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Covering The Comeback
by IwoCPO on 03/07/08 at 05:59 PM ET
Comments (16)
Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids Press has been writing about Darren McCarty’s hopeful return to the Wings since he arrived in GR two weeks ago. We asked him to give us his impressions of the experience and of Mac’s chances at success back in the NHL. Our questions and his answers are below.
Q: Chris Chelios said yesterday on Detroit radio that he believes Mac is already in Detroit. Can you confirm that? (A2Y Note: obviously, this was answered by now, but kept it in for the information contained within Mike’s answer)
A: McCarty traveled to Detroit on Thursday to have his sore ribs looked at by the Red Wings team doctors. McCarty was injured when he took a big hit from Johnny Boychuk of the Lake Erie Monsters on March 2. He was visibly in pain during the Grand Rapids Griffins’ 5-3 win over the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday night at Van Andel Arena, be he wanted to be on the ice to show his appreciation for the home fans. McCarty didn’t travel with the Griffins for their game Thursday night in Milwaukee and he won’t travel to Lake Erie on Saturday night, so his time with the Red Wings appears to be starting.
Q: Have you noticed a difference in him, in his conditioning and comfort level, from the time he arrived until now?
A: As far as conditioning goes, McCarty is continuing to make progress.
He’s probably not where he (or the Red Wings) would like him to be just yet, but that’s to be expected since he didn’t officially start playing competitively until January. He can look sluggish when playing on back-to-back nights, but you have to assume that the longer he plays the less noticeable it will become. Then again, I don’t think speed was ever his biggest strength. His head, hands and size were. And that was clear on the ice. He was always in the right spot, rarely made bad mistakes and didn’t waste energy skating around without a purpose. The skills clearly are still there. It’s just a matter of his hockey instincts starting to take over, which they are.
Q: Based on what you’ve seen of Darren so far, what’s a reasonable expectation for the rest of the year in Detroit?
A: I definitely think McCarty can contribute for the Red Wings. His size (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) would give the team another big body to bang in front of the net, ala Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen. He’s not afraid to stand up for himself or his teammates, but he’s more offensively inclined than Aaron Downey. And he can provide the leadership and experience that comes with winning three Stanley Cups.
That being said, the Red Wings have an exceptionally deep team and he’ll have a hard time cracking the lineup, especially at first. It’s hard to imagine him taking 20-plus shifts every night, but there’s no reason why he can’t contribute 10 quality minutes on a consistent basis. But McCarty will have to earn everything he gets, and that’s not an easy task on one of the best teams in the NHL.
Q: How did he interact with the guys in the Griffin room?
A: From the first day of practice, it was clear that McCarty was going to be a positive presence in the locker room. He already was pulling guys to the side, chatting with them, joking with them, becoming part of the team. He may have been the oldest player in the locker room, but he was immature enough to fit in like one of the guys. Everyone on the team loved him and will be rooting for him in Detroit.
Q: Do you get a sense that he feels he has something to prove?
A: I think it was more a matter of him still loving the game and wanting to go out on his own terms. His last two years in Calgary were plagued by injuries and I don’t think he wanted to end his career like that.
Plus, he seems to love hockey, and I think he missed it. I got the impression that he doesn’t feel like he has anything left to prove on the ice, though.
Q: What’s it been like for you to cover his return?
A: This is my first year as the beat writer for the Grand Rapids Griffins, and I don’t think it would surprise anyone to say that the hat trick he scored in his first home game on Feb. 15 was the highlight of the season. And part of that is because McCarty was so accommodating, friendly and down-to-earth in interviews. He didn’t shy away from any interviews or any questions. It certainly made things more fun and exciting, that’s for sure.
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Tags: McCarty,
Comments
Wow, this is incredible. So much run on such a useless, irrelevant player. The dude played (and drank and gambled) his way out of the NHL, the Wings decide to take a flier on him and you fools act as if it’s as big as the Forsberg signing.
You tools are seriously giving this more run than the idiot Avs fans and media did surrounding the Forsberg signing. And that was TOTALLY overdone.
Amazing.
Posted by Thomas on 03/07/08 at 07:56 PM ET
So much run on such a useless, irrelevant player.
Kind of like you showing up here at A2Y every hour on the hour with more of your useless prattle, eh, Thhommyy boy. For someone who has so much distain for the Wings organization, their players and their fans, you sure seem to spend a lot of time hanging out here.
One has to wonder how you ever find the time to fill your blog with scintillating articles like the one about the similarity between Jose Theodore’s and KFeds’ hats. Wow! Now that’s the kind of stuff that clearly solidifies your claim to being the “Jack Johnson of Avalanche blogs.”
The “Jack Jones of Avalanche blogs” would be more like it. 
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 03/07/08 at 08:34 PM ET
More Wings slagging from 3j (Jack Johnson Junior)
Yee.
Awn.
