Red Wings’ Steve Yzerman & Todd McLellan end of season presser
Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman & coach Todd McLellan, April 29, 2025 in Detroit.
In 2019, the Detroit Red Wings saw enough potential in Antti Tuomisto to use their second pick in the NHL draft on him.
Six years later, he has yet to even sniff the NHL, but he has done well in the minors, earning an extension with the franchise. The Wings have signed the 24-year-old defenseman for another year, days before he could have become a restricted free agent on July 1. It’s a two-way deal, typical of a prospect not yet seen as NHL-caliber.
Tuomisto towers at 6 feet 5 and 210 pounds, and shoots right. He’s an intelligent player with a good first pass, and hard to knock off the puck.
The 2019 draft was Steve Yzerman’s first as general manager of the Wings. His first selection, Moritz Seider (No. 6 overall) already is four years into his career and a key part of the rebuild. Albert Johansson, a second-round pick (No. 60), just completed his first NHL season, thriving after the coaching change at Christmas.
That draft also saw the Wings select Elmer Söderblom in the sixth round (No. 159); the gangly forward likewise made inroads to establishing his NHL career this past season.
Tuomisto, selected with the team’s first pick in the second round, at No. 35, spent two seasons playing at the University of Denver before going back to his native Finland to play in that country’s top league in 2022-23. He split his time between the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) and Toledo Walleye (ECHL) the following season, and in 2024-25, posted 27 points in 67 games with the Griffins.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.