8\30 The team continues to stock it's new AHL club, signing former OHL wingers Matt Ellis 
and Darryl Bootland to three-year contracts.

8\28 The Wings picked up Stacy Roest again after Minnesota waived him. 

8\24 OK kids, this has been bouncing around a while. Don't be surprised to see Slava
Fetisov become the Russian Prime Minister or Hasek the Czech Premier.

8\15 Hasek, Fischer, Kohn, and Slegr have the cup in the Czech Republic right now. They are
using it to raise money for recent flood victims in the country.
  Henrik Zetterburg's number 20 is being retired by his team in Sweden. He's scheduled to 
join the Wings this season.

8\13 The Wings signed minor league defenseman Danny Groulx.

8\8 Long time Wings' executive Jim Devellano signed a contract extention that will keep him 
with the team through the 2004 season.
  There was a write up today about Yzerman not returning if the knee still hurt after rehab.
It sounded like there was only a small chance of this happening.

8\6  The team signed five minor leaguers. Left wing Bryan Adams, defensemen Patrick Boileau 
and Ed Campbell, goaltender Marc Lamothe and center Mark Mowers. they will help stock the 
Wings' new AHL team in Grand Rapids.

8\2 Steve Yzerman had his knee realignment surgery today. He should return sometime between 
Christmas and the All-Star break.
   Darren McCarty rejected a 1 year deal, holding out for a long term contract.

8\1 Igor Larionov has signed a one year deal worth about $1.3 million. There are still a 
handfull of guys to resign including Jiri Fischer and Darren McCarty.
  The Stanley Cup is on it's way to Russia with Igor, Max K. and Pavel Datsyuk. It will also
be taken to Russian President Putin. After that, Homer and Nick will take it to Sweden and 
then Hasek will take it to the Czech Republic. Igor will also play opposite Slava Fetisov in
a charity hockey game during his visit.

7\24 The Wings have signed veteran left wings Michael Picard and Derek King, who both played 
in Germany last season. They will help stock the Wings' new AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. 

7\19 The Atlanta Thrashers have signed Uwe Krupp.

7\18 Steve Yzerman is set to have knee re-alignment surgery during the first week of August.
He will be out at least until January.

7\17 Dave Lewis was indeed named Head Coach today. Barry Smith will retain his job and will 
be joined by Joey Kocur who spent the past few seasons as video coach after retiring.
  Eleven-year Head Trainer John Wharton has decided to step down to pursue personal interests.
Assistant Piet Van Zant has been promoted to replace him.

7\16 Dave Lewis will be named Head Coach during a press conference tomarrow. Lewis had also
served as an assistant under Wings' coaches Jacques Demers and Bryan Murray.
  The team signed prospect defenseman Dmitri Bykov to a one year deal. This kid could crack 
the lineup this year. He's played for Russia's elite league the past few years, as well as 
their national team.

7\12 Mathieu Dandenault signed a one year deal for $1.262 million. Also close to resigning 
are Jiri Fischer and Darren McCarty. Freddie Olausson signed a one year deal with Anaheim.
 The Wings will open their exhibition season September 20 at Dallas and the regular season on
October 10 with a west coast swing beginning in San Jose. Their home opener (and banner 
raising) will be October 17 against Montreal.

7\3 Chris Chelios resigned for two more seasons at around $13 million. Igor larionov is still 
a free agent and there are a handful of group 2's to sign, including Darren McCarty, Ladislav 
Kohn, Jiri Fischer, and Jesse Wallin. There are also a number of prospects who are unsigned. 
Reports say that Freddie Olausson has retired and reterned to Sweden. I've heard this one 
both ways, so don't be surprised if he comes back. There's also rumors that Joey Kocur would 
replace Dave Lewis as a bench assistant if Lewis gets promoted, which should be decided next 
week.

7\2 Curtis Joseph was signed by the Wings today for reportedly three years at $24 million. He 
turned down a three year $26.5 million deal from the Leafs and decided to come to Detroit. 
Toronto in turn signed Ed Belfour. Ken Holland is reportedly agressively chasing Bill Guerin 
and a deal with Chelios seems close.
  Steve Duchesne dumped his agent after all the confusion over whether he would accept the 
$1 million player option on his recently expired contract with the Wings. The story from the 
Detroit News: " DETROIT -- Defenseman Steve Duchesne wants to clear up his last-minute 
change of mind last Thursday, when he went from accepting an option to play for the Red Wings 
next season for $1 million, and instead opted for unrestricted free agency.
   Duchesne sent a fax to local media explaining his decision.
   "I want to clear up the apparent confusion surrounding my contract status due to a 
miscommunication by my now former agent (Pat Brisson) to Mr. (Ken) Holland (Red Wings general 
manager)," Duchesne wrote. "Prior to June 20 and several times thereafter, I instructed my agent 
to tell Mr. Holland I would not exercise my option because I would never force myself on a team 
that did not want me. "If I were to play for the Red Wings I wanted it to be their decision 
because they wanted me, and not because they had to take me due to my option. After the Red 
Wings declined to exercise their option, there were several conversations with Mr. Holland, 
which I assumed were the basis for renegotiating a new contract, and I again emphasized to my 
agent that this was not to be an exercise of my option -- forcing the Red Wings to keep me -- 
but a negotiation for a new contract. "I was utterly stunned to read and hear that I had 
exercised my option, and then later changed my mind and was seeking free agency," Duchesne said. 
"This was definitely not the case. I thought we were negotiating a new contract and at no time 
exercised my option or intended to do so. "Brisson confirmed he'd been fired by Duchesne.
"We agreed it was the best thing to do," said Brisson, a former junior hockey teammate of 
Duchesne's. "We're still friends. We talked the other day. We'll always be friends. This was 
just business. We felt it was best for both of us to do this."
  Holland said late last week he'd like to see what options are available on the free-agent 
market, but wouldn't rule out the possibility of Duchesne returning to the Wings."

7\1 As of today, Chris Chelios, Steve Duchesne, Igor Larionov, Jiri Slegr, and Uwe Krupp are no 
longer Red Wings. Of coarse, that could change at any minute if they choose to resign. It 
should be an interesting few day league wide as players change addresses. The Wings immediate 
needs are in goal, a defenseman if Cheli leaves, and possibly another all star forward.