wingfan40 1 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 McCarty Returns to Griffins February 24, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL) Grand Rapids Griffins Grand Rapids GriffinsGRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday assigned right wing Darren McCarty to the Grand Rapids Griffins, following his activation from injured reserve and recovery from sports hernia surgery in January. McCarty, 36, has netted one goal and has 25 PIM through 13 appearances with the Wings this season. The four-time Stanley Cup champion has also played one game with the Griffins, scoring a shootout goal in Grand Rapids' 3-2 loss to Manchester on Nov. 26. During the 2007-08 campaign, the Burnaby, British Columbia, native logged 13 games with the Griffins, registering 10 points (5-5-10) and 21 PIM. He scored a hat trick and tallied the only four-point night of his pro career during his home debut with Grand Rapids on Feb. 15, 2008. McCarty will practice with the Griffins at 11 a.m. today at Griff's IceHouse, and he's expected to be in the lineup this Friday when they visit the Syracuse Crunch at 7:30 p.m. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
uk_redwing 495 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 Downey-Tardif-McCarty What a sweet 4th line that is for the Griffins Id pay just to watch them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jvxp 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 And the Griffins is where he needs to stay. He is not a NHLer anymore and the same goes for Chelios. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest micah Report post Posted February 24, 2009 And the Griffins is where he needs to stay. He is not a NHLer anymore and the same goes for Chelios. Agreed 100%. I am very happy to hear that Mac has recovered. I hope his time in a Wings sweater is over though. Wow - that was really hard to say. I used to love the guy (I never liked Chelios though - my memory is too long, lol), and a part of me wants to see him in ever Wings game, but man, he just didn't look very good this year. Good luck, Mac. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lancz 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 I disagree... I think he could do well on the 4th line rotated in at times if he's conditioned. I would think he's got a great locker room presence, and couldn't do any worse than Kopecky. I can't honestly say I've seen a lot of him since he's been back. We make all these excuses for people saying they just need some time to recup but when Mac stepped in for a couple games people were ready to throw in the towel on him. Maybe I miss the glory days vs the AV's too much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest micah Report post Posted February 24, 2009 I disagree... I think he could do well on the 4th line rotated in at times if he's conditioned. I would think he's got a great locker room presence, and couldn't do any worse than Kopecky. I can't honestly say I've seen a lot of him since he's been back. We make all these excuses for people saying they just need some time to recup but when Mac stepped in for a couple games people were ready to throw in the towel on him. Maybe I miss the glory days vs the AV's too much. I agree with you that he'd be great in the lockrroom - there's no reason he can't stay there for the whole game though, right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mors 201 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 McCarty won't be able to break back into the Wings' lineup with Helm and Leino putting up the efforts they have so far...I still love the man but this is probably how it should be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jvxp 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 Agreed 100%. I am very happy to hear that Mac has recovered. I hope his time in a Wings sweater is over though. Wow - that was really hard to say. I used to love the guy (I never liked Chelios though - my memory is too long, lol), and a part of me wants to see him in ever Wings game, but man, he just didn't look very good this year. Good luck, Mac. Yup, couldn't of said it better myself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
puckloo39 5,686 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 McCarty won't be able to break back into the Wings' lineup with Helm and Leino putting up the efforts they have so far...I still love the man but this is probably how it should be. Agreed. I adore Mac, as do many here. But he doesn't have a place on the big club's current roster. I suspect he is just pleased to be involved at all, and grateful for the opportunities and love he's received from the fans and the organization. Mac is always a RedWing to me, no matter what. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest micah Report post Posted February 24, 2009 Mac is always a RedWing to me, no matter what. .. even when he's a Flame? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shaman 713 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 I couldn't agree more with everyone here, the grindline was one of my favorites prelockout but now, when they are together they don't have what they did when they were all 6-8 years younger, and it shows, id rather give the kids a chance to prove themselves then letting him vindicate himself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lancz 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 Helm or Leino would be better in the lineup than McCarty. He's not the only player they would outperform. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esteef 2,679 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 Cheers to Big MAC!! God speed buddy!! esteef Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DuckSoup13 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 Mac is a good 4th liner and provides great veteran leadership out there. If you notice when he plays he is always giving out high fives, pep talks, etc to his teammates. It's a key role especially when guys like Lidstrom and Z lead by example on the ice and not necessarly the way Mac does in the locker room, etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
puckloo39 5,686 Report post Posted February 24, 2009 .. even when he's a Flame? An unfortunate interlude, not of his choosing. In his heart, Mac was always a Red Wing. My favorite memories of Mac - besides the many timely goals he potted for us - include his habit of being the last man off the ice, win or lose. I always thought he was "protecting" his team mates. It was like he was making sure they were safely off the ice, so someone couldn't sneak up on them, or something. I found it very endearing then, and still do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SouthernWingsFan 854 Report post Posted February 25, 2009 Barring a handful of injuries or play of some lower-tiered guys going completely in the s**tter (sorry guys, Kopecky's play isn't going to tank that badly for this), it'll be hard for McCarty to get back in the lineup on a consistent basis. That being said, I'm still rooting for him and am really proud of how he's turned his life around in a good way and if he can crack the lineup (again), more power to him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xBrave_Heartx 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2009 Wouldlnt mind him showing his face in the winge wheel a few more times this year.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lovin Jiri Fischer 147 Report post Posted February 25, 2009 I agree that McCarty isn't what he used to be, but man it's hard to let go of the past. He was my hero throughout childhood. I would tell my little brother stories of Mac as the superhero defeating bad guys both on and off the ice. I still have a men's large sized McCarty tshirt that I would wear to school every gameday when I was a kid (I got it in 96 or 97 I believe) even though it was a dress on me at the time. I have such great memories of Mac, and that s*** is not easily replaced. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrossCheck24 2 Report post Posted February 25, 2009 When he could have stayed for 1 day with the wings and dropped claude lemuix again.... it would have been super Who wouldn't have liked to see that fight? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sixer 37 Report post Posted February 25, 2009 Good, stay down there, never want to see him back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CaliWingsNut Report post Posted February 25, 2009 Good, stay down there, never want to see him back. The 'who you hate irrationally' thread is one up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sixer 37 Report post Posted February 25, 2009 The 'who you hate irrationally' thread is one up. No, it's called the lazy way to reply to a thread because you need to get some sleep and don't want to write 100 words on why he shouldn't be playing in the NHL anymore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204 Report post Posted February 25, 2009 It's a 2 week conditioning stint, he'll be back. I dont know if Mac will crack the line-up, but I hope he and Downey get some time after the trade deadline when the rosters expand and the cap goes away. They've done enough to deserve a couple of regular season games. Love ya Mac, good luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lancz 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2009 No, it's called the lazy way to reply to a thread because you need to get some sleep and don't want to write 100 words on why he shouldn't be playing in the NHL anymore. Then don't bother saying anything Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
