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Holland checks out the future of his team

May 26, 2017, 10:39 PM ET [1 Comments]
Bob Duff
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
With no team of hos his own to watch in the playoffs, Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland spent Friday checking out the future of his team, watching the Grand Rapids Griffins in Game 3 of their AHL Calder Cup conference final series against the San Jose Barracudas.

“There’s nothing like experience big moments,” Holland told reporters. “I think it’s very important. If you’re not in the NHL playoffs, then the American League playoffs — and I think the world championships was a great experience for those who played in the world championships,

“So certainly, to go to the (AHL) Final Four — not only the players that are playing, but also guys like (Dennis) Cholowski, (Filip) Hronek, Givani Smith, (Vili) Saarijarvi came here a couple weeks ago - just to be around this atmosphere is very important for them.”

Many of the current Wings, players like forwards Riley Sheahan, Gus Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, and Luke Glendening, goalie Petr Mrazek and defenseman Danny DeKeyser, were part of the Grand Rapids club coached by current Wings head coach Jeff Blashill that won the 2012-13 Calder Cup title, and Holland viewed that success as a big step toward turning those players from prospects into full-fledged NHLers.

“I think they’ve got to live it,” Holland said. “I think anything you do in life, you need to live it. For those players that are playing, that are experiencing the pressures of playoff hockey and every time you win a round and you go to the next round, you’re playing a better team.

“The players that aren’t playing are experiencing how tough the games are. You’re watching here. You’ve got to see it and you’ve got to experience it in order to know how to handle it.”

A couple of players who tasted a cup of coffee in brief stints with the Wings during the 2016-17 NHL season, are displaying that they learned their lessons well.

“Certainly looking at (forward) Tyler Bertuzzi, he’s had a great playoff,” Holland said. “I think he’s had three great playoffs in a row at the American League level. He has impressive statistics for a young player in his American Hockey League playoff career.

“(Forward Evgeni) Svechnikov’s played well, (Froward Tomas) Nosek’s played well. I think (defenseman Joe) Hicketts has played well.

“I think in order to get to this stage of the playoffs, you’ve had lots of players playing well.”

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