By the time the Detroit Red Wings called up Dominik Shine, the wheels were on the verge of falling off the wagon. In a week, they lost Dylan Larkin to injury. In two, they lost their two top centers. A month later, they were out of the playoff picture.
Despite all the darkness, some light still managed to shine through.
After playing 521 career AHL games, at 32 years of age (at the time), Dominik Shine scored his first career NHL goal in March:
⚠️ AWESOME STORY ALERT ⚠️
32-year-old Dominik Shine has his first NHL goal after playing 521 AHL games!
Never give up on your dreams, kids!
📺: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnH pic.twitter.com/87UcW6dlRW
The 2025-26 season, by all accounts, was a failure. The Red Wings came up short yet again when it mattered the most. Yet, despite this, there were still some bright spots. Dominik Shine's first career goal was something to be celebrated.
What's even more exciting is that it looks like he might have a future with an NHL team.
Dominik Shine showed flashes of NHL potential
While it's hard to reliably call a 33-year-old with 27 career games a full-time NHLer, Shine showed a few brief glimpses of what he can do at the NHL level. In 18 games this season, Shine collected three goals while playing an average of 6:56 a night.
Shine's ice time was the lowest on the Red Wings, yet he still managed to produce more in his 18 games than Michael Rasmussen did in his last 18. Rasmussen, for reference, played around 12:39 a night -- nearly double the amount of ice time Shine got. Yet, despite his low deployment, Shine was quite noticeable on the ice.
He's physical, shifty, and always looking for a way to put his body into it. Rasmussen, on the other hand, plays the perimeters and rarely gets involved in rushes. It's hard to wonder if the career AHLer outperforming a former first round pick is more of a nod to Shine or an indictment on Rasmussen's play. Either way, it's clear that Shine can, at the very least, pick up a handful of NHL games with his skillset.
Shine's future in Detroit
Shine has two years left on his two-way contract making $875,000 per season. If the Red Wings truly hope to revamp their bottom-six, they may see Shine as a part of that vision. But, if they don't, they've got a reliable call-up in the event an injury occurs.
Shine is the captain of the Grand Rapids Griffins. He's the first to drop the gloves and the last to leave the ice. He's a liaison between the two teams, helping to bridge the gap by setting up the young guys for success. Shine is never going to be the top scorer on a team, nor is he going to be the best player on the ice.
Dominik Shine is a living example of perserverance and why you should never give up on your dreams.
Final Grade: B-
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