Kaski and Kuffner Re-Join Griffins

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday assigned defenseman Oliwer Kaski and forward Ryan Kuffner to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Debuting in the AHL with the Griffins last Saturday at Chicago, the 24-year-old Kaski notched a goal in an 8-5 victory. In 59 games last season with the Lahti Pelicans in Finland’s SM-Liiga, he was recognized as the league’s best player after leading all defensemen in goals (19) and points (51). His 51 points marked the third-highest scoring season ever by a defenseman in the SM-Liiga. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound blueliner made his national team debut and won a gold medal with Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Championship while collecting two assists in 10 games.

A native of Pori, Finland, Kaski is in his first pro season in North America after spending the previous three in his home country and was signed by Detroit on May 28, 2019.

Kuffner, 23, is in his first full professional season and picked up his first pro goal while making his AHL debut last Saturday. The 6-foot, 190-pound forward skated in 10 games with the Red Wings last season after finishing a four-year career at Princeton University.

Kuffner’s decorated collegiate career includes being Princeton’s all-time leading goal scorer with 75 and placing second all time in points with 152 while appearing in 132 games from 2015-19. As a senior last season, the Ottawa, Ontario, native was named a Hobey Baker Award nominee, an NCAA East First Team All-American, a First Team All-ECAC, a First Team All-Ivy League and an ECAC Player of the Year finalist after ranking second in the NCAA in both points per game (1.42) and goals per game (0.71).

Coming off an 8-5 season-opening win at Chicago last Saturday, the Griffins will return to Van Andel Arena for Opening Night presented by Huntington Bank on Friday at 7 p.m. to take on the Milwaukee Admirals.

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.comfor more information.

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