Former Blazers captain Finnie named Red Wings Rookie of the Year

DETROIT — Former Kamloops Blazers captain Emmitt Finnie has been named the Detroit Red Wings Rookie of the Year.

The 21-year-old Finnie played all 82 games in his debut NHL season and finished with 30 points (13 goals and 17 assists). He was sixth among Red Wings skaters in goals, tied for seventh in assists and eighth in points.

Finnie is the third Red Wing to record at least 30 points in his rookie season after being drafted by the team in the seventh round or later. Other names on that list include Henrik Zetterberg in 2002-03 (44 points in 79 games) and Vladimir Konstantinov in 1991-92 (34 points in 79 games).

A seventh round pick in the 2023 NHL draft, Finnie made his professional debut with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. He tallied five points (one goal and four points) in 13 games over parts of two seasons before graduating to the NHL ahead of the 2025-26 season.