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Listening to Sportsnet's HockeyCentral discussion on Friday, I found it interesting to note when host Jeff Marek labelled the Detroit Red Wing front office as becoming a quasi "Hockey U" for up-and-coming coaches and executives looking to sharpen their skills under the tutelage of two of the game's best and longest serving head honchos in coach Mike Babcock and managing general, Ken Holland.
With last Thursday's hiring of Detroit assistant coach Bill Peters by the Carolina Hurricanes, Peters became the third Babcock assistant over the past six years to get hired by another NHL team, joining Todd McLellan of San Jose and Paul MacLean of Ottawa. The late Brad McCrimmon was also hired as head coach of the KHL's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl but perished when the team plane crashed before their season opener in 2011.
Needless to say, if it weren't for the Red Wings not allowing other NHL teams to talk with current Grand Rapids head coach Jeff Blashill, that number likely would sit at 4 NHL head coaches. Regardless of what Mike Babcock decides to do with his coaching future beyond this season, that number will hit four next season when Blashill becomes the head man in Detroit, or is allowed to look elsewhere if Babcock decides to remain in Detroit.
Meanwhile, the "tentacles" of the Red Wing front office is not limited to bench bosses. Both Steve Yzerman (Tampa Bay) and Jim Nill (Dallas) spent time completing their apprenticeships for their current general manager positions within the Red Wing organization working with GM Ken Holland. A potential future NHL general manager currently waiting in the "wings" watching Holland's every move is former Red Wing Kris Draper.
When you look at the body of work for these men in their new spots, it appears the education received in Detroit certainly is an asset. McLellan has become San Jose's leader in wins by a head coach, MacLean has won a Jack Adams Trophy as coach-of-the-year. Both Yzerman and Nill have gotten off to strong starts as executives of their hockey clubs, with Yzerman poaching Ben Bishop via trade, while Nill made a splash early on in his tenure last summer by procuring the talents of Tyler Seguin from Boston.
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Congratulations to Red Wing draft picks Tyler Bertuzzi and Zach Nastasiuk, who both currently ply their trade in the Ontario Hockey League. Both players today were named to Team Canada's national junior team summer developmental camp August 3rd-8th in Quebec.
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mark.spizzirri@hockeybuzz.com