On the Clock: Detroit Red Wings: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft

by Helene St. James

Overview

A singular, transcendent talent can change the fortunes of a hockey team instantly. Each year, NHL teams approach the draft with this knowledge, hoping that luck will be on their side and that their extensive scouting and analysis will pay off.

In On the Clock: Detroit Red Wings, Helene St. James explores the fascinating, rollercoaster history of the Red Wings at the draft, including franchise legends like Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, and Pavel Datsyuk.

Readers will go behind the scenes with top decision-makers as they evaluate, deliberate, and ultimately make the picks they hope will tip the fate of their franchise toward success.

From seemingly surefire first-rounders to surprising late selections, this is a must-read for Red Wings faithful and hockey fans eager for a glimpse at how teams are built.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629379852
Publisher:	Triumph Books
Publication date:	10/04/2022
Series:	On the Clock
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	637,401
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Helene St. James has covered the Red Wings for the Detroit Free Press since 1996. Her work has appeared in several books. She has covered the team’s adventures in Sweden and the Czech Republic and has covered hockey at multiple Olympic Games. She is also the author of The Big 50: Detroit Red Wings.

Table of Contents

Foreword Jimmy Devellano xi

Acknowledgments xv

1 Captain Consolation 1

2 The Perfect Pick 20

3 The Best Young Player in the World 32

4 Before the Draft 44

5 How It Began 49

6 The Men Who Buried the Dead Wings 53

7 The Master Drafter 62

8 Four Cups and a Snowmobile 75

9 The Greatest Draft Class 81

10 The 1,000 Club 87

11 The Swedish Connection 96

12 Something Special in the Sixth Round 103

13 Scouting Salmon 109

14 A Good Ball Hockey Player 117

15 Picking for the Pipes 125

16 A Teenager As Tough As Nails 131

17 He Likes to Get the Dukes Up 147

18 Bigger and Grittier 152

19 How about That Nice Vladimir Konstantinov? 161

20 Take the Russian 169

21 Neil Smith 175

22 Czech Mate 183

23 Building Down the Middle 194

24 1985 200

25 Dilemma at No. 1 207

26 Why Not Detroit? 224

27 The Big Canadian Center 232

28 Niklas Kronwall 242

29 The Mule 248

30 Jim Nill 254

31 Reed Larson 263

32 Dale McCourt 267

33 Johnny O 272

34 The First 18-Year-Old 276

35 Gerard Gallant 283

36 Trading Picks for Players 291

37 More Talk Than Action 296

38 The 10 Best Picks in Franchise History 303

39 What Might Have Been 313

40 Consolation to Corner Suite 319

Appendix: Detroit Red Wings Draft History 325