Photo: Detroit News

Darren Helm isn’t departing from Hockeytown anytime soon.

The Red Wings locked up the 25-year-old forward to a four-year deal worth $8.5 million, it was announced on Tuesday.

Helm, who scored 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 68 games last season with Detroit, was due to become a a restricted free agent on July 1.

Helm struggled with a knee sprain in the last 10 games of the regular season.

After making an appearance in the first game of the playoffs, Helm suffered a lacerated right forearm tendon just a few minutes into the game. Helm is expected to be ready for training camp in September.

“Darren is an important part of our team, and we’re very happy that we’ve reached an agreement,” said general manager Ken Holland. ”He’s one of the fastest skaters in the game, and we love the physical element that he brings. He’s an outstanding penalty killer and the ideal third-line center for us behind Pavel (Datsyuk) and Henrik (Zetterberg).

“We really missed him when he was out of the lineup in March and April.”

Forward Justin Abdelkader and defenseman Kyle Quincey remain the Wings’ other restricted free agents.

It’s another off-day for the Red Wings, who don’t return to action until Wednesday, and I come bearing some good-natured community news. You know, the one that makes you crack a smile just a little bit.

Darren Helm took part in an assembly for Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Detroit Red Wings Foundation where he spoke with kids about the importance of living a healthy life.

According to the official Red Wings twitter feed, Helm told the kids to eat right and exercise, you know, the basics.

But the perhaps the most interesting part came after the assembly where Helm was attempting trick shots with his hockey stick.

The Red Wings captured this video:

Let’s just say I don’t think Helm played basketball in high school. Stick to hockey, Darren.

Photo: NHL

Detroit Red Wings center Darren Helm has been honored as winner of the Carhartt award by the Red Wings coaching staff, reported DetroitRedWings.com on Monday.

The Carhartt award is given to the player that has stood apart from all others as the “Hardest Working Player of the Month.” Helm has certainly earned it and the coaching staff was aware.

Here’s what the Red Wings official site had to say about Helm’s performance:

Helm has always been known for his blazing speed and demonstrated it on the third line at the start of the season. He has also been a key figure on the penalty killing unit the last two seasons.

Recently, with many key Wings’ forwards derailed by injuries – Mike Modano (wrist),Pavel Datsyuk (hand), Dan Cleary (ankle) and Tomas Holmstrom (hand) – and Helm’s value has skyrocketed. He has added an offensive element to his game that could have been spurred by the increase in role.

In January alone, Helm embraced the increase in ice-time by posting nine points in 11 games. He has played in all 50 games this season and now has 22 points, only two behind his career-high of 24 through 75 games in 2009-10. He is the 12th forward recipient of the Carhartt award and the 21st Red Wing overall.

Congrats to Helm on the honor and, I speak for all Red Wings fans when I say, keep it up.

There were a lot of missed opportunities left on the ice for the Detroit Red Wings. Lucky for them the New Jersey Devils shared the same misfortune and Detroit was able to convert a two-goal third period advantage, by clawing their way out, into a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night.

After the Wings and Devils traded first period goals, by Darren Helm and Brian Rolston, it was a scoreless effort into the third period when Valturi Filppula netted what would be the game-winning goal.

Helm’s goal in the first period gave him 11 points in his last 12 games. So what’s ignited this sudden offensive change?

“I’m slowing it down a little bit with my play,” Helm said. “That time I didn’t really have to break through a whole lot of d-men to get that chance. I had a little bit of a chance to slow down and pick my spot.”

The Wings offensive struggles have been obvious and evident over the course of the last couple of months due to injuries to some of their offensive stars, Pavel Datsyuk and Danny Cleary, and they continued against the Devils. There were plenty of opportunities for the Wings to take the lead in the second period but they failed to convert until the third.

Johan Franzen, who nabbed his 200th career point, missed two breakaways but made up for it with an insurance goal late in the third period to seal the win for Detroit.

There was a scary moment in the third period when Patrick Eaves took a stick to the face and was taken to the locker room. It finally gave the Wings a power-play, and an eventual 5-on-3, which they were unable to convert on.

The Wings will now depart for the All-Star break, returning Feb. 2 against Ottawa where Datsyuk and Cleary are expected to make their triumphant return.