Inside the Article:
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, who became the first Red Wings player since the mid-1960s to earn the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie, decided to continue playing after Detroit's regular season schedule was over by representing his native Germany in the IIHF World Championship, eventually helping them earn the silver medal – the country's first medal win since 1953.
Moritz Seider earned high marks from Derek Lalonde
For Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde, who was an assistant with Team USA, he had nothing but incredible things to say about Seider's play during the tournament, during which he played in 10 games while scoring a goal and adding four assists.
“I watched plenty of Mo throughout the tournament,” Lalonde said. “He was controlling the game. He managed his game extremely well, and it wasn’t about points. He was efficient with his game. It was good to see.”
“You could see maturity in his game. You saw a mature Mo Seider in that tournament. In years prior he might have tried to do a little more, or try to force things, but he has really matured as a player, which is exciting got to see.”
Seider had initially decided against playing in the tournament before a change of heart.
“Mo was not going to play,” Lalonde said. “And then Mo visited the locker room and saw the guys, and the juices got flowing and he asked Germany if he could play. They made a very smart decision in saying yes. He caught them the very last practice. I don’t know if he even had a practice prior to us scrimmaging them in the exhibition game. I thought that spoke volumes.”
Wrapping It Up: Both Seider and Lalonde need to be at their best next season for Detroit
Seider is clearly the No. 1 defenseman on the Red Wings, while Lalonde was hired from the Tampa Bay Lightning by Steve Yzerman thanks to his vast championship and postseason experience.
Detroit fans are hoping that both men can help pave the way to Detroit's first postseason appearance next spring, which would be the first since 2016.
