|
Red Wings' Datsyuk approached by KHL club |
|
|
|
|
|
Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk has been approached by a KHL club, his agent confirmed Wednesday.
“We did receive a proposal from SKA St. Petersburg,” acknowledged Dan Millstein, though nothing has been signed or verbally agreed to by Datsyuk, and there are no formal contract offers from any KHL team on the table for Datsyuk to ponder. “I expect to hear from some other teams, too.”
After helping Russia to the bronze medal at the world championship on the weekend, Datsyuk intends to take a break before getting down to the business of determining the direction of his hockey future.
“Pavel is going on a family vacation until June 13,” Millstein said. “At that point he will fly back to Detroit and meet with (Red Wings GM) Ken Holland on (June 14 or 15).”
Millstein re-emphasized that Datsyuk, 37, hasn’t made his mind up one way or another – to play the final season of his contract with the Red Wings or return to his homeland.
“He has not made a decision,” Millstein said. “I won’t be talking to him and discussing any others until after he has met with Ken Holland.
“He wants to spend a couple of weeks with family. I can’t make any decision without talking to him.”
Nyquist On Nyquist
Gustav Nyquist was so hoping to finally meet his namesake in person and get the chance to watch him in action.
The Detroit right-winger, back in the city after playing for Sweden at the world championship, where he scored seven goals in eight games, teed it up Wednesday in the Pro Am of the LPGA Volvik Championship at the Travis Pointe Country Club in Ann Arbor, Mich. and lamented the hard luck of the racehorse Nyquist.
After opening his pursuit of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown by winning the Kentucky Derby, Nyquist finished third in the Preakness Stakes and the next day was diagnosed with a fever.
Blood tests revealed that Nyquist had a high white blood cell count and antibiotics were prescribed to treat an infection, prohibiting the horse from training and thus resulting in his absence from the third jewel of the Triple Crown, the June 11 Belmont Stakes.
Gustav Nyquist had planned to attend the Belmont to watch his namesake on the track and to also finally meet Nyquist and the horse’s owner Paul Reddam, who grew up in Windsor, Ont. a devout Red Wings fan and has named eight of his racehorses after Detroit players.
“It’s too bad,” said Gustav Nyquist, who was playing for Sweden at the world championship in Russia when Nyquist won the Kentucky Derby. “I was planning to go see him race.”
Nyquist had texted Reddam to let him know he planned to take him up on his offer to join him in his owner’s box at the Belmont.
“That was the plan,” Reddam said. And it may still be the plan the next time Nyquist is healthy enough to race.
“I was talking to Paul and he said there’s a couple of other big races in the summer,” Nyquist said. “If he runs in one of them I might go.”
The $1.75 million Haskell Invitational is Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park In New Jersey and the $1.25 million Travers Stakes is slated for Aug. 27 at Saratoga in New York.
There’s also the Nov. 5 Breeders Cup Classic at Santa Anita, which is Reddam’s home track, so you can expect that if Nyquist is healthy, he’ll likely be in that race, though since it’s right in the midst of the hockey season, there’s no way for Gustav Nyquist to make it to that one.
With eight wins in nine starts, Nyquist has earned $5.1 million, plus a $1 million bonus for winning the Florida Derby as a Florida-bred horse. Darley America, the breeding operation run by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, acquired the stallion rights for Nyquist for a reported $8-12 million.
The Red Wings have talked about doing something to recognize Nyquist at a game next season and Reddam’s idea was that he brings the Kentucky Derby Trophy to Joe Louis Arena for a photo op with the human Nyquist.
That would be cool,” Gustav Nyquist said. “That would be awesome.
“I would really like that.”
Tee It Up With A Wing
The Wings announced Wednesday plans for the inaugural Red vs. White fantasy golf classic, an event that will offer fans of the team the chance to golf alongside Red Wings alumni at three separate northern Michigan golf courses from June 27-29.
The three golf courses scheduled to play host to the tournament are Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club (Arcadia, Mich.), Boyne Highlands “Arthur Hills” (Harbor Springs, Mich.) and Bay Harbor Golf Club (Bay Harbor, Mich.). The three-round golf tournament includes green fees, two nights of lodging at Boyne Highlands Resort, transportation, food, beverage, Red Wings golf apparel and accessories for $3,750 per person.
Red Wings alumni set to participate in the event include four-time Stanley Cup champions Larry Murphy, Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty, along with Stanley Cup champions Dallas Drake and Manny Legace. Additional alumni will be announced at a later time. Participating alumni are subject to change.
The Red and White teams will be comprised of three Red Wings alumni and nine participating players, making for two teams of 12 players. The event will feature a Ryder Cup-style scoring format.
Space is limited. For more information or to register for the Red vs. White Fantasy Golf Classic, visit www.DetroitRedWings.com/redandwhitegolf.
Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»