Detroit Red Wings assign Justin Holl to minors just hours after complimenting him

So it goes on the business side of hockey: A day after complimenting his performance, the Detroit Red Wings assigned Justin Holl to the minors.

The Wings were off Tuesday, because they don't play again until Thursday, when they host the New York Rangers. The teams just played Monday at Madison Square Garden, where the Wings' sole goal in a 4-1 loss featured Dylan Larkin scoring off a setup in which Holl took a pass from Patrick Kane, skated up the right flank, and set up the goal.

"It was a a great play," coach Derek Lalonde said afterwards at Madison Square Garden. "Glad Justin produced some offense there. He gave us a really good game on the back end."

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Holl was waived Oct. 6 and sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins the next day, after it became apparent during exhibition season that he again would be a spare part. But then Jeff Petry, who like Holl shoots right, suffered an upper-body injury in the opener, and Holl was recalled.

Petry has been skating, and could be available by Thursday. Lalonde also said he wants to get Erik Gustafsson, a healthy scratch after underperforming in the opener, back in the lineup. So unless something changes in the next couple days, basically Tuesday's roster move came down to the fact Holl can be sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins without again needing waivers.

Watson was expected to be an up-and-down call-up, because he was needed in New York after forward Christian Fischer sustained an upper-body injury in the second game of the season. Fischer, like Petry, is only considered day-to-day.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com . Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames . Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter . Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings , A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. 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.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings assign Justin Holl to minors just hours after complimenting him