Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Red Wings have assigned forward Austin Watson to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League. Watson, 32, signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Red Wings on October 7. He participated in training camp on a professional tryout, recording one assist, a plus-one rating, and 27 penalty minutes over four preseason games.

Last season, Watson played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he accumulated four points (two goals and two assists), a plus-two rating, and 93 penalty minutes in 33 games. Prior to that, he spent the 2022-23 season with the Ottawa Senators, scoring 11 points (nine goals and two assists) and accruing 123 penalty minutes across 75 games.

Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the first round (18th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Watson has recorded a total of 118 points (60 goals and 58 assists) along with 705 penalty minutes in his NHL career spanning teams such as the Predators, Senators, and Lightning since the 2012-13 season. His postseason experience includes tallying 19 points (10 goals and nine assists) in addition to helping Nashville reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.

Watson's career also includes time with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL where he amassed 132 points (73 goals and 59 assists) over six seasons. Before turning professional, Watson played in the Ontario Hockey League with teams like Windsor Spitfires and London Knights. He won OHL championships with Windsor in 2009 and London in 2012.

Internationally, Watson served as an alternate captain for Team USA at the IIHF World Championship in 2022. He also competed at both junior levels representing Team USA at various championships.

Austin Watson was born on January 13, 1992, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He stands at six feet four inches tall and weighs 210 pounds.