DETROIT — Coach Todd McLellan was back on the ice for the opening of training camp, after a headline-filled summer.
The start of practice Thursday, Sept. 17, provided some normalcy after a litany of unexpected developments around the Red Wings.
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Dylan Larkin, then the captain, asked for a trade. General manager Steve Yzerman was removed from the position in mid-July. Shawn Horcoff, Yzerman’s assistant, was named interim GM two days before training camp began. Restricted free-agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned, but did participate Thursday in practice drills.
More: Wojo: Chris Ilitch talks Yzerman, Larkin, his plan to right Red Wings
“It wasn’t a traditional summer,” McLellan said. “Things happened that maybe weren’t anticipated. It wasn’t a traditional summer, but that’s OK.”
Larkin was at camp Thursday but wasn’t on the ice, as he suffered an upper-body injury while training earlier in the week.
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More: Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin says deciding to request trade ‘wasn’t easy’
Horcoff is hitting the ground running in his position, including attempting to work on a new contract with Edvinsson.
Players and coaches were ready to get the season started.
“We all have jobs and responsibilities, we knew what they were and we didn’t have to deviate from them,” McLellan said. “Players are ready for training camp, and organized and we’re good to go.”
McLellan was “disappointed” when he heard about Larkin’s trade request.
“I thought myself and the staff and what we did, we do, and what can we do better,” McLellan said. “After that, it moves forward and the organization takes care of it. Coaches don’t trade players. Players don’t trade players. Trainers don’t trade players. The management team and Dylan have worked together to get to this point and they’ll continue to do that.”
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McLellan and Horcoff spent a considerable amount of time together preparing for training camp and the upcoming season.
“We realized we have a lot of things we need to do and maybe the outside world only thinks about the big things (contract extensions, trades), but the little things all add up to get to this point at training camp,” McLellan said. “We feel we’re prepared. We jumped in and started working together.”
Edvinsson didn’t take part in the intra-squad scrimmage but was in the drills and skated after the scrimmage. Edvinsson and the Wings have yet to agree on a new contract but one is expected soon, as there are many comparables after this past summer.
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… Veteran defenseman Ben Chiaroton the unsettling Wings’ offseason: “As soon as we got everyone here in the room, and get back on the ice, that’s all that matters. We have a good hockey team here. We’ve addressed the situations that needed to be addressed.”
… Some lines during the scrimmage: Andrew Copp centeredAlex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond, Marco Kasper was between Emmitt Finnie and Viktor Arvidsson, and J.T. Compher centered Michael Rasmussen andKeegan Kolesar.
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Todd McLellan, Red Wings ready to get to work after turbulent summer
