After more than two decades with Minnesota/Dallas Stars, Mike Modano will play for another NHL team. The all-time USA-born NHL goal scorer will ply his trade next season with the Detroit Red Wings. Modano, perhaps the best attack-minded hockey player the United States has ever produced, was thought to be done with his professional career after Dallas decided not to resign the center. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock told the media he believes Modano can be a important contributor next season in Detroit saying, “We think he’d be a good fit for us…we think he’ll have a good year for us.” Even at the age of 40, Modano can still put the puck away. In just 59 games last season, Modano notched 30 points for the Stars. The former Stanley Cup champion will improve the Red Wing’s third or fourth line tremendously, and his leadership could prove critical in the locker room. Dallas hockey fans might not be looking forward to see #9 in red and white, but for everyone else it will be great to see Modano back on the ice in 2010-11.

Beloved NHL tough guy Bob Probert left this world on Monday after collapsing while working on his boat. The 45-year-old’s legacy will live on with Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks fans. People loved Probert for his bruising physicality, and fearless bravado. Hockey Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman (who will give the eulogy at Probert’s funeral today) never would have been as successful in the Red Wings’ 90’s run if he didn’t have Probie making sure no one took a shot at him without paying the consequences. People love hockey for the fighting, and Probert delivered night after night. Racking up over 3,000 penalty minutes in his 17-year-career. Not only was Probert retire with pretty impressive stats in terms of goals (162), assists (221), and games played (935), but also has a record like a heavyweight prizefighter. Probie had classic on-ice bouts with Craig Coxe, Tie Domi, Stu Grimson, and former Red Wings teammate Joey Kocur. Rarely, if ever, do you see athletes today with that same crazy killer attitude that Bob Probert had. The wide world of sports is a little less cool now that Bob Probert is gone. If you find yourself in a dirty bar or on your couch with a cold one in your hand this weekend, raise your beverage to the sky for a second and pay tribute to one of hockey’s true bad asses. R.I.P. Bob Probert.

People still are having trouble taking the men in deep Pacific teal seriously. Ok, so maybe its hard to take anyone who wears that color seriously, but the San Jose Sharks deserve more respect. Though they finished the season atop the Western Conference many of the experts have looked to the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. On Thursday night in San Jose, the Sharks raced out to a 3-0 lead and withheld a inspired comeback from the Wings to hold for a 4-3 win in game one. The Sharks dispatched a hot Colorado Avalanche team in the first round of the playoffs with ease. They have a in-form goalie in Evengi Nabokov, a first-rate goal scorer in Patrick Marleau, and a veteran assist machine in Joe Thornton. The Wings will try to even up the series this Sunday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.

When two teams step out on the ice anything can happen, regardless of what pundits and fans  prophesize before any given game. Wednesday night the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs got off to a surprising start with four upsets. The San Jose Sharks, the top seed in the Western Conference, were shocked by the Colorado when 40-year-old Rob Blake scored a goal with fifty seconds remaining to give the Avalanche a victory in the first game of the series. The Avalanche had to fight their way to get into the playoffs, so perhaps that win-or-go-home mindset will be advantage in the postseason. The Ottawa Senators finished the season just one spot behind the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, but most people didn’t expect them to come out of the Mellon arena with a win last night. The Senators showed their goal scoring prowess, out-gunning the Penguins 5-4, featuring five different goal scorers. In an old school Eastern Conference match-up, the Philadelphia Flyers took down the second seed New Jersey Devils in game one in Newark in a goaltender duel won by Philly’s Brian Boucher. Finally, in a game that really wasn’t a true upset, but even though the Phoenix Coyotes had a better regular season than the Detroit Red Wings this year, many expected the Wings to prevail due to their extensive playoff experience. Hockeytown met a harsh reality in the desert last night falling 3-2 and giving the Coyotes their first playoff win in eight years. We shall see if the unexpected will continue with three games tonight.

