HOCKEY'S HERE: DETROIT RED WINGS

It's time to air out your gear, sharpen your skates and tape your stick -- it's hockey season. Sure, your team flat-out ached last season, but there's hope, unless you're an Islanders fan. In that spirit, Out of Left Field is here with early looks at all 30 NHL teams. Presenting: The Detroit Red Wings.

Last season: 124 points, 1st in Central Division; lost to Edmonton in first round of playoffs
Coach: Mike Babcock (second season with team)
Young gun: Jiri Hudler
Store this name away: Valtteri Filppula
Hey, get a load of the new guys: Danny Markov, Dominik Hasek (who's not really new)
Blogs (including but not limited to): On The Wings, Behind the Jersey, Detroit News Red Wings Blog
Pop culture moment: Cameron Frye wearing a Red Wings sweater in Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Hey, Red Wings GM Ken Holland and coach Mike Babcock. See you signed Dominik (The Distraction) Hasek. Have fun baby-sitting your mercurial 41-year-old goalie (42 in January), and make sure he doesn't pull some muscle that sends sportswriters scrambling to Wikipedia to find out where it is and how it's spelled.

Sorry for the withering sarcasm, but it's getting tiresome seeing Detroit up near the top of the Western Conference each season. That isn't likely to change seeing as they have 16 games against two of the suckiest bunches of sucks who ever sucked, Chicago and St. Louis. Most people feel that for the first time since 2000, top spot in the Central might actually go to a team that doesn't sport that iconic winged-wheel crest, but to Nashville. (Never mind that no one can tell what Nashville's crest is supposed to be; some kind of cat, apparently.)

Stevie Y and Shanny are gone, but other than those two and goalie Manny Legace, who wasn't re-signed after an execrable post-season performance in the first-round upset against Edmonton, the Wings are essentially unchanged. It's not even a question of if they're going to have a good regular season. All that matters in Motown is the playoffs, where the Wings have gone out before the conference final in four of the past five seasons.

It's up to Babcock to get the Wings to play with a little more jam, so they don't get pushed around in the playoffs by a lower-seeded team yet again and can win those tight-checking 2-1 games.

Also in Central Division: Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues

Back with more later. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca