The Ferris State Bulldogs recorded a loss and a tie this past weekend as they faced off against the Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks.

The Bulldogs recorded three goals in the series opener on Friday but they fell short as the Nanooks were able to put four pucks behind freshman goalie Patrick Nagle.

Alaska-Fairbanks opened up the scoring after junior defenseman Chris Zarb took a five minute major penalty for checking from behind.

Alaska-Fairbanks was able to notch another goal on the power play to take a two goal lead early in the first period.

The Bulldogs fired back as leftwing freshman Mike Fillinger was able to put the puck past Alaska goaltender senior Wylie Rogers on a pass from sophomore Casey Haines to bring the Bulldogs within one.

Alaska-Fairbanks extended their lead however, after killing off a penalty they were able to slide past Nagle, giving them a two goal lead.

The Bulldogs would not be held down for long as junior Brendan Connolly scored on the power play on a pass from freshman defenseman Zach Redmond bringing the Bulldogs back into the game.

The Bulldogs received another power play opportunity after an interference call against Alaska- Fairbanks but were unable to convert as the period ended with the Nanooks up by one.

Both teams were unable to score in the second period despite multiple power play opportunities.

The Bulldogs took the ice in the third period, down by one, until Alaska-Fairbanks was called for a five minute major checking from behind penalty.

Redmond took advantage of the power play and was able to fire the puck past Rogers to tie the game at three.

It didn’t stay tied for too long as Alaska-Fairbanks shut the door on the Bulldogs as they scored the game winner with under three minutes left to play in the third.

The Bulldogs took the ice the next night determined not to lose again with junior Mitch O’Keefe standing between the pipes.

The Bulldogs struck first as Brendan Connolly drove down the left wing and pulled the puck across the front of the net spreading Rogers' legs and then slid the puck through the five-hole to put the Bulldogs ahead by one.

“I knew it was going to be a tough one, I was glad to get the first goal,” head coach Bob Daniels said. “These teams are pretty evenly matched.”

The Bulldogs were given a power-play opportunity late in the first but were unable to convert as the period ended with Ferris ahead on Connolly’s goal.

The Nanooks nearly tied the game at one in the second period as they launched a flurry of shots but O’Keefe stood strong in the net and denied the Nanooks their goal.

The Bulldogs regrouped and regained the upper hand as Zarb notched his first goal of the season.

Connolly drove to the nest as the Nanook defenseman pushed him into Rogers, who fell on top of Connolly, as the puck squirted out across the crease to Zarb, who snapped it into the open net, as Rogers was still trying to climb over Connolly who ended up receiving a well deserved assist.

Three minutes later, Alaska- Fairbanks counter-punched as they were able to break through O’Keefe and score their first goal of the game with sophomore Dustin Molle receiving the goal.

Alaska-Fairbanks was able to tie the game early into the third period as sophomore Dion Knelsen launched a wrist shot over the shoulder of O’Keefe.

Late in the period Alaska- Fairbanks were given a golden opportunity as they found a way to create a breakaway through the Bulldog defense.

Redmond turned on the jets and raced down the ice to catch up with the play and shutdown the Nanooks' hopes for a victory.

Despite offensive pressure by both, team regulation ended with a tie and they headed into a five minute overtime.

Both teams were hungry for the win throughout overtime but neither side was able to put the puck across the goal line as each team recorded a point in a 2-2 tie.

“I would say were disappointed, not frustrated (with the tie),” Daniels said. “I thought we played with our hearts really well tonight and put forth a good effort. We abandoned some of our defensive principles trying to generate offense, in the second was when we started leaking oil.”

The Bulldogs managed 34 shots on net, six shots ahead of their rival’s 28. The tie brings the Bulldogs record to 9-9-2 overall and 6-7-1 in Central Collegiate Hockey Association play.

The Bulldogs are home again next week as they attempt to take down the Northern Michigan Wildcats with the puck dropping at 7:05 p.m.

The Bulldogs began the 2008 GLIAC season with a 62-69 win over arch rivals Grand Valley State Lakers and a 69-61 on Saturday. They also recorded a win over the visiting Wayne State Warriors on Jan. 9.

The Bulldogs didn’t play the role of gracious guests and took their fifth GLIAC win last Saturday.

