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Detroit is looking for a power play specialist . Dan Bylsma was released from him duties as the Wings continue to struggle on the man advantage. Yzerman continues to make changes and give the team a “slow and steady” chance to improve. It’s a breath of fresh air each year as the team continues to take shape.
I apologize for the late posting on this, some of you know that I continue to deal with injury issues that are exacerbated by the rain. The storms last night and today were a doozy (someone find that Groundhog’s Day gif for me). In that vein, many of you know George Malik and have read his works over the years. George is a friend of mine, and he has been having a heck of a time. George notified his readers that he’s going in for some surgery as he desperately wants to get back to blogging.
The Malik Report can be found at this link. If you know George or have enjoyed his content over the years, maybe drop a line in the comments. While he and I joke about being “competitors”, the truth is George has been one of my biggest supporters and a good friend through many hard times. It would be a huge blessing to see his email and/or Twitter flooded with some good thoughts/prayers regarding his upcoming procedure.
Speaking of Detroit based gems, I have another summer feature that is starting today.
Warrior hockey (and lacrosse) is home to one of my favorite hockey minds from the Detroit area in Doug Todd. If you were lucky, you knew him as “silent” Doug (or the inspector) from his days in sports radio several years ago. Doug engineered for Eric Chase (and at times for Matt Shepard), both shows were the best live sports radio for Hockey native to the area. Matt and Eric were huge baseball guys, but gave hockey its due. “Shep” has even been on the Fox Sports Red Wings broadcast several times. However, behind every great radio talent is a great engineer, and that was Doug.
I’d call in to get Doug’s thoughts on hockey stuff whenever I could, even if he wasn’t participating in the show. He’d answer the phone, give me his two cents, and it was always worth the time. It was a heartbreak when he moved on from Radio, but his passion for the sport took him to a place in Warrior that is a credit to his passion and knowledge. Take a look at the tweet up top. That’s Doug, feeding pucks to Leon Draisaitl. If that doesn’t give you chills as a fan, check your pulse. I can only imagine that as one of the great moments for a guy who carried the torch for the NHL, even as local sports radio started to move on. Well done, sir.
Doug is not also insanely knowledgeable, he’s a bit of a gear head. Him working for a world class equipment manufacturer would be like me getting a job at Gibson guitars. Not a good idea in terms of access (thank God gloves don’t cost 2K a shot!). I reached out to Doug to see if he would help me present you some hockey gear columns over the summer, and Doug graciously accepted!
Warrior became a favorite of mine as a Michigan company. Their hockey and lacrosse equipment (I watched the PLL a bit) just stands out as something special. For this first column, I wanted to see what it’s like to make new gear for pro players, and what their process is like. Doug was a fountain of information, and I hope you enjoy it! Here is our back and forth.
Jeremy - how do the pros test their stuff? I was blown away watching you feed pucks to Leon Draisaitl. It just hits home how much you interact with players on some very picky and personal decisions. Sticks, especially, seem to hold huge processes in preparation for players (I heard Jagr would take his sticks home or to the hotel before the games.). I’ve seen Ovechkin use a belt sander on his sticks between periods. It seems like it’s always deeply personal, but are there things you picked up that NHLers consistently do when testing a stick?
Doug - For the most part, NHL players are just like the rest of us. A lot of guys love to get the newest product as soon as they can. There are a lot of gear heads in the NHL, we just don’t hear much about them. Of course, there are players that have some very specific preferences and tend not to be open to new products but that usually holds truer on protective items (gloves/helmets/pants/etc.). Players in the NHL realize that their stick is the most important tool they have and don’t want to be at a disadvantage because they’re using “old” technology. For Warrior, usually all of our players are open to getting (or trying) the newest sticks. Players may not always want to switch during the season, but will switch during the summer.
As for things that I’ve noticed that most NHLers do when they get a new stick to try…they feel the weight and balance. If it doesn’t feel right to them, they instantly set it aside. As for Warrior players, I’m not aware of any that really alter their sticks much. We make their sticks to their specified lengths and specs. If they decide to work on a stick with a sander, saw, etc…it usually means they’re trying out an idea. The most common alterations would be painting the bottom of the stick. But even that is becoming less common now as most sticks are pretty dark on the bottom.
Players are pretty good about giving feedback when we approach them with something new and we take all of that feedback in. Sometimes it ends up applied to the product, other times it doesn’t (for a variety of reasons).
With gloves and helmets, we try to get players the new models during the summer so they can take some time and get used to them. Those pieces are tough to switch in-season.
Jeremy - I’m impressed that you constantly find ways to upgrade the models, either with new materials or different construction. Do you get a ton of feedback in the R&D phase? You’re a guy who loves (and plays) the game. Has your own approach to equipment changed at all as you continue to work at Warrior?
Doug - The R&D process never ends…it’s a constant at Warrior. It’s all about testing and data combined with actual feedback from real players. As a marketer, that’s not my role at Warrior. We have an incredible design and engineering team that are experts in this technology (and materials) and apply that expertise to new products. I do have input on some elements of how the stick will look as a final product but I try not to approach on that too much. Again, we have an entire design team that is incredibly creative and understand how graphics work with the technology of the stick and I stay out of their way. Once a product is finished, it’s my job to tell the story to consumer and create excitement for the product and the brand.
Personally, my approach to gear hasn’t really changed since I started at Warrior. The retail gear is great and is always improving so I upgrade to the new stuff every year. I have an extensive glove and stick collection. I like to have one of each of the models we’ve released while I’ve been at Warrior. They’re kind of a badge of honor and a source of pride for me.
I collect all kinds of things…it’s one of my personality traits (flaws). I’m a completist.
Jeremy - that’s fantastic, thank you so much for all of that. Are there any releases coming soon that you’re excited about?
Doug - We’ll be releasing our newest stick this summer, the Alpha LX Pro. That content will be published in the coming weeks.
**There you have it. As soon as the new content for the Alpha LX Pro is up I’ll be providing a link for you all.
If any of you are gear enthusiasts, let me know in the comments. I love going and looking at gloves and sticks. Let me know what your process is like when you’re looking at a stick, gloves or some new equipment. I always laugh at the “don’t flex the sticks” signs at Hockeytown authentic. Without fail, someone always does and sometimes those game used sticks are a little worse for wear!
On Monday, my first summer reading blog will be up. I’ll be focusing on Kevin Allen’s biography of Chris Chelios. Head to
Triumphbooks.com and you can find this and several other titles by Kevin Allen. Digital formats are also available.
Unless some pressing Red Wings news is released, I’ll see you all Monday
Check out some of my previous posts
Albert Johansson won’t be competing for a spot in North America this season
I will be featuring the writings of Kevin Allen for a summer reading program this year. It’s tough to break up the summer months, and the one on one formats that Kevin has perfected is not only a pleasure to read but gives insight that isn’t easy to come by. I’ll be starting with Chris Chelios “Made in America”.
Colorado is out of the playoffs.
Isle be darned, Boston is out
(M)Over Achiever - Seider getting accolades
setting the limits on trades
Moritz Seider reminds me of Jiri Fischer
Mo Seider is getting good ice time at the IIHF Worlds Championship.
There may be some blockbuster deals coming.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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