DeBrincat: 'A dream come true' to play for hometown Red Wings
Alex DeBrincat is set to live out every hockey fan's childhood dream and star for his hometown squad.
The Ottawa Senators traded DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, and the 25-year-old subsequently signed a four-year, $31.5-million contract with his new club. He grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan - within a 30-minute drive to Little Caesars Arena and the old Joe Louis Arena.
"It's super exciting," DeBrincat said while sporting a retro Detroit Pistons hat during his introductory media availability Monday. "Obviously, growing up here and rooting for the Red Wings when I was younger, it's definitely a dream come true. I do have to say, I don't think anyone's happier than my parents. It's a full family. Everyone's happy, and it's a good spot for me."
DeBrincat, who was born in 1997, added he has fond memories of watching the Red Wings' last Stanley Cup victory in 2008. His favorite player growing up was Pavel Datsyuk.
"They were just so successful through my whole childhood," DeBrincat said. "It was so fun to watch. That's a big reason why I play the game. To get to that point, that success is definitely a goal of mine, and hopefully, we can be successful here again."
The Red Wings were the class of the NHL for the better part of two decades. They made the playoffs every year between 1991-2016, winning four Stanley Cups during that span.
However, Detroit's fallen on hard times, missing the postseason in each of the last seven campaigns since that streak ended. Adding a two-time 40-goal scorer like DeBrincat is supposed to help get the rebuilding club over the hump.
"Early in my career, (the Red Wings were) deep in the rebuild," DeBrincat said. "And these past couple years, you can see that the compete level has definitely been higher, and you see a team that's maybe frustrated with being in a rebuild and wants to get out.
"I'm excited to be here and kind of join that and hopefully be part of the solution to get out of that. I'm just really excited to join these guys, and I definitely see the potential in this group."
The Red Wings will heavily rely on DeBrincat to help them take the next step. With a cap hit of $7.875 million, he's the team's second-highest paid player behind captain Dylan Larkin.
Detroit ranked 24th in the league in goals last season, so it'll count on DeBrincat for offense. The winger will personally be looking to bounce back after scoring only 27 goals last season - the second-lowest total in his six-year NHL career.