The first half started close with the Bulldogs jumping ahead by as many as six points, but the Lakers were quick to catch up, until the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run in the middle of the first half to put them ahead 21-12, with 9:34 remaining.

The Lakers were unable to catch the Bulldogs in the first half as Ferris went into the locker room up by seven, 30-23.

The second half began with the Bulldogs in total control, and went up by an easy 11 after junior forward Caitlin Hutchison’s lay-up.

The Lakers responded by cutting the Bulldog's lead down and tied the score at 42, all with 9:32 remaining. The Lakers took the lead and had the momentum going up by five, 59-54, after a Laker lay-up.

The Bulldogs battled back and freshman guard Becci Houdek brought the Bulldogs within one after recording a two point jumper and making both her free throws with 1:08 remaining.

“We have so many weapons and we’ve had different players step up on different nights, as well as different players contributing at different times throughout the course of a game I’ve put a player in who hasn’t played the entire game just to get a defensive stop and she has done her job,” said Tracey Dorrow, head coach.

She continued, “I am really proud of our kids for accepting their roles and wanting what’s best for the team, even if it means they don’t get to play as many minutes in the game as what they’d like. We have some really unselfish people on this team and they are fun to coach.”

Senior center Rachel Folcik put the Bulldogs up by one with a pair of free throws with 36 seconds remaining, and senior forward Sam Johns closed the deal with a pair of free throws with 14 seconds remaining to secure the win, 62-59.

The Bulldogs were led by Folcik with a game-high of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Teghan Thelen recorded nine points and both junior forwards Jenna Guay and Caitlin Hutchison tallied eight points apiece.

The Bulldogs hosted the Warriors on Jan. 9, to record their first GLIAC win in 2008.

The Warriors kept it close for the first 10 minutes, Houdek’s three point jump shot put the Bulldogs up by five, 18-13. Thelen took control of the ball and put the Bulldogs up by eight with 8:21 remaining with a field goal.

The Warriors weren’t out of it yet and quickly clawed their way back to a three point deficit, with 4:49 left in the half.

Thelen quickly responded with a three point shot to give the Bulldogs momentum. Junior forward/center Ashley Fleming scored on the next Bulldog possession with a lay-up to put the Bulldogs up by 10, 30-20.

The Warriors quickly responded with back-to-back two point jumpers to cut the Bulldog lead to six. With seven seconds remaining in the half, Guay was fouled, sending her to the free throw line where she made both giving the Bulldogs an eight point lead.

The Warrior’s Chastidy Miller made a jump shot at the buzzer and was fouled by senior forward Sam Johns to send Miller to the line and convert a traditional three point play to bring the Warriors within five, 32-27.

The second half began like each Bulldog had ate a box of Wheaties. Each went up by nine after senior forward/center Rachel Folcik made a lay-up. The Warriors tried, but couldn’t catch the Bulldogs, who quickly went up by 11, with 13:14 remaining off of Guay’s lay-up.

The Bulldogs weren’t done yet. They went up by 15, 52-37, their largest lead of the night from Folcik’s two point jumper.

The Warriors cut the Bulldog lead down to six, 59-53 the closest they came in the second half, but Johns quickly answered with a fast break pull up three pointer, up 62-53 with 4:11 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs remained in control for the remainder of the half and took their first GLIAC win of 2008.

The Bulldogs were led by Folcik with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Guay had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Thelen recorded 10 points in the Bulldog win.

The Lady Bulldogs proved to be a force to contend with over break. Ferris dominated GLIAC opponents Northwood and Lake Superior State over break and defeated non-league opponent Tiffin (Ohio).

The Bulldogs lost their next three games with a combined total of six points to the Drury (Mo.) Panthers 66-64, before traveling to Calif. to take on the Cal-State Dominguez Hills Toros, who defeated the Bulldogs in dramatic fashion 63-60, and the Cal- State San Bernardino Coyotes, who barely defeated the Bulldogs 75-74.

“I think we have remained level- headed and put ourselves in a position to win all but one of our games this year (Delta State beat up on us). We lost two games on a buzzer-beating shot and we have stopped opponents from getting a final shot off and won by three points on three different occasions (Northwood, Tiffin, and Grand Valley). I think we are learning to do the little things a little better each day and hopefully in the end, it will pay off,” Dorow said.

