Derian Hatcher, left, and Chris Chelios dress for Mechanics practice Tuesday. Kris Draper will begin skating with the minor league team today.Minor league is better than nothing for 3 Wings
Chelios, Hatcher and Draper will join UHL's Mechanics until lockout ends.
Chris Chelios, Derian Hatcher and Kris Draper• Team: Motor City Mechanics
• Arena: Great Lakes Sports City Superior Arena, Fraser
• Tickets: $25 center section; $20 first three rows; $15 fourth row and above and first three rows in end zone; $10 fourth row and above in end zone; $7 general admission
• Information: (866) 997-7825 or (586) 294-8062
Here's what Red Wings players (in alphabetical order) are doing during the lockout.
Chris Chelios: Signed with Motor City Mechanics of UHL.
Mathieu Dandenault: Playing in Italy
Pavel Datsyuk: Playing in Russian League
Kris Draper: Signed with Motor City Mechanics of UHL
Jiri Fischer: Playing in native Czech Republic
Derian Hatcher: Signed with Motor City Mechanics of UHL
Tomas Holmstrom: Playing in the Swedish Elite League
Curtis Joseph: Living in Toronto area
Niklas Kronwall: Playing for Wings' affiliate in Grand Rapids
Robert Lang: Living in Miami area
Manny Legace: Living in Detroit area
Nicklas Lidstrom: Living in Detroit area
Kirk Maltby: Living in Detroit area
Darren McCarty: Touring with his rock band, Grinder
Mark Mowers: Playing in Finland
Jamie Rivers: Playing with AHL Hershey Bears
Mathieu Schneider: Living in Los Angeles area
Brendan Shanahan: Splitting his time between Toronto and Boston
Ray Whitney: Living in Edmonton area
Jason Williams: Playing in Finland
Jason Woolley: Volunteer assistant coach at Michigan State
Steve Yzerman: Living in Detroit area
Henrik Zetterberg: Playing in the Swedish Elite League
Minor league hockey
Are you interested in watching a Motor City Mechanics game now that some Red Wings are joining the UHL team?
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FRASER -- Three Red Wings agreed to return to hockey Tuesday.
But Derian Hatcher, Chris Chelios and Kris Draper won't be earning millionaire salaries playing in the NHL.
They're joining the Motor City Mechanics of the United Hockey League -- a minor league with a $1,000-a-week maximum payday and a $260,000 team salary cap.
"I can tell you we're playing for the love of the game," Draper said. "We miss it, and that's why we're out here. We're able to stay home with our families and play the game."
Hatcher is expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Mechanics play at Flint. Chelios and Draper are expected to play Friday when the Mechanics host Rockford.
"We all grew up watching these guys playing hockey, and no question we're excited about them being here," said Mechanics forward Blair Manning, 29. "It's a challenge for us, also, to bring up our own games."
Hatcher didn't see any irony of joining a league with a salary cap, considering it's the key issue of the NHL's stalled labor negotiations.
"The NHL is the NHL, and revenues are far greater than they are here," Hatcher said. "Right now, there's nowhere else to play. A lot of guys don't want to leave their families and go to Europe.
"This isn't a personal thing against the Red Wings; we want to make that clear. It was just getting a little old skating at Troy (Sports Center in informal workouts)."
The Wings will play all home games. They plan to join their teammates on the bus for road games to Michigan-based teams (Flint, Kalamazoo, Muskegon and Port Huron). They do not plan to travel farther. The 14-team UHL extends as far west as Kansas City, south to Richmond, Va., and east to Elmira, N.Y.
"This is going to be a lot of fun for the fans, for the kids. Hopefully it'll bring up the attendance here," Chelios said. "It's hockey. I can't wait to get it started."
This would have been Hatcher's second year of a five-year, $30 million contract with the Red Wings. Draper signed a four-year deal worth $11.2 million last summer. Chelios is an unrestricted free agent but expects to sign a one-year, $2.3 million contract with the Wings if the lockout is settled.
All three players have obtained personal insurance policies in the event of injury. And all three also will be released from their UHL contracts if the lockout ends.
Hatcher and Chelios practiced with the Mechanics on Tuesday. Draper expected to join in today.
Mechanics management said the team had three roster spots available, and no players will be released.
One change was immediately apparent to everyone around the Mechanics: Used to existing in anonymity, they suddenly were a hot news story.
"It's definitely a big change," said forward David Bonk, 22. "All the cameras ... hopefully, it'll get fans to come out to our games. This is my first year (of pro hockey). It's probably one of the weirder things I've been part of in hockey. But it's interesting, and I don't see how it's going to hurt us."
Goaltender Rod Branch, 29, is looking forward to having NHL all-stars protecting him.
"I've been facing about 40 shots per game, so I'm the happiest guy in this room and the organization next to the owner," Branch said. "These guys may have just cut my work load by a quarter."
The Mechanics also made a coaching change Tuesday.
Detroit native Steve Shannon takes over for Gary Unger, who was promoted to the front office. And former NHL player John Blum was named assistant.
Shannon, 54, has no pro coaching experience. He's coached in Metro Detroit from mini-mite to the Junior A levels for the last 35 years.
"Whatever the coach wants from us, obviously it's a matter of going out and playing hockey," Draper said. "Whatever the coach tells us to do, we're going to buy into the team. Just because we're in the NHL, we're not above anything."
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland had little to say about his players joining the Mechanics.
"I really have no comment," Holland said. "Obviously with the work stoppage, they are free to go wherever they want."
"Just because we're in the NHL, we're not above anything."
You can reach Ted Kulfan at (313) 223-4606.
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