Michael Brandsegg-Nygård shines but Grand Rapids Griffins eliminated
The Grand Rapids Griffins were eliminated from the 2026 AHL playoffs in the Central Division Finals
The playoffs are over for Detroit Red Wings' top farm team. The Grand Rapids Griffins, owners of a franchise-record start to the AHL season and the league's second-best record before the postseason, lasted two rounds and eight games. They were thwarted in the Calder Cup Central Division finals by the Chicago Wolves, falling, 3-2, on Thursday, May 21, at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
The Wolves – the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes (who opened the NHL's Eastern Conference finals on Thursday as well) – claimed the best-of-five series in four games, with the Griffins facing elimination after dropping the first two games on their home ice. IN THE CREASE: Sebastian Cossa a key offseason piece for Red Wings. Here's why Michael Brandsegg-Nygård steps up While it's a disappointing finish for a team that lost just once in regulation over its first 32 games this season, it did provide valuable experience for top Wings prospects Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Brandsegg-Nygård, a 2024 first-round pick (No. 15 overall), scored in the final minute Thursday, just two nights after a clutch goal in overtime. The 20-year-old forward – the NHL's first-ever first-round pick out of Norway – finished with eight points in eight games.
Sandin-Pellikka, a 2023 first-round pick (No. 17) out of Sweden, tallied four points in the series. Brandsegg-Nygård finished the 2025-26 season with an assist in 14 games with the Red Wings, though he delivered physical play in his final two games – seven hits against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning .