Detroit Red Wings forward Emmitt Finnie is currently tied for second overall in NHL rookie scoring, and the impact he’s made isn’t lost on his teammates and coaches.
The Detroit Red Wings’ centennial campaign began not only with the anticipation of a historic year-long celebration, but also with excitement over the news that a trio of rookies had made the final roster cut and would be getting their feet wet at the NHL level.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (15th overall, 2024), Axel Sandin-Pellikka (17th overall, 2023), and Emmitt Finnie (201st overall, 2023) all were included on Detroit’s roster for their Opening Night matchup against the Montreal Canadiens thanks to their impressive showings in Training Camp and the pre-season.
While the bulk of the attention may have been on both Sandin-Pellikka and Brandsegg-Nygård given their early selections by GM Steve Yzerman, the player who has especially grabbed the attention of not only the Red Wings but the rest of the hockey world is Finnie.
It is rare for a seventh-round draft pick to be tied for second in NHL rookie scoring, but no challenge has been too steep for Finnie to overcome so far.
Through his first nine games, he has scored four goals and added four assists, and he is currently riding a four-game point streak. His most recent goal came as part of the Red Wings’ historic 6-4 comeback win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, a game in which Detroit initially trailed 4-0.
Finnie sits just one point behind Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov, who has appeared in 10 games compared to Finnie’s nine, for the NHL rookie scoring lead.
The 20 year-old native of Lethbridge, Alberta has officially put the rest of the NHL on notice with his incredible start to his career, and the impact that he’s had on their 6-3 start to the season isn’t lost on his teammates.
“It’s a big impact, we’ve talked about him a lot,” said Dylan Larkin on Monday. “I can’t say enough good things about him as a person and player. I think he’s also learning that people are going to be watching out for him, but that he has to continue to drive and push and prove it every night.”
“He’s done everything so far, I don’t see why he couldn’t continue to keep going.”
Following Detroit’s victory on Saturday, head coach Todd McLellan said that he didn’t want to put any unrealistic expectations on Finnie during Training Camp but that he’s earned the trust of himself and the rest of the coaching staff.
“Our thoughts were fairly realistic, we were going to play him, let’s see what ends up happening,” McLellan said. “We obviously believed in him. We certainly did, but he continues to just push the envelope. We can talk about his points, goals and all that stuff. The blocked shots [in Saturday’s game], the checking skills and abilities that he plays with.”
“There’s nothing better that a player can have than to be trusted by the coaches and teammates. He has that right now.”
Not only does Finnie have the trust of his teammates and coaches, he is now forcing Detroit’s opponents to account for him in their game plans to try to minimize his impact.
Finnie’s hot start is reminiscent of the immediate impacts that both Moritz Seider, who became the first Red Wings player since Roger Crozier in 1965 to take home the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie, and Lucas Raymond had four years ago.
Both players are foundational cornerstones for the Red Wings, and if Finnie continues developing on a similar trajectory, he could eventually earn that same distinction.
