DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today assigned defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Sandin-Pellikka, 21, has skated in 63 games with the Red Wings during the 2025-26 season, recording 19 points (6-13-19), 16 penalty minutes, 62 shots and 51 blocks in 16:19 average time on ice. His 19 points are the fifth-most among NHL rookie defensemen behind Matthew Schaefer (51), Alexander Nikishin (28), Artyom Levshunov (24) and Zeev Buium (22). The 6-foot, 186-pound defenseman began the 2024-25 campaign with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League, logging 29 points (12-17-29) and 22 penalty minutes in 46 regular-season games, in addition to eight points (1-7-8) in 11 postseason contests. Sandin-Pellikka also made his North American professional debut with the Griffins in 2024-25, picking up one assist in two regular-season games before playing in three Calder Cup Playoff matchups. Selected by the Red Wings in the first round (17th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Sandin-Pellikka totaled 52 points (24-28-52) and 39 penalty minutes in 107 games with Skellefteå AIK from 2022-25, helping the club win a SHL championship in 2024.
A native of Gällivare, Sweden, Sandin-Pellikka was named the best defenseman in Sweden’s top junior league in 2022-23 after racking up 36 points (16-20-36), a plus-15 rating and 64 penalty minutes in 31 games with Skellefteå’s under-20 squad. In all, Sandin-Pellikka collected 39 points (17-22-39) and 70 penalty minutes in 45 games with Skellefteå’s under-20 team, along with 22 points (9-13-22) and 16 penalty minutes in 40 games with their under-18 squad and 12 points (3-9-12) and 22 penalty minutes in 24 games at the under-16 level. On the international stage, Sandin-Pellikka captained Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and was selected as the tournament’s best defenseman for the second-consecutive year after recording 10 points (4-6-10), a plus-eight rating and six penalty minutes in seven games. Sandin-Pellikka claimed a silver medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, notching six points (2-4-6) and four penalty minutes in seven games. He also competed at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, tallying one assist and six penalty minutes in seven games. Sandin-Pellikka won a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Championship, earning top defenseman honors after finishing with 11 points (2-9-11) and a plus-eight rating in seven appearances. Sandin-Pellikka was also a silver medalist at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, contributing two assists and six penalty minutes in five appearances.
