Let's talk a little bit about hockey history

Happy Thursday, thanks for reading.

Earlier this week, Tuesday in particular, I spent all day in what I like to call a “writing bunker.”

I took the kids to school, made a cup of coffee, and then shut myself into my office until it was time to get the kids. The main project Tuesday was the manuscript for an upcoming book I’m working about the Detroit Red Wings that’s targeted to upper-elementary/middle school-level readers.

It’s been a fun project and the fourth book I’ve done with that readership demographic. One of the biggest challenges with that target audience is self-editing to reach the target reading level, the other is the fact that with just a 5,000-word book — at most — it’s impossible to properly cover all of Red Wings history. It’s more of a snippet on a franchise that’s been around for 100 years.

Because Red Wings history is pretty cool, and not just for the “Original Six” nature of it all. The team actually started its history in Canada, first in Victoria and then in Windsor before an arena was built in Detroit. Since then the Red Wings off-ice history includes them playing both an outdoor game against prisoners at Marquette State Prison in 1954 and international espionage in the early 1990s to help members of the Russian Five defect from the Soviet Union.

It’s some pretty cool stuff, and I think I’d like to dive into some of that history stuff, not just for Detroit, but for other NHL franchises from time-to-time, especially after being inspired by reading my pal Bob Sturm’s journey through the 1975 NFL season.

Super Bowl 10 - 50 Years after The Morning After

It’s something that’s also fresh in mind after the Red Wings retired Sergei Fedorov’s number last week and Red Wings coach Todd McLellan told us that one of the younger players asked him who the guy was in the wheelchair.

Rink Stories: "Wow," on the importance of No. 91 in the rafters, JVR's connection to his son and Rick Bowness back on the bench

Anywho, this is just a quick post to get things going on a Thursday. I made the early drive this morning from Detroit to Columbus because the Dallas Stars are visiting Ohio and I’ll doing the DLLS Stars Podcast line on-site tonight.

We should have more posted here later today and tomorrow, but in the meantime curious to pick reader brains on what type of history things/odd stories you’d like to learn more about with me. I’ve already got a bunch from Stars history having written a book about that franchise, so we’ll probably start digging there as well.

Thanks for reading.