Jeff SeidelDetroit Free Press
A familiar song boomed through the Little Caesars Arena concourse on Friday night — a song that seemingly captured the state of the Detroit Red Wings: “We're in the homestretch of the hard times. We took a hard left, but we're all right.”
Isn’t that the Wings all over? It’s been eight years since they have played in the playoffs — a painful, hard left, indeed. But everything is looking up — everything looks all right to borrow a phrase — coming off a season in which they put together their first winning record since 2015-16.
“When the bones are good, the rest don't matter,” Y’all Band sang in the concourse, covering Maren Morris’ "The Bones" at the Red Wings "Sticks and Picks Festival" NHL draft party.
THE PICK: Detroit Red Wings pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygård in first round of 2024 NHL draft
Yes, the bones of this organization are good. That’s what this night was about — adding to that foundation through the draft, and the fans could sense it.
Hundreds filled the LCA concourse, wearing their Wings sweaters and drinking beer out of plastic hockey sticks.
So, I decided to go: What can I say, I’m a sucker for beer out of a hockey stick.
But I was there for another reason: To take the pulse of Wings nation.
And I think it can be summed up by Alex Sebastian, a 29-year-old who lives in Detroit.
“I'm really excited for the future the Red Wings,” Sebastian said. “I do believe in the 'Yzerplan.' ”
A cool event
It was a fantastic night.
Obviously, not as big as the downtown-packing NFL draft back in April, but still pretty cool.
“This is a miniature version of that,” said Andrew Bradley, of Warren. “It's piggybacking on (the NFL draft) a little bit. We definitely didn't expect to see this many people down here, but it's really cool to see the amount of people that are down here. It’s a cool connection to the city.”
It seemed like something different was going on all over the place.
Face painting. Indoor miniature golfing. Artists painting murals. Former Wings signing autographs.
And a tent sale, where they were selling off old stuff — the NHL version of a garage sale.
For the record, a Filip Zadina jersey was going for $100, and yes, that’s a reminder that the draft is an absolute crapshoot.
Outside of the arena, kids were playing street hockey with Wings prospect Emmitt Finnie, who is a great story on his own. He didn’t know if he would be drafted last year; instead, the Wings took him in the seventh round — yet another reminder of how you just don’t know how things will turn out in the NHL draft.
In March, he had improved so much and showed so much potential, the Wings signed him to an entry-level contract.
“What did it mean to you to get that contract?” I asked.
“Everything,” he said. “I put a lot of work into that last year and to see it get paid off like that, it was great.”
One year later, this 19-year-old was the only prospect at the draft party. “Surreal,” he said. “It’s a great feeling. It's pretty crazy. I was driving in and I saw all the fans outside and stuff, and it blew my mind how many people came out here. It's great.”
He helped Oliver Bradley, a 9-year-old from Warren, put on his pads.
“When in doubt, butterfly!” said his mother, Amanda Bradley.
So let me report: the state of Wings nation is in great shape.
Or to quote Y’All Band covering Morris: “The house don't fall when the bones are good.”
Bringing out the big guns to make the selection
Finally, right on cue, when the Wings were on the clock before the 15th pick, the crowd broke into a chant: “Let's go, Red Wings!”
Everybody faced the giant videoboard, lowered like a giant TV hovering above the ice.
Kris Draper had the microphone in Las Vegas: “Shout out to all our fans back in Hockeytown at Little Caesars Arena at our watch party.”
At that moment, I can report, everybody at that party erupted in cheers.
And Nicklas Lidstrom took the microphone to make the pick: “With the 15thpick, the Detroit Red Wings are proud to present …”
They took 18-year-old Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, the first Norwegian ever selected in the first round of the NHL draft.
ESPN draft host John Buccigross quipped "another year of missing the playoffs" for not taking an American. So be it.
The ESPN reviews overall turned positive:
“A historic selection.”
“This kid is a powerful player.”
“He takes it strong.”
“I like the way he attacks defenders.”
“Keep in mind, they've always had that pipeline to Sweden specifically. So why not Norway, right?”
“I like this selection.”
One sidenote that's important to point out: It was the first time in eight years they were not picking in the top 10, yet another hint of progress.
Back in Little Caesars Arena, as the selection was made, everybody screamed, and the goal horn went off. Spotlights danced around the crowd and the Wings logo swirled. T-shirts were thrown into the crowd, and everybody was up, screaming and waving, as Journey blared over the loudspeakers:
“Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit!”
It felt like the Wings had won a game.
The vibe was electric.
But there really is only one huge question: Will he make it?
Will he become a player? A star?
Who knows.
It’s an absolute crapshoot when you are drafting teenagers.
But that hardly mattered on this night.
Because as everybody walked out of the arena, it sounded — and felt — like a Wings win.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him @seideljeff.To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.
