Deer Lake Red Wings win Herder Memorial Trophy for first time in 20 years
The Deer Lake Red Wings won the Herder Memorial Trophy on Saturday night.
The Red Wings defeated the Clarenville Caribous 4-1 in Clarenville to win Game 4 and sweep the best-of-seven series for the top prize in Newfoundland and Labrador senior hockey.
Deer Lake's championship included a triple-overtime win in Game 1 win.
It was the third straight year that Deer Lake had made it to the final, but the team's first championship since 2005.
Red Wings goalie Bryan Gillis was named series MVP after allowing just four goals in four games.
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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
4 Free Agent Defenders Yzerman Has To Actually Avoid
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New York Times
3 days ago
- New York Times
Red Wings offseason survey results: Fans split on direction under Steve Yzerman
As the Detroit Red Wings get set for what could be their most anticipated offseason yet under general manager Steve Yzerman, the fan base is split right down the middle when it comes to confidence in the team's direction. That's the big takeaway from our offseason fan survey, with nearly 3,000 of you weighing in on Detroit's front office, the team's trajectory and the level of urgency to get back into the playoffs, among other topics. Thanks to everyone who participated — and especially to those who left comments explaining their votes. There's a lot to get to, so let's dive right in. How's this for a split? The optimists have a slight lean here, with 31.2 percent rating their confidence at a 4 or 5. But 29.5 percent of fans gave it a 1 or 2, meaning there are more or less just as many who are worried about the team's trajectory after yet another year outside the playoffs but without an especially high draft pick. Advertisement The plurality of the fan base, though, is right in the middle — perhaps not knowing exactly what to think at this stage, or wanting to withhold judgment. As one respondent noted, 'I voted 3, as they seem to be destined for a long-term stay in the middle of the pack. Hard to feel too excited, but I'm not slamming the panic button, and there's still plenty of youth on the way.' That note on the rising prospects was a theme, with many voters still feeling confident in the 'draft and develop' side of Detroit's approach. That's well-founded, as the Red Wings' Yzerman-era first-round picks who have reached the NHL have been highly successful. That starts with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, of course, but Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper have now also established themselves as top-half-of-the-lineup players who have shown signs they can drive play. That's a great start. 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'There are a lot of defenseman prospects coming, but none are ready for this kind of role,' another fan said. And that's true. Top defense prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka has a lot of potential, but his stint in Grand Rapids at the end of the season was a reminder he'll likely need time before being a significant contributor. Other prospects William Wallinder, Shai Buium and Anton Johansson have potential, but are most likely to be solid third-pairing types than top-four staples. Advertisement That leaves room for a big-ticket top-four 'D' addition, whether it's a free agent like Gavrikov or Aaron Ekblad, or a trade target such as the Rangers' K'Andre Miller. I was a little surprised there wasn't more support for Bennett, who plays with an edge and has shown he can score tough goals in big games. But perhaps the cost — after another loud postseason for Bennett — was a factor there. The harsh reality, though, is that Detroit won't get to just pick and choose from this bunch, which represents the top of the free-agent market. Those players are going to have a lot of interest from all over the league. So while the 'other' option in this poll represented less than 4 percent of the vote, it may actually be the most likely outcome. Based on the feedback earlier in the survey, this one was no surprise, with fans most confident in Detroit's drafting. There were some fans, however, who made note that 'Most confident doesn't mean confident,' or put simply, 'Not confident in any.' That surely reflects the frustrations of a fan base that has gone so long without tangible on-ice success to point to. There were also some who drew a distinction between the first-round drafting and in rounds 2-7. 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That being said, Detroit likely does need one of those players (or a future later-round pick) to really hit it big at some point, even with how well it has done in the first round. Being just 'par for the course' in rounds 2-7 could easily add up to a similar result in the standings. The majority of the fan base (nearly 70 percent) expects Detroit to compete for a championship in the next five years, which would seem to indicate more faith in the team's direction than fans proclaimed earlier in the poll. There's a higher bar to competing for the Stanley Cup than just making the playoffs, and while there could be some difference in definition of what 'contention' actually looks like, this is a fairly high number for a team in the Red Wings' position. Advertisement One reader said that as Detroit's young players and prospects continue to develop and the team rounds out around them, 'they will be a team with enviable depth (without superstar talent), like Carolina.' 'There are key foundational pieces in place,' another added. 'Seider and Edvinsson are going to be the high-end D-men so important to being a contender. I'm hopeful that one of the young goalie prospects will blossom into an elite player, and I'm confident that guys like Kasper and Danielson are built for the playoffs.' But while outvoted, the 30 percent who felt Detroit was five-plus years away was adamant. '5 years is underselling it,' one said. 'Without doing something dramatic in free agency we don't have the stars in our system to win the Cup,' another added. 'Typically the core of the prospects will need at least 2-4 years of experience before they fully understand that the playoff run is a totally different task,' one more reader noted. Obviously, this is the ultimate 'time will tell.' But the bulk of fans still believe Cup contention is on the horizon for this group. These two questions were meant to be analyzed together, partly as an indicator of how much the playoff drought could be sapping enthusiasm (and willingness to shell out for tickets, parking and the other costs associated with going to a game). It's admittedly only one measure, but it appears most fans expect to maintain their current attendance level next year, with more fans wanting to move up rather than down. 'Games are expensive,' one fan noted. 'Don't want to shell out the money for a family of four if I feel like we're going to see a loss. Kids are 8 and 10. Prime years for becoming fans for them. Would love to see a turnaround and winning season like the Tigers, Lions and Pistons are doing.' (Photo of Steve Yzerman: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Every Former Red Wings Player In The Cup Final
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