DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today reassigned forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins from Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League.
Brandsegg-Nygård, 19, has spent the 2024-25 season with Skellefteå AIK, recording 11 points (5-6-11) and 51 penalty minutes in 42 regular-season games. His 11 points were the ninth-most among under-20 skaters in Sweden’s top professional league. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound forward also collected six points (4-2-6) and 12 penalty minutes in 11 postseason contests, helping Skellefteå AIK reach the SHL Semifinals. Brandsegg-Nygård attended Detroit’s training camp prior to the 2024-25 season, logging three points (1-2-3), a plus-two rating and four penalty minutes in five preseason games. Brandsegg-Nygård spent the majority of the 2023-24 campaign with Mora IK in Sweden’s second-highest professional league, tallying 18 points (8-10-18), a plus-three rating and 19 penalty minutes in 41 regular-season games, in addition to 10 points (4-6-10) and eight penalty minutes in 12 postseason matchups. He also logged 12 points (5-7-12), a plus-nine rating and 10 penalty minutes in seven games with Mora IK’s under-20 squad in Sweden’s top junior league. In all, Brandsegg-Nygård registered 21 points (9-12-21) and 25 penalty minutes in 52 games with Mora IK from 2022-24, along with 50 points (22-28-50) in 42 games with the under-20 team and 10 points (5-5-10) in four games at the under-18 level.
Selected by the Red Wings in the first round (15th overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Brandsegg-Nygård became the first Norwegian-born player to be selected in the first round of an NHL Entry Draft. The Oslo, Norway, native made his professional debut as a 16-year-old with Vålerenga in the EliteHockey Ligaen, skating in eight games in Norway’s top professional league during the 2021-22 season. Brandsegg-Nygård also racked up 42 points (24-18-42) in 25 games with Vålerenga’s under-20 team and 19 points (10-9-19) in seven games with the under-18 squad in 2021-22. He paced Norway’s under-18 circuit with 16 goals in eight games during the 2020-21 campaign. On the international stage, Brandsegg-Nygård won a bronze medal with Norway at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship Division I, netting one goal in five appearances. He also represented Norway at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, recording five points (3-2-5) in seven games en route to being named one of his country’s top three performers. He also played for Norway at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, notching five points (3-2-5) in five games. Brandsegg-Nygård won a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Division I, collecting five points (2-3-5) in five games, and also captured a silver medal at the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Championship Division I with four points (2-2-4) in five appearances.
Sandin-Pellikka, 20, has spent the 2024-25 season with Skellefteå AIK, earning Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year honors after recording 29 points (12-17-29) and 22 penalty minutes in 46 regular-season games. His 12 goals and 29 points were the most of any under-21 skater in Sweden’s top professional league. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound blueliner also tallied eight points (1-7-8) and two penalty minutes in 11 postseason contests, helping Skellefteå AIK reach the SHL Semifinals. Sandin-Pellikka won a SHL championship with Skellefteå AIK in 2023-24, logging 18 points (10-8-18) and 17 penalty minutes in 39 regular-season games, in addition to seven points (2-5-7) in 14 playoff matchups. He was named the recipient of the 2024 Börje Salming Trophy as the best Swedish-born defenseman in the SHL. Selected by the Red Wings in the first round (17th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Sandin-Pellikka made his professional debut with Skellefteå AIK during the 2022-23 season, logging five points (2-3-5) and a plus-two rating in 22 games. In all, Sandin-Pellikka has totaled 52 points (24-28-52) and 39 penalty minutes in 107 SHL games since 2022-23.
A native of Gällivare, Sweden, Sandin-Pellikka was named the best defenseman in Sweden’s top junior league in 2022-23 after racking up 36 points (16-20-36), a plus-15 rating and 64 penalty minutes in 31 games with Skellefteå AIK’s under-20 squad. Sandin-Pellikka has developed with Skellefteå AIK since 2019-20, collecting 39 points (17-22-39) in 45 games at the under-20 level, 22 points (9-13-22) in 40 games with the under-18 team and 12 points (3-9-12) in 24 games with the under-16 squad. On the international stage, Sandin-Pellikka represented Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and was selected as the tournament’s best defenseman for the second-consecutive year after recording 10 points (4-6-10), a plus-eight rating and six penalty minutes in seven games. Sandin-Pelikka won a silver medal with Sweden at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, logging six points (2-4-6) and four penalty minutes in seven games. He also had one assist and six penalty minutes in seven appearances at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. Sandin-Pellikka captured a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Championship, earning top defenseman honors after compiling 11 points (2-9-11) and a plus-eight rating in seven games. Additionally, Sandin-Pellikka claimed a silver medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, posting two assists and six penalty minutes in five contests.
