We're... back?

Okay so I have NO idea where that streak of insane inactivity came from, but I'm going to try to be back!  College kinda sucks the life out of me and my desire to post, to be honest.  I think my Color teacher is trying to kill us with work. The joys of being an art student?

Anyway!  Here we go.  Updates, bullet style!

Detroit Red Wings

• Signed Darren McCarty to a two-way contract on Thursday before heading to training camp.  Will compete with Aaron Downey, Ville Leino, and Darren Helm for the 13th forward spot.
• Marian Hossa said he had a tight back the morning of physicals at training camp. Cue massive, wide-spread Wings blogger panic! Hossa said he was fine to skate, but the golf outing had to be missed. But... there's a picture of him golfing this weekend? I smell something fishy and he's a player for my team! As long as he skates, I guess I can let everything else be.
• In other Hossa news, he has already moved out of his BFF Tomas Kopecky's house! Yes, he already has his own apartment! Good sign? Perhaps! Already comfortable with his surroundings. One can hope...
• The Wings' Traverse City Prospect Tournament shone a light on a few young prospects - Thomas McCollum, the 2008 1st round pick for Detroit, showed up big with a 1-0-1 record; Zack Torquato, Cory Emmerton, and Justin Abdelkader all made huge efforts recording the most points of the Wings forwards; Jakub Kindl is showing he's made advancements over the summer and looks to put last season's dismal first AHL season behind him, he was named an alternate captain (with Emmerton and Abdelkader) and found himself on the top pairing, leading in plus-minus with a +3.

Columbus Blue Jackets

• Top prospect and 2008 first-round draft pick, Nikita Filatov, arrived in Columbus on the 10th, but he was sidelined and kept out of the Traverse City Prospect Tournament because of a hairline fracture. The injury occurred while practicing in Russia and has already begun to heal; Filatov will be ready for the start of the season.
• The team could be looking hard at Mathieu Schneider of the Anaheim Ducks.  Schneids, a former Red Wing, left for California last summer, and has been waived to make room for the signing of Teemu Selanne. The big defenseman could be picked up on re-entry waivers for half of his salary, or $2.875 million, and the Jax are rumored to be interested.
• I don't have any other facts, but I would like to say Rick Nash is going to make a great captain. I only wish that Hitchcock would've given Nikolai Zherdev more of a shot on Nash's line/Zherdev would've tried harder in Columbus. I still think there was an extreme potential for explosive goals from those two working together...

So, I've spent my time running around my new home - Grand Rapids - and going to class. That's about all I've done since last post, move in and go to school. I did manage to get my partial season tickets to the Wings' AHL affiliate all setup - 11 brilliant Griffins games, right against the glass, watching the "baby Wings" flex their growing knowledge-muscles.

Front row. (Partial) season ticket holder perks. BABY WINGS. Words cannot describe how thoroughly stoked I am for this! I'll be seeing these NHL teams' affiliates if I get to every game, but right now, I'm hoping to get to Florida (yes) to take in a Red Wings/Panthers game with a friend who has since moved down there so I miiiight not get to see all. I would miss the game versus the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Baby Canadiens (Hamilton)
Baby Predators (Milwaukee)
Baby Avalanche (Lake Erie)
Baby Rangers (Hartford)
Baby Penguins (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
Baby Leafs (Toronto)
Baby Canucks (Manitoba)
Baby Flames (Quad City)
Baby Panthers (Rochester)
Baby Coyotes (San Antonio)
Baby Blues (Peoria)