DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings today reassigned forward Givani Smith to the team's taxi squad from the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins. Additionally, the Red Wings have reassigned forward Mathias Brome and defenseman Dennis Cholowski to the Griffins from the team's taxi squad.
Red Wings reassign forward Givani Smith to taxi squad from Grand Rapids
Forward Mathias Brome and Defenseman Dennis Cholowski reassigned to Griffins from taxi squad
Smith, 23, has skated in 11 games with the Griffins this season and is among team leaders with four goals (T4th), four assists (T7th), eight points (T6th) and 15 penalty minutes (2nd). Smith is currently in his third professional season and has spent parts of the last two campaigns with the Red Wings, totaling seven points (3-4-7) and 20 penalty minutes in 29 NHL games. In eight games with Detroit this season, Smith has registered four points (1-3-4), 11 penalty minutes, 10 shots on goal and 15 hits in 9:55 average time on ice. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound winger notched his first NHL multi-point game on Feb. 7 at Florida, posting two points (1-1-2) while completing the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" by recording a fighting major in the game as well. Smith has skated in 115 games with the Griffins since 2016-17, tallying 40 points (19-21-40) and 178 penalty minutes.
The Toronto, Ontario, native was selected by Detroit in the second round (46th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League prior to turning professional. In 236 games with the Barrie Colts, Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers from 2014-18, Smith tallied 135 points (73-62-135) and 411 penalty minutes, leading the league in penalty minutes in consecutive seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17. In his final OHL campaign split between Guelph and Kitchener in 2017-18, Smith picked up 30 points (17-13-30) in 46 regular-season games before racking up 18 points (11-7-18) in 18 playoff games with Kitchener.
Brome, 26, has skated in 24 games with the Red Wings this season, recording one goal and eight penalty minutes in 13:33 average time on ice. Brome made the Red Wings' Opening Night roster, making his NHL debut on Jan. 14 vs. Carolina after signing with Detroit on April 29, 2020. The 6-foot, 183-pound winger recorded his first NHL goal on Feb. 20 vs. Florida. Prior to the start of the Red Wings season, Brome skated in 23 games for Orebro HK in the Swedish Hockey League, tallying 20 points (4-16-20) and four penalty minutes. Brome played the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign with Orebro HK, leading the team in assists and points with an SHL career-high 43 points (17-26-43), a plus-10 rating and 22 penalty minutes. He also finished among SHL league leaders in goals (T7th), assists (7th) and points (6th) in his third season in the league.
A native of Orby, Sweden, Brome spent his first two SHL seasons with Mora IK after helping the club earn a promotion in 2016-17 out of the second-tier Allsvenskan, in which he led the team with 49 points (18-31-49) and led the league with a plus-23 rating. In 179 total SHL games between Mora and Orebro, Brome has produced 119 points (45-74-119) and added six points (5-1-6) and 24 penalty minutes in 10 postseason games. Brome also skated in 190 professional games in the Allsvenskan from 2013-17, totaling 94 points (35-59-94), a plus-28 rating and 44 penalty minutes with VIK Vasteras HK, Asploven HC and Mora. Before his professional career, Brome skated for Huddinge IK and Vasteras in in the Swedish junior circuit, totaling 69 points (32-37-69) in 62 games at the under-18 level and 84 points (36-48-84) in 107 games in Sweden's top junior league. Internationally, Brome has represented Sweden at the last two Euro Hockey Tours, totaling six points (1-5-6) in 12 games at the event in 2018 and 2019.
Cholowski, 23, has suited up in two games for the Red Wings this season and averaged 14:26 time on ice. The blueliner has tallied eight points (3-5-8) in 11 games for Grand Rapids this season, good for second among Griffins' defensemen. The 6-foot-2, 197-pound defenseman split time between Detroit and Grand Rapids last year, recording eight points (2-6-8) in 36 games with Detroit and ranking second among Red Wings defensemen with five power-play points (1-4-5). He also appeared in 30 games with the Griffins last season and contributed 13 points (3-10-13) and eight penalty minutes. Dating back to his professional debut at the end of the 2016-17 season, Cholowski has 33 points (6-27-33) and 26 penalty minutes in 67 AHL games and two points (0-2-2) and two penalty minutes in six Calder Cup Playoff games. In two NHL seasons with the Red Wings, Cholowski has totaled 24 points (9-15-24) and 22 penalty minutes in 90 career games.
Originally selected by Detroit in the first round (20th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Cholowski played one season of college hockey and one season of major junior after he was drafted before turning professional. In 2016-17, he logged 12 points (1-11-12) in 36 games at St. Cloud State University, before racking up 66 points (14-52-66) in 69 games between the Western Hockey League's Prince George Cougars and Portland Winterhawks during the 2017-18 campaign. A native of Langley, British Columbia, Cholowski won a gold medal with Canada West at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge. He spent parts of three seasons (2013-16) with the Chilliwack Chiefs in the British Columbia Hockey League before he was drafted, notching 67 points (16-51-67) and 20 penalty minutes in 105 regular-season games and adding 22 points (4-18-22) and four penalty minutes in 32 postseason games.
