DETROIT — Frans Nielsen was Doug Weight’s teammate and locker-room neighbor for three seasons and Nielsen learned a lot from his old teammate/assistant coach. So Nielsen, in his first season as a Red Wing, isn’t surprised to see the Islanders playing well with Weight in charge as interim head coach.
“He has a ton of respect in that room,” Nielsen said before Tuesday’s game. “Everyone knows what he’s done as a player. Even as assistant coach, when he comes in the room, guys look him in the eye, they know what he’s saying is right. They know what kind of guy he is — he’s a guy you really want to play hard for.