The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Austin Watson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. Watson, 33, has appeared in eight games for the Red Wings during the 2024-25 season, with a record of two goals, 17 penalty minutes, seven shots, and 21 hits, averaging 6:10 on ice time. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds, he has also played in 58 games for the Griffins this season. There, he ranks among the team leaders in multiple categories: 19 goals, 23 assists, a total of 42 points, a plus-12 rating, and 144 shots. Watson has also been a key player in power play and shorthanded situations. He represented the Griffins at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic in Palm Desert, California, alongside goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
Last season, Watson played with the Tampa Bay Lightning, contributing four points and 93 penalty minutes in 33 games. Drafted 18th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, his professional career includes 120 points and 722 penalty minutes across 523 games. His NHL tenure spans teams such as the Predators, Ottawa Senators, Lightning, and Red Wings, beginning in the 2012-13 season. Watson has also recorded 19 points and 48 penalty minutes in 45 postseason games, once helping the Predators reach the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
In his AHL career, he has gathered 174 points with a plus-22 rating in 292 games. Watson, originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, played four OHL seasons, winning championships with the Windsor Spitfires and London Knights. In his junior career, he earned the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as OHL Playoff MVP in 2012. With the U.S. National Team Development Program and in international championships, Watson has been consistent, including a gold medal win at the 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
