Red Wings announce expanded affiliation with Little Caesars AAA
By Michael Caples –
The Detroit Red Wings announced today that the team will increase its amateur hockey outreach by expanding its affiliation with the Little Caesars AAA hockey club.
The Wings’ management, coaches, player development personnel, training staff and alumni will all share their knowledge and the club’s facilities to create programs decided to help both Little Caesars AAA players and coaches.
“Little Caesars AAA Hockey has been a well respected and highly recognized Detroit-based amateur hockey program for over 45 years and was a natural choice as we looked to build upon our youth outreach in the community,” said Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland in a release from the team. “Our goal is to share our NHL team’s knowledge and resources to help kids develop their athletic abilities while utilizing the sport of hockey to teach valuable life skills.”
The Wings will set up a coaching mentor program that will allow Little Caesars coaches to learn directly from Mike Babcock, as they participate in a series of ongoing seminars that include the use of video analysis, film breakdown, how to prepare game plans and discussions on strategies for power plays, penalty kills and other game aspects.
Also, a new amateur hockey training center will be completed this spring inside Joe Louis Arena, which will have new equipment for weight, cardio and dry land training, along with two shooting stalls with synthetic ice.
“Being a former Red Wing player and current Little Caesars AAA Hockey coach, it’s easy for me to see the benefits the Red Wings staff and alumni can provide to youth hockey players, coaches and parents,” said Red Wings Special Assistant to the General Manager Kris Draper in the same release. “I’m looking forward to inviting all of our alumni to be active in giving back to the community through this program.”
From the release:
Bringing all aspects of the Red Wings organization into this initiative, a vast array of ongoing programs conducted by the NHL club’s alumni and staff will be offered including specific instruction or clinics on: Proper Player Nutrition; Face-Offs; Defensive Coverage; Fore-check; Goaltending; Individual Battles; Equipment Guidance; Nutrition and Training Tips Specific to Age Groups; Scouting and Video Analysis; Coaching Strategies; and more.
The Red Wings will continue their long-standing support at all levels of youth hockey in the community through several initiatives including learn-to-skate programs, youth hockey camps and clinics, and by providing financial assistance through unique fundraising activities. The Red Wings players, coaches and staff annually volunteer more than 1,000 hours in the community through several community initiatives including Make-A-Wish, hospital visits, school reading programs, fundraising events, affiliations with individual non-profits and collections of smoke detectors, school supplies and winter clothing.
About Little Caesars Amateur Hockey:
Michael and Marian Ilitch, the founders of Little Caesars Pizza, began sponsorship of amateur hockey in 1968. Little Caesars AAA teams have won 14 National Championships and 63 State of Michigan Titles while placing over 80 players in the National Hockey League and hundreds in the NCAA, OHL and top junior leagues throughout North America. The Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League was created in 1978 to increase the level of competitive play and provide more opportunities for metro Detroit youth hockey players. Today, the league consists of more than 600 travel and house teams with more than 11,000 youth hockey players. For more information, visit www.LittleCaesarsHockey.comor www.LCAHL.org.