Relay for Life
I am participating in the University of Michigan’s Relay for Life event, which is going to take place on April 14th at 10am and conclude April 15th at 10am. I walked last year and will be doing it again this spring. It’s an absolutely wonderful event and all the money raised goes to find a cure against cancer.
Last year, U of M raised over $230,000 making us one of the top colleges in the country in terms of the most money raised. As of today, U of M has raised almost $58,000. Last year, I walked in honor of my two grandparents and a friend. All three are still in remission today. This year, I’m walking in honor of my grandpa who is currently fighting bladder cancer and will begin chemo treatments next month after he recovers from his surgery next week.
I never want to ask any BtJ readers for money, but if you would like to make a donation for U of M’s Relay for Life you can do so on my page here. No pressure whatsoever, but I would like to thank anyone who would be willing to donate $5 for a great cause. As you can tell from the page, all of the money goes directly to the American Cancer Society.
Thank you and Go Blue!
Yzerman contest
Just a reminder that you guys have a little over 24 hours to enter the Steve Yzerman Jersey Retirement Ceremny contest.
I will no longer be accepting entries at 12pm (noon) tomorrow, January 19th, and that’s the Eastern time zone.
Here’s the contest details in case you missed it…
Want to win the replica banner given to all fans in attendance at the ceremony AND the commemorative player card set AND the Sports Illustrated Commemorative Edition featuring Steve Yzerman?
All you have to do is email me your name, email address, and your favorite Yzerman moment or character quality, etc. You could even send me your favorite moment or line from the ceremony. Your moment, character, or favorite line can be one to five sentences in length.
I will randomly select the winner after the deadline and contact the individual. Once I have their address, I will ship the items to them for free!
I will also make a second random selection of an entry and send that person a copy of the SI Yzerman commemorative edition.
Why? For the free giveaways from Jan. 2nd’s game and an SI Yzerman magazine
Where? BehindtheJersey.com
When? You must submit your entry by noon (Eastern time) on January 19th
Wings 5, Predators 3
Last night in Hockeytown, the Detroit Red Wings defeated their Central Division counterparts, the Nashville Predators, 5-3. This win was the Wings’ fifth straight and puts them only two points behind the Preds for the division lead. They also ended the Preds’ six game winning streak.
“I didn’t think we were great early, but we found a way to stick with it and found a way to win,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said.
While Hasek had a bit of a rough start allowing three goals on the first six shots, he settled down and stopped 11 more. The number one line for the Wings had an excellent game.
The top line of Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom continued its torrid pace, accounting for nine points.
Zetterberg had two goals and an assist, Datsyuk assisted on four goals and Holmstrom had a goal and an assist.
Interestingly enough, there was only four penalties in the entire game. Detroit was able to convert on one of their two power play opportunities and successfully killed both penalties.
Schneider still out with knee injury
Defenseman Mathieu Schneider injured his knee back on January 7th and following the game, head coach Mike Babcock said he “didn’t think it was too bad.” I think it’s safe to say that when Babcock tells any reporter about how soon a player will be back, he’s either lying or completely clueless about the healing process. Either way, I don’t buy what he’s selling anymore.
We do know that Schneider won’t be back until after the All Star break. We also know that he’s spending plenty of time on the stationary bike and the StairMaster. We don’t know when he’ll actually be back.
“It was getting better and now it’s kind of stayed the same the last couple of days,” he said. “I haven’t had a knee injury since I was 22. If it were the groin, I could tell you exactly when I’d be back.”
…
“The last thing I want to do is come back, tweak it and be out for another week,” Schneider said. “I want to be 100 percent.”
Kopecky recovering from collarbone injury
One of the Wings’ rookies, Tomas Kopecky, broke his collarbone in four places back on December 14th when the Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks. He won’t be able to play for at least another month, but he was just allowed to start riding the bike and lightly working out his legs. The fact that if he injures his collarbone again, he may end his career is a pretty scary thought so let’s hope he fully heals before he gets back out on that ice.
“I didn’t know how serious it was until the saw the X-ray,” Kopecky said. “The bone was all over the place.”
Regaining strength is Kopecky’s main job, but he’s still about two weeks from taking off his sling and working on his upper body.
Kopecky has been around the locker room in recent days beginning his workout routine.
“It’s boring when you’re injured,” he said.
