Puempel has skated in 59 games with the Griffins this season and ranks among team leaders with 24 goals (2nd), 26 assists (2nd), 50 points (2nd), eight power-play goals (1st) and 215 shots on goal (1st). The 26-year-old has appeared in 116 games for Grand Rapids over the last two seasons, notching 104 points (46-58-104), a plus-12 rating and 59 penalty minutes, after he was acquired by Detroit from the New York Rangers on Oct. 21, 2017 in exchange for defenseman Ryan Sproul. Puempel is a veteran of 291 AHL games with the Binghamton Senators, Hartford Wolf Pack and Griffins, totaling 218 points (107-111-218) and 201 penalty minutes. He has also skated in 79 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators and Rangers, registering 15 points (10-5-15) and 28 penalty minutes.
Originally a first-round pick (24th overall) of the Senators in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Puempel is a native of Windsor, Ontario, and played four seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Peterborough Petes and Kitchener Rangers between 2009-13. In 195 career OHL games, he tallied 213 points (119-94-213) and 166 penalty minutes. Puempel also skated in the 2011 Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects Game and earned Rookie of the Year honors in the OHL in 2009-10, leading the league in both goals (33) and points (64) for Peterborough. Internationally, Puempel holds a pair of medals with Canada, earning a silver medal at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and a gold medal at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Matt Puempel, Right Wing
Born Jan 24 1993 -- Windsor, ONT
Height 6.01 -- Weight 205 -- Shoots L
Selected by Ottawa Senators round 1 #24 overall 2011 NHL Entry Draft
