DETROIT — Carter Mazur’s first game in the NHL came to an abrupt halt after only two brief shifts on the ice. The 22-year-old forward for the Detroit Red Wings sustained an upper-body injury in the opening period during Thursday night’s matchup against Utah.
Mazur had been brought up from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) earlier in the day. Hailing from Jackson, Michigan, Mazur had been chosen by Detroit as their third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. Throughout this season, he displayed his skills with 15 points across 20 games for the Griffins, including an impressive streak of 11 points in his last 11 AHL appearances, following a return to form after another upper-body injury that kept him out from October 19 until January 18.
Excitement surrounded Mazur’s debut, with a large group of family and friends gathered at Little Caesars Arena, eagerly supporting him from the stands. Before the game began, he delighted his mother by tossing a puck over the boards to her.
Mazur’s promotion to the Red Wings lineup required Detroit to waive seasoned forward Christian Fischer to accommodate the young player’s addition. Mazur managed to clock in only 1 minute and 10 seconds of ice time as he skated on the fourth line alongside Tyler Motte and Jonatan Berggren.
Reflecting on his NHL aspirations, Mazur shared during the team’s morning practice, “Growing up a Red Wings fan, seeing how much they’ve won and how the fans love the playoffs, it’s something that I hope I can be part of. I hope to help them get in the right direction. I know they’re moving in the right direction, so it’s pretty awesome to join a team in this push right now.”
