
Austin Watson Reassigned to Griffins
April 18, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Detroit Red Wings on Thursday reassigned right wing Austin Watson to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Watson appeared in 13 games with Detroit this season, showing three goals, 17 penalty minutes and a plus-one rating. He scored in back-to-back games with the Red Wings from March 24-25 against Utah and Colorado and later recorded a season-high 15 penalty minutes on March 29 versus Boston. The 18th overall pick in 2010 suited up for 33 contests with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, notching four points (2-2-4), 93 penalty minutes and a plus-two rating. Watson has spent 11 seasons in the NHL since 2012-13 and has totaled 121 points (63-58-121), 722 penalty minutes and a minus-two rating in 528 career games.
Watson is on a career-high six-game goal streak with the Griffins from March 8-April 5. Watson's goal run is the longest by a Griffin in more than 10 years, since Teemu Pulkkinen's eight-game run from Dec. 19-Jan. 7, 2014 that tied Donald MacLean's franchise record. He is also on a career-high seven-game point streak from March 5-April 5 (7-4-11). Watson has 42 points (19-23-42), 96 penalty minutes and a plus-12 rating in 58 games with Grand Rapids. He ranks among the team leaders in points (3rd), assists (T5th), goals (3rd), plus-minus rating (2nd), and penalty minutes (1st). The Ann Arbor, Mich., native had spent his entire AHL career with the Milwaukee Admirals prior to this season, last competing in the league during the 2018-19 campaign. The 33-year-old has totaled 174 points (92-82-174), 185 penalty minutes and a plus-22 rating in 292 career AHL outings.
Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com for more information. Single-game tickets and playoff packages for the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs will go on sale once matchups and dates have been determined.
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![]() Grand Rapids Griffins right wing Austin Watson (Nicolas Carrillo) |
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