The Winged Way Episode 1: Rise of the Rookies

The Winged Way Episode 1: Rise of the Rookies

Coming into to the NHL, you’re um you know very young and uh you’re learning everything for the first time. You’re you’re seeing every arena for the first time. You’re you know playing against players you you’ve grown up watching. It’s a lot to take in but it’s a lot of fun and at the same time you want to make your mark. Finny would definitely be speed. I think that’s his biggest asset is his his legs and I feel like that’s when he’s successful is when he’s moving his feet and axe. I mean, I’d probably say IQ, honestly. He’s a smart player. He’s a little undersized, but I think his brain makes up for it. Just the way he thinks the game to still keep your game and and make these plays under pressure. I think that’s really impressive. You know, you got to be ready. And once you get that shot, you got to take it. Coming into camp, obviously, there’s some nerves. You know, a new coach with Todd. I hadn’t gotten to meet him yet, so I wasn’t really expecting too much coming into camp. I was just um you know trying to work as hard as I can and you know see how far that got me like I felt like I was in the best shape of my life coming into camp and the strongest too. So I felt like I put myself in a a good spot to succeed to get that experience. It’s uh it’s a lot of practices. It’s off ice training. It’s being on the ice two times a day. So I think that little thing just getting ready for the season getting used to hard work and the style of hockey really was was uh important. Once we, you know, started playing, uh, you know, the red and white team and, you know, even the first couple preseason games, I I felt like my confidence had grown a lot and, you know, I felt like I could play at the at this level. The NHL has been in preseason mode for a few days now, but the Red Wings finally join in on the fun with their first preseason test of the year. It’s the Red Wings against the Blackhawks. Let’s face off in a two- two tie with the Chicago Blackhawks. Comes out the center ice and Bard will just lose the puck to Finny who took it away. Scoots in behind the Blackhawk goal. Put on the brakes. Zel will pick it up for the Hawks. Shoot it into the corner. They paddle for it there. It’s rolled around the boards. Mitchell in front wide open. Bransard rebound champ. four with the goal and it’s Detroit and it’s finished. That’s something you like to see this time of year. You like to see the depth in your organization, see the younger players that you draft in your prospect pool and uh what they can do in a game situation. I know a lot of the fans, they hear a lot about the prospects. So, um some of these guys will make the team possibly and and many of them won’t. So, it’s nice for the for the fans to be able to watch them uh live here at home. The Red Wings are 4-3 and0 in the preseason and they’re coming off 3-1 victories on the road against Chicago and Toronto. Power play continuing here. Kept in by Sandine Pull. Casper gets it back from top. You don’t see a lot of that. Red Wings do control. Sandine Pelica with it. It’s what moment did you realize that you were going to join the the Red Wings roster? And and how do you even kind of put that into words? I mean, I had really no expectations coming into training camp. I just wanted to play my best and that kind of stuff. So, I mean, like we really never got like a a clear yes, you you’re going to be on the opening night roster, you know? We were waiting there. I was sitting on my phone all night at the hotel. Then just a message popped up like for the like training times uh the day after and just went there. I was in the lineup. So, that was the part I I realized. What are the emotions like for you as now it’s all very real as you’re walking down this carpet as well? Yeah, it’s there’s a lot of emotions going through my mind. Um you know, I’ve dreamed about this since I’ve been a little kid. So, uh you know, it’s pretty special to be living it now. Yeah, I mean it didn’t really feel too too real until um you know, I was out there on the ice for warm-up and it kind of hit me and um you know, lots of excitement, you know, a little bit of nerves obviously just with it being the first NHL game, but um you know, obviously super excited for myself. First NHL goal. What do you remember about that moment? I saw the puck went in. I put my arms up and I was like, “Was it me?” So he pointed at myself. I thought it hit the Appleton stick or skate or something. So like skate and point at it like one two seconds before like he pointed at me and said it was my goal. That’s the main part. It’s a pretty funny part, too. So I think I remember that thing the most and then just uh jumping up on the glass and screaming a little bit. When Axe scored, EMTT was happier than Axe. And then when Emtt’s for a happy Emtt lays one back to the line for Bernard Docker. Finny in front. Group cut. He scor with number one and it’s two nothing. Yeah, I remember was kind of in a little bit of a shock when it first went in. Didn’t like fully hit me that it went in. Like obviously there was excitement there, but um