The Detroit Red Wings made it to the NHL Finals the last two seasons, but are presently sitting in the last playoff spot in the Western Conference with a host of teams nipping at ankles. Injuries have played a big part in the disappointing play in Detroit, but it certainly isn’t crazy to wonder if something is amiss with the Red Wings. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterburg have both been healthy all season, but losing Johan Frazen and Valterri Filppula for long periods of time definitely have hurt them this season. Considering the strength of the Western Conference the Red Wings are in real danger of not being involved in the postseason. The sports fans in Detroit already have to deal with the clueless Lions in the NFL and the slumping Pistons in the NBA, but if their dear Red Wings don’t make the playoffs it will be one dark day in the Motor City. Head coach Mike Babcock might have nabbed a gold for Canada at the Olympics, but if he doesn’t turn the season around for the Red Wings he’ll have a lot of answering to do in Hockeytown.

This weekend I decided to get my 2009 Stanley Cup playoff tickets. I had decided earlier in the weekend to take a look at the playoff race and this is what I found. The playoff setup seems to be really taking shape in the last week or so. We can finally see that some teams have clinched something and other teams have been eliminated. Let’s start in the Eastern Conference. Boston, Washington and New Jersey are in. This is quite a coup, especially for Washington, as they have struggled more in recent years, so making the playoffs at position #2 is an especially exciting event for them. Philadelphia, Carolina and Pittsburgh will have to mess up big-time to get bumped from the postseason. In the West, San Jose and Detroit are for sure in, but Calgary, Chicago, and Vancouver are looking very good too. It’s going to be a great postseason!

The new NHL rankings prove several things about the NHL nowadays. Hockey is an interesting sport right now. The CBS writer I’m reading now says that it proves that this kind of balance that we’ve always wanted to have in the sport. You can see that there are a few teams that are way out ahead, including Detroit, Boston, New Jersey and San Jose. Boston is an interesting case because they have fallen off the cliff the last month or so, when they’ve been playing under .500. They are going to have to work hard to get back on the mark, although they don’t need to worry about making the playoffs. But there aren’t any eliminated teams from the playoff hunt quite yet, even though the last month is well underway. Keep an eye on this race, because it’s going to be very exciting.

Before NHL fans are treated to an intense hockey battle between the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, they’ll receive a complementary mini concert by one of the greatest record-selling rock bands of all time. This October 9th, the home-opener for the Detroit Red Wings will feature a special performance by Def Leppard.

Def Leppard will take center ice and play their new hit single “C’mon C’mon” moments before the Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony begins. The Detroit Red Wings, who were the best team last year and arguable best team this year, wants to treat their loyal fan base to a full night of entertainment that includes the banner raising ceremony, a hockey game, a Def Leppard performance, and a performance by a secret guest star.

The Red Wings return this year with many of the players from last year’s championship roster hoping to defend their crown. Def Leppard returns to rock.

The successful hockey coach of Detroit Red Wings Mike Babcock will soon be signing a new contract to be the coach of the team for next year and further. Babcock during the Stanley Cup final against the Pittsburgh Penguins revealed his intention of staying with the Red Wings and the contract terms are almost through. The Red Wings management is waiting for the playoffs to get over and as soon as the season gets over the contract will be mutually signed. The Detroit Red Wings hockey fans will be queuing to book their NHL tickets well in advance after the spectacular show by their team this season.

Even after posting an NFL-best score of 12 goals in 11 games, Johan Franzen was struck by a stroke of bad luck. The Detroit Wings forward has been told to rest since May 8 due to a series of headaches which many concurred that it might be a bad case of migraine. The wait is finally over however, as Franzen was given the green light last Friday to play. He is now back with a vengeance and despite being barred from Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals. Franzen managed to play for a little over 16 minutes in the morning and scored three hits. He grimaced as he recalled how his face was hit by Gary Roberts’ arm minutes before they won 3-0.