The Detroit Red Wings know this script all too well - a midseason break derailing momentum and unraveling playoff hopes. Last year, it was the 4 Nations Face-Off that brought a 15-day pause.
The Wings went into that break sitting eighth in the East. They came out of it flat, stumbling to a 3-7-1 record and watching their postseason dreams vanish in real time.
Fast forward a year, and the team is staring down a 22-day Olympic break - a longer pause, but with a very different mindset. This time, the Red Wings are determined not to let the wheels fall off.
Head coach Todd McLellan isn’t leaning on motivational speeches or historical reminders. In fact, he’s doing the opposite.
“They’ve heard me enough for the first five months of the season,” McLellan said. “They sure don’t need to hear me now when they’re on their break.”
Instead of a lecture, McLellan is trusting his group to come back ready. The plan is simple: take the break, recharge, and hit the ground running when they return on February 17.
For veteran forward Andrew Copp, the break is more about smart recovery than full-on rest. He’s not planning to spend the next two weeks horizontal.
“Some guys will, I’m sure, maybe if they’re more banged up, take a little bit more time,” Copp said. “They’ll do a few workouts on their own or wherever they go. Some guys might skate.”
He made it clear - this isn’t vacation mode.
“I think everyone knows the stakes, so I don’t think anyone’s going on a two-week-long bender in Vegas,” he added. “It’ll be on everyone to take care of themselves and come back ready to go.”
That’s the tone across the locker room. This isn’t just a break - it’s a crucial stretch to get healthy, stay sharp, and set the table for the final push.
For some Red Wings, though, there is no break. Dylan Larkin (USA), Lucas Raymond (Sweden), and Moritz Seider (Germany) are heading to Italy to represent their countries in the Winter Olympics. That’s a different kind of grind, but Larkin - the team captain - still sees the value in the pause for the group as a whole.
“We’ve played a lot of hockey, and you get bumps and bruises and illness,” Larkin said. “You’re going through it. So it is coming at a good time, and I think it’s going to be huge for our team.”
Then there’s Patrick Kane. The last two times the NHL paused for the Olympics, he was wearing red, white, and blue. This time, he’s staying home - and using that time to heal.
“I guess you try to rest your body as much as possible,” Kane said. “We still have like nine or 10 days of practice when we come back, so there’ll be time to get ourselves ready.”
Kane’s dealt with some nagging, fluky injuries this season - nothing major, but enough to throw off rhythm. For him, the break is about getting to 100% and staying there.
“Probably not for the first little bit, but I think I’ll probably be on the ice a few times before we get back,” he said. “Just to kind of get yourself ready.”
The Red Wings aren’t limping into this break like they did last year. They’re sitting third in the Atlantic Division, seven points clear of ninth in the East.
That kind of cushion doesn’t come easy - and it reflects a level of consistency that’s been building since late November. They haven’t gone back-to-back games without a point in over two months.
That’s not just a hot streak - that’s a team finding its identity.
McLellan knows it, too.
“Well, we put ourselves in a real good spot,” he said. “We’ve worked really hard as a team. Every player that’s been in the lineup has given us something on any given night.”
That depth and effort have been the backbone of Detroit’s resurgence. And now, with a mini training camp on the other side of the break, McLellan sees a chance to tighten the screws even more.
“We’ve set ourselves up to have a good mini training camp coming out of the break, and then we control what happens to our hockey club from there on,” he said. “And really, that’s all you can ask for.”
The Red Wings aren’t just hoping for a better post-break stretch - they’re preparing for it. And if they pick up where they left off, they won’t just be in the playoff picture. They’ll be a team no one wants to face come spring.