DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today recalled center Zach Aston-Reese, right wing Jonatan Berggren and center Austin Czarnik from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. Additionally, the Red Wings placed left wing J.T. Compher on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 5, center Klim Kostin on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 7 and center Dylan Larkin on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 9.
Aston-Reese, 29, has recorded seven points (4-3-7) and 16 penalty minutes in 20 games with the Griffins to begin the 2023-24 season. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound forward spent the entire 2022-23 campaign with the Toronto Maple Leafs, tallying 14 points (10-4-14) and 25 penalty minutes in 77 regular-season games. Aston-Reese also netted one goal in six Stanley Cup playoff contests with Toronto, helping the franchise clinch its first postseason series win since 2004. He split the 2021-22 season between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, logging 15 points (5-10-15), a plus-nine rating and 28 penalty minutes in 69 games. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Pittsburgh on March 14, 2017, Aston-Reese has compiled 80 points (42-38-80), a plus-33 rating and 124 penalty minutes in 307 NHL games with the Penguins, Ducks and Maple Leafs since 2017-18. Additionally, Aston-Reese has registered 53 points (22-31-53), a plus-24 rating and 90 penalty minutes in 82 AHL games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Griffins.
Prior to turning professional, Aston-Reese played four seasons at Northeastern University from 2013-17, racking up 148 points (66-82-148), a plus-48 rating and 182 penalty minutes in 145 games. As a senior, he was selected to the NCAA First All-American Team and named Hockey East Player of the Year after leading the NCAA in goals (31) and points (63) in just 38 games during the 2016-17 season. Aston-Reese also guided the Huskies to a Hockey East Tournament championship as a junior in 2015-16. The Staten Island, N.Y., native added 50 points (16-34-50), a plus-12 rating and 188 penalty minutes in 140 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers and Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League from 2010-13.
Berggren, 23, has skated in four games with the Red Wings this season, recording one assist, a plus-one rating and two penalty minutes in 10:28 average time on ice. The 5-foot-11, 194-pound forward has also tallied 15 points (5-10-15) and two penalty minutes in 16 games with the Griffins to begin the 2023-24 campaign. Berggren spent the majority of the 2022-23 season with the Red Wings and ranked among the team leaders with 15 goals (5th), 28 points (9th), five power play goals (T4th), nine power play points (7th) and a 15.3 shooting percentage (1st) in 67 games. He also registered seven points (4-3-7) in seven appearances with the Griffins in 2022-23. Selected by the Red Wings in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Berggren has collected 29 points (15-14-29) and 18 penalty minutes in 71 career NHL games. He has also logged 86 points (30-56-86) and 28 penalty minutes in 93 games with the Griffins since 2021-22.
Prior to arriving in North America, Berggren played for Skelleftea AIK in the Swedish Hockey League, tying for the team lead with 45 points (12-33-45) in 49 games during the 2020-21 campaign, in addition to four assists in 12 postseason contests. In all, Berggren notched 60 points (14-46-60), a plus-seven rating and 28 penalty minutes in 99 games with Skelleftea AIK in Sweden's top professional league from 2017-21. Berggren also registered 69 points (24-45-69), a plus-19 rating and 42 penalty minutes in 67 career games for Skelleftea's under-20 team from 2016-18. The Uppsala, Sweden, native represented his country at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, tallying seven points (2-5-7), a plus-five rating and two penalty minutes in eight games. Berggren earned a bronze medal at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording five points (1-4-5) in seven games. He captured a bronze medal with Sweden at the 2018 IIHF World Under-18 Championship after leading the team with 10 points (5-5-10) in seven games, and also won bronze after picking up five points (3-2-5) in five games at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. Additionally, Berggren won a gold medal with Sweden during the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, tallying three points (2-1-3) in six games.
Czarnik, 30, has skated in 11 games with the Red Wings this season, recording one assist, two penalty minutes and 10 shots in 8:35 average time on ice. The 5-foot-9, 167-pound forward also collected seven points (3-4-7) and six penalty minutes in nine games with the Griffins in 2023-24. Czarnik split the 2022-23 campaign between the Red Wings and Griffins, notching five points (3-2-5) and eight penalty minutes in 29 games with Detroit, in addition to 37 points (14-23-37) and eight penalty minutes in 43 games with Grand Rapids. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Boston Bruins on March 31, 2015, Czarnik has played in parts of eight NHL seasons with the Bruins, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, Seattle Kraken and Red Wings, totaling 51 points (18-33-51) and 30 penalty minutes in 182 games since 2016-17. He has also compiled 269 points (98-171-269), a plus-22 rating and 100 penalty minutes in 279 AHL games with the Providence Bruins, Stockton Heat, Bridgeport 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. In all, Czarnik accumulated 169 points (46-123-169), a plus-50 rating and 119 penalty minutes in 159 games with the RedHawks and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist as a sophomore in 2012-13. Before joining the RedHawks, Czarnik spent the 2010-11 season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, posting 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 Team USA 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), a plus-seven rating and four penalty minutes in seven games, and also won a bronze medal at the 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge after collecting four points (1-3-4) in five appearances.
