Detroit City Wire

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- In the Detroit Red Wings’ latest effort to make a difference off the ice, all 24 members of their 2024 NHL Prospect Games roster visited Central Grade School to host a ball hockey clinic on Monday morning.

Approximately 40 students participated in the event, learning basic elements of hockey such as stickhandling, passing, and shooting at rotating stations led by the Red Wings prospects and several Ilitch Sports + Entertainment Community Impact colleagues.

Defenseman Shai Buium expressed his enjoyment in teaching the game of hockey to the students. “It’s really cool,” Buium told DetroitRedWings.com. “Growing up in San Diego, I really didn’t get any of this. We didn’t have NHL prospects come and teach us how to play hockey, so it’s pretty special to be able to do this with the kids.”

The clinic provided benefits not only for the Central Grade School students but also for the Red Wings prospects by allowing them to give back meaningfully together. “It’s pretty cool how fast you build relationships with these guys,” Buium said. “When you’re playing hockey games, then you get away from the rink to hang out and do stuff like this, you get to know guys a little more.”

During the visit, forward Nate Danielson helped unveil a Red Wings-themed Little Free Library donated to the school by the Detroit Red Wings Foundation through the Red Wings for Reading Program. This literary initiative encourages students in K-5 classrooms across Michigan to spend more time reading.

Danielson read "Dino-Hockey" – a book by Michigan-based author Lisa Wheeler – to a group of first graders before answering their questions. The Q&A session included questions about his favorite color, why he likes playing hockey, if he has ever done a backflip, and more.

“It’s cool to do things like this and try to give back,” Danielson said. “Especially from being a young hockey player and knowing how much it means to some of these kids.”

To conclude Monday’s event, the prospects gifted multiple sets of new equipment to encourage students to keep playing hockey and maintain a healthy lifestyle. “That’s what it’s all about: inspiring kids to get into the game, grow and love hockey,” Buium said. “It’s a special sport to play.”