Kukla's Korner Hockey
Next entry: Standing Ovation for Smyth
Previous entry: Meehan Issues "Notices of Libel"
George Does Detroit
by George James Malik on 10/23/07 at 04:06 PM ET
Comments (12)
Several days ago, I was invited to a press conference for the OneGoal hockey show, which will be taking place on November 9-11 at Cobo Hall in Detroit, MI. OneGoal, the show’s sponsor, is a grass-roots hockey program with strong ties to the NHL, NHLPA, USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, and several equipment manufacturers, and its goal is to increase participation in yout hockey programs. OneGoal also sponsors the November trade show so that the profits made from said event, which will be open to the public for the first time, go back into promoting youth hockey.
As most of you know, the Detroit Red Wings’ PR staff (and the ever-present John Hahn) prefers not to acknowledge the existence of bloggers, so I headed down to Joe Louis Arena fully expecting to be welcomed at the security desk, have my credentials checked, and then be told to leave the building. I figured, what the hey, I’m going to see the Queens of the Stone Age at 6, and if worse comes to worse, I’ll have five hours to kill in my favourite city on the planet.
Much to my surprise, when I made it down to the Joe, I headed into the press entrance, attempted to steel myself for the inevitable, “I’m sorry, we don’t see you here on our list, go away”...And, instead, I was told to head to the Olympia Club, where the press conference was being held. I actually passed Dallas Drake on my way in, and I can definitely tell you that his very purple/red cheek looks broken.
Mr. Bill Hattem, the president of OneGoal, was at the podium, joined on the dais by Mickey Redmond, Ken Holland, and Nicklas Lidstrom. Mr. Hattem explained that OneGoal has had strong successes in Canada, but it chose Dallas and Detroit as its test markets in the United States. The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association reports that participation in hockey is down 20% in the state, and as OneGoal’s aim is to increase participation in youth hockey by giving away 1,000 sets of gear to children between the ages of 4 and 8--and has partnered with the Chris Perani Foundation to give the kids free ice time for learn-to-skate programs--OneGoal and the MAHA hope to help parents who are struggling to cover the costs of enrolling their children in youth hockey programs in these difficult economic times (Michigan had lost 200,000 jobs, mostly concentrated in the Metro Detroit Area, from 2002 to August, 2007).
The Detroit Red Wings have partnered with OneGoal and the MAHA, and Nicklas Lidstrom has been named the spokesperson of the OneGoal hockey initiative for the State of Michigan. The Red Wings will actively promote OneGoal, the OneGoal Hockey show, and the Wings will host two games, starting with their November 7th game against Nashville, to promote OneGoal specifically, when OneGoal will officially launch its Michigan pilot program, and every Wednesday and Friday game for the rest of the season will be designated as “OneGoal nights.”
Mr. Hattem empahsized that the driving force for OneGoal has been their website, which makes participation in youth hockey programs easier by helping parents find rinks, coaches, and in promoting the game through TV and print ads (you may recall several clips on the NHL network or on the CBC where one child shoots peas through a hole in the wall, and another avoids a spitball by making an in-class blocker save). OneGoal’s received $1,000,000 for its first three years, and they expect the OneGoal hockey show to raise over $200,000 to help promote the game.
As far as the specifics are concerned, OneGoal has partnered with several hockey equipment manufacturers to provide equipment for children to local hockey shops at or below cost, with the intent of having that equipment donated to children. They come in two sizes, and, as noted, 1,000 sets will be given away to familes throughout Michigan who need help meeting the high cost of participation in hockey. Mr. Hattem indicated to WXYT’s Ken Kal that as OneGoal continues to grow, it will attempt to help families defray the cost of ice time, but at present, the Dallas and Detroit programs are pilot programs which OneGoal will use to determine whether their initiative can reverse the trend of low enrollment in hockey programs in Dallas, and declining enrollment in hockey programs in Michigan. The local media will be involved in promoting OneGoal as well, and it’s apparent that Kal, who asked several hard questions about not only the ice time issue, but also OneGoal’s desire to work on more widespread issues affecting Michigan families’ participation in youth hockey because the economy is so poor at present, so equipment is so expensive, and that youth hockey is, in terms of both team fees and ice time, an extremely expensive endeavor for parents, Kal will be a strong advocate in assuring that OneGoal’s initiatives don’t stop with its pilot program.
