The Thrill of the old Traverse City tourneys
Before the current rebuild, the Detroit Red Wings spent decades as a destination for hockey fans. The Red Wings ended a 42-year Cup drought and went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. The success brought a lot of envious attention.
After back to back Stanley Cup wins in 1997 and 1998, Detroit created a prospects tournament that was held before training camp. At its height, eight NHL clubs sent teams to compete in Traverse City, Michigan.
The days were incredibly intense and the games didn’t fail to excite the local fans. The ice took a beating between the constant play and end of summer heat. Centre I.C.E. Arena arena continually upgraded the facilities in anticipation of the event.
Change to Red Wings tourney was inevitable
Last year saw a greatly reduced competition with only the Dallas Stars coming to compete against Detroit. The other teams involved had varied reasons for shifting, and it was an understandable decision.
It no longer made sense for some teams to be so far away from their own fan base. Some teams, understandably, wanted to participate in events where local fans could engage. Traverse City is a beautiful spot, but the costs associated with lodging and travel were also a bit prohibitive for some.
Dallas and Detroit have some common bonds and see the value in a short series against each other. That series will now alternate between being held in Michigan and Texas. This year will see the Red Wings send their contingent to the Lone Star State.
An exciting opportunity for Red Wings fans and prospects
Even with a reduced format, the shortened series has something special to offer. Detroit fans will likely be able to stream the games and see new faces take the ice. The players will get an idea of what playing for Detroit will demand.
Coaches and management will be watching players closely, looking for strengths and weaknesses. This gives a glimpse into a higher level of competition, and help formulate specific developmental goals.
After the tournament and training camp, the players will get individualized assignments for the coming year. Strength training, nutrition and areas of improvement are laid out in great detail for each player. The investment in the future continues to grow each season as Detroit prepares the next generation of players. The Red Wings faithful will get a glimpse of what that could look like again this fall.