Mitten State hockey, from the NHL to the NTDP.

Mitten Hockey story card: The Mitten Weekly roundup
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The Mitten Weekly: Oct. 19-25

Larkin trade talk builds as the Red Wings go 1-1-1 out West, Will Horcoff’s buzzer-beater keeps Michigan perfect, and Flint sweeps a three-in-three weekend.

Shaun
8–12 minutes
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Dylan Larkin trade talk kept building all week without a deal, as reports put Detroit in conversations with several teams while the Red Wings went 1-1-1 to start a four-game Western trip. At Yost, Will Horcoff scored with one-tenth of a second left to keep Michigan perfect against Western Michigan, and the Flint Firebirds swept a three-games-in-three-days weekend that began with both halves of the I-75 home-and-home.

Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings (1-1-1 last week, 4-4-3 overall). The trip opened Tuesday in Seattle, where Detroit erased a 3-0 third-period deficit and Alex DeBrincat tied it with 17 seconds left for his 300th career goal, before the Kraken won 4-3 in a shootout. “We have a pretty resilient group,” Todd McLellan said afterward. Thursday in Vancouver, Lucas Raymond scored twice in the first period of a 5-2 win that stretched the point streak to six games. Saturday’s final visit to the Saddledome ended the streak, as Calgary scored three times in the second period, twice on the power play, for a 4-1 win. Andrew Copp scored Detroit’s only goal. The Red Wings have allowed 13 power-play goals, second most in the NHL.

Goalies and roster. With Daniil Tarasov hurt in practice, Griffins coach Dan Watson said Wednesday that Michal Postava was being called up, and Detroit made the emergency recall official Thursday while returning Sheldon Dries to Grand Rapids. That night John Gibson left after two periods with an upper-body injury, and Postava made seven saves in his NHL debut. Gibson was back in goal two nights later in Calgary. J.T. Compher returned Thursday after missing seven games.

Larkin and Edvinsson. McLellan said Larkin is still playing catch-up after losing his summer and training camp to an upper-body injury. Alternate governor Jimmy Devellano said management and Larkin have patched things up, though the Free Press reports the trade request still stands. Unsigned defenseman Simon Edvinsson and his agent met with interim GM Shawn Horcoff, according to TSN.

Rumors (unconfirmed). The Free Press reported the 10 teams on Larkin’s approved list, all in the U.S., and Pierre LeBrun said the Kings are interested. Frank Seravalli reported that Detroit balked at Danila Yurov as the centerpiece of a Minnesota offer, Elliotte Friedman said the Red Wings are now asking about young centers after disappointing offers for Larkin and Edvinsson, and LeBrun reported Detroit has been scouting Montreal in case Larkin adds the Canadiens to his list. Nick Kypreos said Detroit could deal with three or four teams but has not accepted an offer. On Edvinsson, LeBrun reported talks with as many as 10 teams, including San Jose and Boston. The Red Wings have confirmed none of it, and John Buccigross’s Oct. 17 prediction of a Larkin trade within 7 to 10 days has not come true so far. Larkin had two assists in Seattle and remains with the team.

Prospect watch

  • Trey Augustine (G, Grand Rapids Griffins; 2023, second round) made 26 saves for his second pro win against Manitoba on Wednesday, then made a career-high 36 saves in Friday’s shootout loss to Cleveland.
  • Carter Bear (F, Grand Rapids Griffins; 2025, first round) assisted on a power-play goal Wednesday to stretch his point streak to five games.
  • Eddie Genborg (F, Timrå IK, SHL; 2025, second round) drew a full story for figuring in all three Timrå goals on Henrik Zetterberg’s jersey night.

PWHL

PWHL Detroit. The team’s players were busy with international duty. Forward Daryl Watts was the only Detroit player named to Canada’s roster for the IIHF Women’s World Championship, Nov. 6-16 in Denmark. Hilary Knight, Cayla Barnes, Hannah Bilka, Jesse Compher, and Britta Curl-Salemme were among 31 players invited to Team USA’s final camp, which opened Friday in Plymouth. Training camp opens Nov. 18, and the home opener is Dec. 12 at Little Caesars Arena.

Minor Pro

Grand Rapids Griffins (2-0-0-1 last week, 7-1-1-1 overall). In a playoff rematch with Manitoba on Wednesday, Cameron Butler’s late redirect won it 4-3, and Shai Buium and Ondrej Becher also scored. Cleveland came to Van Andel for two games and won Friday’s opener 3-2 in a shootout, ending the Griffins’ run of 28 straight penalty kills, despite a goal from Dries in his first game back. In the rematch, captain Dominik Shine scored three times to reach 100 goals as a Griffin in a 5-2 win, Dries scored again in his 400th AHL game, and Carter Gylander made 24 saves after moving up from Toledo. Grand Rapids has a point in all six home games (series wrap).

Toledo Walleye (2-0 last week, 2-1-0-0 overall). Tag Bertuzzi scored twice in a 5-2 win at Indy on Friday, the Walleye’s first win of the season, and Marcus Crawford had three assists. Saturday at Wheeling, Toledo scored four times in the third period to win 5-2, with Mitch Lewandowski adding a goal and an assist and Jonathan Lemieux in goal both nights.

NCAA

Michigan (1-0 last week, 7-0-0 overall). The top-five meeting of unbeaten teams at Yost was tied 2-2 in the final seconds when Horcoff buried a loose puck with 0.1 seconds left, and the goal survived an offside review for a 3-2 win. Michigan has opened 7-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. Jayden Perron has goals in nine straight games (preview), Drew Schock had two assists on the night his father was honored with the 1996 champions, and Jack Ivankovic made 27 saves after earning Big Ten Three Stars honors for the Denver sweep.