The Bulldogs completed their road trip with a 83-73 win over the Azusa Pacific (Calif.) Cougars.

The Bulldogs will host the Northwood Timberwolves tomorrow with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. and will host the Gannon Golden Knights on Thursday at 6 p.m. and the Mercyhurst Lakers on Saturday at 1 p.m.

During the holiday break, the Bulldogs played in 10 games and one tournament. After sliding down a slippery slope, their split in the AT&T Alascom Jamboree held in Anchorage, Alaska was the turning part to their recent success.

Ferris State was led throughout by freshman center Justin Keenan. Keenan led the Bulldogs with 169 points, 78 rebounds, 79 percent from the free throw line and 57 percent from the field.

Ferris State’s most recent victory came over the Wayne State Warriors on Jan. 9. The Bulldogs had a commanding 12 point lead throughout the first half, but the Warriors cut it to seven at the buzzer.

Ferris opened the second half by jumping out to an early 14 point lead and ended the game with 79-71 victory. Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Keenan with 27 points, freshman forward DeJuan Wright with 11 points, freshman guard Darien Gay with 15 points, and junior forward Jason Holder with 10 points. These four Bulldogs combined for 52 percent from the field, 25 rebounds and just over 31 minutes of playing time.

Tiffin University stepped into Wink Arena on Jan. 5 to tip off with the Bulldogs for the second time in less than a month. The first battle ended in a 72-62 victory for the Dragons. The second game belonged to the Bulldogs with an identical 72-62 final.

Topping the leader board for the Bulldogs in the first game defeat were Keenan, freshman forward Lou Williams and senior forward CJ Van Wieren. Keenan led the way with 23 points and eight rebounds.

Van Wieren helped out with four rebounds and eight points and Williams put up a good effort with eight rebounds and 14 points. Leading the victorious Bulldogs in the second game were Keenan, Wright and Holder. The three of them combined for 47 points, 18 rebounds and shot 62 percent from the field.

After returning from Alaska, Ferris State entertained Kuyper College on Jan. 3. The Bulldogs ran up a 14 point lead in the middle of the first half and finished with a 10 point lead. The Cougars were not able to stop the Bulldogs as they came out strong in the second half, building a 25 point lead.

Scoring leaders for the Bulldogs in the 88-69 victory were freshman guard Bryan Pasciak, Williams, Wright and Keenan. Keenan led shooters with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Williams contributed 6 rebounds and 14 points. Pasciak and Wright each added 11 points.

On Dec. 28 and 29, the Bulldogs traveled up to Anchorage, Alaska to tip off with the Nanooks of Alaska- Fairbanks and the Sea Wolves of Alaska-Anchorage. Ferris State fell short to the Sea Wolves in the opening game 71-45.

Anchorage opened up a 17 point lead by halftime and kept Ferris from scoring in the last three minutes and 30 seconds.

The following day presented a different outcome for the Bulldogs. Leading scorers for the Bulldogs were Keenan, Williams and freshman guard Darryl Nobles. The three combined for 42 points and 22 rebounds in the 64-56 victory.

Ferris State built up 18 point leads throughout both halves. The Nanooks pushed back but fell short at the end.

Ferris State made two trips down to Indiana over break to tip off with the St. Joseph College Pumas and the University of Southern Indiana's Screaming Eagles. Although falling short in both contests, the Bulldogs showed improvement from their freshmen class.

Leading the way for Ferris State was Keenan, Wright and Nobles. Keenan scored 41 points and 16 rebounds in the two contests.

Wright scored 18 points and grabbed 5 boards against the Pumas, and Nobles hit four three pointers against the Screaming Eagles to give him 12 points.

The Bulldogs cut it close against the Pumas trailing by two at halftime but St. Joseph pulled away in the second half. The University of Southern Indiana never let loose, holding a 15 point lead at the half and pulling away in the second half.

The Bulldogs also traveled to the Upper Peninsula during the holiday break to tip off with the Lakers of Lake Superior State University.

Once again the Bulldog scoring leaders were freshman guard Matt DeHart, who hit four three pointers while Keenan, Nobles and Wright hit six buckets a piece, totaling up 61 of the 79 points in the loss.

