Hockey recap: Kienan Draper scoreless in AHL debut with Grand Rapids
· Yahoo Sports
Red Wings prospect Kienan Draper was scoreless and plus-1 in his AHL debut for the Grand Rapids Griffins.
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The Griffins posted a 5-2 victory over the Iowa Wild at the Casey’s Center on Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa.
Grand Rapids reached 50 wins in the fewest games in the team’s 30-year history (2005-06, 71 games) and their 26 road victories tied the most in franchise history (2002-03).
Draper, 24, was the Wings' 2020 seventh round (187th overall) draft pick, who just finished his senior season at Michigan. Draper had five goals and 13 assists in 40 games, with a plus-21 rating.
Kienan Draper is the son of Kris Draper, the Wings' assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting, who played 20 seasons and won four Stanley Cups with the Wings.
North Dakota's Dylan James also made his AHL debut with one shot and a plus-1 rating and Michael Postava made 24 saves to improve to 16-6-0.
Ovechkin: 'We'll see' on NHL future
Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, has left the door open on whether he will return for another campaign, saying he will not make a decision on his playing future until the close season.
The Washington Capitals captain recorded an assist in Tuesday's regular-season finale, a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the result did little to soften a disappointing end to the year.
Washington had already been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoffs contention the day before, marking only the fifth time since Ovechkin was drafted first overall in 2004 that the Capitals have missed the postseason.
"I hope it's not my last game," Ovechkin said in a report on the NHL's website. "So, we'll see."
The 40-year-old Russian, who is in the final year of his contract and broke Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record in April 2025, currently sits atop the list with 929 career goals.
Given the uncertainty over whether he will lace up his skates again, a large contingent of Capitals fans made the trip to Columbus for the finale to cheer on their captain in what could prove to be his final NHL game, and Ovechkin took notice.
"I don't know what's going to happen," he said. "The fans that came here from D.C. and from different spots to watch the game, it was very nice. I can hear their cheering for me and scream 'One more year!' So, that's important, too. It shows lots of respect. So, thanks for the support."
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said Ovechkin's uncertain future came up in the team's postgame meeting but declined to elaborate. "I'll just keep that between us," Carbery said. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Augusta, Georgia Editing by Christian Radnedge)
Stars' Hintz out of Games 1, 2
Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz will not play in the first two games of the Western Conference first-round series against the Minnesota Wild due to a lower-body injury, head coach Glen Gulutzan announced.
Hintz has been sidelined since sustaining his injury while jostling along the boards with Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon during the Stars' 5-4 shootout loss on March 6.
"Certainly, Roope won't be in Games 1 or 2," Gulutzan said. "We don't know when he could come back or if he could come back. We'll see."
Hintz, 29, has recorded 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) and a plus-16 rating in 53 games this season.
He has totaled 421 points (190 goals, 231 assists) in 521 career games since being selected by the Stars in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Red Wings prospect Kienan Draper was scoreless in AHL debut