2022 eighth overall pick Marco Kasper 'really excited' to join Red Wings

WINNIPEG -- The last four days have been a blur for Marco Kasper.

Shortly after his Rögle BK club was eliminated from the Swedish Hockey League Playoffs quarterfinals on Tuesday, Kasper received a call that contained an exciting update regarding his blossoming professional hockey journey.
"I shared it with my family first," Kasper told
DetroitRedWings.com
on Friday morning. "They're really important to me and my development in hockey. Then I shared it with my friends, too. Everybody's been really supportive."
Kasper quickly packed for the airport, then boarded a flight to North America on Wednesday. And late Thursday night, the news became official -
Kasper was being recalled by the Detroit Red Wings.
"It's been really cool," Kasper said from the visitors dressing room in the Winnipeg Jets' Canada Life Centre about his brief time with the Red Wings thus far. "I got to know the team. Everybody is super nice and welcoming. It's been really fun the last couple of days."
Selected eighth overall by Detroit in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Kasper posted 23 points on eight goals and 15 assists in 52 games this season with Rogle BK, including three assists in nine postseason contests. The 18-year-old forward finished with the second-most points by any SHL skater aged 20 or younger.
Kasper, who signed a three-year entry-level contract with Detroit in July, said he enjoyed getting a taste of life as a pro at the Red Wings' 2022 Development Camp last summer.

Tapping into that experience is helping Kasper adjust to unfamiliar surroundings, but he said that the "great guys" in Detroit's dressing room make "it easy for young players to come here."
"It's for sure special to come here and to go on the road with the team," said Kasper, who was named the youngest Austrian Player of the Year earlier this month. "It's been a good trip up here."
Looking ahead, Kasper knows adapting his game to the North American style will not necessarily be seamless.
"Because (the ice is) smaller, there's more battles, I think," Kasper said. "I gotta get used to being in the corners more and hard stick battles."
Fortunately, making the adjustment is all part of a learning process, one that the young Austrian forward is not shying away from. And as Kasper continues to live out a lifelong dream, he is excited to show just how much his work ethic will help him reach new heights.

"Coming here now, I'm looking forward to the coming weeks," Kasper said. "And I'm trying to improve every day."
Learning the ropes of the NHL, according to Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde, will be beneficial for Kasper.
"He's a very laid-back kid," Lalonde said before Friday's puck drop. "I'll get to know him more. I just like the fact that he's around in the process. He's been in all our meetings, was able to get a little skate in today and take warm-ups. Not quite available for us yet. He's still dealing with a little upper-body situation he had from his time in the playoffs over in Europe."