Never mind football. The Detroit Red Wings announced their dates for training camp, a sure sign of fall.
The Wings will again be embedded in Traverse City in their first formal get-together of the 2023-24 season, keeping up with a tradition begun by then-coach Scotty Bowman in the fall of 1997, when he brought the defending Stanley Cup champions to the scenic city beside Grand Traverse Bay.
The on-ice activities for the whole team commence Sept. 21 and run daily through Sept. 25, highlighted by the annual Red and White scrimmage Sept. 24. It is a time when the coaching staff experiments with line combinations and defense pairings. A full camp roster and complete training camp schedule will be announced at a later date.
Newcomers this year include forwards Alex DeBrincat, J.T. Compher, Daniel Sprong and Christian Fischer; defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Justin Holl, and goaltender James Reimer.
Before the veterans hit the ice, the Wings will partake in the Prospects Tournament from Sept. 14-17. The four-team field also features the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs for four straight days of round-robin action, with each team playing three games.
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Advance tickets for all September events in Traverse City will be available at www.centreice.org/drwtickets, starting Aug. 15 at 10 a.m., and will also be sold first-come, first-served at the arena entrance on the day of each event. Ticket prices are as follows:
- NHL Prospect Tournament (Sept. 14-17): $15 per day (general admission).
- Training Camp Practice (Thursday, Sept. 21): $20 per day (general admission).
- Training Camp Practice (Friday, Sept. 22): $20 per day (general admission).
- Training Camp Practice (Saturday, Sept. 23): $20 standing-room, $30 reserved seating or mezzanine.
- Red and White Game (Sunday, Sept. 24): $25 standing-room, $40 reserved seating or mezzanine.
- Training Camp Practice (Monday, Sept. 25): $10 general admission.
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In addition, there’s the annual golf tournament Sept. 20 at the Traverse City Country Club. Participants will enjoy a pre-round lunch before teaming up with a member of the Wings roster, coaching staff or management team for a 1:30 p.m. shotgun start. The round will be immediately followed by a post-golf VIP reception in which attendees can mingle with players and personnel, and have the opportunity to bid on silent and live auction packages, including sports memorabilia.
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.