PUEMPED UP

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Last Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings acquired left wing Matt Puempel (PUHM-puhl) from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Ryan Sproul. Puempel was then assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Complete with a “New Guy” locker room name plate, hear what Puempel had to say following his first practice with the Griffins on Tuesday regarding his schedule the last few days, what it’s like being traded, his experiences with the New York Rangers, his excitement toward joining the Red Wings organization and how he sees himself fitting in with the defending Calder Cup champions.





The 24th overall selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators, the 24-year-old Puempel joins the Griffins with 79 games of NHL experience on his resume. He skated in 52 games with the Senators from 2014-17 and scored six points (4-2—6). After the New York Rangers claimed him off waivers from Ottawa on Nov. 21, 2016, Puempel contributed nine points (6-3—9) in 27 games for the Blueshirts.

He notched his first NHL hat trick on Dec. 29, 2016, at Arizona and recorded all three tallies on the power play to become the first Ranger with three power play goals in a game since Jan. 31, 1994.

Assigned to New York’s AHL affiliate in Hartford at the beginning of this season, Puempel tallied three points (1-2—3) in five games. In his career, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound winger has logged 175 games in the AHL between Binghamton (2011-16) and Hartford (2016-17), accumulating 114 points (61-53—114) and 142 penalty minutes. During his lone full season in the AHL, 2013-14 with Binghamton, he tied for sixth on the circuit with a career-best 30 goals. He’s split time between the NHL and AHL every year since.

During his junior hockey career, during which he was named a the OHL Rookie of the Year and to the Canadian Major Junior All-Rookie Team in 2010, the Windsor, Ontario, native recorded 30 or more goals in three of four seasons.