Carter Mazur keeps making the right impressions for the Detroit Red Wings.
In an admittedly brief stint this spring with the Grand Rapids Griffins, the prospect from Jackson averaged a point a game. On Friday, in his first game at the World Championship, he set up the tying goal to help propel the U.S. to a 4-1 victory over host Finland at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland. Mazur is among multiple Wings at the event, and faced off in the group state opener against a roster that featured veteran Red Wings defenseman Olli Määttä.
The U.S., which has Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde as part of the coaching staff, scored four unanswered goals.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Why Detroit Red Wings fans should pay attention to the IIHF World Championship
FEELING A DRAFT: Red Wings hold ninth pick in 2023 NHL draft. Here are Steve Yzerman’s options
“We stuck to our game plan and we worked really hard,” Alex Tuch told the IIHF website. “We’ve got a lot of young guys that aren’t well-known, but they’re going to bring a lot of skill, and I think they’re going to turn some heads this tournament. I think we frustrated Finland a little bit.”
Cutter Gauthier (drafted at No. 5 overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022) made it 1-1 at 13:48 of the second period with a high glove-side wrist shot from the left faceoff circle, with Mazur drawing the first assist. Lalonde isn’t the only Wings official getting an up-close look at what Mazur can do — GM Steve Yzerman is also at the event, serving as an assistant GM for Canada.
Mazur (6 feet, 175 pounds) was drafted by Yzerman in the third round (No. 70 overall) in 2021. He had two standout years at the University of Denver, including his 2021-22 season, in which he recorded 14 goals and 21 assists in 41 games, leading all Pioneers freshmen and finishing second in NCAA scoring for a freshman (trailing only Luke Hughes’ 39 points for Michigan). The Pioneers beat Hughes’ Wolverines in the Frozen Four, then took down Minnesota State for the national title.
In his sophomore season, Mazur recorded 22 goals and 15 assists in 40 games, leading the Pioneers in goals, power play goals (eight), and game-winning goals (six). On March 28 — his 21st birthday — Mazur signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Wings and joined the Griffins. He earned an assist in his second professional game, and delivered a two-goal, one-assist performance in his fourth game, finishing with three goals and three assists in six games.
Mazur represented the U.S. at the 2022 World Juniors, leading the team with five goals and two assists in five games. This is his first go-round with the men’s team, and his experience playing with and against men at such a high level will only help his cause at camp in the fall, when he’ll be given a chance during exhibition season to prove whether he can play in Detroit.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.