Michigan State (1-1 last week, 4-1-0 overall). In Durham, the Spartans managed only 14 shots and lost their unbeaten record 1-0 on Friday, despite 33 saves from Joshua Ravensbergen. In the finale, Anthony Romani and Mason West scored and Ravensbergen made a career-high 38 saves in a 2-1 win. The freshman, one of the Big Ten’s Three Stars earlier in the week, stopped 71 of 73 shots on the weekend (series wrap). Adam Nightingale is one win from 100 at Michigan State.

Western Michigan (0-1 last week, 4-1-0 overall). The Broncos took their first loss in the final second at Yost, where Zaccharya Wisdom and William Whitelaw, shorthanded, scored and Quentin Miller made 25 saves. Back home Saturday, they hosted Wisconsin in an exhibition that does not count and lost 4-0, with Gavin Moffatt making 30 saves. Earlier in the week, Adam Benák picked up his second NCHC Rookie of the Week award.

Michigan Tech (1-1 last week, 6-2-0 overall, 1-1-0 CCHA). The Huskies opened CCHA play at Ferris State with a 3-1 win on Friday, with Carson Latimer scoring his first goal of the season and Owen Bartoszkiewicz earning his 40th career win. The Bulldogs won Saturday’s rematch 2-1 (series wrap). Bartoszkiewicz and Luke Shipley had opened the week with CCHA weekly honors.

Northern Michigan: Off this week (2-4-0 overall). Freshman Owen Pitters earned a CCHA weekly award on Monday.

Ferris State (1-1 last week, 1-4-1 overall, 1-1-0 CCHA). After a 3-1 loss Friday, Ferris State earned its first win of the season Saturday behind Alan Lendak’s 30 saves and goals from Nathan Mackie and Akseli Pulkkanen, whose first-period power-play goal stood as the winner.

Lake Superior State (0-2 last week, 2-4-0 overall, 0-2-0 CCHA). The Lakers christened the renovated Taffy Abel Arena with a 6-2 loss to Bowling Green on Friday. Saturday was closer: Casper Nässén had a goal and an assist and the Lakers outshot the Falcons 29-20, but Bowling Green won 4-2 to complete the sweep (series wrap).

USHL

Muskegon Lumberjacks (1-1 last week, 5-5-0-2 overall). Oscar Westman started Friday’s 3-0 loss at Lincoln. Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz answered Saturday with a 29-save shutout in a 4-0 win, as Anthony Thomas-Maroon scored late in the first and Drew Fox, Rudolfs Berzkalns, and Aiden Janz added third-period goals (series wrap).

USA Hockey NTDP U17: Off this week.

USA Hockey NTDP U18 (1-1 last week). The U18s resumed their college schedule with a 5-1 loss at LIU on Friday, when Gerry DiCunzolo scored for the third straight game. Saturday at Army, DiCunzolo scored again, Brayden Willis put them ahead in the third, Nolan Fitzhenry added an empty-netter, and Eli Winters made 42 saves in a 3-1 win, the team’s first against college competition this season.

OHL

Flint Firebirds (3-0 last week, 9-2-1-0 overall). The I-75 home-and-home opened with a 4-3 shootout win in Saginaw on Friday. Saturday in Flint, Darian Anderson scored twice and Jimmy Lombardi had three assists in a 6-2 win (series wrap). Sunday, Trenten Bennett made 29 saves for his first shutout as a Firebird and Lombardi’s power-play goal beat the Soo 1-0. Flint has points in eight straight games. The club also signed free-agent forward Anton Stackow, a two-time camp invitee.

Saginaw Spirit (0-1-0-1 last week, 6-4-2-1 overall). Rookie Brody George scored his first OHL goal in Friday’s shootout loss at the Dow Event Center, and Dima Zhilkin stretched his season-opening point streak to 13 games with an assist in Flint. After the weekend, the Spirit trailed Flint in the West Division standings.

Around the hockey world

  • Swedish club Björklöven apologized to former Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg after its fans heckled his jersey retirement ceremony in Timrå.
  • Hall of Famer Igor Larionov, a three-time Stanley Cup winner in Detroit, is out as SKA St. Petersburg’s head coach.
  • Canada and the U.S. play two Women’s Worlds tune-ups this week, Wednesday in Windsor and Friday at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, which could put Watts against her new PWHL Detroit teammates.
  • The NTDP U18s head to Switzerland for the Under-18 Five Nations Tournament, opening against Sweden on Nov. 4.
  • Muskegon’s Zaac Charbonneau, Saginaw’s Drew Bate and Kyler Lauder, and Flint’s Cole Guizzetti wear Canada Red at the World Under-17 Challenge, which begins Sunday in Oakville, Ontario.

Looking ahead

  • Red Wings: At Edmonton tonight to close the road trip, then home vs. Chicago (Thursday) and St. Louis (Saturday afternoon).
  • PWHL Detroit: Its national-team players are in action with Canada and the U.S. on Wednesday and Friday.
  • Griffins: Off until Sunday at Chicago.
  • Walleye: One more road weekend before the Nov. 7 home opener against Fort Wayne.
  • NCAA: Western Michigan hosts LIU (Thursday and Friday); Michigan opens Big Ten play at Ohio State (Saturday and Sunday); Michigan State faces North Dakota in Austin, Texas (Saturday); Northern Michigan opens CCHA play at Augustana, Ferris State visits Bemidji State, and Lake Superior State visits Minnesota State (all Friday and Saturday); Michigan Tech is off.
  • USHL: Muskegon visits the NTDP in Plymouth on Wednesday.
  • OHL: Saginaw is at the Soo (Wednesday) and hosts Barrie (Friday) and Guelph (Saturday); Flint is at Kitchener (Friday), hosts Barrie (Saturday), and visits Sarnia (Sunday).

Sources

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