07/30/2006

Record-Eagle/Tyler Sipe
Tickets like these to Detroit Red Wings training camp were waiting for those who stood in line on Saturday.

Young Wings need to fly

by mark urban

murban@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — The Detroit Red Wings have won three Stanley Cups in the past decade.

Sharon Bell of Warren is ready for another title. Besides, she's still got room on the outside of her lower leg.

Bell — who has a Stanley Cup tattoo listing Detroit's championships in 1997, 1998 and 2002 below another with the team's winged-wheel logo — was one of hundreds of fans buying tickets Saturday to Red Wings training camp in Traverse City.

And even though the Red Wings will be a team in transition with the retirement of longtime captain Steve Yzerman and the departure of high-scoring forward Brendan Shanahan, most of those grabbing tickets to the Sept. 15-20 training camp were optimistic.

"It's hard to tell because we've lost so much already and we haven't really signed anybody," Bell said. "It depends on how hungry they're willing to be. I think they'll still make the playoffs, definitely.

"We still have plenty of talent there to be able to do fine. How high their seed is (in the playoffs) remains to be seen. I don't think they'll be the No. 1 seed, but I don't think they'll be No. 8, either."

Larry Morrison of Walhalla was the first in line when training camp tickets went on sale this morning. He was proudly sporting a black T-shirt with Yzerman's No. 19 on it.

"I was sorry to see him leave," Morrison said. "But they'll still have a good team anyway."

Not many people were surprised that Yzerman retired after spending all of his 22 seasons with Detroit. But Shanahan leaving for the New York Rangers was a little bit of a shock.

"Yzerman was expected," said Jared Herron of Wyoming. "Shanahan, I thought was going to step in and do the job."

Nathan Hagstrom, who graduated this spring from Traverse City West, wore a Shanahan T-shirt on Saturday. He said the team will miss his team-high 40 goals.

"It's going to be pretty tough," Hagstrom said. "He's been there for a long time and he knows how to score, that's why I like him."

With those two veterans no longer sporting the winged wheel, a lot of fans said it's time to turn the reigns of the team over to some of the younger players.

"I think they'll do all right," said Tim Glasscock of Rockford from his No. 2 spot in line. "I think this will be the year to see how the young guys on the team, the prospects, do. Hopefully those guys will step up and they'll do all right."

"They'll do well," said Herron, standing near the back of the line with his wife, Merrie. "The young guys will step up and do well. We're hoping to see some of the (Grand Rapids) Griffins guys step in and do well. It'll be nice to see if a couple of guys like (Jiri) Hudler and (Daryl) Bootland come up and play."

Hagstrom said players like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg will have increased leadership roles when the 2006-07 season starts.

"I think they'll still do OK," Hagstrom said. "They still have guys like Datsyuk and Zetterberg and they have (goalie Chris) Osgood. They should be pretty good this year, too."

Rob Schulz of Milan said he expects to see the Red Wings back in the playoffs, especially after shoring up the defense with the signing of Danny Markov from Nashville. Schulz said Markov will be a big plus if Jiri Fischer doesn't recover from his heart condition.

"The new defenseman they just signed will help out," Schulz said. "I haven't heard much about Fischer.

"I don't know about their offense. The young players will have a big part in how they do."

While Schulz expects the Red Wings to return to the playoffs in 2007, he doesn't think Bell will have to worry about adding a tattoo.

"They're not going to the finals I don't think," he said.