James van Riemsdyk, Simon Edvinsson, Todd McLellan Media | Oct. 1, 2025

James van Riemsdyk, Simon Edvinsson, Todd McLellan Media | Oct. 1, 2025

Yeah, you know, first and foremost, I just really wanted to express my uh appreciation and gratefulness to the Redwing organization, particularly uh Steve and Todd for again, you come to a new team and you don’t really know everyone that well, but just how supportive they were through the whole um uh through the whole uh last few weeks especially uh last few months actually of of dealing with some stuff uh uh with the birth of our twins and just some stuff related to that with uh with the pregnancy for my wife. um just how uh how great they were with me. I’ll I’ll always be uh grateful for that. So, what are the names? Archer and Shepherd. Archer. Yep. Are they born this week or they they were born a couple weeks ago, but uh one of them had some a little extra time uh in the hospital and um yeah, it’s obviously a emotional thing uh dealing with some stuff with your uh with your family, with your newborns and um it keeps things definitely in perspective. Um but uh but no, yeah, definitely uh lucky that uh to have a wife that’s very strong and um um did such a great job through the whole thing and obviously just feeling the support of all my family and support system and uh the organization here obviously being really great with me. So uh that’s something I always obviously appreciate. Nice welcome on the ice today when you Yeah. stretching and everything. Yeah, I mean again, even though it’s uh this is year 17 for me, you still get those kind of first day sort of jitters, especially when uh you’ve missed a little bit of time and you want to feel like you can get back up to speed. So, um I think over the years uh you learn about different things, how you can keep yourself ready and uh uh again uh just do the things that you need to do to make sure you can uh be ready to go when uh when it’s time to get back out there. So, again, it’s always fun. It’s obviously something I love to do and um any any opportunity you get to go out there and play and um and get back to it is uh is a lot of fun. So, where are you thinking your game? I mean, how much do you have to catch up, do you think, physically or something like that? Yeah. Well, there again, I’m something I prided myself on over the course of my career is just being someone who’s very meticulous about uh about routine and preparation and things like that. So obviously uh again we’re the first and foremost was taking care of everything with my family and stuff like that, but you realize there’s things that you can kind of do to to keep uh keep yourself ready and keep yourself prepared and stuff like that. Uh um um so uh so yeah, obviously again you’re jumping in for day one uh live in an NHL training camp. Uh you’re going to expect uh uh some rustiness, but um it’s again a good kind of get the first uh first practice uh out of the way and um yeah, excited to get started with the team. Were you able to to skate the back home during this whole last couple of weeks? How much did that help? Yeah, I was able to stay out there like I mentioned, I I’ve got I’m lucky uh to have a good setup uh at home where I have everything I need at my house as far as a full full operational gym. And then uh up the road uh um from my house uh Brian Hansen, we’ll give him a shout out. He keeps the rink open for me when I need to jump out there and uh get ready to go. So um so yeah, I was able to get out there and try to again uh just just stay as sharp as I could and obviously tending to the family stuff, but when there was an opportunity to to jump on the ice, I was able to do that and at least uh uh maintain some things a bit. with potentially three practices. Do you think you might be able to play in the final preseason game Saturday or um yeah, we haven’t talked about any of that yet. So, uh yeah, I’m just taking it one day at a time and just trying to get my feet under me and uh then we’ll go from there. So, I know uh obviously again we got uh some time before that first preseason game and then some time uh like what is it 8 8 days or so until the um till the regular season game. So, I think again I’ve always uh tried to approach it no matter what the situation is. just worry about the next day and uh just do the best you can that day and uh get ready to go again the next day. So that’s uh that’s the the fun part of all this. How cool is it to sit right opposite Patrick Kane? You he just a bit of history? Yeah, you know, we’ve uh kind of come through the ranks uh together, so um obviously when I got the opportunity to sign here, that was one of the reasons I was so excited about it, just to get a chance to play with him again. Uh we played together on a lot of uh international stages and um uh he’s a he’s a really good friend of mine. So, uh, it’s fun that we’re going to get to play on the same team and, uh, um, yeah, I’m really looking forward to that. I know just one practice with this group, but do you get a sense of what the strengths and optimism of this team are? Yeah, I think, uh, again, you could definitely feel like, uh, that excitement uh, in the air and your guys seem like they’re really uh, raring to go. So, I know uh, this time of the preseason especially can can start to feel a little bit long and you start to get ready uh, feel like you’re ready to go for uh, the real live action to start. But um definitely can feel that kind of energy and enthusiasm um to start going. But uh yeah, I think uh again looking at the team uh it’s it’s going to be exciting. I think um lots of lots of things to like about it and now it’s up to us to go out there and put it all together and see what we can do. Where’s Minnesota? Minnesota. Yep. Are these first kids or uh three and four? Three and four. Yeah. Yep. So those are quarterback names, probably center fielder names. Yeah. Oh my god. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, it’s going to I’m going to be good. Thanks for your Thank you. That didn’t keep you out any longer than it has. Uh, of course, really excited I’d be back uh before the start of a season even the two games and uh we’re a little bit worried there, but I got good help from all the training staff and everybody. So, we Yeah, it went good. Did you hurt yourself uh with the skates before or how did you uh it was uh it was when I was training. Yeah. What do you need to do to take advantage of the time that’s left in preseason to get ready for next week? Uh it yeah it’s been a while since I’ve been playing hockey. I think this was my first time in the lineup in practice and yeah, I had a good conversation with the coaches and I wanted to get in and get the timing and just uh yeah, everything all around it. So, uh, of course, it’s going to be it’s going to be a little bit rusty at the start, but hopefully not that much and just going to go from there and take steps every shift. Is is the best thing about getting these two games in just getting that that contact back against other teams and just the timing and everything? Yeah, of course. Everything. It’s it’s a different kind