The Swedish Hockey League has seen its fair share of gritty moments this season, but the latest clash between a pair of former Detroit Red Wings affiliates added a little extra spice to the simmering tension.
Just weeks after ex-Wing Jakub Vrana took a swipe-literally-at Detroit prospect Eemil Viro, another Red Wings reunion turned feisty. This time, it was Luke Witkowski and Albin Grewe facing off in a Brynäs vs. Djurgården matchup, and things got heated right from the drop.
Let’s set the scene: Grewe, a former Red Wings draft pick who never signed with the club, has carved out a reputation in Sweden as a classic agitator-think Brad Marchand with a Nordic twist. He’s the kind of player who gets under your skin before the first whistle. Brynäs, clearly aware of that, made a tactical move by shifting Witkowski-Detroit fans will remember him as the no-nonsense enforcer from his stints in 2017-19 and 2021-22-from the blue line to the wing for the opening faceoff, lining him up directly across from Grewe.
And it didn’t take long for things to boil over.
As the puck dropped, Grewe wasted no time letting Witkowski know he was there, lifting his stick into Witkowski’s face. The officials hit Grewe with a two-minute minor for high-sticking, but the Djurgården forward wasn’t exactly remorseful.
“It’s pretty clear what they were trying to do there,” Grewe said postgame, alluding to Brynäs’ decision to send Witkowski his way. “They tried to get it going from the start.
It’s a shame the referees fell for the trap. My stick doesn’t even hit the face, so I don’t understand what kind of expulsion it really is.”
Witkowski didn’t buy the innocence act.
“The stick hits you in the face, that’s what it is,” he said. “That happens.
Everyone has an opinion, right? I didn’t fall.
I think anyone who gets a stick in the face tries to pull their face away.”
As for the idea that Brynäs sent him out there specifically to stir the pot with Grewe? Witkowski brushed it off.
“I don’t think we played like that,” he said. “I don’t care at all what he says. He’s entitled to his own opinion.”
This wasn’t just a random dust-up between two guys with history in the same NHL organization. It was a chess move-Brynäs trying to neutralize a known agitator with a veteran tough guy who’s seen it all.
Grewe, taken 66th overall by Detroit in the 2019 NHL Draft, may never have put on the Winged Wheel, but his name still rings familiar in Hockeytown circles. Witkowski, meanwhile, brought his trademark edge and leadership to the Red Wings in his time there, and he’s clearly still willing to stand up when called upon.
The incident is just the latest example of how NHL ties continue to ripple through European leagues. Whether it’s prospects trying to make a name for themselves or veterans staying sharp overseas, there’s no shortage of North American flavor in Sweden this season.
And if this Red Wings-on-Red Wings drama keeps up, don’t be surprised if the next SHL matchup involving one of Detroit’s past or future players comes with a little extra edge.