• 6-Foot-8 Forward Scored Two Goals in 13 Appearances with Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings today activated left wing Elmer Soderblom from injured reserve and assigned him to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Soderblom, 21, has recorded two goals and six penalty minutes in 13 appearances with the Red Wings during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring what proved to be the game-winner in his NHL debut on Oct. 14 vs. Montreal. The 6-foot-8, 246-pound forward had a breakout season in 2021-22 with Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League, ranking among the team leaders with 21 goals (1st), 12 assists (7th), 33 points (3rd), seven power play goals (1st), 11 power play points (4th), eight game-winning goals (1st) and 132 shots (1st) in 52 games. He also produced nine points (6-3-9) and a plus-five rating in 11 Champions Hockey League games as Frolunda reached the semifinals of the competition. Additionally, Soderblom recorded six points (3-3-6) and a plus-six rating in nine postseason contests to help Frolunda reach the SHL playoff semifinals. In all, Soderblom has compiled 38 points (24-14-38) and 11 penalty minutes in 90 SHL games since 2019-20 and won a CHL title with Frolunda in his first professional season.  

Selected by the Red Wings in the sixth round (159th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Soderblom developed in Frolunda’s system since 2014-15 and made his SHL debut during the 2019-20 campaign after leading the under-20 circuit with 29 goals in 36 games. In total, Soderblom recorded 76 points (40-36-76) and 22 penalty minutes in 87 games at the under-20 level, 53 points (26-27-53) and 14 penalty minutes in 60 games at the under-18 level and 93 points (62-31-93) and 49 penalty minutes in 78 games on the under-16 circuit, all with Frolunda. The Gothenburg, Sweden, native racked up three points (2-1-3) in five appearances for his country at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. Along with fellow 2019 Red Wings draftees Albert Johansson and Albin Grewe, Soderblom was also a member of Sweden’s silver-medal Hlinka Gretzky Cup team (1-2-3 in five games) in 2018 and gold medal-winning IIHF World Under-18 Championship squad (1-0-1 in seven games) in 2019.

Photo credit: Dave Reginek / Detroit Red Wings

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As dog lovers and hockey fans combine their appreciation for both, the Detroit Red Wings’ annual Pucks for Paws calendar is now on sale! Presented by PetSmart, each calendar showcases Red Wings players with their furry friends. For just $20 each, supporters can purchase a 2023 wall calendar of which proceeds will benefit PetSmart Charities and the Detroit Red Wings Foundation. Calendars will ship within 3 to 4 weeks of purchasing. Buy your 2023 Pucks for Paws Wall Calendar, here!

If you’d like to instantly get your hands on a calendar, stop by the concourse by the team store in Little Caesars Arena during the December 13 game, where the Detroit Red Wings Foundation along with some of the Red Wings players’ significant others will be selling them. In addition to the calendars, Michigan Humane will be on the concourse with adoptable puppies available to take home that same day, just in time for the holidays.

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The Detroit Tigers announced that they have acquired third base/corner outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy and lefthanded pitcher Jake Higginbotham from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for righthanded pitcher Joe Jiménez and cash considerations.

Malloy, 22, saw time across three levels of the Braves organization in 2022, playing in 133 games between Single A Rome, Double A Mississippi and Triple A Gwinnett and hitting .289/.408/.454 with 28 doubles, 17 home runs and 81 RBI. Malloy is ranked as the top position player prospect in the Braves organization (No. 6 overall) by Baseball America and was named the best hitter for average and as possessing the best strike zone discipline in Atlanta’s Minor League system. He led all Braves Minor Leaguers in doubles (28), on-base percentage (.408), total bases (217) and walks (97), while ranking second in hits (138), RBI, extra-base hits (45), slugging percentage and OPS (.862). Following the season, he was named a Braves Organization All-Star by MiLB.com and was selected to the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Team.

Malloy’s only other professional season came in 2021 with Single A Augusta, when he hit .270/.388/.434 with five doubles, five home runs and 21 RBI in 37 games.

A native of New York, NY, Malloy was originally drafted by Atlanta in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech.

Higginbotham, 26, spent the entire 2022 season with Double A Mississippi, appearing in 48 games and posting a 2-5 record with three saves, a 4.73 ERA (51.1IP/27ER) and 48 strikeouts.  He ranked fourth in the Southern League with 48 appearances.

In four professional seasons, Higginbotham has pitched in 103 games, compiling a 9-10 record with eight saves, a 3.30 ERA (155.1IP/57ER) and 163 strikeouts.

A native of Buford, GA, Higginbotham was drafted by the Braves in the 11^th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Clemson University.

Jiménez, 27, made 62 appearances for the Tigers in 2022, and went 3-2 with two saves, a 3.49 ERA (56.2IP/22ER) and 77 strikeouts. Jimenez, who was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2013, was selected to the American League All-Star team in 2018.

The Tigers 40-man roster is now at 38.

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The Detroit Tigers selected righthanded pitcher Mason Englert from the Texas Rangers in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

Englert, 23, made 24 appearances last year, all as a starting pitcher, between Single A Hickory and Double A Frisco, posting a combined 8-6 record and 3.64 ERA (118.2IP/48ER) on 31 walks and 136 strikeouts. Most of his action came with Hickory, where he went 7-5 with a 3.57 ERA (103.1IP/41ER) over 21 starts, holding opponents to a .193 batting average.

His only other professional experience came in 2021, making his debut with Single A Down East. That season he posted a 6-3 record and 4.35 ERA (80.2IP/39ER), walking 26 and striking out 90.

