- Former Second-Round Pick Ranked Seventh Among NHL Rookies With 15 Goals
Detroit Red Wings right wing Jonatan Berggren has been named the 2022-23 Red Wings Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Media Association.
Berggren, 22, skated in 67 games with the Red Wings during the 2022-23 season and ranked among the NHL’s rookie leaders with 15 goals (7th), 28 points (14th), five power play goals (T3rd), nine power play points (T7th) and a 15.3 shooting percentage (3rd). The 5-foot-11, 197-pound forward recorded the highest shooting percentage of any Red Wings rookie (minimum one shot per team game) since Henrik Zetterberg finished at a 16.3% clip in 2002-03. Berggren picked up an assist in his NHL debut on Nov. 10 against the New York Rangers and scored his first career NHL goal on Nov. 15 at Anaheim. He tallied six points (2-4-6) through his first nine NHL games, becoming the eighth Red Wings rookie in the last 30 years to record at least six points through their first nine contests, joining Lucas Raymond (4-5-9 in 2021-22), Moritz Seider (0-8-8 in 2021-22), Filip Zadina (1-5-6 in 2019-20), Taro Hirose (1-6-7 in 2018-19), Dennis Cholowski (2-4-6 in 2018-19), Dylan Larkin (2-5-7 in 2015-16) and Zetterberg (3-3-6 in 2002-03).
Originally selected by the Red Wings in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Berggren logged seven points (4-3-7) in seven appearances with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins to begin the 2022-23 campaign. The Uppsala, Sweden, native made his North American professional debut with the Griffins in 2021-22 and set franchise records for a rookie in assists (43), points (64), game-winning goals (7) and overtime goals (3) in 70 games. Berggren was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for April after totaling 20 points (6-14-20) in 14 contests. He finished the season with 26 points (7-19-26) in his last 18 games, including a season-high 11-game point streak (6-13-19 in 11 GP) to close out the year.
Berggren will be honored by the DSMA prior to a Red Wings home game during the 2023-24 season. The DSMA Red Wings Rookie of the Year Award dates back to the 1948-49 NHL season. Previous recipients of the award include Larkin and four Calder Memorial Trophy winners in Seider, Roger Crozier, Glenn Hall and Terry Sawchuk.