The NHL team he could have played for is currently in the Stanley Cup final but Dylan Sadowy is certain that he made the correct decision by turning his back on the San Jose Sharks.
“It’s an honor to sign an NHL contract and to sign and to sign one with an organization like Detroit, being an Original Six (team) and one of the elite teams and organizations in the league,… Sadowy, 20, said.
Selected 81st overall by the Sharks in the 2014 NHL entry draft, Sadowy’s NHL rights were dealt to the Wings, who officially announced his signing Tuesday, the last day to ink 2014 draftees to a contract before they would re-enter the NHL entry draft but in reality, the two sides agreed to terms shortly after last week’s trade went down.
Sadowy indicated that he simply couldn’t get a deal done with the Sharks, but holds no hard feelings that they decided to move on from him.
“San Jose is a great organization,… Sadowy said. “We just didn’t come to terms on a deal.
“I knew something might happen. They ended up trading me to Detroit, so I’m excited to start something new over there.…
Of all the places he could have ended up, Sadowy couldn’t be happier with the end result.
“When it came out that it was Detroit I was excited because I played 3½ years, basically my whole junior career with Saginaw (of the OHL) and went to a lot of Detroit games. It was basically just an hour down the road.
“To end up back in Detroit is amazing.…
If the day comes that he pulls on the Red Wings sweater for real, it won’t be the first time that Sadowy will don the winged wheel.
“My first ever AAA hockey team from when I was nine right up until playing midget, growing up in Toronto, I played for the Toronto Red Wings,… Sadowy said. “So I followed Detroit all the way up and being in Saginaw I followed them as well, and went to a couple of games.…
Sadowy lists former Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman as his favorite player growing up, and even though the 6-1, 195-pound left-winger posted back-to-back 40-goal seasons in the OHL, like Yzerman, he considers himself to be a 200-foot player.
“I’m a two-way player that can play both ends of the rink,… Sadowy said. “I can score goals but I’ll sacrifice my body for the team. I’ll block shots and take hits to make a play and I’m a good PK guy that can be counted on in the last couple of minutes of the game.…
He’s also someone who will go to the so-called dirty areas to get goals, something that’s clearly been lacking on the Detroit roster.
“That’s an area a lot of players don’t want to go and that’s where I scored most of my goals, going hard to the net and getting rebounds and greasy goals,… Sadowy said.
As he readies for his first camp as a pro – Sadowy will attend Detroit’s development camp after the draft in Traverse City – he isn’t shy about acknowledging that there’s work to be done before he can consider himself ready for the big time.
“Just getting bigger, faster, stronger, but mainly getting faster, working on my first three strides and be able to keep up with all the older guys,… he listed as his goals for next season.
“I want to prove myself that I’m able to play at the next level and earn a career in hockey. Earn a spot on the Red Wings and show that down the road here I can play for them.…
Pre-Season Sked The Wings unveiled their pre-season schedule for the 2016-17 NHL season Wednesday and it’s a familiar slate. Detroit will play home-and-home sets against the most recent Stanley Cup champion, the Chicago Blackhawks and could also be contesting a home-and-home twinbill against the reigning Stanley Cup champions if the Pittsburgh Penguins get the better of the Sharks.
The Penguins open Detroit’s pre-season slate Sept. 27 at Joe Louis Arena with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop, while the Wings trek to Pittsburgh Oct. 5. The Blackhawks are in Detroit Oct. 2, for a 6 p.m. start, and the Wings are at Chicago two nights later.
Detroit’s other four pre-season games are all against Atlantic Division rivals. The Wings are in Boston to face the Bruins Sept. 28 and Boston comes to Detroit Sept. 30 for a 7:30 p.m. start.
A long-standing tradition will continue as the Wings close out the exhibition slate with back-to-back games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The set starts Oct. 7 at the Air Canada Centre, with the two teams back at the Joe on Oct. 8, with a slated puck drop of 7 p.m.
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