|
No captain again in 2019-20 |
|
|
|
|
|
The captain won’t have a captain in his first season as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.
Steve Yzerman has decided to hold off for another season before naming a successor to Henrik Zetterberg to wear the C for the Wings.
On the eve of the opening of training camp for the 2019-20 NHL season, Wings coach Jeff Blashill confirmed to Mlive.com.
“I talked extensively with Steve Yzerman during the course of the summer and with respect to the fact Steve is just getting to know our players, it made sense to go with four alternates,” Blashill said.
Blashill didn’t 100 percent rule out the possibility of a captain being named at some point during the season.
“We reserve the right to change our mind,” Blashill said.
Dylan Larkin, Justin Abdelkader and Frans Nielsen will return as alternate captains. An A will also be added to the jersey of forward Luke Glendening.
Last season was the first time in franchise history that the Wings played an entire campaign without a captain.
Nielsen’s Number’s Up
When the Wings signed free-agent center Valtteri Filppula, Nielsen was happy to give him back the No. 51 he’d worn during his first tour in Detroit.
“He asked,” Nielsen said. “Fil really wanted it and he had it for I don’t know, seven, eight years that he was here.
“I had no issue doing that. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Nielsen chose to switch to No. 81 but for no other reason that it was open.
“There wasn’t too many numbers available,” Nielsen said. “They retired a lot of numbers here it Detroit. There was a list and it was one of them.
“It looks a little bit like 51.”
The New Guys
Filppula, signed from the New York Islanders, is one of three NHL-experienced veterans the Wings added during the summer who all figure to make the club. The others are forward Adam Erne, acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning and defenseman Patrik Nemeth, signed as a free agent from the Colorado Avalanche.
Blashill believes he’s gained a pretty good handle about what all of them can bring to the team.
“I coached Fil when I was an assistant here so I’ve known Filppula for a long time, I’m very familiar with him,” Blashill said. “I had an opportunity to watch Erne play on tape since we traded for him, so I’ve gotten familiar with him. I spoke to Tampa’s staff, had a good conversation with Adam as well.
Actually, I knew him as a 15-year-old way, way, way back when. So I’m certainly familiar enough. Then Patrik’s a guy we targeted. We’ve got to make sure we’re a better defensive team and that’s what he’s really good at. I don’t know him great as a person. I’ve had some opportunity to be with him a little bit but I think Patrik knows what he is and I look forward to him making an impact.”
Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»