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The Daily: Former Detroit Red Wings player Ryan Kuffner makes history in Iowa

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Former Detroit Red Wings player Ryan Kuffner scored the first goal in franchise history for the ECHL's Iowa Heartlanders

For those wondering what ever happened to Detroit Red Wings prospect Ryan Kuffner, we have the answer.  In 2019, the Red Wings signed Kuffner out of Princeton with the hope that they had discovered a diamond in the rough.



Kuffner had scored 51 goals and registered 96 points in his last 67 games at Princeton. But Kuffner never worked out. He got 10 games with the Red Wings at the end of the 2018-19 season and never registered a point. The following season he played for Detroit’s American-League affiliate in Grand Rapids and netted six goals in 32 games.

Ryan Kuffner ended up playing in Germany in 2020-21 and resurfaced this season with the Iowa Heartlanders, a new East Coast Hockey League team. Kuffner got his new fans riled up in a big way two days ago when he scored the first goal in the new franchise’s history. 

The Heartlanders took down the Kansas City Monarchs, 7-4. Kuffner, 25, was named one of the stars of the game. He is one of the team’s alternate captains.

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