Ilari Filppula / Derek Meech / Kenny Holland

[Guest DatsyukianDeke13]

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2010/07/red_wings_links_ilari_in_finni.html

Red Wings signee and likely Grand Rapids Griffins forward Ilari Filppula spoke to Iltalehti today, and while translating Finnish is incredibly difficult, the 28-year-old center states that:

1. He's training hard in the gym but is also working on refining his skating techniques with power skating coach Janne Hänninen;

2. He understands that he has to earn the opportunity to play alongside his brother in Detroit by playing well for the Grand Rapids Griffins, and is OK with doing so;

3. He thanks TPS Turku coach Kai Suikkasta for restoring his self-confidence over this past season, and he admits that he was resigned to heading to Helsinki to play for Jokerit when the Wings somewhat surprisingly signed him;

4. And he went to Wimbledon and plans on heading to Indonesia and Singapore for a few weeks before training camp.

As an FYI: the Red Wings will find out their arbitration hearing date with Derek Meech sometime today as the NHLPA is releasing its hearing schedule today;

Regarding the Red Wings' personnel moves, the Hockey News's Adam Proteau believes that Holland, who has yet to re-sign Meech (who may yet be traded), Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, and/or a #6 defenseman and/or Mike Modano, is more or less finished with building the Wings' roster this summer, and figures that Holland has done a "good job":

July 12, The Hockey News: DETROIT RED WINGS

GM Ken Holland knew the cap crunch would whittle down Detroit’s impressive talent base, but he’s done yeoman’s work in softening the blow. With less than $4 million in cap room, though, this is as soft as the blow gets. The Wings will be hoping for a couple depth signings of players willing to take less money to contend for a Stanley Cup, but they’re basically done.

In the alumni department, former Grand Rapids Griffins coach Mike Stothers found an NHL job as an assistant coach on the Atlanta Thrashers' staff;

And Yahoo Sports' Greg "Puck Daddy" Wyshynski both gives Franzenmuth's Pavel Datsyuk "Dangleitis" video a plug, and, via Ryan Lambert, points out a bit of a boo boo regarding the Free Press's titling of George Sipple's superb profile of Landon Ferraro. As bloggers tend to make mistakes on occasion, I try not to point those things out because, sooner or later, it happens to me, too.

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Question: If Ilari makes the team, would him and his brother have to wear V. FILPPULA and I. FILPPULA on their jerseys?

[Jesusberg 1,256]

Question: If Ilari makes the team, would him and his brother have to wear V. FILPPULA and I. FILPPULA on their jerseys?

Generally that's the way it goes, so I would assume yes. I'm interested to see how Ilari will play for Grand Rapids.

[Guest mindfly]

iFlip, vFlip

[titanium2 867]

Bahahahaha!

[Broken 16 381]

Sure would be nice if Holland was able to pull a rabbit out of his ass with iFlip.

[wingnut40 176]

Imagine the fun LGW could have making iFlip T-shirts if he were to make the team. Like the ipod shirts from a few years ago.

[CMatt89 63]

That video is priceless....!!