Austin Czarnik and Simon Edvinsson recalled from Grand Rapids
Czarnik has recorded 37 points in 43 games with Griffins; Edvinsson was picked sixth overall in 2021 NHL Entry Draft and leads Grand Rapids defensemen with 27 points in 51 games
Czarnik, 30, has skated in 15 games with the Red Wings this season, recording three points (2-1-3), a plus-one rating, four penalty minutes, 14 shots and 13 hits in 10:50 average time on ice. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound forward has also played in 43 games with the Griffins and ranks among the team leaders with 14 goals (T2nd), 23 assists (3rd), 37 points (4th), four power play goals (T3rd), three shorthanded goals (1st) and 86 shots (5th). He was named the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 16 after tallying five points (3-2-5) in his first two games with Grand Rapids. Czarnik signed with the Red Wings as a free agent on July 13, 2022 after splitting the 2021-22 campaign between the New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken, collecting five points (2-3-5) in 11 games with the Islanders along with two assists in six appearances for the Kraken. He also suited up in 38 games with the AHL's Bridgeport Islanders last season and posted 37 points (14-23-37) and eight penalty minutes, in addition to 10 points (3-7-10) in six postseason contests. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Boston Bruins on April 1, 2015, Czarnik has played in parts of seven NHL seasons with the Bruins, Calgary Flames, Islanders, Kraken and Red Wings, totaling 48 points (17-31-48) and 24 penalty minutes in 157 games since 2016-17. He has also compiled 262 points (95-167-262), a plus-23 rating and 94 penalty minutes in 270 AHL games with the Providence Bruins, Stockton Heat, Islanders and Griffins. Czarnik paced all AHL rookies with 61 points (20-41-61) in 68 games during the 2015-16 season and went on to represent Providence at the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic.
A native of Washington Township, Mich., Czarnik played four seasons at Miami University from 2011-15 prior to turning professional, serving as team captain during his junior and senior years. Czarnik accumulated 169 points (46-123-169), a plus-50 rating and 119 penalty minutes in 159 games and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist as a sophomore in 2012-13. Before joining the RedHawks, Czarnik spent the 2010-11 campaign with the United States Hockey League's Green Bay Gamblers, adding 34 points (20-14-34) and 33 penalty minutes in 46 contests. He previously skated with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2008-10. On the international stage, Czarnik represented the United States at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, notching four points (2-2-4) in six games. Czarnik earned a gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championship after recording six points (5-1-6) and a plus-seven rating in seven games, and also won a bronze medal at the 2009 World Under-17 Challenge after logging four points (1-3-4) in five appearances.
Edvinsson, 20, has spent the entire 2022-23 season with the Griffins and leads the team's defensemen with 27 points (5-22-27) and 50 penalty minutes in 51 games. The 6-foot-6, 209-pound blueliner has tallied four multi-point games this season, setting career highs in assists (3), points (4) and plus/minus (+5) on Feb. 15 vs. Rockford. Edvinsson arrived in North America after skating with Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League during the 2021-22 campaign, logging 19 points (2-17-19), a plus-13 rating and 18 penalty minutes in 19:42 average time on ice in 44 regular-season games, in addition to two assists in five postseason contests. His 17 assists were the most in league history by a defenseman 19 years of age or younger, while his 19 points were the fourth-most ever recorded by a defenseman 19 years of age or younger - trailing only Victor Hedman (21 points, 2008-09), Rasmus Dahlin (20 points, 2017-18) and Tomas Jonsson (20 points, 1978-79).
Selected by the Red Wings in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Edvinsson saw time in three different leagues during the 2020-21 season, notching six points (1-5-6), a plus-four rating and 10 penalty minutes in 14 games with Frolunda's under-20 squad. He then made his professional debut by skating in 14 games with Vasteras IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan, collecting five assists in Sweden's second tier before adding one assist in 10 appearances with Frolunda's SHL team. Edvinsson began developing in Frolunda's system in 2018-19, accumulating 12 points (1-11-12) in 22 games with the under-20 team, 25 points (6-19-25) in 34 games with the under-18 squad and 36 points (10-26-36) in 24 games at the under-16 level. The Kungsbacka, Sweden, native helped his country win a bronze medal as an alternate captain at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, collecting two points (1-1-2) in six games. He also tallied three points (1-2-3) in two appearances when the tournament was originally scheduled before it was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. Edvinsson won a bronze medal with Sweden at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, registering four points (1-3-4) in seven contests. He also represented his country at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, dishing out five assists in five games.