Webber returns to Detroit
I know I don’t post much about basketball here at BtJ, but I felt that this piece of news was worthy of its own post. I graduated from Detroit Country Day School in 2005. Chris Webber, who signed with the Detroit Pistons today, played his high school basketball at DCDS. Almost every Detroit newspaper article about today’s signing has mentioned Detroit Country Day (and the University of Michigan).
Photo via The Detroit News
I remember in my junior year, I believe, members of the media flocked to DCDS because our headmaster and athletic director were holding a press conference about what we planned to do with the titles we had won with Webber on our team (we weren’t giving anything up because there was no proof he had taken any money in high school). They also came when DCDS retired Webber’s jersey number (44) in November 2005. You can see photos my brother, who also attends DCDS, took at the ceremony.
On November 2, Detroit Country Day School retired NBA star and DCDS alum Chris Webber’s basketball number, 44 during a ceremony in the Seligman Performing Arts Center at the Upper School.
Webber graduated from Detroit Country Day School in 1991 and went on to play basketball for the University of Michigan. He was the number one pick in the 1993 NBA Draft and has played for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets/Wizards, Sacramento Kings, and currently the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Chris is the first graduate of DCDS to play in the NBA. As one of the NBA’s premier players, and for his amazing achievements in high school, we are retiring the #44 jersey to recognize his outstanding career,” said DCDS Headmaster Gerald Hansen.
The ceremony included comments by Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach Kurt Keener, Chris’s advisor while he attended DCDS Mary Ann DeVogel, DCDS Headmaster Gerald Hansen, DCDS Director of Alumni Relations and Webber’s classmate Kira Mann, as well as Webber himself.
I just wanted to say congratulations to Chris Webber for returning home. Coach Keener (our high school bball coach & the guy standing on the left in the brown suit) is mighty glad, I’m sure. Hopefully his addition to the team will help the Pistons make up some lost ground and have a successful postseason.
I also want to congratulate my brother, Josh, for receiving All-State and All-Area honors for his defensive play on the DCDS soccer team. He tore his ACL last month and won’t be able to play competitive soccer again, but he won States twice so that’s not too shabby. 
Go YellowJackets!
Detroit 2, Montreal 0
The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Montreal Canadiens last night, 2-0, at Joe Louis Arena. As the game was on Versus, I was unable to watch the game but here is what the newspapers are saying…
The Wings’ penalty kill was very successful last night and against one of the best in the league:
The Wings have won four straight after losing three in a row. Montreal has lost five of seven.
Montreal came into Monday night’s game with, statistically, the second-best power play in the league. But the Wings killed all five attempts.
“They have a real good power play and a lot of weapons,” said coach Mike Babcock of the Canadiens. “Penalty killing always starts with your best penalty killers and goaltending. With the exception of a little bit on their first power play, we didn’t run around. We did a good job.”
Added Hasek: “We were talking about their power play (before the game). Their numbers are pretty good, but not today against us.”
It seemed liked Hasek wanted to prove that he deserved to be in the All-Star game and made some big saves throughout the game.
“I was disappointed,” said Hasek, who had 23 saves, including several crucial ones in the third period with the game in the balance. “I believe I could have been there, but I didn’t make it for whatever reason.
“I’ll just focus on the rest of the season. There’s a lot of hockey left and I want to prove I’m one of the best. I didn’t come to the Red Wings to play in the All-Star Game.”
Hasek was at his animated best against Montreal. He wandered out of the net, kept hollering to his defensemen to let him see the puck and relished the opportunity to play the puck.
Their penalty kill is steadily improving over the last little bit.
After hovering near the bottom of the league in penalty killing, the Wings are steadily climbing up the ranks.
“We’ve been building on it the last few games,” Lidstrom said. “We’re getting better and better.”
Yzerman attends Whalers’ game
Yep, Steve Yzerman came to my place of work, Compuware Arena, to watch the Plymouth Whalers take on the Saginaw Spirit. One of the Red Wings prospects, Jan Mursak, plays for Saginaw. He stayed in one of the four suites the whole game and left with about 6 minutes left in the third period.
Unfortunately, he left just after my boss okayed some of the interns to go ask for an autograph. Oh well, hopefully I’ll eventually meet the ever so elusive Steve Yzerman.
The Whalers defeated the Spirit, 6-3, in front of a crowded arena.
