3 Questions About The Red Wings With J.J. From Winging It In Motown

1. Starting next year, courtesy of the NHL realignment, the Wings are going to be back in the Eastern Conference. How are excited is the fan base with the prospect of getting more sleep next season? Beating up on the Leafs and Habs more? Taking winter trips to Florida to watch the Wings play divisional opponents?

The fan base is mostly happy to not have nearly as many games start at 10:00 in the Wings' time zone. There's a large contingent of western Wings fans who would have preferred Detroit stay in the Conference they legitimized, but the team has wanted to move back East since before the conference was stable enough to live without them. Getting to beat up on the Leafs and Habs should be a lot of fun, but I'm not looking forward to the added meatheadedness of being in a division with the Bruins and how that's going to inevitably lead to cries for the team to add completely worthless hockey players to "toughen up" the squad.

2. How did it feel being Ryan Suter's backup plan?

I thought so strongly that he was in the bag that I even made a bet with a Blues fan that it would happen. Throwing logic out the window, I've chosen to blame Zach Parise for screwing up what I now feel no doubt would have been Suter's joining the Wings. Either way, I'm over it. He looks like that Rube kid from Major League 2 and I'm fairly certain he recites facts from Playboys to keep him from accidentally passing the puck to the other team.

3. Two years ago it was Brian Rafalski bowing out. Last year it was Lidstrom and Holmstrom retiring. Who's next on the list this year and why?

Ken Holland used to joke and say that when Lidstrom was done, so was he. Since there really isn't another guy who fits the surprise age retirement scenario until Datsyuk's contract is up after next season, I'm going to guess that Holland steps down after growing tired of taking shit from Wings fans who have never seen the team miss the playoffs.