Woo woo, Friday is here!

⛅ Today's weather: Partly sunny, with a high of 74 and a low of 56.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our member China Aquino!

Situational awareness: Josh Allen and the Bills shredded the Lions' defense last night, dropping Detroit to 1-1 with a 41-31 drubbing in Buffalo.

Today's newsletter is 863 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Has Hockeytown lost its luster?

Why it matters: The Red Wings opened training camp this week after missing the playoffs for a 10th straight season, with questions growing louder about owner Chris Ilitch's stewardship of one of hockey's marquee franchises.

State of play: Detroit's foundation is shaky. The team just named an interim general manager, it has no captain and star Dylan Larkin is returning under unusual circumstances after requesting a trade this offseason.

• The team revealed Wednesday that Larkin suffered an upper-body injury during off-ice training earlier this week.
• There's no timetable for his return, though the Wings hope he can play during the preseason.

The latest: Larkin broke his silence yesterday, saying he doesn't regret requesting a trade but declining to explain what drove him to the decision — or whether the request still stands.

• "There's frustration there. I'm frustrated as well," Larkin said of the fans.

What they're saying: Mike Valenti, one of Detroit sports radio's loudest voices, argued this week on 97.1 The Ticket that Ilitch has presided over the decline of what he called a "Tiffany franchise," akin to the New York Yankees and Boston Celtics.

• "The Wings have the longest playoff drought in the sport, and you're the steward," Valenti said. "You're a part of the problem."

Catch up quick: The Wings' latest season ended with another March collapse and, ultimately, a 41–31–10 record.

• Ilitch then decided to move on from longtime GM Steve Yzerman — but only after Yzerman oversaw the draft and free agency.
• This week, just before training camp, Ilitch named longtime front-office executive Shawn Horcoff interim GM.

The other side: In his first public comments since the offseason upheaval, Ilitch told Detroit News columnist Bob Wojnowski that he has "a clear vision" for the franchise and is taking his time finding the right hockey-operations leader.

Ilitch said the decision to move on from Yzerman came after an organizational review following the spring collapse. By then, he said, the usual GM hiring window had passed and Yzerman's staff had already prepared for the draft and free agency.

What's next: Detroit opens the season Oct. 2.

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Finally, a day that can unite us all — National Cheeseburger Day.

Why it matters: Local burger joints and national chains are offering cheeseburger discounts Friday.

The big picture: Metro Detroit's burger scene is nuanced and ever-evolving, reflecting both our local tastes and national trends.

• We've got bags of sliders, upscale renditions, flat and crispy smash burgers and food trucks with inventive additions like Doritos or bloody mary ingredients.

Burger spots with deals:

• Brome Modern Eatery: $5 super smash burgers for dine-in.
• BurgerFi: Buy a double cheeseburger, get a second for $1.
• Savvy Sliders: Buy a Savvy Original sandwich, get one free.
• Applebee's: $8.99 classic cheeseburger or burger with fries.
• Five Guys: Buy-one-get-one burgers.
• McDonald's: 50-cent double cheeseburgers.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: Buy-one-get-one cheeseburgers.

Flashback: In June, Axios Detroit readers crowned Miller's Bar of Dearborn the winner of our bracket seeking the best Metro Detroit burger.

• It defeated longtime favorite Redcoat Tavern, as well as greasy but delectable Motz's Burgers sliders.

🤔 Polymarket mystery: City officials are investigating how the prediction market platform's logo ended up on an east side water tower that's visible from I-94 near Factory Zero. (Free Press)

🗳️ The Detroit Regional Chamber endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate.

• In the governor's race, the chamber isn't endorsing either Democrat Jocelyn Benson or Republican John James, though it previously endorsed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (Crain's 🔒)

👀 Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who has been looming large in Michigan's U.S. Senate race, appeared on the latest episode of "The Axios Show."

• During the interview, Piker said he believes America conducts more terrorism in the world than al-Qaeda. (Axios)

The Red Hook plans to close its Midtown location after Sept. 26.

Driving the news: The local coffee shop chain announced the news on Instagram yesterday and thanked customers for their patronage.

• "We're proud of what we built here, and even more grateful for the people who made it possible," the post reads.
• Owner Sandi Bache declined to comment on the reason for the closure.

Zoom out: The Red Hook Midtown was open for three years, replacing Great Lakes Coffee.

• Three Red Hook spots remain: downtown Ferndale, the original that opened in 2011; Detroit's West Village neighborhood, opened in 2014; and the "greenway" location near Detroit's east riverfront that opened in 2021.

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Our picks:

☕ Joe assumes another coffee shop is in store for Red Hook's Midtown location. It's always busy when he stops by. The area really needs a work space.

🤔 Annalise is surprised that of the Red Hook locations, that one was the one to close.

Edited by Larry Graham.