Posted by HockeyinHD on 03/07/08 at 08:39 PM ET
Nobody is slagging the Wings, moron. I’m slagging Wings FANS for acting as if the McCarty signing is even the slightest bit relevant.
You didn’t see Avs fans jerking off all over the place when we signed Wes O’Neill, did you?
Posted by Thomas on 03/07/08 at 08:43 PM ET
Thom...I’ve gone ahead and banned you for just a little bit, something I should have done after you actually made a comment directed at my family last month.
But, I’m a pretty forgiving guy. You send me that 2003 draft analysis powerpoint book report and maybe I’ll let you come back and exchange your views with the A2Y regulars. Have a good one.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 03/07/08 at 08:49 PM ET
Ah,.....I click open the ole A2Y for my daily hockey fix and the birds were buzzin, the bees were chirpin and the skies were blue...I thought it was all about McCarty until I read this thread.
Good on ya Chief!
Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 03/07/08 at 09:01 PM ET
In my best Mike Keenan voice…
“What took you so long”
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs don’t live up to my expectations on 03/07/08 at 09:38 PM ET
Well I am a Rangers fan and I am so happy to see D-Mac coming back. Yeah the guy had some demons to deal with BUT he deserves a second chance, why does this Tom dude have such a problem with it? He isn’t the ONLY one to drink and gamble! Give the guy a break, he’s getting his life back on track and I respect D-Mac for that, and I can’t wait to see him in the Wings Jersey again.
Posted by venessa from newburgh, NY on 03/07/08 at 10:44 PM ET
...why does this Tom dude have such a problem with it?
Thhommyy has a problem with life in general and “acting out” is the way he gets attention. We’re probably to blame for his regular appearances here because we gave him the attention he craves. We know we shouldn’t do it, but it’s so darn much fun we can’t resist. 
So Chief’s action is the right one...although he’ll take it as just one more feather in his cap. Let’s see how long it takes for this “honor” to appear in his insufferable bio on his “blog.”
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 03/07/08 at 11:57 PM ET
Michael Zuidema is having a pretty good first year as the beat writer. I do hope he understands that not every year is going to have a story like this, though. 
Good to hear that McCarty is that determined to get the hockey part of his life back - and the rest of it, as well.
And good move, Chief. Bad fashion bloggers
...scintillating articles like the one about the similarity between Jose Theodore’s and KFeds’ hats.
have no place here!
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/08/08 at 03:43 AM ET
he was immature enough to fit in like one of the guys
Can you imagine him, Cheli, and Draper (not to mention Downey) in the same dressing room? This team will be up to its eyeballs in the proverbial glue.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the Welcome Home D-Mac Party on 03/08/08 at 04:04 AM ET
Great work Chief!!
Q: Do you get a sense that he feels he has something to prove?
A: I think it was more a matter of him still loving the game and wanting to go out on his own terms. His last two years in Calgary were plagued by injuries and I don’t think he wanted to end his career like that.
Zuidema is a good writer, and would probably “hold his own” with the Diggers. His assessment of Mac’s motivation to return is probably “spot-on”, and can be summed up by Zuidema’s earlier observation:
McCarty traveled to Detroit on Thursday to have his sore ribs looked at by the Red Wings team doctors. McCarty was injured when he took a big hit from Johnny Boychuk of the Lake Erie Monsters on March 2. He was visibly in pain during the Grand Rapids Griffins’ 5-3 win over the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday night at Van Andel Arena, be he wanted to be on the ice to show his appreciation for the home fans.
Mac, playing through pain at his last Griffin’s home game to show the fans some love!!
Passion and heart—in a 6’1”, 195 lbs, frame.
Somehow, I get the feeling that he won’t have such a hard time cracking the lineup.
Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 03/08/08 at 07:33 AM ET
Passion and heart—in a 6’1”, 195 lbs, frame.
The 195 weight was the old Mac, Okie. The new Mac is closer to 215...not that that’s a bad thing.
And regarding my earlier comment about Thhommyy taking his banning as a feather in his cap, an “honor” that he would immediately post on his blog? Well, it looks like the Chief isn’t the only one who’s banned him.
Who says there’s no justice in this world.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 03/08/08 at 10:14 AM ET
I’m really trying not to comment on Thomas, because I don’t think we should be encouraging his sick lust for negative attention, but (before Blogspot, a FREE blog site, decided they didn’t want him around either-- what does one have to do to be banned by Blogspot?) he did claim to come back to one site or another via multiple usernames, and that they never did managed to get rid of him. If he doesn’t get back on here before the Chief allows him to do so, we’ll know that’s just another steaming pile to add to the crock of shit he sells. Social maladjustment is an unfortunately widespread thing.
Now let’s stop crowing and just ignore the fly.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from a place I haven't yet been kicked out of on 03/08/08 at 11:14 AM ET
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Great stuff, Chief, thanks!
Posted by BobTheZee on 03/07/08 at 06:27 PM ET