Copp to IR; Red Wings Recall Dries

After losing forwards to injury in successive games, the Detroit Red Wings are turning to a player with significant NHL experience as the club’s latest recall from the minor leagues.

Veteran center Sheldon Dries was recalled Monday from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. To make room for Dries on the 23-player roster, center Andrew Copp (upper-body injury) was placed on IR.

Dries, 30, has played 122 NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks. His best NHL season came in 2022-23 with the Canucks, Dries was an 11-goal scorer in 63 games for Vancouver that season.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound center has accounted for a team-leading 19 goals in 48 games with the Griffins this season. He’s second in the AHL with six game-winning goals. In 2021-23 with the AHL Abbotsford Canucks, Dries was a 35-goal scorer.

A local player from Macomb, Michigan, Dries played college hockey at Western Michigan, where he was a three-year captain. He was named to the NCHC Second All-Star Team as a senior in 2016-17. Dries was recording 30 points (16-14-30) in 36 games that season. Dries also became a USHL Clark Cup champion with the Green Bay Gamblers in 2012. His coach that season was former Red Wings bench boss Derek Lalonde.

Red Wings Hurting At Center

Detroit lost centers to injury in successive games on the weekend. Saturday, Copp suffered an apparent left shoulder injury when slamming Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy to the ice during a melee.

“Copp will be out,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan confirmed. “He won’t play in Minneapolis (in Tuesday’s rematch against the Wild).

In Sunday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks, Michael Rasmussen didn’t return after taking a hit to the head delivered by Ducks forward Trevor Zegras during the second period.

“I think when a player gets a blow to the head and doesn’t return, it’s never a good sign,” McLellan said.