'Pretty surreal': Red Savage, Team USA win bronze at 2023 World Juniors

DETROIT -- For Detroit Red Wings forward prospect Red Savage, there's no experience quite like playing the sport you love while representing your native country.

Savage, who was an alternative captain for the United States, helped Team USA defeat Sweden, 8-7, in overtime to win bronze at the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, which ran from Dec. 26 - Jan. 5 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick.
"Whenever you get the opportunity to play for your country, it's something special," Savage told
DetroitRedWings.com
. "Not a lot of kids get to do it. Being able to play at the World Juniors with those colors was pretty surreal. Everyone takes that extra step and just adds that extra five percent to give it their all, whether that's at practice or in an exhibition game. You can tell everyone knows it's a big deal and trying to play their best."

The 19-year-old forward finished this year's tournament with six points (three goals, three assists) and a plus-2 rating in seven games. He also represented the United States at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship last summer, recording three points in five games.
"Who knows, it might have been my last time wearing it (Team USA jersey)," Savage said. "We came away with something, but I wish we could have gone a little bit further."
According to Savage, he felt comfortable playing on a line with Ottawa Senators prospect Tyler Boucher and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Dylan Duke throughout the tournament.
"I think the three of us were all pretty good offensively," said Savage, who was Detroit's 114th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. "Just wreaking havoc on the forecheck and getting opportunities whenever we could. It's obviously nice playing with good players and within a system that allows you to play a lot of offense with less defense."
Savage is in his sophomore campaign with Miami (Ohio), where he has four goals and six assists through 16 games. He registered 16 points (6-10-16) in 35 games as a freshman last season, earning NCHC Rookie of the Week honors a league-high four times.
"The NCHC is a really tough league to play in," he said. "You're playing against men every night, which is something that I enjoy."

Savage said the RedHawks coaching staff is putting him "in all situations" to try to evolve his offensive game.
"It's something that I came into the year wanting to work on and now I'm trying to get more points," Savage said. "Hopefully, I can be part of the scoresheet a little more often in the second half of the season."
Evolving into a confident, more dynamic forward is also what the Red Wings player development staff is helping Savage prioritize.
"I've been talking with them a lot more recently," Savage said. "(Red Wings assistant director of player development) Dan Cleary does video with a lot of us throughout the year, which is awesome because he shares quick notes to keep track of and work on. He gives us helpful tips and shows us how we can hone in our stuff. The Wings have been great in helping us develop."

Balancing academic responsibilities while developing as a hockey player is a balancing act that Savage believes comes easy to him.
"It obviously gets more stressful at different points of the year," he said. "But I've always been pretty decent at school and it's something that hasn't been a big area of struggle in my life. I've always had smooth sailing through school, so I guess I've been lucky to be born with a good work ethic."
Looking ahead to the remainder of the season, Savage wants to continue to make steady improvement in his overall game.
"Just trying to get as many points as possible," Savage said. "Not only that, but I want to keep getting better at the face-off dot. I want to continue to kill (penalties) effectively, which I think is one of the most effective parts of my game. I want to get on the scoresheet as much as possible, but there's also internal team goals I want to be able to help with."