Elson, 29, inked a one-year deal with the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins on July 30, 2021, and has spent the last five seasons as an alternate captain with the Red Wings' primary affiliate. This season, Elson ranks among the team leaders with 21 goals (2nd), 24 assists (T3rd), 45 points (4th), four power play goals (4th) and 166 shots (2nd). In 294 total games with Grand Rapids since 2017-18, Elson has compiled 143 points (61-83-144), a plus-39 rating and 228 penalty minutes, including professional career highs with 39 points (18-21-39) in 72 games during the 2018-19 campaign. A veteran of nine professional seasons, Elson has skated in 469 career AHL games between the Abbotsford Heat, Adirondack Flames, Stockton Heat and Griffins, registering 210 points (95-115-210), a plus-20 rating and 370 penalty minutes, adding six points (4-2-6) in 10 career AHL postseason games.
The New Westminster, British Columbia, native was originally signed by the Calgary Flames as an undrafted free agent on Sept. 22, 2011 and skated in one NHL game with the team, picking up an assist in his NHL debut on April 9, 2016. Prior to turning pro, Elson spent four seasons with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League, totaling 151 points (72-79-151), a plus-46 rating and 337 penalty minutes in 253 games from 2009-13. He also won an ECHL Kelly Cup championship as a first-year pro in 2013-14, notching 15 points (5-10-15) in 18 regular-season games and 11 points (7-4-11) in 21 games with the Alaska Aces.
