PREVIEW: Red Wings square off with visiting Blackhawks in Original Six clash on Thursday

DETROIT – Returning to Little Caesars Arena for a two-game homestand following their solid trek through the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada, the Detroit Red Wings will host the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night.

“It’s Original Six,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “Both markets are hockey crazy, in my opinion. Both have multiple banners that are hanging. Both have Hall-of-Fame players that were remarkable. I know in our organization, and I’m pretty sure with (Chris Chelios) and some of them in Chicago, they’re still around and they support the organization. Not every team in the NHL can you make that comment about just because their history is rich, so it goes pretty deep and it’s fun to be a part of.”

Puck drop for the first of two meetings between Detroit (5-4-3; 13 points) and Chicago (4-8-0; 8 points) this season is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, with broadcast coverage airing exclusively on ESPN+ and HULU. Ken Kal and Larry Murphy will have the call on the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).

Nate Danielson called Detroit’s first multi-game road swing of the season, which ended with a 4-3 shootout win over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Monday, “a good one overall.”

“I thought the game in Vancouver was a really good game for us – top to bottom,” Danielson said. “I thought it kind of slipped a little bit in Calgary, didn’t think we had our best game there. But I thought we bounced back and had a really good one in Edmonton.”

Heading into the trip, Detroit’s only road game of the season was a quick in-and-out visit to Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadians on Oct. 10. Danielson said he felt the time away helped the group get closer and sharpen its road game. 

“It was nice being on the road with the guys,” Danielson said. “We got to be away for a little bit and spend some more time together. I thought we did a good job of getting to our game. We learned how to play on the road again, since we really didn’t have to do that much. I thought we did a good job of that.”

Now, it’s about carrying that momentum – five of a possible eight points pocketed - back with them on home ice.

“There were some ups and downs on the trip, but it’s always nice to end on a high note against a really talented team there,” Seider said.

As for the Blackhawks, Thursday’s game begins a two-game road trip after they closed out a seven-game homestand with a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center on Tuesday. It also snapped the club’s three-game losing streak.

Patrick Kane, who signed a two-year free-agent deal with Chicago this summer, leads the offense with eight points (one goal, seven assists) this season. The 37-year-old forward played parts of the past three campaigns (2023-26) with the Red Wings, and Seider said it’ll be fun to face his former teammate.

 “I think it’s going to be very cool seeing (Kane) in his original colors,” Seider said. “I think as a hockey fan, you’re very excited about that. But obviously, he provided us with a lot of leadership and charisma in big moments. He’s somebody who wasn’t afraid to do the right things over and over. That’s definitely something we learned and I think those are the things he’s going to pass on in Chicago now too. Obviously, a big player and I think we were very fortunate to have him for a couple of years.”

McLellan also praised Kane’s impact in Detroit.   

“You got to see some of those moments, the big ones that, that the whole world was watching -- 500 goals and (all-time leading) American scorer and all that type of stuff,” McLellan said. “But the other impact that you wouldn’t have seen but we did was on the plane or on the bus or at practice walking out with different types of players, telling stories about their success, having his little guy run around the locker room. That brought energy.”