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Detroit Red Wings goalie Ville Husso is healthy and ready to contribute to the victory again

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Detroit Red Wings goalie Ville Husso is healthy and ready to contribute to the victory again

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TRAVERSE CITY — Ville Husso can't stop talking about how healthy he feels, which is understandable. The Detroit Red Wings goaltender has endured a challenging year, and the upcoming testing season is a most welcome sight.

“It's always tough not playing, especially last year – that second injury, you just want to get out there and then you're not ready,” Husso said Saturday. “At least I have a little more time this summer. I've been training and I feel good now and I'm looking forward to playing some preseason games.”

Husso, 29, was only able to play 19 games in the 2023-24 season, sidelined first by a lower-body injury in mid-December and then again when attempting a comeback in mid-February. He now competes for minutes with last season's hero Alex Lyon and rookie Cam Talbot.

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“The most important thing is to be healthy,” said Husso. “No more injuries. Then it's just a matter of fighting. We all have a good competition and I think this is a good situation for all of us – we compete and encourage each other to get better every day.”

Husso and Lyon are both in the final years of their contracts; Talbot is entering the first year of a two-year deal. Lyon rose from third to starter last season, but when asked about the goalkeeping depth chart, coach Derek Lalonde described it as “a real fresh start.”

“In the last two years, all three goalkeepers – Ville, Cam and Alex – have had really good phases and proved that they can win in this league,” said Lalonde. “We will wait for one who can improve.”

The Wings also used the free agent opportunity to sign Jack Campbell, a former NHL starter who is now scheduled to play for the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Lalonde said that in eight friendlies, Husso will play at least one full game and some halves.

Playing three goalies is not without its challenges – not least for the roster. If the Wings also have to play eight defensemen, that leaves room for only 12 forwards – but the Wings managed it early last season when they had Husso, Lyon and James Reimer all healthy.

“You have to do something special after training and stay as fit as possible,” Husso said. “Alex and I went through that last year, so it's just a case of whatever you need to do for yourself, maybe after training. It's a good competition for all of us.”

“The most important thing for us is to help the team win games. We just have to live day by day and not think about it too much.”

Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.

Read more about the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings NewsletterHer latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings: A Curated History of the Red Wings,” will be published in October 2024. Her books “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies are available via email.

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