The trade show itself is not only a first for Detroit, but it’s also a first in that the public will be allowed into half the show’s space, and over 80 manufacturers will be present with hands-on displays, most notably Warrior Hockey, which is headquartered in Rochester, Mission-Itech, the Montreal-based manufacturer which is OneGoal’s main industry partner, and Thermablade, whose heated skate blades have obviously generated a lot of positive press. Mr. Hattem said that the Hockey Hall of Fame will bring a 2,000 square-foot display to the event, and in addition to showing many of the NHL’s trophies, there will be interactive displays where fans will be able to test the speed of their shot, attempt to make saves against foam pucks, etc.--so the HHOF is basically bringing many of its famous interactive displays right down the 401 to Detroit. There will also be player signings which will include Red Wings players, and a silent auction sponsored by Hockeyink.com.
Mickey Redmond was his brief self, saying that OneGoal’s a tremendous program, and as a long-time member of the Red Wings organization, he’s proud to say that the hockey club is involved with such a spectacular cause.
When Ken Holland took the dais, he said that OneGoal’s initiatives dovetail with what the Red Wings are attempting to do in promoting youth hockey, and as TPS Hockey consultant Graham Watson, one of the industry’s best “good guys,” presented the OneGoal concept to Holland, it was an offer he not only couldn’t refuse, but also was thrilled to take part in. Between the Ilitches’ 37 years of participation in youth hockey--Holland said over 240,000 kids have taken part in the Little Caesars program--and the opportunity to specifically raise funds to increase youth participation in hockey across the State of Michigan, the partnership made perfect sense, and the Red Wings hope to foster a strong relationship with OneGoal.
Nicklas Lidstrom finished the presser, noting that three of his four sons play organized hockey, and his youngest, who is 4, is just starting to learn how to skate. Lidstrom said that he’s very excited to be able to help promote OneGoal’s initiatives as getting kids involved in hockey from 4-8 years of age is huge as that’s the optimal time for young players to learn how to skate and how to play the game. Lidstrom was also asked how the participation levels of hockey are in Sweden compared to the U.S., and Lidstrom stated that as women’s hockey is beginning to receive proper recognition, participation in hockey at the youth level--which is subsidized to some extent byeach town’s Swedish Elite League, Allsvenskan, or 3rd division team, from age 4 up--is steady, if not increasing.
That was the press conference part.
The juicy stuff tested my moxie and resolve, because I am, at heart, a fan, regardless of whether I’m wearing my Sunday best to a press conference or whether I’m in my traditional “everything’s Red Wings” wardrobe, but as Paul himself would probably put it--and Paul, have no doubt, is a consummate professional--eventually, your professional instincts take over.
I asked Mr. Holland whether the Wings’ equipment sponsors, and NikeBauer, Easton, and Reebok, specifically, would be getting involved, and when he suggested I ask Mr. Hattem the same thing, I did. Thus far, there’s nothing formal, but as the Red Wings play in the U.S.’s biggest “A” market in terms of bang for your marketing buck, especially as Lidstrom, Cleary, Chelios, and Zetterberg are “all Easton” guys, Datsyuk is the poster boy for the O-stick as Sidney Crosby continues to use a two-piece shaft (and Valtteri Filppula is an all-Reebok guy) and Kronwall, Maltby, Lebda, and Franzen (despite his Easton stick) are BauerNike guys--and let’s not forget Mr. Itech, Chris Osgood, and TPS’s pain in the rear, Dominik Hasek--it makes a ton of sense for those manufactuers to generate goodwill as well as paying customers down the line by helping the OneGoal initiative in Michigan. It would be quick and easy to shoot a few commercials of Nicklas Lidstrom or Dan Cleary using Easton’s new S17 stick, Datsyuk dangling with the O-Stick, or Kronwall charging up ice in his NikeBauer One90’s.
Mr. Hattem was extremely approachable, and he actually recorded an interview with Ken Kal that will be heard on WXYT later this week.
It took some serious gumption to wade into the scrum of beat writers--Sipple, Kulfan, Khan, the Windsor Star’s Waddell, and Michigan Hockey Online’s Paul Harris--and stick my little voice recorder in to talk to Nicklas Lidstrom. Nick said that the Red Wings are still concerned about their penalty-killing and their even-strength goals against, so they’ve emphasized tightening up over the last few practices, and especially with the Canucks coming into town, the Wings will have to be extra dilligent against Naslund and the Sedins. Lidstrom’s very wary of the Canucks’ offensive ability as well as their execution of trap hockey, and Luongo’s presence is a point of emphasis, too.
