DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Austin Watson to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Watson, 33, has played two games with the Red Wings during the 2024-25 season, recording two penalty minutes, one shot, and six hits in an average of 7:00 time on ice. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward has also appeared in 52 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins this season, ranking among the team’s leaders with 12 goals (T3rd), 20 assists (4th), 32 points (3rd), a plus-seven rating (3rd), 94 penalty minutes (1st), five power-play goals (2nd), nine power-play points (3rd), two shorthanded goals (T1st), one game-winning goal (T5th), and 122 shots (2nd). Watson represented the Griffins at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic in Palm Desert, California, alongside goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
Watson spent the entire 2023-24 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, registering four points (2-2-4), a plus-two rating, and 93 penalty minutes in 33 games. Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the first round (18th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Watson has accumulated 118 points (60-58-118) and 707 penalty minutes in 517 NHL games with the Predators, Ottawa Senators, Lightning, and Red Wings. He has also contributed 19 points (10-9-19) and 48 penalty minutes in 45 postseason games, including helping the Predators reach the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Additionally, Watson has played parts of seven AHL seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals and Griffins, collecting 164 points (85-79-164), a plus-17 rating, and 183 penalty minutes in 286 games.
A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Watson spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Windsor Spitfires, Peterborough Petes, and London Knights from 2008 to 2012, winning OHL championships with Windsor in 2009 and London in 2012. During his major junior career, Watson tallied 219 points (89-130-219) and 164 penalty minutes in 244 games, along with 22 points (12-10-22) and 27 penalty minutes in 43 postseason games. He won a Memorial Cup title with Windsor in 2009 and earned the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as OHL Playoff MVP with London in 2012. Watson also played with the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2009-10, recording six points (4-2-6) and 33 penalty minutes in nine games.
Internationally, Watson served as an alternate captain for Team USA at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded one assist and 27 penalty minutes in 10 games. He also competed at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, tallying nine points (3-6-9) and a plus-six rating in six games. Watson won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, contributing three points (2-1-3), a plus-two rating, and 33 penalty minutes in seven contests.
