Modano To The Wings?!

Mike Modano is going to play for the Detroit Red Wings next season, and the season after that -- at least if you believe Wings coach Mike Babcock.

"This is a no-brainer for Mike Modano -- the highest scoring American player of all time to come back to your hometown, play in Hockeytown," Babcock told nhl.com today. "It's not about the cash, it's about the legacy and the fit. He'll fit, and he'll be excited to play. I look forward to him signing. I think that's inevitable. I think that's what is going to happen."

Of course, Babcock could be100% wrong. Modano, 40, is being courted by other teams, too.

"I think this is all going to work out; I'm pretty certain of that for us. But I've been around before, and if you would have told me Jiri Hudler was leaving for Russia, I wouldn't have believed it," Babcock said. "I've been wrong. Some people think I have the market cornered on being wrong."

Babcock believes Modano will play the next two seasons for the Wings.

"I think we're a good fit for him, and I think he knows it," Babcock said. "I know the veteran players we have dealt with over the years, so I'm a big believer, if Mike Modano comes to Detroit, he won't be here for one year, he'll play for two."

Modano, who grew up in Westland, met with Babcock and Wings general manager Ken Holland last week.

Babcock has a good reason for why he doesn't expect Modano to make up his mind before Aug. 1.

"These veteran players, why would they be in a hurry? Why not see how your body feels?" Babcock said. "There is no question Mike plays physically, but does he want to go through the grind again? In Detroit, it won't be a grind if we've got all of our players. We'll get 100 points, and you'll get the puck on your tape."


Now this is the newsworthy shit we've been talking about. Mase asks and Babcock delivers. Modano is the American version of Steve Yzerman. Good looks, great person, and a proven winner. He made the "A" almost as cool as the "C" on the jersey. Unfortunately for him, moving from Minnesota to Dallas is a death sentence in the hockey world, and nobody gave a shit about him. If nothing else, this just takes you back to the good old days. Before a salary cap had to be enforced to slow us down. When every year we would pull a Miami Heat and sign whomever was in desperate need of a ring before their career ended (I know Modano already got his). We didn't lure people with night clubs, hispanic women, and the beach however. Just purely the best place to play hockey in North America. Big lights, big stage, big hockeytown. Or some shit like that.

And how great is the last line in this article from Babcock? "In Detroit, it won't be a grind if we've got all of our players. We'll get 100 points, and you'll get the puck on your tape." For all you non hockey folk, that means we are way better than everybody else, and go fuck yourself. Babcock sure does know how to put it nicely.

PS - I'm waiting to post pictures of Modano's wife because I don't want to jinx it. Plus it's like 100 degrees in my apartment and I don't feel like beating my shit right now.