Emmitt Finnie’s Unexpected Rise: From Seventh-Round Long Shot to Top-Line Contributor in Detroit
Emmitt Finnie has never been the type to coast on talent alone. At every level, he’s had to earn his spot - and then some. Now, the Detroit Red Wings are reaping the rewards of that relentless mindset.
When Detroit selected Finnie with the 201st overall pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft, the move barely registered outside of prospect circles. He was the 32nd WHL player taken in a class dominated by the likes of Connor Bedard. But fast forward to the 2025-26 season, and Finnie has forced his way into the conversation as one of the NHL’s most impactful rookies - and he’s doing it from the Red Wings’ top line.
After a standout training camp, Finnie didn’t just make the team - he landed a coveted spot alongside captain Dylan Larkin and dynamic winger Lucas Raymond. It’s a trio that’s found real chemistry, and Finnie’s presence on that line hasn’t felt out of place for a second. He’s logging close to 17 minutes a night and currently sits among the league’s top 10 rookie scorers.
“Everybody gets energized when Emmitt’s around them,” said head coach Todd McLellan. “He’s very coachable. The pace of play and his confidence with the puck make a big difference to our team.”
That blend of poise and pace didn’t come out of nowhere. Finnie’s journey has been marked by steady growth and a willingness to do the work.
Back in 2018, he and his older brother Marshall left their hometown of Lethbridge, Alberta, to attend Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, B.C. There, he skated alongside future NHL first-rounders like Zach Benson and Tanner Molendyk - early exposure to the level of commitment it takes to reach the next tier.
When the Kamloops Blazers picked him in the fourth round of the 2020 WHL Draft, Finnie was still just 5-foot-3 and 110 pounds. Now? He’s filled out to 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds - the kind of frame that can hold up on the grind of a top NHL line.
His breakout came during the Blazers’ 2022-23 season, when they hosted the Memorial Cup. Surrounded by veterans like Logan Stankoven, Fraser Minten, and Olen Zellweger, Finnie soaked up everything he could.
“We had lots of older guys, and there’s a couple that are playing in the NHL now,” Finnie recalled. “Seeing what they were doing on a daily basis, I tried to carry that into myself.
That’s when my development kind of took off.”
And take off it did. After putting up 35 points in his draft year, Finnie jumped to 59 the following season, then exploded for 84 points in 2024-25 while wearing the captain’s “C” in Kamloops.
That kind of year - both in production and leadership - turned heads in Detroit’s front office. But the Red Wings didn’t rush him.
Instead, Finnie got a taste of pro hockey with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins at the end of both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, including playoff action. That stretch of games helped bridge the gap between junior and the NHL, giving him a preview of the pace and physicality he’d soon face full-time.
Then came a pivotal summer. In August, Finnie joined a group of Detroit’s top prospects - including Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and Nate Danielson - for a month-long rookie house experience.
It was part training camp, part team-building, and part proving ground. “We’d get to go to the rink, skate and train together every day,” Finnie said.
“Then, we’d golf pretty much every day after. It was always competitive.
We had some good battles on the golf course.”
That competitive edge has translated to the ice. Detroit, known in years past for slowly marinating its young talent, is now leaning into its youth movement.
And it’s paying off. The Red Wings are pushing to end a nine-year playoff drought, and eight of their regulars are under the age of 25.
Finnie’s not just along for the ride - he’s helping drive it.
“He’s had to scrap his way up from basically every league, from what I understand,” McLellan said. “And he’s worked his way into our lineup now.
Never once have we contemplated, ‘Does he need a rest? Should he come out?
Should he watch a game?’ Which you often do with young players.”
There’s also a bit of full-circle magic in Finnie’s rookie year. Growing up in Lethbridge, he idolized local product Kris Versteeg and became a die-hard Blackhawks fan during their Cup runs in the early 2010s. Now, he finds himself sharing a locker room with Patrick Kane - one of the players he once watched in awe.
“When he signed here, I never really thought there was a possibility that I’d get to play with him,” Finnie said. “He’s been great to me. He helps a lot with little things, and getting to watch how he prepares and takes care of his body has been huge for me.”
From seventh-round afterthought to top-line NHL contributor, Emmitt Finnie’s story is still being written - but the early chapters are already something special. And if his trajectory holds, Detroit may have found yet another cornerstone for its next great team.