Red Wings Broadcaster Leads Talk On Opioid Crisis

NOVI, MI — On Wednesday, Detroit Red Wings TV broadcaster Ken Daniels will lead a discussion on the nation's opioid crisis. The epidemic has touched his family — Daniels' son, Jamie, died in 2016 of an overdose.

He will be joined by Red Wings' physician Dr. Tony Colucci at Novi High School, where they will host a presentation on today’s opioid crisis in America. An estimated 500-plus guests are expected to attend the free presentation followed by a question-and-answer session about opioid addiction and the dangers of over-prescribing pain medications. The presentation – inside the high school's Fuerst Auditorium – starts at 6 p.m.

Daniels, in his 21st season with the National Hockey League team, has released a new book, "If These Walls Could Talk: Detroit Red Wings," and he's using the tour to help families prevent the same heartbreak he's felt since last year when Jamie died of an opioid overdose.

Jamie Daniels went to Florida to get help with an opioid addiction linked to painkillers he received after his wisdom teeth were pulled. Innocent enough. But the innocence vanished when a police officer knocked on the front door of Ken's Detroit area home last December.

Every parent needs to hear Ken's devastating story about addiction, because what happened to Jamie can happen to anybody, especially the most impressionable – teenagers and young adults.

Dr. Colucci is a board certified emergency room physician. He has been the Red Wings' team physician since 1989, and he's also an active member of the NHL Team Physician Society serving on several committees.

As the medical director of the Henry Ford Macomb emergency room and a Families Against Narcotics (FAN) member, Dr. Colucci believes doctors must restrict opioids for extreme pain that accompanies an injury or surgery for 48 to 72 hours. After that, non-narcotic painkillers can be used.

He is also the medical director for the Paramedic Program at Macomb County Community College, and is involved in the education and development of ER residents and paramedic students.

As a staff member of the Detroit Medical Center Sports Medicine Team, Dr. Colucci interacts with the Fellows in Sports Medicine during their training and education. He is an Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) instructor at Michigan State University and participates annually in the certification and re-certification of health care providers.

Signed copies of Ken's new book will be available for $20 (cash only). Note: $3 of each book sold will go to the Novi Athletic Boosters.

Seen here interviewing Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood in 2008, Ken Daniels will share his story with Novi residents on Wednesday

Photo by Dave Sandford / Stringer / Getty Images News