The Lakers put up a 13 point lead in the first half and bumped it up to 17 points in the second half before the Bulldogs started fighting back.

Ferris State’s most recent contest was held in Allendale, Mich., tipping off with Grand Valley State University. The Lakers were victorious 81-47. High scorers for the Bulldogs were Wright, Keenan and Nobles.

The three freshmen scored 25 out of the 47 points. Grand Valley pushed a 30 point lead into half time and continued dominating into the second half raising the lead to 37 points.

Ferris State looks to rebound this week with three home conference contests. Northwood Timberwolves come to Big Rapids Monday, Jan. 14. Gannon heads into Wink Arena Thursday, Jan. 17 with tip off at 8 p.m. Mercyhurst enters Saturday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m.

If you’ve been reading this column throughout the season, you know that I normally write a little bit about the Lions at the beginning before I get to detailing my picks. As much as I was disgusted with how the season ended, I feel like I need to address some things, most importantly the firing of offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

The firing of Martz was probably the dumbest thing the Lions could do. Martz’s system in Detroit was still in its infancy and never fully blossomed with mediocre talent like Jon Kitna. As a franchise that has never really had success, you’d think they could give the system some more time to flourish.

To me, Martz’s firing came as a complete surprise. The defense, which was winning games the first half of the season, was ineffective and appeared confused in the second half. They were last in the NFL in the categories that matter, but defensive coordinator Joe Barry wasn’t let go. Maybe it’s because he is head coach Rod Marinelli’s son-in-law.

Even worse was who they promoted to run the offense. Offensive line coach Jim Colleto and wide receiver coach Kippy Brown received the coordination assignment. Colleto’s offensive line allowed the most sacks in the NFL this season and Brown’s receivers had a so-so season, at best. What traits did they display that made them coordinator material? Each probably has what it takes to be half of an offensive coordinator, so by the Lions' head office’s logic that makes one coordinator.

Furthermore, rumors swirling around Detroit are hinting that the offensive system will be changing once again. It hasn’t been determined what it will be exactly, but I’ve been hearing about the possibility of a heavy run offense or the failed west coast offense the Lions tried in the early 2000s.

An mlive.com article suggested that most of the players breathed a sigh of relief when Martz was handed the pink slip because “they didn’t have the commitment to stick with his demands.” Correct me if I’m wrong, but Martz won a Super Bowl not only a few years ago. I’m pretty sure that this is a professional football team; do your job guys.

Finally, the Lions are going to have to make significant off season moves and acquisitions just to make it back to the subpar level they were at this year. Another mlive.com article said it was likely that “20-25 (players) won’t be back with the team next season.” It’s not for sure who won’t be returning yet, but I think they need to make significant improvements on the offensive line and in the secondary.

San Diego at New England
Even with offensive MVP Tom Brady and the undefeated Patriots, I think this game could be closer than most people will think. Keep in mind that the Chargers led the league in takeaways and interceptions. They even picked off Peyton Manning six times in one game.

However, the Chargers’ Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson both suffered injuries in last week’s game against Indianapolis. They basically represent most of San Diego’s offense and could bring into question how many points the offense can put up with or without them. Their status is questionable.

But in the end, the Patriots are the Patriots and are destined to play in the Super Bowl this year. New England takes the lead late in the game and never looks back.

My Pick: New England.

New York at Green Bay
The Giant’s defense held strong as the Cowboys had a few attempts to beat them last week. New York had Tony Romo on his back more than I’ve seen all season. If they can pressure Brett Favre like they did Romo, it will have a tremendous effect on this game because of Favre’s age.

But the game is in Green Bay and will probably be in some kind of nasty weather. This is when Favre seems to be at his best. His veteran experience will come through when it’s needed and Eli Manning’s inexperience will show as well.

My Pick: Green Bay.

The last week I wrote NFL Picks, week 14, I went 14-3 including two Monday Night Games. That brings me to 113-56 on the year and a season winning percentage of 67 percent. Enjoy the games, fans!

Each year northern Michigan gets great amounts of snow, helping out the large ski resorts. Most resorts are within a two and a half hour drive from Big Rapids.

Nubs Nob, Boyne Highlands, Boyne Mountain, Shanty Creek, Crystal Mountain, and Caberfae Peaks are all well known to college skiers and snowboarders. Choosing between these six resorts can be difficult, but here are a few tips to make the decision a little easier.

