Red Wings Pick Didn’t Emulate Dad

Some players suiting up for the Detroit Red Wings in their NHL rookie tournament are looking to follow in the path that their father first skated. For instance, Kienan Draper is seeking to perform as a Detroit center, just as his dad Kris did for four Detroit Stanley Cup-winning teams.

Sutter Muzzatti also sought to emulate his dad.

And, with apologies to author Jacqueline Susann, Muzzatti begs to differ.

More than enough, as a matter of fact.

As a youth hockey player, Muzzatti skated out to the goal crease, ready to protect the net. It’s the place where his father, Jason, once fashioned an NHL career.

Jason Muzzatti, a Michigan State netminder, was the first-round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. He played 62 games as an NHL goalie.

Today, he’s still all about stopping the puck. Muzzatti works as the goaltending development coach for the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

For Sutter Muzzatti, stopping the puck stopped after that one attempt.

“I tried,” Muzzatti said of netminding. “One game.

I didn’t like it too much, so my dad didn’t force me into it.

“So grateful for that.”

Soon, Red Wings fans might also be thanking Muzzatti’s dad for freeing Sutter from the net.

Sutter Muzzatti still finds himself working in the vicinity of the blue paint. At 6-foot-6 and 241 pounds, the 23-year-old Muzzatti is an imposing net-front presence.

“I think it’s something that I’ve figured out I can do and have an impact with,” Muzzatti said. “So it’s definitely a big part of my game.”

Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson is already envisioning all the elements that the first-year pro can bring to the AHL.

“He moves well for his size,” Watson said. “He’s going to learn to protect pucks and make plays out of it, learn to hang on to pucks and spend some time offensively.

“But what I’ve seen already is he can play on the power play, he can be on the penalty kill, he can play against the other team’s top line.

“He’s very responsible, and he’s going to be very trustworthy already. So the size certainly helps.

We’ve got to make sure that he uses it the right way.”

As he grew into his body, Muzzatti, who played college hockey at RPI and Notre Dame, recognized what destiny held for him as his role in the game. And he willingly embraced it.

“I think it was something that kind of had to get used to, and I kind of enjoyed being able to play the body and protect the puck for sure,” Muzzatti said. “Yeah, it’s definitely something I try to bring every night.

Just finishing my hits, playing clean but playing hard.”

The Red Wings made an offseason deal with the Nashville Predators to acquire Muzzatti’s NHL rights, then signed him to an entry-level contract.

“Definitely caught me by surprise,” Muzzatti said. “Nashville was a great organization.

They treated me very well, but I’m definitely very happy to be a Red Wing.”

In his first camp wearing the winged wheel, the big man wants to make a big impression.

“Definitely just show them my game, show them why they traded for me, why they brought me here,” Muzzatti said. “Just to play that physical game, make plays, and just show them what I can do.

“I want to try and make a name for myself, show them what I can do. So it starts with this camp and then training camp.”