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Duffer’s Dabbles: Filppula is 22nd Red Wings Player To Win Olympic Gold

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Valtteri Filppula, Finland
Former Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula won an Olympic gold medal in Beijing with Finland

Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill admitted that he didn’t see much of the Olympic hockey action from the Beijing Winter Games. He did, however, see his former player Valtteri Filppula captain Finland to the gold medal on Sunday.

“A very cool experience,” Blashill said. “[Frans] Nielsen was the flag bearer (for Denmark). Fil won the gold. That’s awesome for those guys to get those opportunities.

“Those two in particular are great pros, so I was real happy for those guys that they got those opportunities.”

Filppula spent two stints with the Red Wings, winning a Stanley Cup in 2007-08. He is the 22nd player with Detroit connections to capture Olympic gold. Here’s the complete list:

Detroit Red Wings Olympic Gold Medalists

Player Olympic Gold Red Wings Seasons
Frank Fredrickson Canada, 1920 1926-27; 1930-31
Slim Halderson Canada, 1920 1926-27
Dave Trottier Canada, 1928 1938-39
Mike Ramsey USA, 1980 1995-96
Dave Silk USA, 1980 1984-85
Viacheslav Fetisov USSR 1984, 1988 1995-98
Igor Larionov USSR 1984, 1988 1995-2003
Dmitri Mironov Unified Team, 1992 1997-98
Dominik Hasek Czech Republic, 1998 2001-02, 2003-04; 2006-08
Robert Lang Czech Republic, 1998 2004-07
Jiri Slegr Czech Republic, 1998 2001-02
Curtis Joseph Canada, 2002 2001-02
Brendan Shanahan Canada, 2002 1996-2006
Steve Yzerman Canada, 2002 1983-2006
Tomas Holmstrom Sweden, 2006 1996-2012
Niklas Kronwall Sweden, 2006 2003-2019
Nicklas Lidstrom Sweden, 2006 1991-2012
Mikael Samuelsson Sweden, 2006 2005-09; 2012-14
Henrik Zetterberg Sweden, 2006 2002-18
Pavel Datsyuk Russia, 2018 2001-16
Alexey Marchenko Russia, 2018 2013-17
Valtteri Filppula Finland, 2022 2005-13; 2019-21

It was also a golden day on Sunday for Detroit’s AHL farm club the Grand Rapids Griffins. Firstly, both Filppula and Finnish goaltender Harri Sateri played for the Griffins. Secondly, former Grand Rapids netminder Patrik Rybar won a bronze medal with Slovakia. It marked the fifth consecutive Olympics in which at least one Griffins alum stood on the medal podium.

Around The NHL

Detroit: Dominant Swedish club Frolunda is starting to look like a Red Wings farm team.

Boston: The Boston Bruins pulled 10 points ahead of the Wings in the chase for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. That’s thanks to Monday’s 5-1 drubbing of the Colorado Avalanche.

Colorado: Losing 5-1 at Boston, the Colorado Avalanche are coming to Detroit on Wednesday. They will be doing so after playing what’s being described as the club’s worst game of the season.

Washington: Former Wings forward Anthony Mantha (shoulder surgery) skated in Monday’s practice with the Washington Capitals for the first time since Nov. 4. He did so wearing a non-contact jersey, however.

Philadelphia: A 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday was the fifth in a row for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Florida: Defenseman Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers is the NHL’s Second Star of the Week.

NY Islanders: The New York Islanders are welcoming back goaltender Semyon Varlamov from COVID-19 protocol.

San Jose: Forward Jason Dzingel was claimed on waivers by the San Jose Sharks from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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