The first game of the Red Wings prospect tournament is over, with Detroit managing a thrilling last-second comeback to force overtime and the shootout. Kienan Draper, son of Kris Draper, scored the game-winner in the shootout to give the Red Wings prospects the win over the Dallas Stars prospects.
‘He called his shot. He told us, ‘I’ve got the next one, guys.
And he delivered. So good for him.’ Said Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Dan Watson.
The Red Wings prospects looked sharp for much of the night, though the team gave up back-to-back goals in the second period to go down 3-1 against the Stars. However, the youngsters were able to claw their way back to a tie thanks to goals from Noah Dower-Nilsson and Theo Rochette in the third period.
Go Ad-Free
Trey Augustine, in his debut in the starter’s net for the Red Wings prospects, recovered well from the second period and was lights out after the second goal, including being perfect in the shootout against Dallas to help get the team the win.
The Red Wings have a lot of interesting players to watch in Grand Rapids this year, including Augustine in his first full pro season after a standout career at Michigan State University.
Meanwhile, former Anaheim Ducks center Chris Kreider landed with the Montreal Canadiens after terminating his contract with Anaheim. The Atlantic Division has found itself with some pretty clear winners and losers this offseason, and the Canadiens have firmly established themselves as a winner by securing the veteran 20-goal scorer.
Red Wings Extra
Carter Bear, the Red Wings’ 2025 first-round pick, looked sharp playing against the rest of the prospect pool. Bear had 10 shots on goal and had more than a couple of dangerous chances that could have gone for goals, though the winger had to settle for just an assist on the night.
The former Everett Silvertips captain has made a strong impression as he looks to turn pro. Whether that ends up being with Grand Rapids or Detroit first will depend on the rest of his training camp.
