By @MichaelCaples –
DETROIT – Every summer, a select few Michigan natives receive invitations to attend the Detroit Red Wings Development Camp as free-agent invitees.
How much can that opportunity mean to hockey families living in the heart of Hockeytown?
Fenton native Drew DeRidder said his dad choked up when he called to tell him about his invitation to the 2019 edition of the development camp.
“I called my dad and he started crying,” DeRidder told MIHockey. “They’re proud of me too, it’s awesome for the whole family to be able to get it in on it.”
For the Michigan State sophomore-to-be goaltender and USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program alum, it started with a phone call from an unknown number while DeRidder was getting ready for an Eastside Elite summer league game. Turns out it was Red Wings goaltending coach Jeff Salajko.
“Coach Sal called me one day as I was waiting to play in our Eastside game, I was just sitting in the parking lot of Mt. Clemens and he gave me a call. I didn’t recognize the number, so I was like, ok, I guess I’ll answer this…’Hello? This is Drew.’ He said, ‘Hey Drew, this is Coach Sal here from the Red Wings.’
“That kind of opens your eyes.”
Following his first on-ice sessions of camp, DeRidder said that putting on a Red Wings jersey and skating with the Wings’ staff was surreal.
“This is awesome, this is a dream of mine,” the netminder said. “I grew up a Red Wings fan, I grew up coming to the games, I’ve always dreamt of this and it’s coming true. It’s a great opportunity and I just have to take advantage of it.”
DeRidder said that while he’s in front of the Wings’ staff, he wants to show he’s capable of a professional hockey career.
“I just want to prove to myself and everyone else that I deserve to be here,” the 5-foot-10, 167-pound goaltender said. “I guess that’s kind of my goal, and I thought today was a good start.”
Helping him navigate the crease this week are a few familiar faces, notably fellow Michigan-born goaltender Robbie Beydoun (more on that later) and former Michigan State teammate Taro Hirose, who signed with the Red Wings at the conclusion of the college hockey season.
“I have,” DeRidder said when asked if he crossed paths with the former Hobey Baker candidate. “I met up with him a little bit last night, that’s nice, it’s good to have a guy that you know pretty well here.”
He’s rather familiar with one of the lead instructors at the camp, as well, as Red Wings player development consultant Brandon Naurato was leading portions of the on-ice training sessions. DeRidder is an alum of the Total Package Hockey Detroit Center of Excellence, which Naurato founded in 2012.
“That’s always fun,” DeRidder said of getting on the ice with his former coach/mentor. “He told me today, he was like, ‘Hey make sure you’re not in the net while I’m demoing drills, I don’t want to make you feel too bad.’ It’s awesome.”
The DRWDC is the second major off-season event for DeRidder, after he attended the World Junior Goaltending Camp in Plymouth from May 16-19. The Spartans’ netminder says it’s all helping him get ready for his sophomore season at the collegiate ranks.
“Oh yeah, it’ll be a good year,” DeRidder said. “It’s been a good summer for me so far and I’m just training to hopefully be ‘the guy’ – for the next three years I see some good things in our future, it’ll be good to get our new locker room, we just got approved for the renovation so that will be good and the upcoming year, we’ve got some good kids coming in. All the returners are really improving, I really think it will be a good year.”