The Detroit Red Wings added some veteran depth on their blueline, acquiring Jeff Petry from the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Petry may not have been an obvious target for the Red Wings. However, the deal represents a full-circle moment for the 35-year-old veteran.
Petry is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, making him the second notable Michigan native to join the team this summer. Farmington Hills native Alex DeBrincat also joined via trade with the Ottawa Senators in July. However, Jeff Petry has a bit of a deeper connection to the Detroit sports world.
Jeff's father, Dan, pitched for the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball. He spent 11 years in the Motor City, pitching to a 3.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 957 strikeouts in 306 games. The right-hander also won the World Series with Detroit in 1984.
Dan Petry is still around in the baseball world, working as an analyst for Bally Sports Detroit. And when the news broke of Jeff's trade on Tuesday, Dan shared a rather heartfelt reaction with the world.
“You get a chance to watch your son play for the team that he grew up idolizing, with, of course, that iconic jersey,” Dan Petry said, via Bally Sports Detroit. “It's going to be very, very special. Hopefully I can get to a lot of games.”
Along with the trade, the Red Wings also announced Jeff Petry's jersey number. The 35-year-old defenseman will take the ice with the number 46 on his back. Dan Petry wore that same number for most of his 13-year career.
This is not Jeff Petry's first trade this summer, either. The Canadiens acquired the veteran defenseman from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a three-team trade with the San Jose Sharks involving superstar Erik Karlsson.
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