Red Wings Announce Dates for Training Camp, Prospect Games
The Red Wings officially announce the schedule for their annual September trip to Traverse City
Today, the Red Wings announced the dates for their annual trip to Traverse City for training camp and prospect games. This year, the annual prospect tournament has dwindled to just a pair of prospect games with the Dallas Stars, which will be held on the 14th and 15th, before training camp runs from Wednesday the 18th through the annual Red White intrasquad game on Sunday the 22nd.
Momentum around the prospect tournament, which was once an eight-team event, has been waning for some time, and at his end of season presser in April, GM Steve Yzerman acknowledged that change was coming: "We're down to two teams now. Things are changing, evolving. The offseason, development camps, rookie tournaments—things are changing. Teams are doing different things. We're gonna go up with our rookies, and we're gonna meet Dallas there and play two games."
It is worth noting that Stars CEO and alternate governor Jim Lites—born in Pentwater, alumnus of the University of Michigan and Wayne State—began his career as an executive with the Red Wings. Now, it doesn't seem sensationalizing to suggest that he is single-handedly keeping the event afloat, even if he alone can't make it a tournament.
As Yzerman pointed out, the landscape of these sorts of pre-preseason prospect tournaments has changed. More have popped up, and for many would-be TCPT participants, it makes more sense to make one of those a home, whether because of the cost savings in not traveling to Traverse City or because they might be able to host at least part time in a different tournament format.
However, Red Wings camp in Traverse City remains as thriving an institution as ever, and, as became official this morning, one highlight of this year's edition will be the presence of Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Axel Sandin-Pellikka (2024 and 2023 Detroit first round picks respectively).
Both are still expected to play together with the Swedish club Skelleftea AIK next season, but it's unusual to see players from European leagues join NHL training camps. That is practical as much as anything else: European leagues tend to begin earlier and have longer training camps, so the sort of audition Nate Danielson had with the Red Wings last fall before returning to the WHL is trickier logistically.
Regardless of the outcome, it will be valuable exposure for the two blue chip Red Wing prospects. It will also be the first chance to see Vladimir Tarasenko in the Winged Wheel.
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