Wings Recall Megan and Assign Hicketts

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday recalled center Wade Megan from the Grand Rapids Griffins and assigned defenseman Joe Hicketts to the Griffins. Additionally, the Griffins released defenseman Chris Carlisle from his professional tryout.

In his first season with the Griffins, Megan, 28, shows four points (2-2—4), six penalty minutes and 24 shots while appearing in all eight games.

Should he debut with Detroit, Megan will become the 172nd Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL.

A 6-foot-1, 190-pound center, Megan scored a goal in his NHL debut with the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 22, 2016 at Tampa Bay, and he logged four career games with St. Louis from 2016-18.

Originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the fifth round, 138th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Megan has produced 157 points (80-77—157), a plus-25 rating and 230 PIM in 334 career AHL regular season games between San Antonio (2012-15), Portland (2015-16), Chicago (2016-18) and Grand Rapids. He shows three points (1-2—3) in 16 Calder Cup Playoffs, participating in the postseason in each of the last four seasons. During his first season with Chicago in 2016-17, he was named to the AHL First All-Star Team and won the Willie Marshall Award as the league’s top goal scorer with 33.

A native of Canton, N.Y., Megan also spent parts of two seasons in the ECHL, totaling 27 points (17-20—27) in 21 regular season games and 13 points (10-3—13) in 22 Kelly Cup Playoff contests with the Cincinnati Cyclones from 2013-15.

Hicketts, 22, has played in eight games with the Red Wings this season and recorded nine shots while averaging 17:05 of ice time. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound blueliner became the 168th Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he debuted with Detroit on Jan. 22, 2018 at New Jersey. Hicketts has logged 13 career games with the Red Wings, showing three points (0-3—3) and two penalty minutes.

A third-year pro, Hicketts has skated in 140 games with the Griffins since 2016-17, tallying 46 points (10-36—46), a plus-five rating and 72 PIM. He produced 12 points (3-9—12) and 32 PIM in 67 regular season games last season before adding two points in five Calder Cup Playoff appearances. While helping Grand Rapids claim the 2017 Calder Cup, Hicketts paced all team defensemen in scoring with 34 points (7-27—34) in 73 games as a rookie that season.

A native of Kamloops, British Columbia, Hicketts represented Canada on two occasions at the World Junior Championship, winning gold in 2015 and serving as an alternate captain in 2016.

Signed to a PTO on Oct. 18, Carlisle, 23, played in two games with the Griffins and notched one assist. A native of Fort Lee, N.J., Carlisle has skated in 141 career AHL games between Grand Rapids and Binghamton (2015-17) and totaled 29 points (7-22—29).

Grand Rapids faces its first three-in-three of the season this weekend, hosting Iowa and Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., respectively, before traveling to Cleveland on Sunday.

Single-game tickets are currently on sale. Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com for more information.

Photo by Sam Iannamico/Griffins