'I'm very honored to put on this sweater and play for the hometown'

DETROIT -- Detroit native Austin Czarnik's childhood bedroom was wallpapered with the Winged Wheel logo. He vividly remembers cheering on the Detroit Red Wings during the back-to-back Stanley Cup championship run in 1997 and 1998.

So for Czarnik, who signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings in July, playing for the NHL franchise he grew up cheering for has been "an awesome experience."
"Obviously, it's every kid's dream to do that growing up here," Czarnik told DetroitRedWings.com. "To be able to do it is surreal. I'm very honored to be able to put on this sweater and play for the hometown."

Czarnik's winding professional hockey journey to the Red Wings includes many prior stops. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound center began his ascent with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., from 2008-2010 before joining Miami (Ohio) in 2011.
After playing four seasons of college hockey with the RedHawks, Czarnik signed with the Boston Bruins as an undrafted free agent on March 31, 2015. He went on to play parts of seven NHL campaigns with the Bruins, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken, totaling 46 points (16-30-46) in 146 games.
During that time, Czarnik also played sporadically in the American Hockey League, earning 239 points (87-152-239) in 239 games with the Providence Bruins, Stockton Heat, Bridgeport Islanders and Grand Rapids Griffins.
"It's been a lot of ups and downs," Czarnik said. "For me, my wife and my family, it's a lot of going back and forth. We've battled through it, but I feel that right now, it's probably the best that I've been playing in my career."
When he was first called up to Detroit this season on Nov. 5, Czarnik said the message from the Griffins' coaching staff was straightforward.
"They just said, 'Good luck and do what you do," Czarnik said. "At the time, I felt my game wasn't as good as it should have been down there. I was letting up a couple of goals that I should have been harder on defensively. But I think I fixed those mistakes, especially up here, I fixed them and I wanna keep building on that."

The 30-year-old forward made his Red Wings debut in a 3-2 overtime road win against the New York Rangers. In his first 11 games with Detroit, Czarnik has three points on two goals and one assist.
Head coach Derek Lalonde described Czarnik as "a guy who can come up seamlessly."
"Austin has been excellent," Lalonde said. "Playing with pace, a hockey sense and can do everything we ask of him. Our structure and systems, he does. Now, he's adding in making some plays."
Czarnik said his success is the result of a mentality shift that is finally paying off.
"That's definitely grown on me," Czarnik said. "I was fortunate enough to be a skill guy in college. But I feel like now, it's whatever I need do, I do. That's why I think I've had success this year. I know my role and I'm just trying to do everything I can to stay in the lineup."

Czarnik is logging valuable minutes on the fourth line alongside Joe Veleno and Jonatan Berggren, a trio that he said gives Detroit a spark.
"I think everything is clicking at the right time," Czarnik said. "Having chemistry with Veleno and Berggren has been good. I think all we are just doing is just playing simple, working hard and producing energy for the team. I think it's working out."