DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today assigned forwards John Leonard, Eduards Tralmaks and Austin Watson to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Leonard, 27, has recorded four points (2-2-4) in nine games with the Red Wings during the 2025-26 season. The 5-foot-11, 192-pound forward has also skated in 34 games with the Griffins this season and ranks among the team leaders with 27 goals (1st), 41 points (1st), three power play goals (T5th), three shorthanded goals (1st), eight game-winning goals (1st), 116 shots (3rd) and a 23.3 shooting percentage (1st). Leonard spent the entire 2024-25 campaign with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, tallying 61 points (36-25-61), a plus-21 rating and 22 penalty minutes in 72 regular-season games, representing the club at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic while earning a place on the AHL’s Second All-Star Team. Leonard also notched 14 points (8-6-14) and 18 penalty minutes in 18 postseason contests, helping the Checkers reach the 2025 Calder Cup Finals. Originally selected by the San Jose Sharks in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Leonard has registered 21 points (8-13-21) and four penalty minutes in 79 regular-season games with the Sharks, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes and Red Wings since 2020-21. Leonard has also compiled 212 points (110-102-212) and 72 penalty minutes in 283 AHL games with the San Jose Barracuda, Milwaukee Admirals, Tucson Roadrunners, Checkers and Griffins. He is the older brother of Ryan Leonard, who was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round (8th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
A native of Westwood, N.J., Leonard played three seasons at the University of Massachusetts prior to turning professional, recording 105 points (56-49-105), a plus-30 rating and 42 penalty minutes in 106 games from 2017-20. Leonard earned First Team All-American and All-Hockey East First Team honors after leading the NCAA with 27 goals in 33 games as a junior in 2019-20. He was also named to the All-Hockey East Second Team as a sophomore after helping the Minutemen win a Hockey East regular-season championship in 2018-19. Leonard spent two seasons with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers from 2015-17, logging 43 points (24-19-43), a plus-four rating and 30 penalty minutes in 106 games. Additionally, Leonard played three seasons at Springfield (Mass.) Cathedral High from 2012-15, totaling 151 points (91-60-151) in 72 games. On the international stage, Leonard represented Team USA at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, finishing with two points (1-1-2) in four games.
Tralmaks, 29, has played in 49 games with the Griffins in 2025-26 and ranks among the team leaders with 18 goals (4th), 28 points (6th), a plus-24 rating (T4th), four power play goals (T3rd), 96 shots (5th) and an 18.8 shooting percentage (3rd). The 6-foot-3, 221-pound forward spent the 2024-25 season with Rytíři Kladno in the Czech Extraliga, recording 51 points (23-28-51), a plus-four rating and 66 penalty minutes in 48 games. His 51 points were the most of any player in Czechia’s top professional league. In all, Tralmaks collected 83 points (44-39-83) and 100 penalty minutes in 100 games with Rytíři Kladno from 2023-25. Originally signed by the AHL’s Providence Bruins as an undrafted free agent on March 17, 2021, Tralmaks has logged 69 points (40-29-69), a plus-47 rating and 48 penalty minutes in 136 AHL games with Providence and Grand Rapids since 2020-21.
Prior to turning professional, Tralmaks played four seasons at the University of Maine from 2017-21, compiling 82 points (39-43-82), a plus-22 rating and 102 penalty minutes in 119 games. He also recorded 27 points (11-16-27) and 12 penalty minutes in 46 games with the USHL’s Chicago Steel during the 2016-17 season. Tralmaks earned Clark Cup Playoff MVP honors after leading the Steel to their first championship in franchise history with 12 points (10-2-12) in 14 postseason matchups. The Riga, Latvia, native represented his country at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, tallying four points (3-1-4) and six penalty minutes in four games. Tralmaks has also played for Latvia at each of the last two IIHF World Championships (2024, 2025). Additionally, Tralmaks picked up two assists and 27 penalty minutes in six games at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, along with three points (1-2-3) and 25 penalty minutes in six appearances at the 2015 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
Watson, 34, has recorded 20 points (11-9-20), a plus-two rating and 137 penalty minutes in 48 games with the Griffins during the 2025-26 season. The 6-foot-4, 203-pound forward skated in 13 games with the Red Wings during the 2024-25 campaign, logging three goals, a plus-one rating, 17 penalty minutes, 13 shots and 36 hits in 7:51 average time on ice. Watson also tallied 42 points (19-23-42), a plus-10 rating and 112 penalty minutes in 60 regular-season games with the Griffins in 2024-25, in addition to four penalty minutes in three Calder Cup Playoff matchups. He represented the Griffins at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic in Palm Desert, Calif., along with goaltender Sebastian Cossa. Originally selected by Nashville in the first round (18th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Watson has totaled 121 points (63-58-121) and 722 penalty minutes in 528 regular-season games with the Predators, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning and Red Wings since 2012-13. Watson has also collected 19 points (10-9-19) and 48 penalty minutes in 45 postseason contests, helping the Predators reach the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Additionally, Watson has played in parts of eight AHL seasons with Milwaukee and Grand Rapids, racking up 194 points (103-91-194), a plus-22 rating and 338 penalty minutes in 342 games.
A native of Ann Arbor, Mich., Watson played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Windsor Spitfires, Peterborough Petes and London Knights from 2008-12 prior to turning professional, winning OHL championships with Windsor in 2009 and London in 2012. During his major junior career, Watson accumulated 219 points (89-130-219) and 164 penalty minutes in 244 regular-season games, in addition to 22 points (12-10-22) and 27 penalty minutes in 43 postseason games. Watson captured a Memorial Cup title with Windsor in 2009, and later earned the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as OHL Playoff MVP with London in 2012. Watson also skated with the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2009-10, notching six points (4-2-6) and 33 penalty minutes in nine appearances. On the international stage, Watson served as an alternate captain with Team USA at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, tallying one assist and 27 penalty minutes in 10 games. He also competed at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, showing nine points (3-6-9) and a plus-six rating in six games. Watson earned a gold medal with Team USA at the 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, logging three points (2-1-3), a plus-two rating and 33 penalty minutes in seven contests.
