There’s not an official stat on this — that I know of — but the Kings probably lead the league in Michigan natives, so this is, in a sense, a homecoming for the Kings. Alec Martinez is a native of Rochester Hills — 25 miles north of Detroit — and will be playing in his home state in the NHL for the first time tonight. Ironically, though, three of his first 12 NHL games will have been against the Red Wings. Matt Greene is a native of Grand Ledge (roughly 100 miles northwest of Detroit) and Jack Johnson was born in Indianapolis but grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (28 miles northwest of Detroit). Then there’s Scott Parse, who is injured but is a native of Portage (140 miles west of Detroit). Greene said he might have some friends at the game, but perhaps not, given the weather and the way the roads look today. The Red Wings have three Michigan natives — Justin Abdelkader, Brian Rafalski and the injured Mike Modano — on their roster.
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