TROY – The Wings will open training camp Sunday at Compuware Arena. They’ll stay there Wednesday before finishing camp Thursday and Friday at Joe Louis Arena.
“We wanted a place with big locker rooms, wanted a gym in the building or nearby,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “We plan to open it to the public. Compuware made the most sense.”
Detroit will fly out after Friday’s practice for the season opener in St. Louis.
The Wings plan on having 24-27 guys at training camp, depending on health.
“We’re all in the same boat,” Holland said. “We had some players that played in the AHL or Europe. My expectation is that games might be a little rusty early, but they’re going to be great in intensity. I don’t think seeds matter that much. You just want to get in.”
Holland said the team will practice hard all week, but missing out on preseason games could hurt.
“We need scrimmages and preseason games for timing and for coaches to find out their line combinations and defense pairings,” Holland said. “Games will be intensity, playoff-style games.”
