Red Wings top Maple Leafs, 4-1, in 2022 NHL Prospect Tournament finale

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- The Detroit Red Wings concluded their 2022 NHL Prospect Tournament schedule on a high note.

On Monday, the Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1, in their NHL Prospect Tournament finale at Centre ICE Arena, finishing the five-day competition with a 2-1 record.
Toronto opened the scoring at 4:56 of the first period, but the Red Wings tied the game, 1-1, roughly four minutes later when free-agent invitee Mitchell Martin sprung out of the penalty box and scored on a breakaway.

Detroit took a 2-1 lead with 18 seconds left in the opening frame when defenseman Eemil Viro, who was the Red Wings' 70th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, fired a shot from just below the blue line that got past Maple Leafs netminder Luke Cavallin.
"He's a great skater," Detroit prospect coach Ben Simon said about Viro. "I like his competitive nature. He's got a good motor to him, a high battle level and he's not afraid to get his nose dirty in the corners."

At 18:35 of the second period, 2020 second-round pick Cross Hanas, assisted by Elmer Soderblom (159th overall pick in 2019) and Simon Edvinsson (sixth overall in 2021), converted a breakaway bid to put his club ahead, 3-1.
"Cross had a good tournament," Simon said. "He's another kid who has a solid skillset that we're looking forward to, if he ends up in Grand Rapids, working with."

Red Wings free-agent invitee Riley Piercey sealed the victory when he scored an empty-netter with 17 seconds left in the game.
Detroit goaltender prospects Jan Bednar and Sebastian Cossa shared the crease against Toronto. Bednar got the start and finished with six saves, while Cossa stopped all 16 shots he faced.
When reflecting on the NHL Prospect Tournament, Simon said he saw "growth" from the club's rising young talent.

"It's a great opportunity for all these kids who come in with Detroit to learn," Simon said. "Not only our staff at Grand Rapids, but learn what the pro daily routine is."
On Wednesday, the club will host the 2022 Training Camp Golf Classic, presented by Suburban Imports of Farmington Hills, at Traverse City Country Club. Then on Thursday, the 2022-23 Red Wings will hit the ice for the first time for training camp. A full training camp roster and complete schedule will be announced at a later date.