HOCKEY
Walleye, Red Wings extend affiliation
Detroit has been parent club since 2009
8/30/2016The Toledo Walleye and the Detroit Red Wings agreed to extend their affiliation agreement on Monday.
The Red Wings have been Toledo’s NHL parent club since the Walleye’s first season in 2009-10. The organizations signed a two-year extension that lasts through the 2017-18 season.
Toledo will once again develop the Red Wings prospects while serving as Detroit’s AA affiliate in the ECHL. The Walleye will exchange players with the Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids.
The relationship has been mutually beneficial, according to Neil Neukam, the Walleye's executive vice president, and general manager.
“The Wings have been great to work with,” Neukam said. “The Walleye and Wings go hand in hand. It’s been a great pipeline for the Wings to have their top two affiliated teams [nearby]. Anytime that they are in a pinch, they can pluck a guy and bring him up.”
Neukam said most Walleye fans also root for the Red Wings.
“If you walk around the Huntington Center and you see an NHL jersey, eight to nine times out of 10 it’s a Red Wings jersey,” he said. “The fan base here can keep an eye on the guys when they leave and wish them the best as they progress [in the Red Wings’ system].”
Neukam said Red Wings officials are very hands-on with their prospects in Toledo.
Detroit Red Wings assistant general manager Ryan Martin, who often attends Walleye games at the Huntington Center, said Toledo represents everything an NHL organization looks for in an affiliate relationship.
“The Walleye have a great coaching staff, a premier facility, elite business operations, and a passionate fan base,” Martin said. “In today’s NHL, where player development is of paramount importance, Toledo is an integral part of our player development model and has been a perfect fit for both the Detroit Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins.”
Martin said the Red Wings organization also appreciates the support it receives in the Toledo community.
“We will continue to focus our efforts on assisting the Walleye in [producing] an exciting team that can compete for a championship each year,” Martin said.
In a typical year, about eight Red Wings prospects see playing time with the Walleye. The team will have about three to five players at one time from Detroit’s system on its roster.
Two of the most successful former Walleye players that worked their way up to Detroit are forwards Luke Glendening and Andrej Nestrasil.
Glendening started his pro career in Toledo in 2012 when he produced 14 goals and 7 assists in 27 games before being called up to Grand Rapids. Glendening played the last three seasons with the Wings and recently signed a four-year contract extension.
Nestrasil played in 91 games for Toledo and went on to play in 13 games with the Wings. He now plays for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Goalie Petr Mrazek played in only three games for Toledo in 2012-13 but is now the starting netminder in Detroit.
Other former Walleye players who have moved on to the NHL are center Byron Froese (Maple Leafs) and goalie Tom McCollum (Red Wings, Kings).
For the first five years as an organization (2009-13), the Walleye had NHL affiliations with both the Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Walleye exchanged players with Chicago’s AHL team, the Rockford (Ill.) IceHogs.
But the arrangement often had a detrimental effect on Toledo’s roster. Repeated call-ups proved to be difficult to overcome and the team failed to qualify for the playoffs in three of those first five years.
The affiliation agreement with the Blackhawks ended after the 2013-14 ECHL season and Toledo has qualified for the playoffs in both seasons since.
“Coming out of that dual affiliation … we now have consistency. Everyone is on the same page,” Neukam said. “The style the Wings teach, they share here. [Detroit officials] spend time with the Walleye players and interact with them. It’s been very positive.”
Defenseman signs
The Walleye on Monday signed Jacob MacDonald, a defenseman who earned a spot on the All-ECHL rookie team last season.
MacDonald, was a rookie with Elmira last season, when he produced 37 points. He scored 17 goals to go along with 20 assists in 72 games for the Jackals en route to earning all-rookie honors.
The Brighton, Mich., native was one of just two defensemen to earn the award. MacDonald, 23, finished the year with a plus-minus rating of plus 11.
Walleye coach Dan Watson said MacDonald brings an outstanding skill level to his defensive group.
“He transitions the puck up the ice very well which will fit in nicely with our system,” Watson said.
MacDonald made his AHL debut by appearing in one game for the Springfield Falcons. He played four years at Cornell University. He collected 21 points (4 G, 17 A) in 104 college games.
Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354 or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.