Detroit's Pat Verbeek, left, chases the Dallas player who took his No. 16, Brett Hull.

Verbeek, and unrestricted free agent, was a member of the Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars last season. With Detroit, he will begin his 18th season in the NHL.

Verbeek made his debut in a Red Wings uniform Wednesday night at Dallas, but didn't register a point in Detroit's 4-2 victory.

"I don't do much talking out on the ice. When I put on the sweater I'm all business," Verbeek said. "So there wasn't much talking out there among ex-teammates."

Verbeek played on a line with center Igor Larionov and left wing Slava Kozlov but did not figure in the scoring.

"It was good for him to get this out of the way," Detroit coach Scotty Bowmwan said. "Because we signed him this afternoon, there was no circus atmosphere or huge buildup about him returning to this building. So I think it was real good for him to get in here as quick as he did."

"You learn to hate those guys, and now you have to be best buddies and pals with guys you used to hate," said Verbeek. "It's a unique situation."

In 1,225 games with Dallas, the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers and New Jersey Devils, the feisty Verbeek has 478 goals and 487 assists for 965 points to go with 2,665 penalty minutes. He has added 23 goals and 35 assists in 103 playoff games with 217 penalty minutes.

Last season, his third with the Stars, Verbeek appeared in 78 games and had 17 goals and 17 assists. He added three goals and four assists in 18 playoff game en route to his first Stanley Cup.

"It's a very good situation for him, and I hope he succeeds in Detroit," Stars center Mike Modano said. "He's playing for a very successful team and he now has an opportunity to do for them what he did for us last year."

The two-time All-Star and five-time 40-goal scorer started his career in New Jersey, where he played seven seasons, and played 5½ seasons with the Whalers before going to the Rangers.

Detroit is coping with hernia injuries suffered by forwards Kirk Maltby, Brent Gilchrist and Joey Kocur.

Also, forward Brendan Shanahan was slapped with a two-game suspension Tuesday for an attempt to injure, in a stick-swinging fight with Tampa Bay's Darcy Tucker during the Red Wings' 3-2 loss Sunday.

The Red Wings have recalled Marc Rodgers from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League to fill in for Shanahan. In eight games with Manitoba, Rodgers has a goal, four assists and 13 penalty minutes.