Red Wings Move Development Camp From TC To Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings will host their annual development camp in Detroit instead of Traverse City this year - though the team's training camp and prospect tournament will remain at TC's Centre Ice Arena.

The Red Wings announced Thursday that the development camp will take place at the BELFOR Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena in Detroit this year. The camp runs June 26-30 and features on-ice skill development and off-ice workouts each day, including a scrimmage on June 30. The camp will be split into two sides, Team Howe and Team Lindsay, and will feature daily on-ice instruction and skill development from a team of coaches, led by the Grand Rapids Griffins coaching staff and the Red Wings player development staff.

"Attendees will also take part in NHL-level off-ice workouts and attend classes designed to help players transition to professional hockey, while experiencing the state-of-the-art player amenities offered at Little Caesars Arena and receiving feedback from Red Wings coaches and management," according to a team press release. Tickets are available for free online here using promo code "PUBLIC."

Centre Ice Arena committed to spending nearly a quarter-million dollars to upgrade its facility in order to meet new National Hockey League (NHL) safety requirements and keep the Detroit Red Wings training camp and prospect tournament in Traverse City. But Centre Ice Executive Director Terry Marchand says the arena knew the Red Wings would not return this year for the development camp, saying the announcement was "no surprise."

"The agreement that we made (in exchange for facility upgrades) was five years for the prospect tournament in September and then three years at least for the Detroit Red Wings training camp," says Marchand. "It just sure won't be the same (holding the development camp in Detroit) as holding it in Traverse City, I can tell you that."