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Svechnikov all about the brotherly love |
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There is no sibling rivalry in the Svechnikov household. Just plenty of brotherly love.
At Friday’s NHL entry draft in Dallas, likely with the second pick of the draft, right wing Andrei Svechnikov’s rights will belong to an NHL team. If they don’t trade the pick, that team will most likely be the Carolina Hurricanes. And when that moment arrives, and Andrei’s name is called, the happiest person in American Airlines Arena is going to be Andrei’s older brother, Detroit Red Wings right wing Evgeny Svechnikov.
Three years earlier, Evgeny was taken in the first round, 19th overall by the Red Wings. Andrei was there to cheer him on and share the moment. Friday, Evgeny will be there to see Andrei shine in the spotlight.
“I think he’s very calm and he’s very mature,” Evgeny said of his brother, who played with the OHL Barrie Colts this season. “He looks up to me, obviously and can learn a lot from my ways. I’m telling him a lot of stuff but you know, I think he’s very confident. He knows what he can do. I’m giving him a lot of confidence. It’s going to be a big step for him next year. I’m very excited for him.”
The Svechnikovs will be the 19th brother act in NHL history to both be first round picks, although that list will swell to 20 later in the evening when Brady Tkachuk joins his brother Matthew of the Calgary Flames as first rounders. The Svechnikovs will be just the second brother first-round pairing to involve a Red Wing. Detroit selected Keith Primeau third overall in 1990 and four years later, his younger brother Wayne was selected 17th overall by the Buffalo Sabres.
Evgeny recognizes how much help he can be to Andrei as he embarks on his own NHL journey.
“I’m telling him it’s a huge difference between junior and professional. Especially NHL,” Evgeny said. “It’s going to be different. Everybody is faster and stronger, way smarter. I’m going to talk to him way more this summer and hopefully teach him more and more. But he watches every game. He sees every game and he learns as much as he can.”
Schedule Released
The Wings will open the 2018-19 NHL season at Little Caesars Arena playing host to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 4. Following the home opener, the Wings will embark upon a stretch of six road games in their next seven, the only home date in that span an Oct. 11 visit by former Wings coach Mike Babcock and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Alex Ovechkin and the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals make their lone trip to Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 6, while ex-Wing Tomas Tatar and the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights are in Detroit on Feb. 7.
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins - the only visiting team to lose twice at Little Caesars Arena during its inaugural campaign, make their only appearance in Detroit on April 2.
The Florida Panthers will provide the opposition for Detroit’s traditional New Year’s Eve home date.
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