GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Jeff Blashill may be no stranger to being a head coach, but he will be in the professional spotlight like never before as the first-year coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, who may be the closest thing to an NHL team this season.

Blashill, 38, a former head coach at Western Michigan and an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings last season, is in the middle of his first week of practice with the Griffins.

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The team scrimmages Friday, plays Lake Erie on Saturday (in Toledo) and Sunday (in Ann Arbor) in preseason games before the season opens with back-to-back home games Oct. 12-13 at Van Andel.

Blashill sat down for a question-and-answer session to talk about the season ahead:

Your former coach Mike Babcock said you need to put your own stamp on this team. In what ways will we be able to know this is your team?

You were in charge of the Red Wings power play last season and it went from top 10 to 22nd. How do you aim to improve that this season with the Griffins?

How do you handle coaching responsibilities? In other words, what will you do and what is assistant coach Jim Paek’s responsibility?

It’s been noted several times about the Griffins’ conditioning, or lack of conditioning, at the end of games. How is the conditioning handled, and have you taken any steps to change it from what was in place last season?

With the NHL lockout, how has that changed camp, and how much influence and instruction do you receive from the Red Wings because of it.

The goaltending struggled most of last season, and some of the blame went to the goalies, and some to the lack of physical play of the defense. So will the Griffins take on a more physical presence or be more puck possessive like the Red Wings are known for?

Will there be more of an emphasis on physical play from the defense then?

Speaking of the goalies, you have two veterans in Jordan Pearce and Thomas McCollum and a touted newcomer in Petr Mrazek. Do you want to have one distinguish themself as a favorite, or are you willing to rotate?

Name the two most intriguing players on the roster?

How do you handle the development of players like a Gustav Nyquist and a Brendan Smith, both once likely to start the season in Detroit?

How do you define success for the Griffins this season?

“I won’t look long term and discuss that. But we want to win a Calder Cup championship, and I won’t shy away from that. I also know that’s a long hard road to get there, and that’s a daily process. We will look at getting better every single day.”

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