Hockey News

DETROIT (AP) -The Detroit Red Wings made a subtle move Wednesday that could prove to be a spectacular one if Valtteri Filppula lives up to his potential.

Filppula signed a $15 million, five-year contract with the Red Wings that keeps a talented forward on the roster for a while.

“We love everything about him because he’s a complete player with great character, and we think he can get even better,” Detroit general manager Ken Holland told The Associated Press. “He plays hard, he plays hurt. He’s got great speed and talent along with versatility because he can play left wing or center.

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DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings made a subtle move Wednesday that could prove to be a spectacular one if Valtteri Filppula lives up to his potential.

Filppula signed a US$15-million, five-year contract with the Red Wings that keeps a talented forward on the roster for a while.

“We love everything about him because he’s a complete player with great character, and we think he can get even better,” Detroit general manager Ken Holland told The Associated Press. “He plays hard, he plays hurt. He’s got great speed and talent along with versatility because he can play left wing or centre.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Detroit Red Wings, affiliate of the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, announced the signings of 2006-07 AHL Most Valuable Player Darren Haydar and center Ryan Oulahen to one-year contracts on Wednesday.

Haydar, 28, captained the 2007-08 Chicago Wolves to the Calder Cup championship and ranked second on the team with 27 points (12-15-27) in 24 playoff games, setting AHL career playoff records for goals (55) and points (124). The right wing posted 58 points (19-39-58) in 51 regular season games with the Wolves and logged 16 contests with the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, notching his first NHL goal among his eight points (1-7-8).

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DETROIT (AP) -The Detroit Red Wings re-signed goaltender Jimmy Howard and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson to three-year contracts.

Howard will earn $600,000 next season and Ericsson $550,000, according to the NHL players’ union. The team did not disclose details but said the contracts were filed over the weekend.

Howard played four games for the Wings last season. Goaltender Dominik Hasek retired last month. Chris Osgood will be back in net, and Ty Conklin was signed July 1 to a one-year contract.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Detroit Red Wings, affiliate of the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, re-signed goaltender Jimmy Howard and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson to three-year contract extensions on Monday.

Howard, 24, has played the majority of the past three seasons in Grand Rapids and ranks among the Griffins’ all-time goaltending leaders with 141 games played (2nd), 8014:52 minutes played (2nd), a 2.72 goals against average (10th), 69 wins (2nd), 10 shutouts (T2nd), 3,634 saves (2nd) and a 0.909 save percentage (9th). During that time, the Syracuse, N.Y., native also earned a 1-4-0 record and 2.56 GAA in eight games with Detroit.

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CHICAGO - Frosty baseball games have long been a fixture at Wrigley Field, where a stiff wind off Lake Michigan can chill fans, players and managers alike.

Now the Friendly Confines is going on ice. For one day.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks are taking hockey back outdoors when they meet New Year’s Day 2009 in the home park of the Chicago Cubs.

It will be the NHL’s second Winter Classic. Last season in Buffalo, the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 before a crowd of 71,217. Snow fell during the game and the Pens won on Sidney Crosby’s goal in a shootout.

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DETROIT - Marian Hossa chose to join the Detroit Red Wings at a discount. He hopes hoisting the Stanley Cup will make it worth the sacrifice.

Hossa signed a US$7.45-million, one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. He had rebuffed a chance to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were reportedly offering $7 million a season as part of five-year contract after they lost the Stanley Cup final to Detroit last month.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids Griffins general manager Bob McNamara and the entire Detroit Red Wings hockey operations staff are in Ottawa this weekend for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Coverage begins tonight at 7 p.m. (VERSUS, TSN, NHL Radio) with the first round and continues through the day on Saturday (10 a.m. on NHL Network, NHL.com).

Befitting their status as Stanley Cup Champions, the Red Wings are set to pick 30th and last in each of the seven rounds. The lone exception is the end of round two, as Los Angeles acquired Detroit’s selection through the Brad Stuart trade on Feb. 26.

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DETROIT (AP) -Goaltender Chris Osgood stopped just about everything in the Stanley Cup playoffs. With thousands of jubilant fans celebrating the Red Wings’ title Friday, he couldn’t stop his emotions.

“I’ve had to wipe away a few tears,” he said. “This is why I play in Detroit.”

Two days after Detroit once again raised the hallowed trophy, spectators jammed downtown to join the party.

Enduring temperatures reaching as high as 92 degrees with sweltering humidity, they stayed put for the 2 1/2-hour-long procession and 45-minute rally in a jam-packed Hart Plaza.

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PITTSBURGH (AP) - From Bowman to Babcock, Yzerman to Lidstrom, the Detroit Red Wings have this Stanley Cup thing all figured out.

Free market spending or salary cap shackles, it doesn’t matter in Hockeytown, where the Cup will reside for the fourth time in 11 seasons.

“Well, the news is since the cap world, everybody’s good,” coach Mike Babcock said Wednesday night after the Red Wings eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. “We played four tough series. I can’t remember who we played last it seemed so long ago, but they’re all good.”

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