Wes Walz

[hitman9172]

The name Wes Walz always reminds me of that pesky early 2000’s Minnesota Wild team that bounced the Canucks from the playoffs in ‘03.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

I actually stumbled upon an interesting tidbit regarding Walz while reading some old Red Wings newspaper articles and figured it fit in this thread.

He signed with the Red Wings in the 1995 offseason, but didn't make the team out of camp. He cleared waivers and went to Adirondack, but left the team in January. He went home and sat out demanding a trade, which prompted the Wings to suspend him until they lifted it after the trade deadline and recalled him for depth. He skated in two games and then went to Europe.

Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan on January 31, 1996 · Page 7


Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan on March 23, 1996 · Page 10


I wonder if what unfolded that year in Detroit and Adirondack gave him a reputation around the league which dried up NHL interest until Doug Risebrough (who was the Flames GM when Walz played there) started building the Wild's inaugural roster.

wow, i find it really surprising that a young guy who was allowed to become an unrestricted free agent twice in the previous three years would think he had any right to icetime on a 130 point team with yzerman, fedorov, larionov, and primeau at center. looks like he was battling with draper and tim taylor for a bottom of the lineup role and they both edged him out of the lineup.

wonder who his agent was, both to put it in his head that he had any say over anything on a team like that and to give him the impression that the red wings had promised him a regular spot in the lineup?