My sister retells the story of her that includes my late cousin. They’re in the car listening to his favorite song when she asks my cousin, “Why is this your favorite song?”
He answers. “The song is okay, but read what it says on the radio.”
“Pinch Me, Barenaked Ladies,” she remarks. Laughing aloud.
Although I enjoyed Pinch Me growing up, I hadn’t learned of this story until after he passed away. As I get back in touch with my roots, I’ve jammed out to the Barenaked Ladies more and found a new earworm: Odds Are.
As I contemplate the future of the Detroit Red Wings and, in turn, the Grand Rapids Griffins, I can’t help but feel a renewed sense of hope.
Stephen Gregory Yzerman, general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, has crafted a team that I questioned as much as anyone. I had high hopes, but spending most of my adult life as a Detroit teams fan, I prepared for the usual fall off a cliff into an abyss until the next season.
While there is still plenty of time for that in the Red Wings’ season, something feels different within the Wings’ organization, like a light at the end of the tunnel.
“Just hope it’s not a train,” I hear my aunt whispering in the back of my mind.
This positive thinking is primarily rooted in the defensive core the Red Wings have built through the draft, free agency, and trade market.
In this post, I want to expand on two young drafted prospects in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this season and why they aren’t a passing craze.
Griffins’ head coach Dan Watson says they are “…our top two defenders here for the past five to 10 games…” in the most recent Media Availability from December 14, 2023 (Watson’s portion begins around 21:17).
In the last couple of posts, I briefly described my viewing of them. This time around, I want to build on the dynamics between Albert Johansson and Simon Edvinsson. They are cornerstones of the blue line for the Red Wings; thus, they are two pillars of my renewed hope.