Detroit Red Wings assign seven players to the Toledo Walleye

9/25/2018

Toledo Walleye forward Dylan Sadowy moves the puck past Fort Wayne Komets defender Cody Sol during the second-round of the Kelly Cup playoffs last spring. He will rejoin the Walleye after being assigned from Toledo

BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH

The Detroit Red Wings assigned four forwards, two defensemen, and a goaltender to the Toledo Walleye on Tuesday.

Toledo's parent club in the NHL sent forwards Dylan Sadowy, Luke Kirwan, Bryan Moore, and Jordan Topping to the Walleye along with defensemen Brenden Kotyk and Matt Register, and goaltender Pat Nagle.

All seven players will report to Toledo for the opening of training camp Monday. Sadowy and Nagle played most of last season with the Walleye.

Coach Dan Watson acknowledged some of the players likely are a bit discouraged they will not be in training camp with Detroit's American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids.

“I think a couple guys are disappointed they aren't in Grand Rapids, so part of our job is to get them thinking positive and put them in positions to succeed,” Watson said. “I'm looking forward to having these guys in camp to show them what we are all about.”

Sadowy, a 22-year-old native of Brampton, Ont., tallied 29 points with 12 goals and 17 assists in 39 games with Toledo in 2017-18.

Nagle appeared in 50 games and posted a 37-6-1 record for the Walleye. The 31-year-old native of Bloomfield, Mich., set a Toledo ECHL record for wins in a season and led the ECHL in that category.

Kirwan, a 21-year-old rookie from Syracuse, N.Y., played the past two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He had 37 points (21 goals, 16 assists) in 47 games playing for two teams last season.

Moore, a 24-year-old from Indian Trail, N.C., is entering his fourth pro season having played in the AHL and the ECHL. Moore has totaled 122 points (56 goals, 66 assists) in 126 ECHL games with Utah, Orlando, and Allen. Last season with Allen, he had 48 points (21 goals, 27 assists) in 57 games.

Topping, a 21-year-old from Salt Spring Island, B.C., will start his pro career in Toledo. Topping played the past four seasons in the Western Hockey League for the Tri-City Americans. Topping produced 218 points (109 goals, 109 assists) in 243 regular-season games.

The Walleye had signed Kotyk and Register earlier this summer.

Kotyk, a 26-year-old native of Regina, Saskatchewan, spent his first pro season mostly in Greenville of the ECHL. He played in 51 contests and posted seven goals, 10 assists, and 41 penalty minutes.

Register, a 29-year-old native of Calgary, has been part of three consecutive Kelly Cup championship teams and been named the ECHL's defenseman of the year three times. Last season, Register posted 65 points with 17 goals and a career-high 48 assists in 72 contests last season with the Colorado Eagles.

“It's a really impressive [group] if they all buy in,” Watson said.

The Walleye open the preseason Oct. 5 at Kalamazoo. They then host the K-Wings Oct. 6. The season begins Oct. 12 at Greenville before the Oct. 27 home opener vs. Fort Wayne.

Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354, or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.