After 40 incredible years in the radio booth, longtime Red Wings analyst Paul Woods officially retired at the end of last season, leaving a huge hole as the team unveiled its 2026-27 TV and radio broadcast plans this past Friday, Sept. 18. But wait, there’s a wilder bombshell dropping for fans: You’ll be able to stream Red Wings games through the MLB.TV app. Seriously, you read that right.
New Voices and Familiar Calls
With Woods stepping away, the Red Wings are shaking things up on the airwaves. They’re going with a rotation model for radio analysis, a move the Tigers have been doing for ages. Larry Murphy and Chris Osgood are set to work alongside play-by-play veteran Ken Kal. And get this, former Wings enforcer Stu Grimson is also jumping into the radio analysis mix. He’ll even be the backup analyst for TV broadcasts when Mickey Redmond can’t make it. Murphy and Osgood aren’t just radio guys, though. They’ll still hit the TV screens for pregame, postgame, and intermission coverage, sometimes even pulling double duty doing both radio and TV on the same day. Over on the TV side, Ken Daniels is back for play-by-play, keeping that familiar voice going. Oh, and good news for traditionalists: 97.1 The Ticket is still the flagship radio station. They just re-signed that deal!
Detroit SportsNet and the Streaming Revolution
The biggest platform shift sees local television broadcasts moving to Detroit SportsNet this season, linking up with the Tigers after FanDuel Sports Detroit dissolved. This means one subscription, monthly or annually, gets you access to both teams’ games. But the real curveball? That unique partnership with Major League Baseball means Red Wings games will be available to stream through the MLB.TV app, chilling under their own tab. Talk about innovation! Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports & Entertainment, is hyped, saying they focused on giving fans access “however they want to watch,” whether that’s on TV or a “reliable streaming platform.” Daniella Bruce, Logan Reever, and Trevor Thompson are all on board as TV reporters. Thompson will even call two preseason games on the radio. Most of the TV production crew is returning too, with Ilitch Sports & Entertainment taking control of the broadcasts, just like they did with the Tigers earlier in 2026.
This whole new broadcast era kicks off with the Red Wings’ first preseason game Monday at Columbus. Then, it’s game on for the regular season Friday, Oct. 2, when they host the New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena. Better get those subscriptions figured out, because hockey’s coming at you from some wild new places!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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