I asked Nick if the fact that Sami Salo’s coming back would change the Wings’ PK, and Lidstrom said that while Salo’s got a tremendous shot, the Wings’ penalty-killers have to walk the fine line between collapsing and fading Salo too closely, which would open up a seam for him to make a pass to an open player. Salo just adds to the Canucks’ arsenal.
Nick was asked about his sons’ youth hockey participation, and he said two of his three oldest boys are actually forwards, and while Kevin played goal and defence for a while, he prefers to play forward. He’s not sure about his youngest yet as he’s just learning how to skate.
Nick was very approachable and friendly, and while his reputation in the media is that of someone who is “bland,” he was engaging and more than willing to elaborate about the Wings’ plans against the Canucks and the areas in which he feels the Wings need to improve. He’s somebody that the media doesn’t pay enough attention to because he’s not controversial, but if you want to know about the Wings’ game plans, Babcock and Lidstrom are on the same page, and their hockey IQ’s are stratospheric.
When Nick was asked about the Igor Grigorenko situation, Nick stated that at present, it’s sort of a wait-and-see approach, and the Wings will simply monitor how he does in practice, and will hope that Grigorenko can work himself into the lineup. As far as English is concerned, I asked Nick if Grigorenko’s English lessons in Grand Rapids have helped him with the on-ice terminology, and Nick gave me a look, thought for a moment, and diplomatically said, “Well, it’s good that Pavel is with him now.”
Nick excused himself, and, ironically enough, as Ken Holland was being asked the same questions about Grigorenko, who walks by? Pavel Datsyuk, Lurch himself, limping along as one of his legs is 3 inches longer than the other, and his buddy Grigs, who had an inkling that the press was talking about him. Holland was asked about Grigorenko’s status, and he said that the Red Wings will evaluate him as they do Aaron Downey, Matt Ellis, Derek Meech, and, really, anyone else on the roster--it’s a day-to-day situation, and your ice time is determined by how you play in the short term, not the team’s long-term goals for you as a player or prospect. When a reporter who shall remain nameless needled Holland about whether Grigorenko lorded his contract situation over the Wings, or whether he’s here on merit versus here because he can leave in November, and, specifically, where Holland saw Grigorenko in two weeks, Holland became visibly agitated and reinforced the fact that his perspective is a short-term one, and, as such, it’s not about what will happen in two weeks when Franzen comes back, it’s about the day-to-day performance of Grigorenko in practices as compared to each and every other player on the team (but he mentioned Ellis and Downey again as examples of that day-to-day ethos), and as far as Holland is concerned, especially as the team’s GM, he has to worry about now more than he has to worry about later. Obviously, Grigorenko no longer wanted to play in the AHL, but he will be given no quarter, and, especially given his situation, two weeks is a world away as far as Mr. Holland is concerned.
I hung around the Joe for a little longer, watching Dominik Hasek bother the TPS rep about what I’m assuming is the latest in a slew of catch gloves they’ve been making for him, seeing Aaron Downey wander by (he’s short, shorter than Holland), and as the local media separated, I thought I’d push my luck a little bit by seeing how far I could go in the rink. I wandered behind George Sipple for a while, seeing a vast storage room of Wings merchandise, Al Sobotka performing general maintenance, and as I hit the north end of the rink, I could see the Canucks practicing--and Sami Salo, specifically, doing extra drills--but I chose not to press my luck any further as I did not have a visitor’s pass, and I made my way out of the arena on my own.
It was a great experience, and I sure as hell wish that Hahn would let us bloggers in, because, despite the fact that I am a very biased Red Wings fan, and will be one for the rest of my life, once you get in a room with players, coaches, or management, you just know to conduct yourself professionally, and, in my case, you put aside being a fan and simply talk hockey with the players...which, to be honest, gets you a lot further than the needling and leading questions the beat writers use, because when I asked about Sami Salo, Nick at least looked surprised, as in, “Huh, this guy’s put some thought into his question instead of asking me the same damn thing over and over again.”
I hope it’s not the last time that I set foot in the Joe as accredited media, because I think that bloggers like myself and especially Paul could give the Wings a run for their money, but that’s Hahn’s call, not mine.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Hockey Equipment, George James Malik | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: detroit+red+wings, media,
Comments
Excellent piece, George, the Wings will will be making a bad move if they don’t make you a regular down there.
