Alex DeBrincat wore a teal Detroit Pistons hat to commemorate his first interview as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.
“I think it’s just a cool hat,” he said.
Of course he does: He’s from Farmington Hills and grew up watching the Pistons in teal, when he wasn’t enthralled by the Wings, who ended a 42-year Stanley Cup drought in 1997 — the year DeBrincat was born. The Sunday evening phone call from Steve Yzerman to welcome DeBrincat to the Wings capped a pretty perfect day for DeBrincat, his wife and their new baby.
“We found out that everything was going to be done and he called me and we chatted for a few minutes,” DeBrincat said Monday. “I told him I’m really excited to be here and I’m excited for the opportunity this team has given me. He went through what would be kind of our team, what it’s like, and it was just a good chat.
“Growing up here and rooting for the Red Wings when I was younger, it’s definitely a dream come true. I do have to say, I don’t think anyone is happier than my parents. It’s a full family, everyone is happy, it’s a good spot for me.”
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL: Steve Yzerman says Alex DeBrincat ‘fits that bill’ of goal scorer Red Wings needed
DeBrincat, 25, is one season removed from the second time he reached 41 goals; both seasons came with the Chicago Blackhawks. He reached 27 goals this past season with the Ottawa Senators, who sent him to the Wings on Sunday for forward Dominik Kubalik, defenseman Donovan Sebrango, and a 2024 conditional first round pick and a fourth-round pick.
DeBrincat’s new four-year contract, with a $7.875 million annual average value that is behind only Dylan Larkin’s $8.7 million, is indicative of how much the Wings expect of DeBrincat. It is pressure he relishes.
“I’m definitely confident in my ability,” DeBrincat said. “I think this team is a good fit for me. Hopefully we can get back into the playoffs, that is everyone’s goal, and hopefully it’s sooner than later. We just have to keep growing as a team and keep putting in the work to get back there.”
Since the number DeBrincat has worn in the NHL, 12, hangs from the rafters at Little Caesars Arena in honor of Sid Abel, DeBrincat said he plans to wear No. 93 because it’s what he wore in juniors and is the year his brother was born. (The only other player to wear that in Wings history is Johan Franzen.) Whatever the 5-foot-8, 178-pound forward wears on his back, DeBrincat’s attitude is to play with an indomitable front.
“I try not to back down from anyone,” DeBrincat said. “Being a smaller forward in the league, sometimes people try to bully you around, but that’s something I try to not let get taken too out of hand. I think I can hold my own, and it keeps me engaged in the game.”
Shark bait: Steve Yzerman: Ex-Red Wing Filip Zadina ‘not a dumb person’ for giving up millions
Growing up in metro Detroit, DeBrincat has vague memories of the 2002 championship team, and clearer ones of the 2008 group.
“They were just so successful through my whole childhood, they were so fun to watch,” he said. “That’s a big reason why I play the game.”
DeBrincat recorded three consecutive 100-point seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters from 2014-17 prior to turning professional in 2017, the year after he was drafted in the second round, at No. 39, by the Chicago Blackhawks. He has reached at least 20 goals in five of his six seasons, and has accumulated 187 goals and 186 assists in 450 career games — with 11 goals and 19 assists in 23 career games against the Wings. He’s been a part of beating them, and now he’s looking forward to what joining them can accomplish.
“Earlier in my career they were deep in a rebuild,” DeBrincat said. “You can see the compete level has been higher. You see a team that’s maybe frustrated with being in a rebuild and wants to get out. I’m excited to join that and hopefully be part of the solution to get out of that. I definitely see the potential in this group.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.