Alexey Marchenko talks ankle surgery, Red Wings experience

By Nick Barnowski –

TRAVERSE CITY – One week after having screws removed from his ankle, Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Alexey Marchenko returned to the ice at Detroit Red Wings development camp.

The promising Red Wings prospect had offseason surgery on his ankle and voluntarily reported to camp this past weekend in Traverse City. He said that the ankle is recovering well.

“It’s feeling better and better,” Marchenko said. “I think it should be good in a couple of weeks for sure.”

Although he did not participate in a full practice during the camp, the 6-foot-2 defenseman skated on his own Sunday morning. He did some basic skating drills and helped warmup the goalies with shots prior to practice.

“The first skate was rough a little bit,” he said. “Today’s way better than yesterday.”

The Moscow, Russia, native, is vying for a spot on the Red Wings this upcoming season. He excelled with the Griffins in his North American professional debut last year. Marchenko earned a spot in the AHL All-Star Game and had 18 points in 49 games.

February surgery to repair a high ankle sprain ended his season early.

“I think it was okay before the injury,” he said of his season. “It was a good experience to get ready for the NHL. We had a great team and great guys around so it helps a lot.”

Marchenko played in one NHL game this past season, a 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars in January, and said that the experience helped him get a taste of what it takes to play in the NHL. He went on a road trip with the team and Niklas Kronwall even took him to the gym after the game and helped him work out.

“I’ve seen how the guys get ready for the game, how they work out,” the 22-year-old said. “It’s a good experience to see how the guys work out during the season. I got back to [Grand Rapids] and did the same stuff.

With Detroit’s defense still not set in stone heading into the 2014-15 season, Marchenko is willing to put in the work required to make the team.

“The point is to make the Red Wings,” he said. “I just want to get my skating back and improve it as much as I can. I have to do my best. Just be good in every practice, every drill, every shot, put everything in it that I can.”