Goaltender issues surprise goodbye to the Detroit Red Wings
Photo credit: Michael Caples/DHN photo
As former Red Wings goalie prospect (drafted 107th in 2020) Jan Bednar leaves the organization, his NHL dream may be over for now, but he wasn't reckless enough to forget to thank Steve Yzerman on the way out.
Jan Bednar will be taking his talents elsewhere as the former Detroit Red Wings prospect has said "goodbye" for now to his NHL hopes.
Despite the thought we all have going on in our heads right now, he doesn't have a bad attitude about leaving.
His statement upon his exit was heartfelt and was full of gratitude for the former 107th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Bednar played limited games in 2022-23 due to an injury that kept him to 13 games played, despite a lack of an NHL contract after an undisclosed surgery; instead of kicking him to the curb, the Red Wings helped him out.
«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.
The former Toledo Walleye goalie and Red Wings prospect would remain humble about the situation.
«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.»
Instead of giving up on Bednar, they'd help increase his odds of success by signing him to an AHL deal. The 6-foot-4, 196-pound goalie would play four games with the Griffins after playing two seasons with the Walleye and pushing the ECHL squad to the Kelly Cup final.
Bednar has decided to try an opportunity in Finland, to play with the Assat Pori.
«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.»
Instead of harping on the negativity thay could be involved with the situation, he views this as a temporary stop on the way back to his NHL dream.
His goal is still to play in the NHL, and be a successful goalie in North America, but at this point he feels there's been no interest from other NHL team's including his former squad, the Red Wings.
For now, he'll try his hand in Finland and see where it takes him.
Previously on Red Wings Insider
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 18 | 74 ANSWERS Goaltender issues surprise goodbye to the Detroit Red Wings Do you think goalie Jan Bednar, a former Detroit Red Wings prospect, will make it back to North America? | ||
| Yes | 25 | 33.8 % |
| No | 49 | 66.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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