There are 14 players on the Red Wings playoff roster who began their professional career with the Grand Rapids.  (Two others – Chris Chelios and Chris Osgood have played in Grand Rapids, but only on rehab assignments.)  With a win tonight, ten of those players would have earned the right to have their names engraved in the Stanley Cup:  Nick Kronwall, Jiri Hudler, Justin Abdlekader, Brett Lebda, Tomas Kopecky, Darren Helm, Jonathon Ericcson,  Villie Leino, Valterri Filppula, and Derek Meech.

Griffins General Manager Bob McNamara, who has been in charge of developing all of these players, will join us live tonight, from inside Joe Louis Arena, during the second half of 24 Hour News 8 at 5:00.  Hope you’ll join us as well.

Go Wings! (Eli the Penguin in frowning)

Ken Kal, the voice of the Detroit Red Wings, will be join us for a live pre-game interview, inside Joe Louis Arena, tonight at 5:00 on WOOD-TV 8.  Ken has called all four of the Red Wings Stanley Cup Championships during the past 11 seasons.  Kal was in the locker room with us this morning, but as a member of the team, he will have access to any late breaking information that the rest of us, may not.  Hope you’ll join us for that.

Go Wings!

Grand Haven native and Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Blysma took a different approach to the “morning skate”, than Mike Babcock and the Red Wings did.  While many of the Red Wing regulars, and the coach himself, skipped the morning skate, all of the healthy Penguins were on the ice with Bylsma late this morning.

The Pens hit the ice, shortly before 11:25 a.m.  The Pens seemed very relaxed and at ease during the skate… even more so than the Wings… who were pretty at ease themselves.  Photographer “Eli the Penguin” and I had a chance to do interviews in both locker rooms, and attend both coaches news conferences today…. the second of which… Dan Bylsma’s… just ended.  As a group, everyone involved seems to be embracing the situation, much more than fearing it, or at least being overly nervous because of it…. at least that’s what there saying publicly.  As Blysma just said, “It’s going to be good for one team at the end of the night.  The other is going to wish it was a (best of) nine game series.”

“Eli the Penguin” and I are headed back to the satellite truck to begin sifting through an hour of tape of so, to cut a few of the best bites (interview segments) for tonight’s 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. shows on WOOD-TV.  Hope you’ll join us.

Go Wings! (Regardless of what Eli says)

Game time is still nearly ten hours away, but  already the tension is mounting here in Motown.   On Detroit radio this morning the most commonly heard phrase has been “I’m already nervous”.  There is an incredible feel of anticipation, excitement and anxiety in the air here. 

The Red Wings hit the ice for their “morning skate” at 10:25… a little later than normal, but not much.  Not everyone is skating… but that’s not unusual.  Still no sign of either Dan Cleary or Kris Draper… neither of whom skated yesterday either… but both are expected to play tonight.  Oddly, Marian Hossa has yet to ice, but again, not all players do.  I can only guess at this point, Marian is trying to keep the legs fresh for, what will be, without a doubt, the biggest game, and perhaps moment of his professional career.  Hossa, as most of you are well aware… will either hoist the cup tonight in Detroit… or have to sit and watch the team he LEFT, to pursue “better opportunities” in Detroit, celebrate victory, on his new team’s home ice.  Ouch!  It will either be the greatest or worst night of Hossa’s hockey life.

Grand Haven native Dan Bylsma and Penguins are schedule to hit the ice at about 11:30 this morning.  When the Wings are done, my partner and photographer “Eli the Penguin” and I will head to the Detroit locker room to do player interviews, and then attend Mike Babcock’s final pre-game news conference.  After that we’ll shoot the Penguins practice and attend Dan Bylsma’s final pre-game news conference.  You can hear from both sides, tonight as our live coverage from Detroit and the Stanley Cup Finals, continues tonight, on-air, at 5:00pm.

Go Wings.

To finish off my previous post… “Getting Taunted By Penguin Fans” in Pittsburgh…..

