Hockeytown, brace yourself.
The winds of change are howling through Little Caesars Arena — and they’re wearing red and white.
In a move that has the entire NHL buzzing, the Detroit Red Wings have announced that three of their top prospects will be in the starting lineup on opening night. That’s right — not one, not two, but three future stars will lace up for the season opener, marking the dawn of a bold new era in Motown.
So who are the chosen ones?
Sources close to the team confirm that center Nate Danielson, defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka, and left winger Carter Mazur will all crack the starting six on opening night. While Danielson and Pellikka have been hyped as cornerstone players since the moment they were drafted, the inclusion of Mazur — the gritty, Michigan-born winger — is the cherry on top for fans craving homegrown firepower.
Why now?
The answer is part opportunity, part necessity — and 100% exciting.
Several injuries and cap-related moves in the past week opened the door for these prospects to leap into the spotlight. But make no mistake: they earned it. Head coach Derek Lalonde praised the trio’s “maturity, compete level, and sheer will to make the roster impossible to ignore.”
“They didn’t just come here to learn,” Lalonde told reporters. “They came to take jobs — and they did.”
What does this mean for the Red Wings?
For years, fans have heard the phrase “The Yzerplan is working.” Well, on opening night, they’ll see it with their own eyes. After seasons of patient drafting, player development, and roster fine-tuning, GM Steve Yzerman is finally unleashing the future.
There will be growing pains, no doubt. But there’s also a real chance that this young core — led by Danielson’s two-way prowess, Pellikka’s elite skating and vision, and Mazur’s relentless motor — could give Detroit the jolt of energy it’s been missing.
Opening night just became must-see hockey.
Get ready, Red Wings faithful. The kids are not just alright — they’re starting