Notes: Red Wings to go with four alternate captains this season

DETROIT -As expected, the Detroit Red Wings announced after Wednesday's practice that they will forego having a captain this season; instead they will have four alternate captains for the entire 2018-19 campaign.
"We decided organizationally we're going to go with four alternate captains this year," Wings coach Jeff Blashill said after Wednesday's practice. "Nik Kronwall and Justin Abdelkader will stay as alternate captains as they have held that role. Frans Nielsen and Dylan Larkin will also be alternate captains for us.

"On the road when everyone is healthy Frans Nielsen will wear the 'A' and at home when everyone is healthy Dylan Larkin will wear the 'A' and if everybody is not healthy like tomorrow night, both Frans, Dylan and Abby will wear the 'A.' In reality, all four of them will be assistant captains."
Blashill told reporters it was a collective process to reach the decision to have four alternates, but he's pleased with the outcome and happy the Wings took their time after captain Henrik Zetterberg's jarring departure from the team.
"I thought it was a well thought out process. We had a lot of discussions organizationally, this is bigger than the team as it stands today," Blashill said. "It's an organization decision, certainly Ken Holland and his management team had lots of discussion with myself and the coaching staff and Jimmy Devellano and everybody involved."

Nielsen begins his third year in Detroit after spending his first 10 NHL seasons with the New York Islanders.
Up in Traverse City, Nielsen said he was much more comfortable with his surroundings and relished the opportunity to have a more prominent leadership role in the absence of Zetterberg.
"Frans Nielsen when we got him, I believe he was an assistant on Long Island." Holland said at Sinbad's in Detroit, where he was the guest speaker at the Detroit Sports Media's annual Red Wings Day. "He's been here now two years, it's his third year, he does it right on and off the ice, he's respected in the locker room, watches what he eats, he's on the right side of the puck and as an older, veteran player is an important two-way player on our team.
"Then obviously Dylan is 22 years of age and Blash has given him a letter for the last couple of years at the world championships… It's basically four people (as) part of the leadership group. We addressed the team this morning. I think there's other people, I know there's other people in that room that would be deserving but ultimately we made the decision that we did."
It has long been speculated that Larkin will eventually be Detroit's next captain but Blashill was quick to point out that Larkin has earned everything that has come his way as a hockey player.
"He's self-accountable," Blashill said. "That's something that I think anybody who wears a letter - if you're a person that looks inward and holds yourself accountable first, you're going to garner tons more respect than someone who can't accept that type of responsibility.
"I've seen that time and time again where he's self-accountable and he accepts responsibility on his shoulders. I think he's a guy who cares about winning first and second and last. That's what the game is about for him. I saw him overseas, especially this past year when we had an older team (at the world championships), be very comfortable in his skin, have his voice heard, even among some of the older, more veteran players and I thought he did a real good job of that and that gives me confidence he'll do a real good job here."
Blashill compared Nielsen's leadership style to Zetterberg's.
"He does it right. He's done it right forever. Anybody you talk to that was with the Islanders organization he was certainly a guy who was a great example, they thought he was a great assistant captain," Blashill said about Nielsen. "He does it right day in and day out. He's all about team and all about winning. He's got a lot of qualities that Z has. I also think when you come to a new organization, it's hard to have that strong voice early, you're kind of feeling your way through the organization a little bit. I think this gives him a better chance to have his voice and make sure he's, when needed, speaking up."
With Detroit's leadership role decided, it's time for the Wings to set their sights on the upcoming season, which begins Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"I think there's a lot of unknowns and anytime there's a bunch of unknowns it's hard to put expectations out there. You're not sure," Blashill said. "I can tell you I felt that my first year in Grand Rapids, my first year at Indianapolis, my first year at Western Michigan. You just don't know. All three of those years we had lots of success to great success. We're going to potentially start four young D tomorrow if that's what we choose. That's a lot of unknowns. That doesn't mean it can't be great. It just means you're not sure.
"Certainly, when you return four of five superstars you know where you're going to be. Somebody asked me what our goal is. Our goal is win the game on Thursday and make sure we get better today and tomorrow and the next day. That's the way we'll focus on it. We're not going to look any further past that. Once that game is over we'll put it behind us and got to try to win the game on Sunday."
HOWARD AND BERNIER'S BOND:Being an NHL goaltender is a unique position. There are only two of you on the team and though you're in competition with each other, you must also find a way to have at the very least a cordial relationship with your partner.
Wings goalie Jimmy Howard has had to adjust to a new goaltending mate this season for the first time in a number of years when the Wings signed Jonathan Bernier as a free agent this past July. Howard has enjoyed his interaction with Bernier and feels they're on the same page.
"It's been awesome, it really has, from day one since we talked on the phone from when he first signed to the first time we met each other and got to go to dinner together in Traverse City," Howard said. "It's been a great working relationship since this summer and it continues to get better as we work and push each other.
"He's played throughout the league, he's played on some other teams, he's had other goalie coaches along the way. So you can learn throughout the year about the little things he does. Not everything is going to work for you, but you try it and see if you can add it to your game or not."

Bernier has traveled around the NHL, but he feels coming to Detroit is a good move, specifically because he likes the team and respects Howard.
"Most of my career I always try and get along with the guy, maybe it's not your best friend, but you still enjoy competing against him and being a friend," Bernier said. "It seems like Jimmy and me have a good relationship and I think it's good to have. You want to battle on the ice, but I think it's good to be friendly off the ice, but we're both going to push each other to make each other better."
Blashill, a former goalie, acknowledges it benefits a team if the two goalies get along, but they don't have to be buddy-buddy.
"Two things. Most important is that guys play great. I think there's situations where the relationships are healthy and some where they're not and as long as the guys play great, that's what matters the most," Blashill said. "Having good chemistry and a good relationship lots of times helps guys play great. That's where to me sometimes it becomes important, being able to have that type of chemistry. I think team chemistry is important and that would hold true for goaltenders."
Both goalies know most pundits have predicted a dire season for the Wings, but each goalie believes it doesn't matter how people perceive the team, it's up to the men in the room.
"We've got a lot of things to prove wrong, people wrong. For us it's going out there working every single night for 60 minutes like we did in preseason and outcompeting teams, out-battling teams in front of their net and out-battling teams in front of our net," Howard said. "We take care of that and put an emphasis on special teams in that area, I think we can be a dangerous team."
Bernier echoed Howard's thoughts.

"It's up to us in this room to make sure we have a good start and to prove everyone wrong," Bernier said. "Everyone thinks we're going to finish dead last or close to there. I think we're better than that, we're a better team than people think and it's up to us to show up every day and work hard in practice and in games and have that same mentality every day."
With Howard and Bernier of the same mindset, Detroit's goaltending may be an ongoing healthy competition, but it's also a position of stability, which can only help the Red Wings in their quest to shock their detractors.