So the mood in the room lately hasn’t exactly been too positive, with fans clamoring for adjustments to the way the Red Wings approach the build of the roster. Even today, Kyle’s got a post up that questions Jeff Blashill’s usage of Teemu Pulkkinen and the concept of the fourth line’s “identity”.
The good news is that we only had to complain for two months to see something like this happen. Looks like the organization is learning way faster than they have in the past.
UPDATE: The #RedWings have recalled Andreas Athanasiou (@AndreasA86) from the @griffinshockey pic.twitter.com/3EtHp4q4T8
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 5, 2016
Athanasiou is currently the 14th forward on the team, which now has a full 23-man roster, so no immediate moves have been made. with Niklas Kronwall on LTIR, it’s not likely that one is necessary here.
I would expect Athanasiou to play during this callup, considering he’s missing back-to-back Griffins games tonight and tomorrow as a result of this recall. Here’s the press release:
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today recalled center Andreas Athanasiou from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Athanasiou has skated in 26 games for the Griffins this season, registering 16 points (8-8-16), nine penalty minutes and 54 shots on goal. The 21-year-old forward made his NHL debut with the Red Wings this season on Nov. 18 vs. Dallas and scored his first NHL goal in his second career game on Nov. 10 vs. Washington. In six total games with the Red Wings, Athanasiou recorded one point (1-0-1), 11 shots on goal, four hits, two blocked shots and one takeaway in 8:53 average time on ice. The second-year pro has also totaled 51 points (25-26-51) in 83 AHL games with the Griffins since turning pro at the conclusion of the 2013-14 campaign. He’s also added 10 points (5-5-10) in 22 career AHL Calder Cup Playoff games.
Originally drafted by Detroit in the fourth round (110th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Athanasiou spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 2010-14 prior to turning professional, spending time with the London Knights and Barrie Colts. In 252 career major junior games, he recorded 221 points (111-110-221) and 125 penalty minutes, winning an OHL championship with London in 2012. He ranked fifth in the league in scoring during his final OHL season with Barrie in 2013-14, racking up 95 points (49-46-95) in 66 games.
