WHL Stars & NHL Debuts: former seventh-rounder Finnie cracks Detroit’s opening-night roster

Detroit, Mich.- As the Detroit Red Wings took the ice on Thursday to celebrate a century of hockey, an unlikely rookie stood among their number.

Twenty-year-old Emmitt Finnie glided to centre ice at Little Caesars Arena draped in the deep red and cream of the centennial winged wheel jersey and brown leather-style gloves as cheers from more than 19,500 fans reverberated through the building.

The graduated Kamloops Blazers captain cracked the Original Six roster as a long-shot pick- the 201st overall pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Now, he stood on the top line alongside Captain Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond in his NHL debut.

His parents, brother (former Edmonton Oil Kings alternate captain Marshall Finnie), girlfriend, aunts, and uncle proudly looked on.

Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård all took their first NHL strides on Thursday night- the most rookies to make their debut for Detroit since five players took their first twirl on October 4, 2018.

SHOUTOUT TO THE KIDS! 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/8kgGVSymfO

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 9, 2025

The Montreal Canadiens would squash the atmosphere in an emphatic 5-1 win on opening night, but Finnie largely held his own.

The Lethbridge, Alta. product registered a shot, a hit, and a takeaway in 12:22 of ice time.

Finnie has made the jump to the show after four standout years with the Kamloops Blazers.

The 6-foot-1, 191-pound forward is coming off a career-best 2024-25 season that saw him named Captain of the historic major junior franchise.

Finnie bagged 37 goals and 47 assists for 84 points in just 55 games, ranking 15th in goals among all WHL skaters, fifth in faceoff wins (735, 56.5%) and seventh in points-per-game (1.53).

He was named a 2025 WHL Western Conference Second Team All-Star and was also a finalist for the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to  the WHL’s most sportsmanlike player.

Following the regular season, Finnie joined the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, adding five points (1G-4A) in 10 regular season tilts before suiting up for three postseason matches.

While many in the hockey world felt his strong ethic and flashy skill in the NHL preseason came out of nowhere, Blazers fans knew the Red Wings were getting a steal in the seventh-rounder.

Finnie graduates from the WHL with 65 goals and 119 assists for 184 points in 229 regular-season games, all with Kamloops.

He had another seven points (4G-3A) in 15 playoff games and appeared in four games at the 2023 Memorial Cup.

Detroit will go back to the drawing board as they prepare to host another Original Six squad, the Toronto Maple Leafs, on Saturday, Octobr 11, at 5:00 p.m. MST.