Red Wings Prospect Named Club MVP

The honors just keep coming for Detroit Red Wings draft pick Dmitri Buchelnikov. He has been named MVP for his KHL club Vityaz.

Buchelnikov, selected 52nd by Detroit in the 2022 NHL entry draft, led Vityaz in scoring this season with 54 points. That total was including a club single-season record 39 assists.

Dimitri Buchelnikov(2nd round’22) wins Vityaz HC Team MVP for the 24/25 Season. #LGRW #BuchSZN pic.twitter.com/O8GVtrAzRc

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) April 19, 2025

As well, Buchelnikov was among 40 KHL players earning an invite to camp with the Russian national team. Although Russia is currently banned from IIHF-sanctioned events, the country is still planning a three-country tournament with Belarus and Kazakhstan in early May.

Buchelnikov was also part of the Russian preliminary roster for the Channel One Cup held during a break in the KHL season. However, he didn’t survive the final cutdown for the tournament squad.

Red Wings Cup Winner Weighing Future

Another indication of how long it’s been since Detroit was an NHL powerhouse – the last active professional player who won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings is pondering whether to continue his hockey career.

Center Valtteri Filppula, 41, is weighing his hockey future after his Finnish club Jokerit was failing to earn promotion to the SM-liiga, Finland’s top division.

“It was great to play,” Filppula told Finnish TV network MTV. “I’m happy that I decided to continue the season.”

Valtteri J. Filppula.

Make #Jokerit Great Again.#Mestis pic.twitter.com/T7KwjzApR9

— Jussi Mäkinen (@MakisenJussi) March 14, 2025

Filppula joined Jokerit this season, seeking to help his old club earn promotion. He was captain of the team and played without taking a salary.

“Let’s see now,” Filppula continued. “There’s not much left in this (career), but we’ll have time to think about those things a little later. Let’s take a couple of weeks off now, think about this season and then think about what’s next.”

Filppula played for the Red Wings from 2005-13 and again from 2019-21. He won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2007-08.

Ex-Red Wings Battling For SHL Title

There are former Red Wings and one-time Detroit prospects all over the place in the Swedish Hockey League playoffs. In the SHL final, Brynas, the team of ex-Detroit defenseman Christian Djoos, is leading Lulea, the team of former Red Wings forward Mattias Brome, 1-0. Also playing for Lulea is ex-Grand Rapids Griffins forward Pontus Andreasson. He’s leading the SHL playoffs in goals (nine) and points (14).

Meanwhile, Djurgardens IF is playing AIK in the Hockey Allsvenskan (second division) final. Left-winger and former Detroit draftee Albin Grewe (66th, 2019) scored the overtime winner that put Djurgardens in the final. However, he was left bloody in the opener of the final after an AIK player bit Grewe’s finger during an altercation.

Also playing for Djurgardens is forward Dick Axelsson. A 2006 (62nd overall) draftee of the Wings, Axelsson, 37, was assessed an odd penalty during a playoff game. Swedish hockey rules say the home team must completely exit the ice prior to the visitors at the end of a period.

Axelsson remained on the bench long after his teammates had retired to the dressing room. Upon returning to the ice to start the next period, he was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct minor.

On The Move

It was an up and down week for 2015 Detroit draftee (73rd overall) Vili Saarijarvi. The defenseman was dropped by his Swiss club Lagnau. At the same time, he was called up to Finland’s roster for the upcoming IIHF World Championship . . . Former Red Wings forward Dominik Kubalik was let go by his Swiss club, Ambri-Piotta . . . Forward Theodor Niederbach, selected 51st overall by the Wings in 2020, was relesaed by his Swedish team MODO.