07/10/2007

McClatchy-Tribune
Dallas Drake plays against the Detroit Red Wings in his days with the St. Louis Blues. Drake now re-joins the Wings, the team that drafted him.

Drake back with Wings

Traverse City resident signs 1-year deal with Detroit

BY DENNIS CHASE

dchase@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Dallas Drake's son Jackson now has another reason to cheer for his father.

Drake signed a one-year contract Monday afternoon with the Detroit Red Wings — Jackson's favorite team.

Drake, 38, spent the last six seasons playing for Central Division rival St. Louis.

The Traverse City area resident became a free agent two weeks ago when the Blues placed him on waivers.

Drake, who was originally drafted by the Red Wings in 1989, started talking to Detroit officials "on and off” late last week, much to the delight of his 9-year-old son. Drake and the Wings made the reunion official Monday.

"(Jackson) was real excited,” Drake said. "I told him (a few days ago) that I was talking to Detroit, but had not agreed to anything yet. When I finally got a chance to tell him (about signing) he started jumping up and down.

"He's been a Red Wings fan, a Steve Yzerman fan, for quite a while. Obviously, he loved the Blues when I played there, but always deep down he's been a Red Wings fan. Even when we were in St. Louis, and we'd be sitting at home watching a game, he'd always be cheering them on. He's always liked them.”

Drake said he was contacted by other teams after his release, but that Detroit was No. 1 on his list.

And when the Wings offered a contract, "I couldn't turn it down,” he said.

"It's exciting,” Drake said. "I still feel I have some good hockey left in me.

"I've always had a lot of respect for the (Red Wings) organization. Year in and year out they're one of the top teams in the league. There's got to be a good reason for it.”

The Blues missed out on the playoffs last season while Detroit reached the Western Conference finals before losing to eventual Stanley Cup champ Anaheim.

"Every year they're (Wings) really close,” Drake said. "If a bounce or two had gone their way (in the Anaheim series) they could have been in the Stanley Cup finals. Sometimes all you want is an opportunity to play for a team that has a chance to compete for a championship and with Detroit you know you're going to be given that opportunity. That's exciting to me.”

The Red Wings originally selected Drake in the sixth round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He played two seasons with Detroit before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 1994.

Only two players from that era are still with the Wings — Nick Lidstrom and Kris Draper.

Drake signed a two-year contract for $2.2 million before last season and was due to make $1 million next season.

Drake has recorded 174 goals, 297 assists and 844 penalty minutes in 944 NHL games. He ended last season on injured reserve with a wrist injury.

"He's a very physical player who will add grit to our lineup and make our team even more difficult to play against,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said in a statement. "He's a veteran player, and you can never have enough experience and leadership on a team.”

The Wings traded for Kyle Calder and Todd Bertuzzi late last season in an effort to add more toughness to the lineup. Both of those free agents signed elsewhere, and Drake will be counted on to fill that void.

"I know they weren't looking for a highly-skilled guy when they went after me,” Drake said with a laugh. "I think they know what they were getting. I'm a guy who's played the same way his whole career. I thrive on playing physical. That's the only way I can play and have any type of success.

"I try to play solid defensively and chip in a few goals.”

Drake, who also played four seasons for the Phoenix Coyotes, said he was surprised when the Blues let him go.

"It caught me off guard,” he said. "But that's part of the business. They (Blues) told me they were looking to get younger. I'm just happy to be going to a team that has a chance to compete (for a Stanley Cup).”

One immediate benefit for Drake is that he won't have to leave town for training camp. The Wings open camp at Centre ICE on Sept. 14.

Drake played four years at Northern Michigan University, where he won a scoring title in his senior year in 1991-92.

The Associated Press contributed to this report