Red Wings recall enforcer from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins ahead of facing the Kings Thursday
Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Ahead of tonight's game against the Los Angeles Kings, the Detroit Red Wings have sought out reinforcements from the AHL.
According to the Detroit Red Wings' account, the team has recalled an enforcer from the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The latest player to join the team on the West Coast road trip is enforcer Austin Watson.
The enforcer has been with the Red Wings since the 2024-25 season, where he'd play 13 games as a Red Wing and would spend the majority of the year in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
It was unexpected that the team would offer him a contract after his professional tryout ended with the team, but Steve Yzerman saw value in the forward.
He'll have a chance to prove what he's capable of tonight, while he faces off against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Detroit Red Wings call up Austin Watson from the AHL
Watson will provide a gritty presence on the team's bottom six tonight, as they will take on the Los Angeles Kings on their home ice.
The depth forward will not offer a scoring solution tonight, as opposed to when he'll be playing more of a defensive role against the Kings.
He's played 528 games of hockey in the NHL and has never been a goal-scoring forward, with a career total of 121 points (63-58).
The brutish player was originally an 18th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2010 NHL Draft.
Needless to say, he's never lived up to the billing.
Now, he'll have his hands full with veteran Corey Perry and the Kings tonight. The Ann Arbor native signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Red Wings in August 2025.
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