22-year old goaltender officially says his goodbyes to the Detroit Red Wings
Photo credit: Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins
Former Detroit Red Wings prospect Jan Bednar isn't giving up on his dream of playing in the NHL; he's just saying "goodbye" temporarily, as he heads to Finland, as he's suited up for the Grand Rapids Griffins for the last time in 2025.
Jan Bednar had high hopes of making it to the NHL. Instead of doing so, he's been pushed out of the Red Wings depth chart, playing in Toledo with the Walleye's in the ECHL, and given a shot in the AHL.
Despite his best efforts, he couldn't make it to the NHL, as he's been blocked by a deep prospect pipeline that has Trey Augustine, Sebastian Cossa, and now Michal Postava in the wings.
He's accepted his fate and sent a heartfelt goodbye to the team that drafted him and gave him a shot at a professional career in the NHL.
The former 107th overall pick issued his statement to the Red Wings organization, thanking them for extending the olive branch and giving him medical care in a time of need.
«A big thank you goes to the entire Detroit Red Wings organization, who didn't hesitate and immediately took matters into their own hands and arranged everything for me,» Bednar recalled in an interview on the Karlovy Vary website. «I had the best possible medical care that I could get at that moment.
Bednar suffered from an undisclosed injury and underwent surgery that limited him to 13 GP in 2022-23. The Wings stepped up as an organization to take care of their prospect, signing him to an AHL contract with the Griffins.
«So thanks go not only to Toledo, but also to all the people who took care of me there, the doctors, the nurses, and the entire Detroit organization.»
While Bednar signed a contract with the Griffins, he's played a majority of his time in the minors with the Toledo Walleye. He'd only play four games with the Griffins, as the 6-foot-4, 196-pound goalie would take the team to the Kelly Cup.
Now, the former Walleye and Griffins goalie will be heading to Finland in the hopes of rejuvenating his career, catching the eyes of GMs in the NHL.
«I felt like I needed a change, a step forward, so I started talking to my agent,» Bednar said. «Pori was one of the first to call, and we felt like they were the most interested in me, so we finally made an agreement.»
The former goalie finished his ECHL career with a record of 7-5-0, 2.37 GAA, and a.909 save percentage.
His AHL stats are 1-2-0, 2.12 GAA, and a .919 save percentage.
It appears that he doesn't seem to be a bad goalie, but organizational changes and arrivals may have made him the odd man out.
Best of luck to you in Finland, with the Assat Pori.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 20 | 57 ANSWERS 22-year old goaltender officially says his goodbyes to the Detroit Red Wings Do you think goalie Jan Bednar, a former Detroit Red Wings prospect, will find a new home in the NHL in the future? | ||
| Yes | 26 | 45.6 % |
| No | 31 | 54.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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