Updated 3x with another Wings Christmas story and details of an event at the Hockey Hall of Fame at 4:56 PM: Despite suggestions to the contrary, the Detroit Red Wings? organization and players are pretty flexible in terms of accommodating requests from the NHL to engage in the kinds of promotional activities which involve playing on holidays or sloughing through particularly nasty travel schedules to give the league a TV ratings boost, but the Wings have consistently stated that there is one date that they never want to circle on their calendars for anything other than rest and relaxation?Christmas. Kris Draper and Chris Osgood used to speak out particularly bluntly about the fact that they?d fight at the collective bargaining table to ensure that the NHL does not ask its players to indulge in a ratings bonanza on the 24th or 25th, and the Red Wings? current players hold similar sentiments, as they told MLive?s Ansar Khan:
?It?s fun to watch sporting events on Christmas Day, but I?m glad it?s not us (playing),? forward Cory Emmerton said.
While the collective bargaining agreement prohibits games or practices on Dec. 24-25, it was traditional for the NHL to play on Christmas from the 1920s to 1971. The Red Wings played many games on Christmas, the last in 1971 (5-3 loss to Toronto). But it?s been 40 years since the league played on Christmas, according to NHL.com. And several Red Wings said they hope it stays that way.
?It?s great because it?s one day out of the year that we deserve to spend time with our families,? goaltender Jimmy Howard said. ?We?re constantly on the road going back and forth all over the country, and to get these three days off (including Friday) is going to be great for us.?
Source: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/tmr/comments/all_the_red_wings_want_for_christmas_is_well_christmas/
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