My grandma used to love lighthouses.
I never really got the appeal, but I like them because they remind me of her. The more I watch documentaries on the Great Lakes and oceans, the more that I understand how important a beacon of light becomes.I n the darkest of waters, having just a sliver of light cut through it is the difference between life and death. Although not to the same degree, being a fan of the Detroit Red Wings can be dark at times.
Still, through the darkness, a beam of light breaks the gloomy fog. Plenty of Detroit Red Wings players fit this idea, but I want to focus on one in particular: Emmitt Finnie.
Emmitt Finnie shines as bright as any Red Wing
It’s only right to discuss the biggest surprise to anyone.
Before the season even began, the mystery of who would start (and spend the majority of the time) on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond only deepened in the murky depths. Suddenly, a beam of light cut through the dark. It was Emmitt Finnie saying, “hold my root beer.”
Maybe having no expectations has made Finnie’s light shine brighter than other players (outside of the obvious choices). Even without those expectations, though, Finnie still had to play these games. He still had to make an impact game after game. While there were parts of the season he faded in terms of effectiveness, he was still the same player I appreciated before.
Before we dive into his National Hockey League (NHL) career thus far, let me take you back to late in the Grand Rapids Griffins season in 2022-23 season. There was a lil’ fella skating all over the ice.
Finnie's origins in Grand Rapids
Seemingly every shift, this lil’ fella would make an effective play, win a board battle, or just flat out impress me. I’d wonder, “Who the heck is this kid?”
Each time the answer would be the same: Emmitt Finnie. From the first shift that I watched him play until now, Finnie hasn’t changed a thing in his approach to the game. He's one of the players that you don't have to worry about on the ice.
It’s difficult to appreciate how much Finnie does, especially away from the puck. Typically, camera angles, people’s eyes, and even statistics are focused on other things going on during a game, so they don’t fully capture how much he does. One has to go out and strictly watch him. The guy is quick, though, so it can be hard to keep pace with his play.
He’s a relentless hound on the puck and opposing players. Finishing his checks, using his stick, protecting pucks, and anything his line mates need him to do Finnie does it without hesitation.
According to the NHL’s website, Finnie is third on the team with hits. Marco Kasper has 181 hits, Ben Chiarot has 167 hits, and Finnie has 128 hits. Moritz Seider trails in fourth with 125 hits. Finnie may not have the same power with his hits as a Seider or Chiarot, but the fact that he’s keeping pace with our most physical players is impressive for a rookie.
As for points, Finnie is in eighth place with 28 total points (12 goals and 16 assists) in 78 games played. For a seventh round pick from the 2023 draft class, his numbers aren’t too shabby.
Finnie learns from mistakes quickly
There are mistakes, sure, or plays where he’s outmuscled. Those instances are normal for a young, under-sized player. With a big summer and time, Finnie will only become more effective as an overall player. My biggest question with Finnie: if he wasn’t playing for Detroit opening night, who might have taken his shifts?
I’m scared to even contemplate that answer.
Maybe one could argue that his play has hampered a guy like Kasper. Finnie is likely in the role that Kasper would have, so I can see how an argument can be made. At the same time, Kasper is working through his sophomore slump just fine. In all seriousness, Finnie hasn’t played a factor in Kasper’s slump (or at least he shouldn't have, and if Finnie has played a role in Kasper’s slump that still isn’t Finnie’s problem to work through).
Finn-tastic Finnie even filled in as a center for four and a half games by estimation. I’d argue that Finnie looked as good as any center (outside of Andrew Copp when fully healthy) on the second or third line. However, NaturalStatTrick statistics seems to indicate that maybe his lines weren’t carrying play as much as my eye test suggested.
In Finnie’s defense as a center, he played the most as a center with Lucas Raymond and David Perron as his wingers (a total just above 37 minutes this season at five-on-five). In the grand scheme of an entire season it’s a relatively small sample size. Additionally, it was at a time when Larkin was out with injury. Every player was pitching in to cover harder minutes.
At center, Finnie seemed to have more jump, played more responsibly and confidently.
Maybe he just needs to add strength for the face-off dot and winning those one-on-one battles. Or, maybe other players are better suited to play center as opposed to the wing. No matter where Finnie plays, he’s so much fun to watch. I’m thankful he’s played such an important role for the Wings, and I can’t wait to see where he goes from here.