Sportsnet’s Mike Amato spotlights 4 NHL players in his “Friday Four,” and here’s his pick from the Red Wings:
Dominik Shine, Detroit Red Wings: What a journey for Dominik Shine.
The 31-year-old played his first NHL game for the Red Wings this week after grinding away in the AHL for nine seasons. Shine joined the Grand Rapids Griffins after spending four years at Northern Michigan University and has posted at least 10 goals in each of the past four seasons. He becomes the oldest player to make his NHL debut since 2015.
If you’re scoring at home, Shine played 462 AHL games before finally getting the call from the Wings, but it was worth the wait. What makes this moment even more special for Shine is that he’s a Detroit native. He got to make his NHL debut for his hometown team and the organization he grew up watching.
This is the second feel-good debut we’ve seen in January. Ethen Frank played his first NHL game for the Washington Capitals earlier this month at the age of 26, where he also plied his craft in the AHL for several years. Frank actually picked up a point in each of his first three games, including tallying a pair of goals.
Shine’s debut wasn’t as memorable as Frank’s when it came to the scoresheet. He managed only two hits and a block in 9:50 of action and didn’t record a shot on goal. Still, Shine proved persistence pays off and no matter what happens in the future, he can say he was an NHL player. No one can take that away from him.
