Former Red Wings Prospect Insists He’s Not ‘Psychopath’

When the Detroit Red Wings were selecting Swedish forward Albin Grewe with the 66th overall pick of the 2019 NHL entry draft, they were envisioning him devleoping into an agitating presence who would get under the skin of opposing players.

“He’s a guy you’re really going to notice even more in games,” Red Wings assistant GM Shawn Horcoff said at the time. “His competitiveness sticks out.”

Some scouts compared him to Florida Panthers super pest Brad Marchand.

I like to go under my opponents’ skin,” Grewe said. “I like to hit my opponents. Stuff like that.

“I’ve always played as I do, and then I also watched Brad Marchand and if he can play like he does . . .”

Hmmmm spottar den "sportsliga" Gary (alltså gnagare och heta Gary är bara det episkt) Albin Grewe i ansiktet i den här situationen? Så @AIKishockey i så fall. Vad säger @hockeyallsvensk? Lyfter @hockeyeken, @Rosenrasande, @svantestorlinge eller någon annan det?#Twittpuck pic.twitter.com/1TO5uF1dM9

— HedlundMediaTV (@hedlundmediatv) April 22, 2025

Unfortunately, Grewe wasn’t able to show enough of that style to get the Red Wings to offer him a contract. Still, that hasn’t deterred him from playing the way he plays. He’s incurred a number of suspensions while playing in Sweden, earning the nickname T-Rex and the ire of opponents and opposing fans in the process.

“People think I’m a psychopath and I buy that people believe that,” Grewe told Swedish website Expressen. “But I think people get the wrong picture of me as a person. I’m a completely different person off the ice.”

Grewe Had Brief Red Wings Tenure

Grewe’s time in North America as part of the Red Wings organization consisted of 11 games with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins during the 2020-21 season. He accounted for two assists and six penalty minutes.

In fairness to the Red Wings, Grewe didn’t really deliver the goods in order to earn an NHL contract. He played 43 games in top-level pro hockey in Sweden and Finland, netting just four goals. By the end of the 2021-22 season, Grewe was playing for Mora in the Allsvenskan, the second tier of Swedish hockey.

While he may bring the same level of annoyance to the ice as Marchand, Grewe hasn’t provided anywhere near the productivity. He’s never scored more than four goals in any single pro season.

Albin Grewe skickar in 2–0 för Djurgården! 🚨

Finalen pågår – streama på TV4 Play 📺 pic.twitter.com/wlV4dsHHBY

— HockeyAllsvenskan (@hockeyallsvensk) April 22, 2025

Last season, he was helping Djurgarden earn promotion to the SHL. He accumulated 91 penalty minutes, nearly threefold the time spent in the sin bin of any of his teammates.

“There has been a lot of crap,” Grewe admits of his numerous run ins with Swedish hockey’s disciplinary committee. “When you get a reputation, you’re judged more harshly. It didn’t matter what I did.”

He signed a new contract with Djurgarden earlier this month. It could be that at the age of 24, Grewe is simply a late bloomer.