Jeff Petry will have to live up to his father’s reputation in Detroit

Yesterday, Jeff Petry spoke to the Detroit media for the first time. He was very proud to be back home full-time, and relieved that three weeks of uncertainty had come to an end.

Whether it was the aborted deal with the Sharks (he obviously didn’t talk about it again, but we know he said no to a move to California) or his stint with the Habs without really knowing what to expect, Petry was in a state of uncertainty.

And with school starting soon, it’s impossible to imagine that his wife wasn’t too.

All this to say that Petry is, in the end, very grateful to Kent Hughes. The CH DG asked him what he liked best, and he managed to please him for the future.

It’s all to his credit.

I was worried that the wait would tarnish his reputation as a boss who doesn’t listen to his players. That said, when I heard how he treated Petry(who knew a few days ago that he was headed for Detroit), I had to admit that he did things the right way.

Here we go again.

By the way, many (CH) fans who commented on the Red Wings press conference would have liked to see Petry show more respect for Kent Hughes, who was called “the DG of the CH” every time by Petry yesterday.

Anyway. All this to say that, listening to yesterday’s press briefing, more than half the questions were about his father, Dan Petry, rather than about him.

Out of 24 minutes, I’d say the first 12 were about his family, and a few times after that, it was family talk all over again.

That’s not unusual, since Dan Petry was an important figure for the Tigers. He won the 1984 World Series in Michigan, was dominant, came back late in his career and chose to settle in Michigan in retirement.

Today, he works as a game analyst for the Tigers… who, like the Wings, are also controlled by the Illitch family.

All this to say that while it’s only natural that questions about the old man have been asked and many comments about the father have been made by fans, I really feel that for some, this raises expectations.

Why does it do that? Because of his surname.

Whether in sports, politics or any other field, being the “son of” can be tough. And since Petry didn’t have the season of his career in Pittsburgh last year, he’ll have his work cut out for him to pull the Wings up in a competitive division.

Had he been dominant last year, the Penguins would have kept him… and he wouldn’t be on three payrolls right now.

Aside from the fact that both have played in their sport at a high level, Jeff and Dan Petry are not the same. They play a different sport, and while the father can help his son mentally, he can’t help him technically.

If Jeff played baseball, it would be different. You could draw conclusions like people in Toronto do with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr.

But with Petry? Apart from the fact that he’s taking his #46 (which will add to the story… and to the pressure on his shoulders), you can’t compare him with his father the way Detroiters are doing right now.

I don’t blame them. In Michigan, it’s a great story to exploit.

But if people expect Jeff Petry to come along at his age and have the kind of impact his father had – and continues to have – in Detroit, that’s pretty unfair.

He leaves, no baseball pun intended, with one strike against him.

Finally, one of the questions Petry was asked yesterday concerned the trade of his father to the Angels (Anaheim) four days after the birth of the man who is now a member of the Red Wings.

Jeff spent two years of his life in California, where he refused to be traded in recent weeks. And did you know that both his parents grew up in California?

After retirement, Dan Petry moved his family back to Michigan. That’s where Petry started playing field hockey in the winter – and baseball in the summer – because even though his father knew nothing about field hockey, he knew it was big in Michigan.

So he enrolled his son.

That’s when Jeff became a fan of the Red Wings and Tigers, and ultimately chose to continue in field hockey, which turned out to be an excellent decision in the end.

That’s why it’s a bit ironic that Petry turned down a deal in California. I understand that it’s mainly a question of distance for the Michigan-based player, but still.

In bursts

– Yes.

– Will Shane Wright play in the NHL this year?[BPM Sports]

– AJ Greer wants to stay in Boston. [BPM Sports]

– Great finish to the game.