Detroit Red Wings
DeBrincat is Red Wings Shooting Star
Scores twice in 3-2 win over Islanders
Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat is a shooter. He’s a scorer.
Everyone knows that.
And yet, he’s so much more than that to what this team is all about.
If Reggie Jackson was the straw that stirred the drink for the New York Yankees, then DeBrincat is the little engine that could drive the Red Wings onward to great things.
“His competitiveness rubs off on everybody else, and then his ability to shoot it in the net, second to none,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “So that combination is great.
“Sometimes those scorers, they score, and that’s basically it. He does so many other things that he almost drags the rest of the group into the game. And that’s a good thing for us.”
Another kitten in the Cat crew! ☺️ pic.twitter.com/a08XDUZguS
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 16, 2025
On a night when his newborn son Leighton was at Little Caesars Arena for the first time, DeBrincat scored twice on the power play – including the game winner – as the Red Wings edged the New York Islanders 3-2.
“Just shooting the puck a lot, I think,” DeBrincat said. “Obviously, playing with great players. They give me the puck in good situations, and I’m just trying to pull the trigger as much as I can.”
Red Wings DeBrincat On Pace For Career Highs
The outcome of all that shooting has DeBrincat gunning for some personal marks in the key offensive categories. He now has a team-leading 20 goals and 39 points in 34 games. That has him on pace for 49 goals and 95 points. Both would be career highs.
The last Red Wings player to score 40 goals was Marian Hossa in 2008-09. A 49-goal season would be the most productive by a Red Wing since Sergei Fedorov scored 56 goals in 1993-94. And a 95-point campaign would be the highest output by a Detroit player since Pavel Datsyuk garnered 97 points in 2008-09.
Adding it all up, it does make a person wonder what DeBrincat would need to do to convince USA Hockey that they want him to be part of the 2026 Olympic team.
This shot though 🤌#UltraMoments | @MichelobUltra pic.twitter.com/eQgwdEUvAk
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 17, 2025
“I mean, I honestly try to keep it out of my head,” DeBrincat said of the notion of playing for the USA at the Winter Olympiad in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in February. “I try not to think about it too much and just play.
“I hope I can make the team, but I’m not really sure what they talk about.”
If they’re not talking about DeBrincat, you have to ask one question:
What are they thinking?
