Detroit — The draft picks have been selected and added to the pool of young players in the Red Wings’ organization.
Now it’s time to begin showing them what professional hockey is all about.
The Wings will host their annual development camp Monday through Thursday at the BELFOR Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena. The camp features on-ice skill development and NHL-level off-ice workouts each day from Wings development team coaches.
Former Wings players Daniel Cleary and Niklas Kronwall, now both part of the development staff, handle most of the on-ice instruction.
There is no evaluation of any sort. This is about young players, in many cases 18- to 20-year-olds, learning about the next step in their hockey careers and what they have to do to reach their goals.
“We want to bring them in, enjoy it and give them an incredible amount of information, for on and off the ice,” said Kris Draper, the Wings’ director of amateur scouting. “If these guys have any questions throughout, we have, to me, the best development staff in the league, and they create relationships with everybody.
“Whatever they need, we’re here to help them maximize their potential.”
Players in attendance will take part in classes and presentations designed to help players transition to pro hockey. The importance of sleep, nutrition and dealing with media are classes usually covered. Players also get feedback from Wings coaches and management on what prospects need to improve upon and how to improve in those given areas.
“What we want with these guys is basically give them as much information as possible,” Draper said. “The importance of training on and off the ice. They’re going to get a full body analysis of how they move and what they need to do and what they need to improve on. This is the important time for hockey players. You have two to three months to train, so that’s something that is very important.”
Most of this past weekend’s draft picks are expected to attend, including forwards J.P. Hurlbert, Victor Plante, Adam Levac, Luka Arkko and Beckham Edwards, defenseman Myles Brosnan and goaltender Michal Orsulak.
Change of plans
General manager Steve Yzerman said last week’s annoucement regarding not going to Traverse City for the start of training camp is one mainly due to the shorter duration of camp.
The new collective bargaining agreement has cut camp by approximately seven to 10 days, with only four exhibition games. Teams need to make the most of whatever time is available to them.
“Training camp is just shorter,” Yzerman said. “Every year we look forward to going up (to Traverse City), so we have mixed emotions about not going. But it’s a compressed camp and preseason and we want to try something different. We think this will be a more effective use of our time, just remaining here in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena, a little more smaller training camp, and fewer bodies at camp.
“We just thought it would make sense and be more practical doing it (this way) this year.”
The Wings have held camp in Traverse City since 1997, except for two NHL lockout years and a shortened COVID season. Yzerman hasn’t ruled out the possibility of the Wings returning to Traverse City in the future.
“It’s something we’ll revisit in the future,” Yzerman said. “We see going to Traverse City as something very attractive; the facilities are great.”
Familiar surroundings
Edwards, the Wings’ fifth-round draft pick, is one player who isn’t going to get lost around LCA or BELFOR Training Center.
Edwards played with the Little Caesars Under-15 team in 2023-24,and lived with a family in Novi during that season, so it’s returning home for Edwards, who played for Sarnia (OHL) last season and will play collegiately at Notre Dame this season.
“I’ve been inside the locker room, been in BELFOR a bunch, and that area of Michigan, it’s awesome,” Edwards said.
Edwards was drafted 143rd overall, so the sitting and waiting Saturday wasn’t easy.
“Some nerves definitely start to kick in a little bit,” Edwards said. “You want your name to be called. But the best-case scenario happened, getting picked by the Red Wings.”
“Honestly, it’s a dream come true. You dream about this moment as a kid, (and) playing a year of hockey in Michigan in Little Caesars Arena, it kind of brings it full circle for me.”
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Red Wings hope development camp eases transition for draft picks
Reporting by Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
