The Daily: Former Detroit Coach’s Gets Three Years; Klingberg Retires

The Red Wings prospects weren’t able to repeat their Saturday night comeback performance, falling to the Ruck brothers and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects 4-3 in regulation in last night’s prospect tournament game.

Michal Orsulak started in net for the Red Wings, and while the young netminder wasn’t able to lead the Red Wings to a win, he performed well in his first tourney action before being pulled partway through the third period.

Free-agent signee Theo Rochette opened scoring for the Red Wings just 23 seconds into the game and had more than a couple of dangerous chances as well. Jacob Truscott and Adam Levac were credited as the Red Wings’ other goal scorers.

Outside of Detroit, former head coach Mike Babcock had some of his contract terms revealed by insider Pierre LeBrun. According to LeBrun’s anonymous source, the former Red Wings and Maple Leafs bench boss has apparently been inked to a three-year deal with a one-year extension option.

Babcock had been enjoying retirement after his latest coaching stint didn’t make it through its first training camp.

Now, however, he finds himself pulling the strings and drawing up plays for an Edmonton organization looking for the structure his sharp attitude and hockey mind bring.

On the flip side, John Klingberg has decided to hang up his skates after a 12-year, 700+ game career in the NHL. The former Dallas Stars defenseman signed his first contract in 2014 under new(ish) general manager Jim Nill after being drafted in 2011.

Klingberg played in Dallas for the majority of his career, though for the last two seasons he has played for San Jose before joining Anaheim this last year.

Two notable absences from last night’s prospect tourney action were the towering Swedish defenseman Anton Johansson and center Nate Danielson. The big blueliner chipped in an assist in his prospect tourney debut with the Red Wings but was conspicuously absent from the pregame lineup that the Red Wings released, and Danielson, just now returning to action from a hip injury suffered late last season, did not appear in the game.

Griffins head coach Dan Watson told reporters post-game that Danielson and Johansson were both on planned rest days.