Detroit City Wire

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- The 2024 NHL Prospect Games, hosted by the Detroit Red Wings at Centre ICE Arena this weekend, offer a glimpse into the future of the organization as its next wave of young talent aims to make a strong impression ahead of Training Camp.

Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Dan Watson has been eagerly awaiting the start of a new hockey season and expressed his enthusiasm for guiding the prospects throughout this year’s two-day event.

“It’s been a good three months of summer, but it’s just nice to be back,” Watson told DetroitRedWings.com on Saturday morning. “You can start teaching and guiding these young prospects. Looking forward to playing these two games, and the guys are too.”

The Red Wings announced their NHL Prospect Games roster on Sept. 3. Detroit is set to face off against prospects from the Dallas Stars on Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (2:30 p.m.), with streaming available for both games on DetroitRedWings.com and the Red Wings Mobile App.

Watson noted that the Red Wings’ roster is filled with promising talent.

“You can top it off with (Nate) Danielson and (Michael) Brandsegg-Nygard,” Watson said. “(Amadeus) Lombardi just joined our team, so it’s going to be nice to see how his summer went. (Jakub) Rychlovsky is more of an unknown, but after watching him through video you can see he’s a high-end talent. On the back end, Shai Buium has been around the organization here for a little while. There’s also Carter Gylander in net. He’ll get a full game (Saturday), so we’re excited to see how his development has gone this summer.”

According to Watson, the NHL Prospect Games provide an opportunity to instill organizational culture and philosophies that will benefit the young players moving forward.

“It’s messaging,” Watson said. “It’s how do we want to play? It’s identity. Some of the guys on this prospect team we could see in Grand Rapids, so it’s also an opportunity for our staff to get these guys prepared. It’s a good start for us to make sure their compete level is high, that they’re willing to do all the little things and see how much information they can handle at once.”

When not competing on ice, Watson emphasized that spending time together away from Centre ICE Arena will be beneficial for building team chemistry.

“The good teams are the ones who can also have fun,” Watson said. “Detroit does a really good job when this is organized. From traveling by bus here, staying in the same hotel and team meals, keeping everyone together is the biggest part of this. It’s great to build rapport with one another and that team chemistry because that all shows on ice.”

Establishing a strong culture was one of Watson's main priorities last season during his first year behind the Griffins' bench. He believes camaraderie helped Grand Rapids find success as Detroit's AHL-affiliate finished with an 86-point record—a 22-point improvement from 2022-23.

Earning their first Calder Cup Playoff berth since 2019, the Griffins defeated the Rockford IceHogs in the Central Division Semifinals before falling to the Milwaukee Admirals in the Central Division Final.

“At the start of last year, it was figuring out what our duties were, what workflow looked like and getting to know players on a personal basis,” Watson said. “I think that’s why there was a little bit of that slow start because everything was new. Once we got organized, I felt our season took off. It was fun—something new—and a challenge I loved every minute of.”