While I didn’t get to get sprayed with champagne by the Wings THIS year in Pittsburgh, , I didn’t get doused in beer, by Pens fans, either.

During game six of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final I purposely wore my “RED”  WOOD-TV 8 shirt to cover the Wings clinching in Pittsburgh.  During the second intermission I made my way with much of the rest of the crowd, to the restroom.  It wasn’t until I was well inside the VERY crowded facility, standing shoulder to shoulder with dozens of Penguin fans, that I realized I was the only person in the restroom not wearing a white shirt.  Suddenly one of the fans asked me, “why in the hell are you wearing Red, man?”  Without giving it any thought , I simply blurted out, “I’m from Michigan, I’m a Wings fan.”  I then immediately thought…. that probably wasn’t very smart.

Needless to say I was hit with a chorus of  BOOOOOOs that would make Marian Hossa proud.  Not only that, but I was showered with flickers and small splashes of beer.  The boos then turned into chants of  “Red Wings suck!  Red Wings suck!”  I found it all to be in good fun, until some “f-bombs” starting being fired in my direction, at which time I changed lines and made my way to one of the few enclosed stalls. That too seemed like a good idea at first, until someone decided to donate what was left of his beer to the cause…  dumping it over the door,  on my shoulder and down my back…. enough to put my shirt over the legal limit.  When I came out of the door a couple of different Pen fans apologized for the “drunk” in the crowd.  But as I made my way, shoulder to shoulder, through the crowd and back to the concourse, the chants resumed… a mixture of “Let’s go Pens” and “Red Wings Suck”.  

When I finally reached the exit, the first thing I saw on the concourse was a trio of Detroit fans, all in Red Wing uniforms, clapping as if to say, way to take one for the team man.  Suddenly the beer soaking seemed well worth it… especially when the Wings began spraying champagne, a period and a Cup hoisting later.

Good things DO happen to good people. Nearly 20 years after being drafted by the Winnipeg Jets, and nearly 35 years after first lacing up a pair of skates, Grand Haven native Dan Bylsma made his deubt as an NHL “head coach” on Monday.

Bylsma was named the new interim head coach of the defending Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night, after the team fired former head coach Michel Therrien.

I first met Dan shortly after I moved to West Michigan in January of 1996, when HE was first earning a regular spot in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings.  During his nine seasons with the Kings and Ducks, and in the years since, I have had a chance to interview Dan numerous times.  Whether he was the young kid just trying to make the team or the eventual experienced veteran leading his team to the Stanley Cup Finals, Dan was the same polite, friendly guy.   In fact, whether I met with him in the visitors locker room at the Joe Louis Arena, at his summer home in Grand Haven, in a rehab facility during the off-season, on a golf course at a charity event, or on the visitors bench at the Van Andel Arena, Dan has always been sincere and gracious with his words and time.

Under Bylsma, the AHL’s “baby Pens”, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, posted a 35-16-3 record this season, and are currently riding an eight game winning streak.   It should be no surprise that a role player and self described “grinder”, who was also an assistant captain in the NHL (and a captain in the IHL), would make it to the top league in the world as a HEAD COACH, less than five years after his retirement as a player. 

Dan will now have 25 games to prove he deserves a chance to return next season and get the Penguins head coaching job on a full time basis.  His new team currently sits at just 27-25-5 on the season and five points OUT of a playoff spot.  Granted, this certainly is NOT the same team, talent wise, that advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, before falling to the Red Wings.  However, with a roster that includes the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Peter Sykora, Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Gonchar, there is enough talent for Dan to get the Pens into the playoffs, and, as we all know, anything can happen from there.  Should he do that, Bylsma will be back next year, and hopefully for many more to come.

Good things DO happen to good people… and Dan Bylsma is certainly, good people.

Larry Figurski

WOOD-TV News/Sports Anchor and Reporter

Grand Rapids Griffins Color Analyst