The closest ski resort to Ferris State is Caberfae Peaks just outside of Cadillac on M-55. Caberfae has 34 runs divided evenly between beginners, moderates and experts over two peaks.

Caberfae also offers college nights. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, students can bring their ID and can ski for $9 after 6 p.m. Caberfae’s three different lift ticket packages also allow winter sport enthusiasts to ski throughout the day and night, with nights starting at 5 p.m. For more information, go to caberfaepeaks.com.

Crystal Mountain, located 38 miles north west of Cadillac on M-115, is an all around winter sports resort. Crystal offers night skiing, cross country skiing, a half pipe and terrain park.

Half of the total 45 runs are moderate, with a quarter each of beginner and expert. With four different ticket packages; the day ticket, the open to close ticket, the four hour flex ticket and the night ticket, skiers and snowboarders have more options with their money.

To find more information on Crystal Mountain, go to crystalmountain. com.

Shanty Creek, located on M-88 just west of Mancelona, is another all around winter sports resort. Schuss Mountain, one of Shanty Creek’s resorts, offers a terrain park, night skiing, cross country trails and snow tubing. Twelve chair lifts accompany 49 runs, 37 percent for beginners, 30 percent for moderate and 33 percent for experts.

Night skiing is available Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting at 4:30 p.m. and is $10 for weekdays and $20 on weekends. For more information, go to www.shantycreek.com.

Nubs Nob has the number one rated terrain park and number four rated snow grooming by Ski Magazine for 2007.

“I enjoy Nubs Nob the most because you get what you are paying for,” said college student Doug Ferrall. “It’s not overly commercialized with hotels up all over and it’s not really busy because it’s so big.”

Home of the super pipe, Nubs offers 53 runs scattered over 246 acres. Half of the 53 runs are moderate with a quarter beginners and a quarter experts.

This season Nubs Nob, which is located in Harbor Spring, started offering the four different ski packages that most northern Michigan resorts carry, allowing for winter sports enthusiasts to pick their hours and cost. You can receive more information at nubsnob.com.

Boyne Ski Resorts, located in Boyne Falls and Harbor Springs, is the largest in Michigan. Boyne offers two resorts; Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain. Between the two of them there are 111 runs, 18 chair lifts and 850 acres of groomed powder. Cross country skiing, dog sledding, horse drawn sleighs/wagons and ice skating are a couple of the bonus features Boyne offers. Buying a Boyne lift ticket means you get both resorts. Boyne offers four different lift ticket packages and night skiing. You can get more information on Boyne Mountain or Boyne Highlands at boyne.com.

Hopefully this helps you with the decision making in picking out a ski resort. Remember to call for special offers or check out the websites. I received all of my information from skitown. com.

On Jan. 4 during the Golf Channel’s PGA Tour’s inaugural event of the season, the Mercedes-Benz Championship co-announcer Kelly Tilghman made a comment that surpassed Don Imus’ racist comment he made about the Rutger’s women’s basketball team.

According to Yahoo! Sports columnist Roy S. Johnson, Tilghman said “golf’s young players should lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley.”

Excuse me? Not only is this comment narrow minded, bigoted, in poor taste, and horrible, the Golf Channel didn’t pull Tilghman off the air, instead it permitted Tilghman to comment on Saturday, and was still allowed to announce on Sunday after she apologized on-air that morning.

Not only is the Golf Channel not taking this seriously, I find it appalling that less than three months after the Jena 6 march, Tilghman thought it was a good idea to say this, let alone think it.

The Golf Channel hasn’t announced the punishment for Tilghman. To do nothing, which is the course it is taking as of Jan. 8, is allowing me to think that the Golf Channel agrees with her heinous comment.

Johnson reported that Tilghman has reached out and tried to apologize to Woods about her comment, he has not said what Woods’ response was to her apology.

The blog posts to Johnson’s article have offered several different punishments for Tilghman, varying from an unpaid suspension, to being fired, to having to do community service in an inner city, because she obviously struggles with the thinking and speaking.

While I don’t disagree with any of those options, I think the Golf Channel needs to follow MSN’s lead in getting Tilghman off the air fast, and keeping her off. She’s never played in the LPGA and the rumors around her job on the Golf Channel is she secured the job off looks alone.

