Once in a great while, a player attends an NHL training camp and blows the roof off the place. Detroit Red Wings prospect Emmitt Finnie has done just that and is making it hard for them to send him down.He has a fabulous story and has done everything in camp to make the 2025-26 roster. He has been impressive since day one and does not look out of place. Will he secure that spot, or will he have to wait another year?
Late round pick Finnie shines during audition
Finnie is a great story in the fact that he was not drafted until the seventh round in 2023. In a little over two years, he is the talk of Red Wings training camp and has even been putting some time in on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.The 6-foot and 170-pound center from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada has been impressive because of his speed, puck pursuit, his play with and without the puck, and his creativity in the offensive zone. He has looked better than most veteran players on the Red Wings this preseason and is doing what he needs to do to stand out.
Where he began to shine
Last season he began the season with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) before a late season call-up to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL). With both teams combines, he played in 65 games, scoring 38 goals and 51 assists for 89 points and 26 penalty minutes. In three preseason games with Detroit, he has one goal and one assist for two points and is a +2 in 15 minutes of ice time.
He is doing enough to continue to see NHL action with the big club. The true test is yet to come. If he sticks with the Red Wings longer he may get to see action against some teams actual NHL lineups. He has done well so far so that kind of competition should not faze him. He has done wonders to get to this point from being taken in the seventh round. His work ethic and play in all three zones have got the attention of the Red Wings and that effort is paying off with increased ice time and playing on the top line.
When a player is drafted in the seventh round not much is expected. However, Finnie is now playing on the top line in NHL preseason games after being picked almost last. His compete level is high, his playmaking is exceptional, and he knows where the puck is at all times. The Red Wings found a gem in Finnie, considering most players picked in his position do not see a single preseason game. He has been a success story even if he does not make the roster out of camp but he has put them on notice of what he can do against NHL competition. Expect a big year from him after signing a contract and next season he may just make the team out of training camp.