Red Wings assign Hronek to Grand Rapids

DETROIT -The Detroit Red Wings today assigned defenseman Filip Hronek to the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins.
Hronek, 21, has skated in 23 games with the Red Wings during the 2018-19 campaign, tallying 10 points (3-7-10) and averaging 18:25 time on ice. After making the Red Wings roster out of training camp, the 6-foot, 170-pound rookie logged three points (1-2-3) in six games during his first NHL stint, including his first NHL point Oct. 11 vs. Toronto and first NHL goal on Oct. 13 at Boston. During his time with the Griffins this season, Hronek has recorded 18 points (5-13-18) and 28 penalty minutes in 20 games, leading the team's defensemen and ranking eighth overall in scoring, despite his stint in the NHL. The Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, native recorded 11 goals, 28 assists and a team-best plus-24 rating in 67 games with the Griffins in 2017-18. The defenseman's 39 points led the team's blueliners and were fifth-most among all Griffins, earning him a spot on the 2018 AHL All-Rookie Team.

Drafted in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by Detroit, Hronek spent the 2016-17 season with the Ontario Hockey League's Saginaw Spirit, where he registered 61 points (14-47-61) and a team-best plus-15 rating in 59 games. Following his OHL season, Hronek joined the Griffins and picked up two points (1-1-2) in 10 regular season games and played two games during the team's 2017 Calder Cup championship run. Hronek also represented the Czech Republic at both the 2016 and 2017 IIHF World Junior Championships, where he combined for six points (2-4-6) in 10 games. He also debuted for the men's national team at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, picking up a goal and two assists in eight games. Hronek made his professional debut by playing in 41 games with HK Hradec Kralove in the top Czech league between 2014-16, totaling four assists and 24 penalty minutes.