wings would win the cup in the same opponent's arena. Luckily for Marian Hossa, who left the Penguins after last season, he’d be hoisting the cup this time around. Go Red Wings, best of luck tonight!

-Terri

Photos courtesy of Detroit Free Press photographers Julian Gonzalez and Kirthmon Dozier

It was a sad night for the Red Wings as once again they found themselves inside Mellon Arena with a losing score of 4-2.

Game 4 started well. The Penguin's scored quickly, but the Red Wings were on top of their game. By keeping pressure on the Penguin's goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and outshooting the Penguins 19-11, Darren Helm scored for the Wings, tieing the game 1-1 after the first period.

As the second period began, things were looking good for the Red Wings as they scored another goal, making the game 2-1.  But then... they lost it. The Penguins scored three goals within six minutes. The Wings defense just wasn't there. The Penguins had many breakaways, and Detroit fans were left wondering, "where are the Wings?". Poor Chris Osgood was left to defend the net solo, and to my dismay, Penguin's captain Sidney Crosby finally made his first goal in the series.

Time for me to be a pessimist:

The Red Wings lost their energy and after a while, their drive. I felt like the Wings just gave up. The Wings were still ahead in shots on goal as usual, but let me tell you, Fleury is good... really good. It's going to take a lot more from the Wings to get the puck past this guy.

So what's the Red Wings problem? Here's what I think: The old guys are too slow, the young guys don't have the experience yet to win in high-pressure games, and the guys left in the middle are too busy hurting themselves to even play.

The team needs to put in a lot more effort for Game 5 on Saturday, or else they're going to lose the Stanley Cup. The Penguins are flying on high spirits and a lot of confidence, but Detroit cannot let that carry the Penguins through. When the Red Wings return to The Joe this weekend, they better be prepared for the fight of their lives. They have the talent, and the skill. Now they just need the energy to pull it off. On to Game 5, come on Wings!

-Terri

Photo courtesy of Detroit Free Press Photographer Andre Jackson

Had the Red Wings won Game 3, the series would have pretty much been in the bag. The Penguins knew this. Winning this game was critical, and with their Pittsburgh fans behind them they pulled it off. After winning with a score of 4-2, the Penguins proved that they aren't going down without a fight.

I can't say I'm entirely surprised. Although two goals were scored by both teams in the first period, the overall performance of the Wings was slow and sloppy. We missed passes, had poor defense during Penguin powerplays, and Chris Osgood let in some shots that could have easily been saved. The referees also missed a huge penalty on the Penguins (having an extra man on the ice for nearly half a minute) and things started going downhill.  It was like a bad omen.

The Penguins on the other hand, played with energy and the drive to win. Penguin's goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was definitely on his game. Although the Red Wings once again outshot the Penguins, they just couldn't seem to get it into the net.

Instead of taking this as a blow, let's think of it this way- There will be more games to watch, the competition will be tough, and the games will be more exciting.  If the Wings win the next two games, they'll win the Stanley Cup in their home rink, which is way more exciting than if they would have swept the Penguins and received the cup in Pittsburgh.  Also,the past 32 out of 33 teams that won the first two games in the finals went on to win the cup... those are some pretty good odds.  We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed for Thursday,  Go Wings!!

-Terri

Photo courtesy of Detroit Free Press photographer Andre Jackson

The Detroit Red Wings are well on their way to winning the Stanley Cup once again. Games 1 and 2 of the Finals both ended in 3-1 victories against the Pittsburg Penguins.

You know, I am really not a fan of the Penguins. Sure they're talented, I'll give them that. However, I think the attitude from both fans and players is a bit much. I suppose part of my dislike stems from the rivalry between my family and that of my sister's fiancé, who reside in Pittsburgh. My mother is currently holding a bet with the other family. The fan of the losing team must wear a jersey of their rivals, in public, and document the experience. Hopefully this means I'll have some photos of Penguin fans in Red Wing jerseys to post for your enjoyment.

The other reason for my great dislike of the Penguins is for the way their captain, Sidney Crosby, is given credit and glorified for every achievement made by the Penguins team. Seriously, he could be sitting in the locker room and still be given credit for a goal someone else scored. The Penguins are a great team, so how about commentators, fans, etc. start giving the TEAM some credit.

Anyway, back to the games...

I once again will plead my case for Chris Osgood. This guy is on fire. The champion goalie let in only one goal and made 31 saves two games in a row. He also held off Crosby, who has yet to score a goal or even make an assist.

The heat is definitely being turned up on the ice. During the last minute of Game 2 there were five penalties after a fight broke out between Henrik Zetterburg and Penguin's Evgeni Malkin. Zetterburg wound up with a five-minute major for fighting, while Malkin earned himself a five-minute major, a ten-minute misconduct, and an instigator penalty. Players receiving instigator penalties in the last five minutes are usually suspended for next game. However, after a review from the NHL, Malkin's suspension was rescinded.

Finally, I'd like to make mention to some of the newer Red Wings. The young players are definitely earning their places on the team. Rookies Jonathan Ericsson and Justin Abdelkader both scored goals in Game 2 and are proving to be valuable assests. Unfortunately for some of the veterns, such as Kris Draper and Chris Chelios, this is meaning less and less ice time. Although I find this a bit sad, I would be reluctant to make any changes to the current lines, considering how well they're performing. As the Wings prepare to continue the battle in Pittsburgh, we'll see if the lines can hold up on enemy turf... or ice rather.

-Terri

Photos courtesy of Detroit Free Press photographers Julian H. Gonzalez & Kirthmon F. Dozier

The Detroit Red Wings are now looking towards what may be their final game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Heading into Game 4 the Red Wings were lacking a few key players including Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsuyk, and Kris Draper.  And once again the Wings seemed to start the game off a bit… sluggish.   It’s a trend I’m seeing more and more.  Some may blame it on the fact that Detroit’s team houses a lot of older players, including Holmstrom-36, Draper-38, Lidstrom-39.  Some friends of mine were even debating whether certain players should retire.  The front runner for this debate: Chris Osgood.  Now in his 15th NHL season, Osgood doesn’t always seem to be on the top of his game.  However, his performance over the playoff season has been impressive.  As an avid fan of Osgood, I don’t see the Wings letting this guy go just yet.

Older age seemed to be an advantage in this game as the Wings’ experience helped bring about another win.  The team dominated the Blackhawks, pulling out all the stops.  Breakaways, power plays, and short-handed goals all led the Wings to victory.  As the goals piled on, frustration could clearly be seen from the penalty-happy Blackhawks as player after player was put in the box.  Several Blackhawks even received a 10 minute penalty for game misconduct. 

The Red Wings ended the game with a final score of 6-1.  Now leading the series 3-1 the team is just a game shy of winning the Western Conference Finals.  

However it’s important to take a look at the other side of the playoff series.  Also with three games under their belts, the young Pittsburgh Penguins seem to have the Eastern Conference Finals in the bag.  A rematch between the teams is looking more and more likely, but could the Red Wings match the Penguins' energy and once again earn the cup?  What wins- youth, or experience?  Only time will tell, but first Detroit has to make it to the Finals.  One game to go, come on Wings!

-Terri

Photos courtesy of Detroit Free Press