Despite the less than stellar ending to their 2024-25 season, the time to rest and regroup hasn't arrived for all of the Red Wings just yet.
May 9th marked the start of the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Men's World Championship, where five members of Detroit's roster are switching out the Winged Wheel for the sweaters of their home countries.
We briefly reviewed Thursday's games with two players facing uphill battles, but here we take a broader view. After the first week of matchups, it's time to take a look at the impact the Red Wings have had on the Austrian, Swedish, and German teams.
How have the rostered Detroit Red Wings players fared in the IIHF Men's World Championships?
The five Detroit players are spread across three countries.
Austria: Marco Kasper
Following an impressive first season with the Red Wings that established him as an underrated member of the team's future core, Kasper has maintained his momentum through the first week of the tournament.
The Austrian team got off to a rocky start with two consecutive losses, but Kasper quickly found his footing. After netting his first goal in Saturday's loss against Sweden, he led his teammates in ice time in their next matchup against Slovakia. Kasper registered a goal and an assist in the shootout victory. He was named player of the game for his standout performance, and rightfully so — his mid-fall goal could fit right in with a '90s Steve Yzerman or Sergei Fedorov highlight reel.
Thursday's action saw Austria fall 5-1 to the undefeated Canadian team. Nevertheless, they managed a quick turnaround Friday morning in what was Kasper's strongest showing yet. The 5-2 win against France was bookended by two goals from Kasper: one at 39 seconds in, and one netted with under three minutes left in the game.
Kasper's offensive production was bolstered by his grit and physicality, contributing to the versatility that is making him one of the most promising aspects of Detroit's next season.
The brightest spot on Austria's middling team, Kasper leads in goals (4) and points (5). Also, he has a +5 rating despite the team's three losses.
Austria (1-1-0-3) sits in sixth place in Group A with a total of five points.
Upcoming games for Austria:
- Slovenia vs. Austria – Sunday, May 18, 10:20 AM ET
- Latvia vs. Austria– Thursday, May 20, 6:20 AM ET
Germany: Moritz Seider
The Red Wings' star defenseman was named captain of Germany's team. It was an exciting honor, especially after Yzerman called out the need for morale-boosting leadership from Detroit's best players during his end of season press conference.
Team Germany's captain assisted on a goal in Sunday's victory over Kazakhstan. It remains the only point Seider has tallied thus far. However, with a +3 rating, it's clear that his presence on the ice is bolstering Germany's near-perfect record in the tournament. Like Kasper, Seider is racking up ice time, leading Germany far and away with a total of 25:47 in their win against Norway.
Endurance and physicality remain his primary assets, and the latter was on full display when he delivered a hit on Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Detroit's most recent first-round pick.
With Seider at the helm, Germany (3-0-0-1) remained undefeated nearly all week, falling from first place in the Group B standings only after Thursday's loss against Switzerland.
Upcoming games for Germany:
- USA vs. Germany – Saturday, May 17, 6:20 AM ET
- Germany vs. Czechia– Monday, May 19, 10:20 AM ET
- Germany vs. Denmark– Tuesday, May 20, 10:20 AM ET
Sweden: Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson, & Erik Gustafsson
Just as in Detroit, it's Raymond who stands out as one of the most instrumental skaters on Tre Kronor's talented lineup. Assists have been his forte during the first week of the tournament; the dish for both of Sweden's goals on Monday's win against Finland came from Raymond.
His current total of four assists and one goal puts him near the top of Sweden's offensive-minded lineup, which is exactly what Red Wings fans expect from the young star.
Red Wings defensemen Simon Edvinsson and Erik Gustafsson are also representing Sweden. In a role reversal from their contributions in Detroit, Gustafsson tallied five assists through five games, but Edvinsson has been unusually quiet. He recorded his first point of the tournament with an assist in today's shutout victory over Slovenia.
Sweden (5-0-0-0) earned their 15th point after today's win, surpassing Canada and claiming Group A's first place slot.
Upcoming games for Sweden:
- France vs. Sweden – Saturday, May 17, 6:20 AM ET
- Sweden vs. Canada– Tuesday, May 20, 2:20 PM ET
Games can be streamed on ESPN+ or NHL Network in the US, TSN in Canada, or outside North America on IIHF.tv.