Detroit Red Wings
Kasper Latest Red Wings Player Going to Worlds
Detroit center playing for Austria
Yet another Detroit Red Wings player will be participating in the IIHF World Championship. The Austrian Ice Hockey Federation released its roster for the tournament and it includes Red Wings center Marco Kasper.
Marco Kasper wins the faceoff gets to the net and tips home a GOAL 🚨for Austria 🇦🇹 #LGRW pic.twitter.com/tnpNaPSWGy
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) August 29, 2024
This will be Kasper’s second appearance in the World Championship. in 2022, he accounted for two assists in seven games for the Austrians. Overall, Kasper has played 21 games for his country at the senior international level, accounting for six goals and four assists.
He’s the only current NHLer on the roster.
Red Wings Kasper Coming Off Successful NHL Season
Called up from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins in October, Kasper was making the most of his first full-time NHL chance. He’d score 19 goals and collect 37 points in 77 games, along with posting a plus-one rating.
“He is a real good story,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “I think Kasp is somebody that everybody gravitates to simply stat-wise and stylistic.”
Kasper felt more and more like an NHLer with every passing game.
“I think a lot is just confidence, but also confidence on both sides of the puck,” Kasper said. “I’m trying to play a 200-foot game, getting out there, doing the right things, battle hard.
“I think we battled harder and with a bit more intensity in practices (under McLellan). I think that’s good, I think is a good part for me and for the team. Just get out there and get ready for those games.”
World Tourney Will Help Kasper Grow
Playing in the world tourney and filling a leadership role on the Austrian team as the lone NHL player should only enable more growth in Kasper as both a person and a player.
“I mean, I’m always giving my best to get better, but I know it’s going to be hard next year,” Kasper said. “You know, it’s, I mean, I personally feel like I had a pretty good year, but it’s going to be really hard to come back and do just like that and even improve what I want.
“Obviously, I always talk about I’m trying to get better every day. It’s really hard, but it’s something I’m going to focus on this summer. Just whenever I’m in the gym, when I’m just maybe watching some playoff games, that’s where we’re going to go and everybody’s going to have to improve for us to get there. And so it’s going to be an important summer.”
Kasper will join Red Wings players Moritz Seider (Germany), Simon Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond (Sweden) and Detroit prospect Eduards Tralmaks (Latvia) in the tournament. The IIHF World Championship is slated for May 9th-25th in Stockholm, Sweden and Herning, Denmark.
