The Detroit Red Wings have released a roster ahead of their 2020-21 season opener this week.
This year there teams are allowed a taxi squad of up to six additional players to the normal 23-man roster. This is due to the pandemic’s impact on the NHL’s affiliate farm system -- the AHL won’t start its season until February -- and travel concerns. The taxi squad players will be able to enter and exit the lineup more easily.
The deadline for rosters ahead of the season start was Tuesday. Teams will begin the season on Wednesday.
The Red Wings released a 22-man roster and six more players on the taxi squad.
Here’s the roster:
2020-21 DETROIT RED WINGS CURRENT ROSTER by Clickon Detroit on Scribd
Notably, left wing Mathias Bromé, the Swedish league goal scorer who Steve Yzerman signed to a one-year deal in April, has made the roster. The 26-year-old left wing had 20 points in 23 games with Orebo this season.
Evgeny Svechnikov, who cleared waivers earlier in the day, is not listed on the roster. The 19th overall draft pick from 2015 has missed a lot of hockey in his young career due to injury. He’ll remain in the Red Wings organization after clearing waivers. He’ll likely be back with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins when their season begins.
Veteran forward Darren Helm is on the injured reserve list along with D Jared McIsaac.
Here’s another look a the roster released Tuesday:
13 forwards
- RW Filip Zadina
- C Robby Fabbri
- RW Anthony Mantha
- C Luke Glendening
- C Valtteri Filppula
- RW Bobby Ryan
- LW Tyler Bertuzzi
- C Dylan Larkin
- LW Adam Erne
- C Frans Nielsen
- LW Mathias Brome
- C Sam Gagner
- C Vladislav Namestnikov
7 defensemen
- D Alex Biega
- D Filip Hronek
- D Marc Staal
- D Patrik Nemeth
- D Jon Merrill
- D Danny DeKeyser
- D Troy Stecher
2 goalies
- G Thomas Greiss
- G Jonathan Bernier
Taxi squad members
The Red Wings have chosen to carry two additional goalies, two extra defensemen, a center and winger on the taxi squad:
- D Denis Cholowski
- C Michael Rasmussen
- D Gustav Lindstrom
- G Calvin Pickard
- G Kevin Boyle
- RW Givani Smith
The schedule 📅
As discussed, the Red Wings are competing in the realigned Central Division -- Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, Florida, Nashville, Tampa.
Reminder: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, teams are competing intra-divisionally for the entire regular season. Central Division teams will meet each other eight times to complete a 56-game schedule before the playoffs begin in May.
I have placed the full Red Wings 2020-21 season schedule here. It has the times, TV channels and will be updated to reflect game outcomes.
Here’s a look at the first four games on the schedule to get us started:
- Thursday, Jan. 14 -- vs. Carolina at Little Caesars Arena -- 7:30 p.m. (FSD)
- Saturday, Jan. 16 -- vs. Carolina at Little Caesars Arena -- 7:00 p.m. (FSD PLUS)
- Monday, Jan. 18 -- vs. Columbus at Little Caesars Arena -- 12:00 p.m. (FSD/NBCSN)
- Tuesday, Jan. 19 -- vs. Columbus at Little Caesars Arena -- 7:30 p.m. (FSD)
- View the full schedule here.
Key dates for the 2020-21 NHL season:
- Jan. 13 -- Season starts
- Feb. 1 -- Teams can start requesting players waive NMC for expansion draft purposes
- April 12 -- Trade deadline
- May 8 -- Season ends
- May 11 -- Playoffs begin
- July 15 -- Last possible day for the playoffs
- 24 hours after end of playoffs -- Player buyout period begins
- July 21 -- Expansion draft for Seattle Kraken
- July 23-24 -- NHL Entry Draft
- July 28 -- Free agency begins