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  • Czarnik Has Recorded 36 Points in 42 Games With Grand Rapids; Luff Has 23 Points in 25 Appearances With Griffins

The Detroit Red Wings today assigned center Austin Czarnik and right wing Matt Luff to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Czarnik, 30, has skated in 15 games with the Red Wings this season, recording three points (2-1-3), a plus-one rating, four penalty minutes, 14 shots and 13 hits in 10:50 average time on ice. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound forward has also played in 42 games with the Griffins and ranks among the team leaders with 13 goals (3rd), 23 assists (3rd), 36 points (4th), four power play goals (T2nd), three shorthanded goals (1st) and 84 shots (T5th). He was named the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 16 after tallying five points (3-2-5) in his first two games with Grand Rapids. Czarnik signed with the Red Wings as a free agent on July 13, 2022 after splitting the 2021-22 campaign between the New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken, collecting five points (2-3-5) in 11 games with the Islanders along with two assists in six appearances for the Kraken. He also suited up in 38 games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders last season and posted 37 points (14-23-37) and eight penalty minutes, in addition to 10 points (3-7-10) in six postseason contests. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Boston Bruins on April 1, 2015, Czarnik has played in parts of seven NHL seasons with the Bruins, Calgary Flames, Islanders, Kraken and Red Wings, totaling 48 points (17-31-48) and 24 penalty minutes in 157 games since 2016-17. He has also compiled 261 points (94-167-261), a plus-23 rating and 94 penalty minutes in 269 AHL games with the Providence Bruins, Stockton Heat, Islanders and Griffins. Czarnik paced all AHL rookies with 61 points (20-41-61) in 68 games during the 2015-16 season and went on to represent Providence at the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic.

A native of Washington Township, Mich., Czarnik played four seasons at Miami University from 2011-15 prior to turning professional, serving as team captain during his junior and senior years. Czarnik accumulated 169 points (46-123-169), a plus-50 rating and 119 penalty minutes in 159 games and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist as a sophomore in 2012-13. Before joining the RedHawks, Czarnik spent the 2010-11 campaign with the United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers, adding 34 points (20-14-34) and 33 penalty minutes in 46 contests. He previously skated with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2008-10. On the international stage, Czarnik represented the United States at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, notching four points (2-2-4) in six games. Czarnik earned a gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championship after recording six points (5-1-6) and a plus-seven rating in seven games, and also won a bronze medal at the 2009 World Under-17 Challenge after logging four points (1-3-4) in five appearances.

Luff, 25, has appeared in seven games with the Red Wings this season, recording his first goal and point on Nov. 6 against the New York Rangers. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound forward has also tallied 23 points (7-16-23) and six penalty minutes in 25 games with the Griffins. Luff was signed as a free agent by the Red Wings on July 13, 2022 after splitting the 2021-22 season between the Nashville Predators and AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, logging six points (3-3-6) and four penalty minutes in 23 games with the Predators while totaling 31 points (14-17-31) and 16 penalty minutes in 30 appearances for the Admirals. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Kings on Sept. 22, 2016, Luff has registered 24 points (14-10-24) and 20 penalty minutes in 94 games with the Kings, Predators and Red Wings since 2018-19. He has also racked up 143 points (56-87-143), a plus-10 rating and 116 penalty minutes in 194 AHL games with the Ontario Reign, Admirals and Griffins since making his professional debut in 2016-17.

A native of Oakville, Ont., Luff played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Belleville Bulls and Hamilton Bulldogs from 2014-17 prior to turning professional, showing 137 points (61-76-137) and 96 penalty minutes in 170 games, in addition to 11 points (5-6-11) in 11 postseason contests. Before starting his major junior career, Luff collected six points (3-3-6) in 10 games with the Oakville Blades of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Luff also recorded 103 points (58-45-103) in 72 games with the Oakville Rangers Midget AAA squad from 2012-14. He won an OHL Cup championship with the Rangers’ under-16 squad in 2013, chipping in three points (2-1-3) in seven appearances.