Steve Yzerman Day
Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm honored Steve Yzerman by calling today “Steve Yzerman Day.”
The state did not honour Yzerman on Jan. 2 because it was the national day of mourning for former President Gerald Ford, who was raised in Michigan.
Granholm honoured Yzerman ”on behalf of young people everywhere who could never come to Joe Louis Arena and to those watching on TV for being an unbelievable role model,” during a brief presentation before Detroit played the Chicago Blackhawks.
…
On Jan. 2, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick dubbed the day ”Steve Yzerman Day” and presented Yzerman with a key to the city. Kilpatrick also said the intersection of Third and Atwater Streets, which meet at Joe Louis Arena, will be changed to ”Yzerman Drive.”
Posts this weekend
There probably won’t be any posts this weekend as I’m going to be crazy busy:
Friday night & Saturday morning = retreat
Saturday evening = working the Whalers’ game
Sunday afternoon / evening = covering the Victory Honda Cup (a youth hockey tourney) in Ann Arbor for the Michigan Hockey publication
Monday afternoon = working the Whalers’ game
I’ll try to squeeze in a post or two this weekend, but in case I don’t that’s why. I don’t know if any of you guys are big fans of the TV show 24, but it starts up on Sunday at 8pm (two hours) and then Monday at 8pm (two hours) as well. It certainly looks like a good season! Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Wings 5, Coyotes 1
The Phoenix Coyotes were playing their first home game after winning the past seven games, most came on a road trip. The Detroit Red Wings were playing their last away game of a pretty rough west coast road trip.
Notables…
- Tomas Holmstrom scored a hat trick, the second of his career. He also notched an assist for a total of four points in last night’s game.
- Pavel Datsyuk had five points in the game, including two goals.
- Henrik Zetterberg assisted on two of Holmstrom’s three goals.
- There was 18 total penalties last night.
- The Wings scored on three of their 10 power plays and successfully killed off all but one of their eight penalties.
- The Wings outshot the Coyotes, 45-16.
The Wings got a bit of a scare last night when defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom was hit on the side of his knee, where there is no protection, by a puck:
Lidstrom fell in obvious pain and gingerly skated off the ice. But he returned shortly after and played the rest of the game.
Lidstrom said the puck hit a nerve.
“I couldn’t stand, but it went away in about 10 minutes,” he said. “I had to walk it off.”
“The guys on the bench said he stepped in a rut, and that’s when my heart stopped,” Babcock said. “But we knew right away (it was a nerve) and obviously you have a guy like Nick, you don’t replace people like that.”
Holland working on Datsyuk
On Wednesday night, Pavel Datsyuk and his agent had dinner with GM Ken Holland and VP Steve Yzerman. The Detroit Free Press reports that money never came up. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think Datsyuk will sign, for less, after a nice dinner. I think his agent is going to try to get every penny out of his player, even if he isn’t worth that much. Hopefully, I’ll be proven wrong.
Next up on the schedule…
The Red Wings take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, 7pm, at home.
Interview with Adrian Dater
I did a brief email interview with Adrian Dater, the author of the book Blood Feud
Here’s what he had to say…
1) Do you know why you could order the book on Amazon.com before you could buy it in stores?
No, I don’t exactly know why. I know the original release date for the book was in November, and got moved back to January, because of some staffing issues at the publisher. The book was printed about a month and a half ago, and I guess they were able to ship some to Amazon, but not book stores.
2) Did you cut down on your duties as a reporter to focus on the book?
No, in fact it enhanced my job a bit. I was able to really get a lot of interviews for things that might have been tougher if I was saying I was just doing them for the paper. Don’t forget, I started this book during the lockout of ‘05, so I had some time to get started without much interruption!
3) Did you have any problems obtaining interviews with those critical to the rivalry?
Yes, Patrick Roy, for whatever reason, did not want to talk. He probably thought this was going to be some kind of critical book just on him or something, knowing him. Obviously, not having a lot of quotes from him is a weakness of the book, but quotes weren’t necessarily what the book was all about, and I thought I had a lot of detail about Patrick that was never published before. Marc Crawford also did not talk, and I could never line anything up with Yzerman.
4) How does it feel to have Scotty Bowman write the foreword for your book?
Very humbling. To me, he’s the best coach in sports history. That he wrote the intro to MY book is mind boggling to me.