The Red Wings have been making the pilgrimage back to Joe Louis Arena eagerly anticipating the start of a new hockey season for a little over a week now.
A half dozen or so current Red Wings, along with a former Wing (Val Filppula), and several NHL-ers (including Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler) gathered Thursday at the Joe preparing for a regular season that promises to be an eventful one for the Wings.
“We’ve got a lot going on, don’t we? The Winter Classic, a lot of guys here are trying for Olympic spots, HBO 24-7 - it’s going to be pretty hectic,” Wings goalie Jimmy Howard said.
Howard, who recently returned from Team USA’s two-day Olympic orientation camp, was beaming with Red, White, and Blue enthusiasm when talking about the Olympics.
“A lot of video, a lot of systems stuff and a lot of media, that was basically it,” Howard said. “It’s always been a dream to play on the Olympic team. Getting my first taste with being part of the under-18 program and wearing my jersey every single day, you come to the realization how much of an honor and special it really is.”
Team USA officials were pretty blunt about what a player needs to do to make Team USA’s final roster.
“It’s going to be whoever is playing their best through November and December pretty much,” Howard said. “Getting off to a great start and maintaining it will hopefully give me the opportunity to go.”
It’s not just the Olympics that has Howard geared up. When asked if he would need to clean up his language when HBO’s 24-7 film crew arrives to document the Wings leading up to this year’s Winter Classic, he jokingly replied.
“No. I’m just going to let the F-bombs fly.”
MULE: I AM NOT A GOAL SCORER
Johan Franzen has always marched to a different drummer. His unassuming and shy nature rubs his critics the wrong way because they read it as a lack of focus and passion.
Franzen has heard all about him being a streaky goal scorer and after Thursday’s informal practice, the Mule wanted to send a message to his detractors.
“If somebody says I’m streaky, they don’t have a clue about my history, they should take a look at it,” said Franzen. “I was streaky one playoff and that’s the only time I’ve been streaky.”
“Other than that, I usually score every three games or so. I’ve been doing that ever since I started scoring a little bit. That’s a big myth (being a streaky scorer).”
“Being called a goal scorer, I don’t like that. I am not a goal scorer. I am a hockey player. I never look for goals, I look to play good and if I score, it happens.”
Like most Wings, Franzen views himself as a two-way player. That’s why he resents being labeled a goal scorer. In the Mule’s mind, a goal scorer is one-dimensional and only thinks about offense. That is not the type of player Franzen wants to be known as.
HELM FEELING GOOD PAIN
It’s no secret that Detroit’s brain trust is expecting a lot from injured third line center Darren Helm, who played only one game last season because of a lingering back injury.
Last month in Traverse City, Helm skated for the first time in two months and felt pretty good. For the last two weeks he’s been testing his back by skating at the Joe. He’s encouraged, but he’s not going to give any predictions about his return to the Wings lineup.
“I’m not putting a time line on opening season. I’m just trying to get better," Helm said. “I did want to get back for last year, but with no real reason of why I had back pain it made me push harder and harder to work through it. Now, things are going well, I want to keep it at this pace and when I’m ready I’m ready.”
FILPPULA MOVING FORWARD
Former Red Wing, Valtteri Filppula, was back at a familiar place skating at the Joe Louis Arena. However, it won’t be long before he’s heading south to settle in with his new team the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Filppula signed a 5 year, $25 million contract in July with the Lightning as an unrestricted free agent after failing to come to an agreement with the Wings.
When asked if he were surprised that he couldn’t work out a new deal with Detroit, Filppula replied, “I don’t know if surprised is the right word. We were working on it for a long time. It didn’t happen. Sometimes it goes like that. Pretty much it was 50-50.”
As far as leaving Detroit and his teammates, Filppula pointed out that he’ll be in the same division, so it’s not like he will become a total stranger.
“It’s bittersweet, "Filppula said. "I’m really excited. Can’t wait to get there and get started and hopefully do well. But at the same time, I’ve been here a long time and it’s always tough to leave that way, leaving a bunch of good friends behind.”
“That’s tough. But mostly really positive feeling and I’m happy to be moving on.”
Filppula and the Lightning will visit Detroit three times this season on November 9, December 15 and March 30.