As for Grigs:
A canned response all around, as if they had all been rehearsing from the same 3x5 file cards.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from the "NOT QUITE DEAD PIRATE" on 10/23/07 at 05:48 PM ET
Congratulations, George, and thanks for a top-notch report!!! The first of many, I surely hope.
Posted by BobTheZee on 10/23/07 at 06:52 PM ET
excellent read, George.
I’m happy for you how this experience turned out in the end.
It’s about dang time the bloggers get recognized in Detroit. You guys do so much helpful work for the organization.
Posted by Steph from Bonn, Germany on 10/23/07 at 06:54 PM ET
As for Grigs:
A canned response all around, as if they had all been rehearsing from the same 3x5 file cards.
I agree. I also get the feeling that the Wings are more or less hoping for a miracle to happen. I hope it does, too, but my gut tells me that if Grigorenko is going anywhere, it’ll be back to the mother country.
Posted by BobTheZee on 10/23/07 at 07:06 PM ET
I think that Nick was being honest, just polite about it. He didn’t really break eye contact, which is what people tend to do when they hesitate or are thinking of something to make up. He looks you in the eye when you ask him a question, and he looks you in the eye when he gives you an answer. He did play his hand by giving me a, “Um, how exactly do I tiptoe through the tulips here?” look, but I don’t think he intended to mislead anybody.
I wasn’t able to post the entire answer to my question about Sami Salo at the time as I was posting from on the road, but he spent a good minute answering that question. He likes talking strategy.
As for Holland, he was being baited, and he gave an agitated response to a question meant to tick him off. I don’t think that GM’s know how to give straight answers as a rule, so he gave the canned reply.
I’d like to go down there again. Once you’re in the environment, it doesn’t matter who you root for--you want to talk hockey with these people, and that’s what they are, even the guy who makes $7.6 million a year--people--so it was all pretty natural, nerves included.
Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 10/24/07 at 03:20 AM ET
Great to hear you got in, George, and of course you filed a top notch report. Let’s hope it’s the first of many to come! Good on ya, mate!
Posted by snafu from Michigan on 10/24/07 at 08:05 AM ET
Way to go George!!! Excellent piece. Well-written, and very insightful. I was thrilled to read your how carefully you “set the stage” for each section, and how carefully you separated your opinion from the responses. Not all writers are so careful, which leads to rumor mongering.
I thought you did a fantastic job!!!! (can you tell that I am green with envy).
So, after your upclose and personal with the Organization, what is your informed opinion on Grigs situation? I imagine large percentage of the team is not very happy (Ellis/Downey etc). I suppose too that the coaches are not overly thrilled, nor management for that matter—which leads me to the big issue, why, in your opinion, are they bending over backwards for this kid (Note: I have never seen him play, can he be that good)??
Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Quest for 19 on 10/24/07 at 08:11 AM ET
They are probably giving Grigorenko leeway because of his contract situation, but I doubt that he will stick around long if he can’t keep up.
He has his foot in the door with a chance; it’s up to him what he can do with it. If he doesn’t help the team win games as much as someone else could in his place, he won’t stick.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 10/24/07 at 08:34 AM ET
George, thanks for the great report. It’s nice to get an unfiltered look at the organization.
Hope you enjoyed the Queens. I saw them in Boston and Montreal. Awesome.
Posted by Rob from Vermont on 10/24/07 at 09:16 AM ET
What? I didn’t know that Datsyuk’s one leg is three inches longer then the other one. Is that true?
Posted by Conor Brennan from Kitchener, Ontario on 10/24/07 at 08:14 PM ET
100% true. He walks with a limp. I’ve seen Pavel three or four times, and he’s limped each and every time.
Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 10/24/07 at 08:24 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Blackhawks Must Fix Their Issues
Samuelsson Enjoying A Career Year In Vancouver
Don’t Expect An Ovechkin Suspension
Derek Boogaard vs. D.J. King Today
Steve Downie Slew-Foot Type Move On Sidney Crosby Today
Ovechkin And Boudreau Talk About The Hit On Campbell
Brian Campbell Out At Least Three Games
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
Check the latest NHL odds at the Internet’s most trusted online sportsbook
Canadian players can also bet on NHL games at the Canadian sports betting site
Hockey Links
Excellent report, George. Thanks a lot!
Posted by YzermanZetterberg from Saginaw, MI on 10/23/07 at 04:29 PM ET