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DARREN HELM
Darren Helm
Position: Left wing
Shoots: Left
Vitals: 6'0'' / 182 lbs.
Birthdate: January 21, 1987
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Acquired: Detroit's fifth choice (132nd overall) in the 2005 draft
CSS Ranking: Not ranked
Contract: 2010
RWC Says: Two-way forward

STORIES

PHOTOS
             

AWARDS
  • 2005-06 WHL Eastern Conference first-team all-star
  • 2005-06 Team WHL (ADT Canada-Russia Challenge)
  • 2006-07 WHL Eastern Conference second-team all-star
  • 2006-07 Team WHL (ADT Canada-Russia Challenge)
  • 2006-07 The Hockey News Future Watch (NHL's 72nd-best prospect)

HISTORY
2003-04:
  • Led Manitoba Junior B Hockey League in scoring with Selkirk Fishermen (34-39-32-73).
2004-05:
  • Didn't produce much in WHL rookie season with Medicine Hat (72-10-14-24).
  • Often matched up against opposition top lines, and had outstanding playoff (13-2-6-8).
  • Picked in the fourth round (132nd overall) by the Red Wings in the NHL draft in July.
2005-06:
  • Had outstanding breakthrough campaign, leading Medicine Hat in scoring (70-41-38-79).
  • Finished eighth in the WHL scoring race and was fifth in goals.
  • Medicine Hat won WHL regular-season title with 47-16-9 record for 103 points.
  • Medicine Hat swept opening two rounds of WHL playoffs, but lost 4-1 in semifinals to Moose Jaw.
  • Production dipped in playoffs (13-5-4-9, seventh on team).
2006-07:
  • Signed three-year entry-level contract with Detroit on Sept. 27 following training camp.
  • Returned to WHL with Medicine Hat and finished second in team scoring (59-25-39-64).
  • Assistant captain tied for third in WHL with plus-32 rating and went 2-for-2 on shootouts.
  • Won gold with Canada at world junior championship in second- and third-line role (6-2-0-2).
  • Led Medicine Hat to 52-17-3-0 regular-season record, second in WHL.
  • Helped Medicine Hat go 16-7 in playoffs en route to WHL title.
  • Led team and finished second in WHL in playoff scoring (23-10-12-22, plus-8).
  • Tied for first in WHL with four game-winners and led league with three shorthanded goals.
  • Scored lone goal in Memorial Cup final as Medicine Hat lost 3-1 to host Vancouver.
2007-08:
  • Missed most of training camp with shoulder injury, which he admitted "took the wind out of" him.
  • Assigned to AHL's Grand Rapids and played well early, but production was slow to follow (41-5-5-10).
  • Exploded in second half, lighting it up from January on (26-11-11-22).
  • Finished with 16 goals, 31 points, a minus-13 and 181 shots in 67 games.
  • Earned seven-game NHL call-up in March (7-0-0-0, seven minutes per game).
  • Played his way onto Detroit's playoff roster with strong performances.
  • Served as fourth-line center for Detroit en route to Stanley Cup (18-2-2-4).
2008-09
  • Performed well with Detroit in NHL pre-season (6-0-3-3, plus-1, 15 shots).
  • Roster depth, salary cap and waiver-exempt status resulted in demotion to AHL's Grand Rapids.
  • Played well all season in Grand Rapids, producing at a 53-point pace (55-13-24-37).
  • Impressed during several NHL call-ups (16-0-1-1).
  • Cracked Detroit's playoff roster after injuries to Kris Draper and Tomas Kopecky.
  • Averaged 12 minutes, won 51.5 percent of faceoffs, and scored a handful of huge goals (23-4-1-5).
  • Made his presence felt in a big way, leading the NHL playoffs in hits with 118 in 23 games.

SCOUT COMMENTS
"If I would compare him to a Red Wing, he's in the Kris Draper mold, with a little more offensive upside." — Grand Rapids Griffins general manager Bob McNamara (January 2008) ... "The first time we called him up, I was scared to play him and he was scared to play. Then when we called him up again he played really, really well. Now, in the playoffs, he's a player that can play against anybody. He's flat-out fast. He's gritty. Finishes checks. Smart. Good defensively. Good in the faceoff circle. A real good player. I mean, I think he's an NHL player." — Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock (May 2008, Detroit Free Press) ... "I think Helm's an NHL player. Every time he's on the ice, something happens. He's an elite skater; he's got good hockey sense." — Babcock (September 2008).

STRENGTHS
Blazing-fast skating ability ... Uses speed to generate chances off the rush ... Can beat defensemen to the outside ... Surprising hands and can finish on a breakaway ... 1-on-1 ability is underrated ... Tenacious forechecker ... Tireless worker and fan favourite ... Generates surprising power to deliver big, highlight-reel hits, despite small stature ... Versatile, capable of playing center or wing ... Great two-way instincts ... Matches up against opponent's top scorers ... Terrific penalty killer.

WEAKNESSES
Could stand to simplify his offensive game and not try to do too much ... Small stature makes him an injury risk a la Mike Peca because of the intense physical game he plays ... Still unclear whether he has the hands to be more than a third-line NHLer.

PROJECTION
The Red Wings made a shrewd mid-round pick with Helm, grabbing him 132nd overall in the 2005 draft. It was unfathomable that he was not in the NHL to start 2008-09, but he made up for lost time after being called up for the playoffs, moving onto the Red Wings' top three lines and leading the league in hits by a wide margin. He's a lock to be on Detroit's opening-day roster in 2009-10.

STATISTICS
  REGULAR SEASON PLAYOFFS
SEASON TEAM LEAGUE GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PTS PIM
2003-04 Selkirk Man. Jr. B 34 32 39 72 -- -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 Medicine Hat WHL 72 10 14 24 27 13 2 6 8 10
2005-06 Medicine Hat WHL 70 41 38 79 37 13 5 4 9 2
2006-07 Medicine Hat WHL 59 25 39 64 53 23 10 12 22 10
    Memorial Cup 4 2 0 2 0 -- -- -- -- --
  Canada W-U20 6 2 0 2 10 -- -- -- -- --
2007-08 Grand Rapids AHL 67 16 15 31 30 -- -- -- -- --
  Detroit NHL 7 0 0 0 2 18 2 2 4 2
2008-09 Grand Rapids AHL 55 13 24 37 24 -- -- -- -- --
  Detroit NHL 16 0 1 1 4 23 4 1 5 4

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The next wave

RWC's top 10 prospects (2009-10 preliminary)
01 F Tomas Tatar » Grand Rapids (AHL)
02 D Jakub Kindl » Grand Rapids (AHL)
03 D Brendan Smith » Wisconsin (NCAA)
04 G Thomas McCollum » Grand Rapids (AHL)
05 F Gustav Nyquist » Maine (NCAA)
06 F Landon Ferraro » Red Deer (WHL)
07 F Jan Mursak » Grand Rapids (AHL)
08 F Cory Emmerton » Grand Rapids (AHL)
09 F Joakim Andersson » Frolunda (SEL)
10 F Mattias Ritola » Grand Rapids (AHL)
» COMPLETE RANKING »