Not touching that one, but if she got the job based on her looks and not her smarts, I know why announcers are dumb. The Golf Channel needs to re-evaluate its hiring and termination policy, because her comment can not be tolerated.

I don’t care what provoked her comment, I don’t care why she made it, and I don’t care that she apologized. We already know apologies are worth less than a nickel these days, especially following a comment like this. Tilghman made the comment and is now apologizing to remain politically correct.

Bullocks! Absolute bullocks! Apologizing after making a bigoted comment doesn’t help the situation, especially apologizing to keep your job. Bottom line: Tilghman messed up, and she needs to own up and face the punishment.

Side note to the Golf Channel: By ignoring Tilghman’s poorly formed comment, the problem will not go away, and it looks like the Golf Channel supports Tilghman’s comment.

Tiger Woods told ESPN that Tilghman’s comment is “a nonissue,” stating that Tilghman is a friend of Tiger’s and “regardless of the choice of words used, we know unequivocally that there was no ill intent in her comments.”

On Jan. 12 it was reported that the Golf Channel suspended Tilghman for two weeks.

I’ve been a die hard Red Wings fan for as long as I can remember. I was with them during the 1995 season when they won the Presidents' trophy then lost to the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals.

I was glued to the TV on March 26 when the Wings reaped revenge against the hated Colorado Avalanche and Claude Lemieux.

I remember Darren McCarty, fan favorite and Red Wings enforcer. A guy everyone loved to cheer for, and a solid pick when looking for that first Red Wings jersey.

He was the brawler that slugged Claude Lemieux and forced him into the turtle position, an image that will forever be embedded in Red Wing fans' minds.

He was the hero in game four of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals when he pulled a move that Gordie Howe would have been proud of to score the winning goal of the game and give the Red Wings their first Stanley Cup in over 40 years.

Anyone that calls themselves a Red Wings fan remembers these moments and remembers Darren McCarty as the team brawler and the Stanley Cup hero. After the 2004-05 NHL lockout, the Red Wings bought out the rest of McCarty’s contract and he moved on to the Calgary Flames.

There were rumors of gambling debts and alcoholism around the buyout and in an instance McCarty went from a hometown hero to another Red Wing forgotten.

A few years went by and the new NHL was ushered in with new rules and new fans. Players like McCarty became a thing of the past as the way was paved for all-stars like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

Another few years went by, and all but a few remember Darren McCarty.

Now he’s back, playing with the International Hockey League’s Flint Generals.

He placed a phone call to an old line mate and current Red Wing Kris Draper, where he told him he wanted to re-dedicate himself to hockey.

McCarty began with daily workouts at a sports fitness training facility co-owned by Draper. Now he’s playing hockey again with the Generals. “When Mac came back into town, probably about a month ago, he gave me a call and expressed interest that he wanted some help and wanted to get back to the NHL,” Draper told the Detroit Free Press.

“I hadn’t talked to him, really talked to him, in like three years. Last couple of years have been frustrating and disappointing for him. I don’t know if it was coming back to the city … maybe he got that passion again.”

Now that McCarty’s convinced Draper, all he has to do now is convince the rest of the hockey world.

A rough last season with the Calgary Flames, which he only played 32 games due to injury, produced only single-digit minutes and he was unable to register a single point and was a minus three.

After a season like that, most people will write a player off and say he’s finished, but now McCarty has a second chance.

“I still think I have something left to give and I want to find out for sure,” McCarty told the Windsor Star about signing with the Generals. “I want to work my way up the ladder and to do that, I’ve got to start somewhere.”

Being the Red Wings fan that I am, I would love to see McCarty back in a red and white jersey, but like many others, I have my doubts.

McCarty turns 36 this year and has become injury prone in the last few seasons. Along with that, he’ll be trying to crack one of the hardest rosters in the NHL.

With the Red Wings being number one in the league and a team filled with all-stars, who will he replace? Surely it won’t be Zetterberg or Datsyuk.

Will the Red Wings put one of their up-and-coming younger players on the back burner to make way for McCarty?

I guess answers will only come with time. It’s a hard road to make it to the NHL, it’s even harder when you start back at the bottom at 35.

Good Luck McCarty.