Englert, a native of Forney, TX, was drafted by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Forney High School (TX), and currently ranks as the Rangers No. 29 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. During his senior year of high school, he went 11-1 with a 0.57 ERA, establishing a Texas high school state record with a 55.1-inning scoreless streak.

With the selection of Englert, the Tigers 40-man roster is now at 39.

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• Pizza Chain Introduces New Hotline for Customers to Report Detroit-Style Pizzas Developed Outside Detroit

Little Caesars is heating up the pizza war, challenging the competition, and protecting its Detroit turf. As one of the original Detroit-based pizza chains and the only national pizza chain actually headquartered in Detroit,* Little Caesars knows a thing or two about the pizza style that made the city’s food scene famous. Starting December 6, the brand is taking the Detroit-Style pizza battle to another level with a new creative campaign, engaging pizza lovers to take action and exercise their rights to enjoy the real deal and receive a limited-time special offer.**

In the campaign, an actual lawyer speaks directly to the camera, encouraging those who purchased a Detroit-Style Pizza from anywhere other than Little Caesars to seek compensation immediately. Pizza lovers can call 1-800-428-DEEP or visit detroitstylecompensation.com to “report their issue,” and they will be directed to a dedicated website to upload their receipts from other pizza chains where they ordered deep dish pizzas. They will then receive a special offer from Little Caesars – a pepperoni or cheese Detroit-Style Deep Dish pizza for the price of just $5.99*** with a provided $3 off promo code.  With that, fans will get the help they need to correct their path to Detroit-Style Deep Dish, that’s actually from Detroit.

The national promotion is complemented by local media in the greater Plano, TX area, the known turf of a key national competitor. Little Caesars will feature the same “real-life” lawyer in placements reminiscent of actual personal injury lawyers, including highway and transit boards, urging consumers to seek compensation for the Detroit-style “injustice” they’ve received. This is further supported by local audio in the area.

“We take our Detroit roots seriously,” said Greg Hamilton, Chief Marketing Officer at Little Caesars. “We’re proud of our heritage and happy to bring Detroit-style pizza to all of America at an incredible value.”

With many Detroit-style pizzas costing $12.99 or more, Little Caesars customers can enjoy a freshly made Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza for only $8.99*. This crispy, crunchy pizza is available for delivery using the Little Caesars app, or customers can pre-pay and conveniently collect their order using the Pizza Portal® pickup, a heated, self-service mobile order pickup station, at any participating Little Caesars location, or by stopping in between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to pick up a HOT-N-READY Detroit-Style Deep Dish without preordering.

The large, 8-piece Detroit-Style Deep Dish pizza has a crispy-on-the-bottom, soft-and-chewy-on-the-inside crust with crunchy corners and caramelized cheese edges.

For more information about Little Caesars, visit LittleCaesars.com and follow @LittleCaesars on social.

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On November 25, the Detroit Red Wings once again joined the fight against cancer as the organization teamed up with Comerica Bank and the American Cancer Society to host the annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night at Little Caesars Arena. One hundred pediatric cancer patients, survivors, researchers and American Cancer Society supporters attended the event.

The proceeds from the night’s Detroit Red Wings Foundation 50/50 Raffle, an autographed puck sale, an online auction consisting of player-worn and autographed Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys, as well as the sticks used during warmups, go to the American Cancer Society and the Detroit Red Wings Foundation. Comerica Bank vowed to match the first $10,000 raised by fundraising efforts tied to Hockey Fights Cancer Night.

The evening included a ceremonial bell ringing and puck drop from a child who recently completed cancer treatments, a featured Youth Skater of the Game, pre-game Zamboni rides, and meet and greet with NHL referees.

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The Detroit Red Wings Teacher of the Month program, presented by Burns and Wilcox, was created to show thanks and gratitude to Michigan teachers and educators who change the lives of millions of children every day, inside and outside the classroom.

Each month from October 2022 to March 2023, one deserving teacher is recognized with the Red Wings Teacher of the Month award. Fans may nominate a teacher who they feel had a significant impact on the lives of children in their community by clicking here.

Meet the teachers of the month below.

Anthony Anderson – Clarkston High School

Dominic Zelnik – Lincoln Park Middle School

Sabrina Lauinger – Oak Ridge Elementary School

Sharon Valascho – Miller Elementary School

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Cirque du Soleil is adding a spin to a Christmas classic, with its “’Twas the Night Before…” shows at the Fox Theatre from December 15-26 . The show features Isabella, a curious girl who is seemingly tired of Christmas before she is whisked away to an upside-down, inside-out world of the poem where she meets colorful Christmas characters. Tickets start at $26.50.

Detroit Red Wings players Joe Veleno and Jake Walman visited the Lloyd H. Diehl location of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan (BGCSM) to spend time with youth members and check out the club’s Esports Lounge. They were also joined by Fred Durhal, Detroit City Council Member for District 7.

In March 2022, the Detroit Red Wings Foundation and The Children’s Foundation unveiled the Esports Lounge as part of a $300,000 investment between the Red Wings Foundation and Children’s Foundation to strengthen the career and entrepreneur pipeline for youth in the sports and Esports industries – a core component of the Red Wings’ groundbreaking Learn, Play, Score platform.

Established during the 2019-20 season as part of a $1 million commitment from the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Red Wings Foundation, and NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund, the Learn, Play, Score platform is breaking down systemic barriers by introducing equitable access to hockey in various forms for thousands of children across the city of Detroit. In partnership with respected local organizations and revered Detroiters, children of all ages and abilities are now experiencing the social, emotional, and educational benefits of hockey – many of them for the first time.

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