Carlsberg WHL Alumni Spotlight: Former Blazers captain Finnie finding success in HockeyTown

Detroit, Mich. – If you haven’t heard of Emmitt Finnie before, now you have.

The budding forward hailing from Lethbridge, Alta., exploded onto the NHL scene after making his debut during the Detroit Red Wings’ season opener in early-October.

But, Finnie’s journey to the spotlight began well before his inaugural regular season twirl with the Wings.

A common name among the Red Wings’ organization and fanbase nowadays, Finnie’s introduction to the Original Six franchise was rather inconspicuous.Originally viewed as a ‘flyer’ pick at the 2023 NHL Draft, Detroit gambled on the Kamloops Blazers talent by scooping him up with the 201st-overall selection in the draft. 

Emmitt Finnie doing what Emmitt Finnie does best.@blazerhockey | @DetroitRedWings | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/vtYzbbaVva

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 5, 2025

Following his selection, Finnie was sent back to Kamloops to further his development at the junior hockey level. Finnie spent two more seasons with the Blazers, serving as the Club’s captain for the 2024-25 campaign. As each season progressed, so did Finnie’s game. The 20-year-old completed his fourth – and final – season by netting a career-high in goals (37), assists (47), and points (87) with the Blazers. 

Totalling 184 points (65 G–119 A) in 229 career appearances with the Blazers, Finnie exited the Western League wanting to make a strong impression in HockeyTown – and did he ever. 

After his departure from Kamloops, Finnie joined the Red Wings’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Grand Rapid Griffins for the conclusion of their regular season and Calder Cup Playoffs push. Using the time to familiarize himself with the organization, the crafty forward collected five points (1 G–4 A) in 10 regular season skates and suited up in three post-season games. 

From there, the former Blazers captain was ready to don Detroit’s iconic red and white threads. 

Having gotten a taste for NHL action during Detroit’s home-opener, the 20-year-old was hooked. Finnie collected his first career point – an assist – in his second-ever NHL game and tacked on his first-career goal and multi-point outing in his sixth skate with Detroit.

⚠️ FIRST NHL GOAL ALERT ⚠️

Congrats, Emmitt Finnie! pic.twitter.com/TuIicRQoM6

— NHL (@NHL) October 19, 2025

In total, Finnie has logged 14 total NHL appearances with Detroit, collecting eight points (4 G–4 A) and a plus/minus rating of +5. The forward leads all Red Wings rookies in points and sits fourth in team scoring.

Finnie also sits tied for fourth among all NHL rookies, only trailing Montreal’s Ivan Demidov, New York Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer, and Minnesota’s Zeev Buium, who boast 12, 11, and nine points, respectively. 

Finnie’s immediate on-ice success has also dominoed into team-wide success for Detroit. In just 14 games, the Red Wings have put the NHL’s Atlantic Division on notice with an impressive, 9-5-0 record. The Club currently sits seventh in League standings.

And it’s not just those in Detroit who’ve been keeping tabs on the up-and-coming talent. Back in Kamloops, Blazers head coach Shaun Clouston has also been keeping a prideful eye on his pupil.

“It’s outstanding. It’s amazing,” raved the Blazers’ bench boss. 

“It’s such a unique story where a player gets picked in the seventh round and you fast forward a couple of years and he’s not only in the NHL – which is incredible to start with – but having success and looking like he fits right in and being able to contribute.”

Having been on the bench since the forward first joined the Club as a 16-year-old, longtime coach had the best seat in the house as Finnie developed at the junior hockey level

And, despite being a late-round pick at the NHL Draft, Clouston always knew Finnie was destined for greatness.

“Everybody believed he was going to be a player because of his willingness to keep going, to do the right thing in practice, to show up each day ready to go.”

“He’s another guy that probably should have been the most improved player every year. To me, this is a developmental League and everybody gets better, but some guys just have the ability to immerse themselves in everything.”

What a slick little pass from Emmitt Finnie to Carter Mazur! pic.twitter.com/IErr5a1Fti

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 23, 2025

If Finnie can continue to build on his wicked, rookie campaign, the 20-year-old can place himself in the same conversation as the legendary Henrik Zetterberg. Selected in the seventh round of the 1999 NHL Draft, Zetterberg went on to cement himself as a Detroit Red Wing icon as he recorded 960 points (337 G–623 A) in 1,082 career games. Zetterberg also served as the Red Wings’ captain for six seasons.

Finnie and the Red Wings’ 2025-26 campaign continues on Friday, November 7, when they host the New York Rangers.