you know seeing Razer coming into me and he was smiling and gave me a big hug. So um you know that was a pretty cool moment. You could see it from training camp. Uh the selflessness that that that our team has that everyone’s really want to pull towards the same direction and uh it doesn’t matter who who scores or who has the better night or what not. It’s about winning hockey games and you want to see the best version out of out of everyone out there and you want to bring out the best version of your teammates which ultimately usually leads to the the best version of yourself as well. Yeah, I feel like um you know, we’re all hungry. Um you know, we’re good friends off the ice, too. So, I feel like, you know, even Danny and myself, I feel like we play pretty well together because we have that good chemistry. Pop covered by two Kraken. Danielson passes front to score to him and Finny. The rookies combined. I know when you’re forming lines, especially Midame, you’re just trying to win the game. But Finny and uh Danielson have have some history together playing against each other and I could play together. How much can you tell kind of their chemistry together and can you see them complimenting each other? Well, when we put them together, um that wasn’t even considered. It wasn’t a thought. I didn’t know how much they played minor hockey together or against each other. We only knew what we saw here. We thought that they would compliment each other and and for two periods in one night, they did a real good job. We expect that to continue. I think if you look at teams that win in this league, you have to be able to play on both sides of the puck and I mean you have to be trusted as a player, especially especially when you’re younger and breaking in. So, it’s definitely important and um something I take a lot of pride in. When you’re younger, everyone just wants to score goals and I was kind of the same boat. But I don’t know why when I was younger, probably like 10 or 11, I always like to play against like the other top players of my age and just found it fun if I could go out there and score two goals but not let them score. that was more fun than going out and scoring like four goals. I think with with all of our young guys, I I think they came in and gave us some jump in our team both on and off the ice. Just that youthfulness and um you know uh it brings a lot to our team and uh they’ve played really good so far and it’s been impressive to watch. It just gives you little extra boost of confidence knowing that they they believe in you and they trust you and stuff like that. So, we’ve got a great group and ever since I got here, they’ve been amazing. And going back to camp, they’re all they’re all great. So, feels good to have those guys um in your corner know that they uh they believed in me, too. I feel like the three of us um you know, it’s pretty special that we have this bond and, you know, are able to do this at this young age. We’re really good friends. Uh we uh we came here pretty early. We came here in middle of August. Uh we lived together in in an Airbnb. Uh practice together every day. So, uh, uh, we’ve come really close to each other. Danny, uh, P and even Nyiggard, we we were shared a house this summer in Detroit for, you know, a month before camp. And, you know, we’d we’d skate every day and then go golfing after every time. And it’d always be P and I versus Danny and and Nygard. So, um, we had lots of good competitions on the golf course with that. It’d be 50/50 for the most part. I think all three of them has contributed in different ways in all different types of playing forms. Uh, you know, you see Axe right now, you know, on the power play, the way he’s moving, it’s really impressive to see. And, uh, he’s killing penalties, too. Uh, I mean, EMTT’s been been he’s on the power play, he’s on the PK, he’s playing five on five. I mean, just that is a lot of responsibility for for a young guy just coming in, but they’re they’ve handled it really well. And you know, obviously Nate just starting out, but but kind of same thing for him. Been a big impact on on the power play. And I think both Vince and and Danny connected on the power play goal. It’s impressive to watch and, you know, it’s fun to be a part of. You got to see them for the player they are. Um, you know, because you’re 27 or 28 years old, that doesn’t mean you’re the the go-to guy. There may be a 22y old that’s playing better or gives the team more, you know. So age is I don’t know if age is a good barrier anymore. just take a look at the player and see what you have. You know, I I think this year we have a, you know, we have a good team. Um, you know, we have some great vets and I think we can do something special this year. But, um, you know, even in the future, I think we can we can build something nice here. You got to keep the the fun in hockey. You got to keep the youthfulness and, um, you know, I think that’s the best way to develop as well.

In the first episode of The Winged Way, we take a deeper look at the three current Detroit Red Wings rookies on the roster; Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Nate Danielson.