from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

...The rookie defenseman had been struggling in his own zone but was shocked when coach Jeff Blashill scratched him against the Canucks, knowing it was a special game for Cholowski and his family.

“The past few games I had made a few mistakes and I was like, ‘I got to pick my game up a little bit,’ but I didn’t expect it,” Cholowski said.

“Big wake-up call, eye-opener, however you want to call it. It was tough, but I think it only made me better and stronger. I came back this year with a good attitude and a positive mindset.”

Cholowski’s much-anticipated homecoming will happen Tuesday when the Red Wings face the Canucks at Rogers Arena (10 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit) in the start of a three-game Western Canada trip.

His parents, brother, other family and friends will attend.

“It’s huge,” Cholowski said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun; it’s going to be a big game. Being able to skate on that ice against the team I grew up watching will be pretty cool for sure.”

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