Red Wings Prospect Maintaining Impressive Pace

His club may be enduring an up-and-down season, but Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka just keeps on rolling.

As Skelleftea was posting a 5-2 SHL victory over Vaxjo, Sandin Pellikka would be dishing out a pair of assists. The 19-year-old defenseman, Detroit’s 17th overall selection in the 2023 NHL entry draft, Sandin Pellikka now has 18 points on the season.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka's gorgeous stretch pass sets up a Skellefteå goal and gives ASP his 18th point in 20GP, matching his point totals from last season (39GP) #LGRW pic.twitter.com/N1FewhaCQx

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) November 21, 2024

With his 6-12-18 totals from 20 games, not only is Sandin Pellikka leading all SHL defenders in goals and points, he’s also in a tie for seventh in the league scoring race. As well, he’s already matching his entire points output from last season, in which he was playing 39 games.

The SHL record for points in a season by a junior-aged (under-20) defenseman is 31. Since 2000, just two junior-aged players in the SHL show a higher points-per-game percentage in a single season than Sandin Pellikka (0.90) is displaying so far this season. They are both current NHL stars – Elias Pettersson (1.27) of the Vancouver Canucks and William Nylander (0.95) of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Of course, it’s noteworthy that neither of them are defensemen.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård with the most casual reverse hit #lgrw pic.twitter.com/Kf7pRdv191

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) November 21, 2024

Also drawing an assist in the Skelleftea victory was Red Wings 2024 first-round pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (15th overall). The winger now has three goals and three assists in 12 games.

In The Army Soon

Red Wings defense prospect Eemil Viro of the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins already knows how he’ll be spending his summer vacation from hockey – in military fatigues. He’s been selected for the Sports School of the Defense Forces, part of the Finnish military in which all athletes must participate. To meet the entry requirements, athletes must represent the national or international top of their age group in their sport.

Military service is mandatory in Finland. What’s interesting to note is that Viro’s tour of duty would be beginning on April 14, 2025. It’s uncertain what would be happening if the Griffins are making a long playoff run this spring.