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Red Wings recall Austin Watson from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions
The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Austin Watson from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL due to emergency circumstances.
Watson, 32, made his debut with the Red Wings on October 14 against the New York Rangers, where he recorded two penalty minutes and two hits in 4:54 of ice time. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward has also tallied six assists, a plus-six rating, and 19 penalty minutes in seven games with the Griffins this season. Last year, he played the entire 2023-24 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, registering four points (2 goals, 2 assists), a plus-two rating, and 93 penalty minutes in 33 games.
Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators as the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Watson has accumulated 118 points (60 goals, 58 assists) and 707 penalty minutes in 516 games across his stints with the Predators, Ottawa Senators, Lightning, and Red Wings since the 2012-13 season. He also has 19 points (10 goals, 9 assists) and 48 penalty minutes in 45 playoff games, contributing to the Predators’ run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Additionally, Watson has played parts of seven AHL seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals and Griffins, amassing 138 points (73 goals, 65 assists), a plus-16 rating, and 108 penalty minutes in 241 games.
A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Watson is one of six players from Michigan on the Red Wings’ active roster, alongside forwards Andrew Copp, Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, and Tyler Motte, as well as defenseman Jeff Petry. He spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Windsor Spitfires, Peterborough Petes, and London Knights from 2008 to 2012, winning OHL championships with Windsor in 2009 and London in 2012. During his junior career, he recorded 219 points (89 goals, 130 assists) and 164 penalty minutes in 244 games, along with 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 43 playoff games.
Watson won a Memorial Cup with Windsor in 2009 under Red Wings Associate Coach Bob Boughner and received the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the OHL Playoff MVP with London in 2012. He also played with the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2009-10, earning six points (4 goals, 2 assists) and 33 penalty minutes in nine games. On the international stage, Watson served as an alternate captain for Team USA at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, recording one assist and 27 penalty minutes in 10 games, and he competed at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, notching nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) in six games. He won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, contributing three points (2 goals, 1 assist) and 33 penalty minutes in seven contests.