of uh practice or game like game is a lot of higher intensity and maybe a little bit more space, but the timing everything as you come in. You were pretty confident right from the start that you weren’t going to miss any playing time like this start of the regular season or anything like that. Uh, actually, no. I’m a week ahead of uh schedule, so uh I felt good. I talked to the trainers, talked to the doc, and yeah, they were letting me play. So, I’m happy about that. Just uh looking into ahead of the season, if you if he pairs you again with Johansson, the comfort level seems to have been there from last season. You guys seem to have, especially the second half, uh good chemistry. Yeah, of course we he hasn’t missed much honestly. Like I feel like our our chemistry is still there. Uh I think everybody could play with everybody still, but uh I’m very close with him. He helped me uh a lot after the surgery and uh he was yeah always been there and now I get to play with him again here at practice and maybe the games. I don’t really know what’s going to be the D lines, but uh I know it’s someone I I really have good chemistry with. Yeah. A nice welcome for James today. Have you been able to formulate any kind of a plan for him or is Saturday a possibility? Well, quite a rushed day for him. He woke up in Minneapolis, got here, um you know, obviously flew here, got to the arena, needed some equipment, needed to get a physical done. um sat down with the coaches, put his gear on, quick practice. Um he’s been skating, but nowhere near what what we’ve been doing. So, we’re aware of what he’s done. Um we have a good idea of what he needs to do. It’s just we’re not sure how long that’s going to take. And um as a veteran player, he’s probably in really good condition. So, it’s going to take a little timing. Uh he’s obviously not playing tomorrow. and uh we’ll see how it goes throughout uh you know the next 7 to 10 days, but we’ve got a lot of work to do to catch him up on things, but uh we wouldn’t do anything different. He deserved that time with dealing with what he was dealing with. It’s a well-known quantity what what his skill set is once he is up to speed. Do you have kind of a place where you might want to see him? Yeah, I I believe he’s a player that can uh move all over the lineup, play left, play right. Um, you know, he’s going to be an asset on the power play, we believe, in and around the net. That’s that’s pretty obvious. That’s where he’s he’s made a living. Um, but he’s played anywhere from um, you know, topline minutes um, with prime players to um, a lower load, if you will, in the game and still been productive. Um, so we think we can move them all over the lineup. It’s just a matter of getting them up and and uh, and on par with everybody else. So Todd, how close are you now to constructing a roster? You think in your mind, do you have something fairly set or not yet? Well, we’ve Yeah, we’ve spent time uh again post Chicago game this morning. Um talking about what we’re looking at um as far as forwards and D uh numbers. Um you know, the the goalending likely settled itself out. We don’t have to worry about that. The forwards are starting to become a lot clearer. Uh for me it’s that that group of defenseman. Um you know there’s eight or nine in the mix right now. Uh we’re certainly not going to carry nine. We can’t even do that really for for roster spaces. So we’ve got to sort out um uh that bottom tier of defenseman and and that’s not complete yet. Just the way you guys played last night. Was that good to see? Kind of was that important to see? It was um it was important for a number of different reasons. We had some conversations with some players. Uh Larkin not being one of them, although he really stepped up and provided good leadership yesterday. Um he made sure this game was important for everybody involved and I thought he played like that. So that was that was tremendous to have your captain do that. and then some of the players that had some, if you want to call it, ugly nights uh prior and um you know, we kind of laid a road map out for them uh where they were situated and they responded with some good games. So, and then you put it all together, the team played much better than they did the night before. Um the pace was better, the connectivity, the passing uh structure was way better. It was just a flatout better game. and against an opponent that played almost their whole group. Have you decided whether you’ll start with 12 or 13 forwards that we’re we know that we we have 23man roster to work with. Um we know we’re likely starting with two goalies, so that leaves, you know, as 21 spots. Um we’re not uh we’re not clear yet on how that’ll all shake out. And uh Edmonson looks like he was ready to play uh tomorrow and get couple of games in. He’s been skating for a while now. I mean, just howim is that uh to get him a couple of games before the season. Simon will play uh will play both games, you know, providing his health holds up, but we anticipate that it will. Um he’ll need them. Um I I think he’s playing catch-up a little bit uh for for him as an individual, but also for everybody else. the pace they’re playing at. Um, and even the the practices haven’t been conducive to getting them up and going because we have half the team that’s played back to back and they’re tired. The other half has a pretty good gas tank. We’re trying to manage it. Uh, so these games are going to be good for him and and he certainly needs them. Only preseason type the penalty kill last night going six for six. That had to be good. That had to be had to be good to see. really good to see. Um, are you seeing some progress there? Well, we didn’t want to work it that much last night. Um, but now that, you know, those things, those penalties took place and we sit back, you gave us a lot of video to review, a lot of great teaching clips. Um, you know, I I think you’re seeing us be a little more aggressive. I hope you are. Um, Talbs was excellent. So, your goalender has to be, cliche, has to be your best penalty killer, but he was last night. He was really good in those situations. And um guys are understanding their roles a little bit more. Um confidence is is building a bit. It’ll get nicked at some point. We we’re going to play against good power plays. Uh but if we keep building the foundation and um we don’t have to shoot for the moon. We just need some improvement. Yeah, we we used him there last night, too. Yeah, we used him there last night. He did a really good job. So, um, you know, again, working different people through to find out what may or may not work there. And is everybody okay besides Yeah. So, besides Nate? Yeah. Nate and um, obviously JVR are the, you know, the two that we have on injury uh, list. Maser was banged up a little bit. He didn’t skate yesterday, but I think from what I heard, he’s he’s good to uh, good to go now. So, nothing serious. So, just the usual. All good.

James van Riemsdyk, Simon Edvinsson, and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s practice on Wednesday October 1, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena.