Detroit Red Wings organization signs defenseman from Thailand to a one-year deal

While all eyes are on the Detroit Red Wings ahead of their Centennial season, their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, will also celebrate an important milestone as the 2025-26 season will be their thirtieth in the league.

Ahead of what promises to be an exciting and historic season on all the different levels of the Red Wings organization, the Griffins announced an interesting acquisition on the blue line.

The Griffins' general manager Shawn Horcoff revealed that he signed the 24-year-old defenseman from Thailand Alex Kannok Leipert to a one-year AHL deal:

The six-foot, 200 lbs defenseman spent the last four years in the AHL, with the Abbotsford Canucks and the Bakersfield Condors.

Drafted by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round back in 2018, he spent his first three seasons with the Abbotsford Canucks. There, he took part in 123 games, scoring 12 points and tallying 140 penalty minutes, along with a +10 rating. He also score a point in two playoff games in 2023.

Last season, with the Condors, he scored 11 points, including four goals, with a -1 plus/minus and a whopping 93 penalty minutes in 59 games.

As the Griffins prepare for their 30th season and look to build off last year's playoff push, the addition of Kannok Leipert add both grit and experience into a defensive unit that already includes several promising prospects.

As of now, the only player with Thai ties in the NHL is New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. It'll be interesting to see if the sport will gain traction there and if more players join the League over the coming years.