Detroit Red Wings announce dates for prospects, training camp in Traverse City

The newest players will be brought into the fold in surroundings that have suited the Detroit Red Wings for more than a quarter of a century.

The team will be returning to Traverse City for training camp, made official Thursday with the announcement of the dates: Prospects from the Wings and Dallas Stars organizations will participate in two games, Sept. 14-15, and then the main group from Sept. 19-22.

It's a tremendous opportunity to bond, something that's especially valuable for newcomers, which this year includes forward Vladimir Tarasenko, goaltender Cam Talbot and defenseman Erik Gustafsson. Although Patrick Kane was with the Wings last season, he didn't join them until late November, so this will be his first camp with the team, too.

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The sheer number of players involved at main camp — NHLers, prospects and tryouts — enables the coaching staff to create three squads, and permits plenty of looks experimenting with different line combinations. There are daily scrimmages and off-ice workouts — followed by free time that enables players to enjoy Traverse City's many attractions, especially golf and fishing.

The on-ice highlight of the event is the Red-White game on Sept. 22, after which the team will break camp and return to Detroit to begin the exhibition season.

For ticket information, go to www.mynorthtickets.com/organizations/centre-ice .

It was Scotty Bowman's idea to bring the then-defending Stanley Cup champions to Traverse City in the fall of 1997 and spending a week in such a beautiful place at an ideal time of the year was such a hit, it has continued yearly (except during labor disputes and the coronavirus pandemic).

Once they break camp, the Wings return to Detroit to begin an eight-game exhibition slate. That should be especially interesting this year, given the competition among Talbot, returning No. 1 Alex Lyon, and Ville Husso, who was No. 1 last season until he was sidelined the last two-thirds by injury. Up front, it'll be an opportunity to see if Kane and Tarasenko have chemistry, if Gustafsson care run one of the power play units and whether Albert Johansson, a 2019 draft pick, is ready for the lineup. He's one of eight defensemen on the roster, and the Wings have to figure out what they have in him because he is no longer exempt from the waiver wire.

The Wings open the regular season Oct. 10 at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com . Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames . Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon , Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings announce dates for prospects, training camp in Traverse City