Detroit Red Wings defense prospect Anton Johansson didn’t have a choice about returning to play in Sweden this season for Leksands. He had one more year on his contract with the SHL club. Under the terms of the entry-level pact he signed with Detroit, if Johansson didn’t make the Red Wings roster, he must be offered on loan to Leksands.

There’s another perk of coming back to play in his homeland. It’s a family affair for Johansson.

Anton Johansson(4th round’22) with a nice move at the blue line #LGRW #leksandsif pic.twitter.com/nt3fpSroz2

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) August 29, 2025

His father Tjomme Johansson is the sporting director for Leksands. That’s the Swedish version of a GM. And Anton’s younger brother Victor is also a defenseman with Leksands.

The two were forming a defense pairing on the weekend as Leksands was facing Linköping in SHL preseason action. However, the pairing didn’t last long. Anton was assessed a match penalty for boarding eight minutes into the game.

“I told him afterwards it was fun that I got to play with you,” Victor told Swedish website Falu-Kuriren.

“We had of course hoped to play more together now that we started together. But that’s what happens.

“I hope for more minutes (together) in the future.”

Red Wings Prospect Keeps Streaking

Red Wings 2022 draftee Dmitri Buchelnikov kept his KHL preseason point streak rolling. He was credited with an assist as CSKA Moscow won the Moscow Mayor’s Cup tournament with a 3-2 victory over Dynamo Minsk.

The left-winger Detroit claimed with the 52nd selection of the 2022 NHL entry draft has points in all four of CSKA Moscow’s preseason contests. Buchelnikov’s account is showing three goals and four assists.

🚨 Nikolai Kovalenko PP
🍎 Dmitri Buchelnikov #LGRW
1-0 CSKA #KHLpreseason pic.twitter.com/SiPqM9mVWZ

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) August 31, 2025

The Shanghai Dragons, coached by former Red Wings all-star winger Gerard Gallant, finished third in the tournament.

“I’m very pleased with the team’s performance,” Gallant told Russian website Sport Express. “We played three games in two and a half days. We handled the puck very well.

“We played great in this tournament, and I think that the team is completely ready for the season.”

Hagg Happy To Be Home

Former Red Wings defenseman Robert Hagg is back in Sweden this season. He’s playing for Brynas following an 11-year stint in the NHL. That included a tenure in Detroit during the 2022-23 season.

“Even before last season, we were thinking about whether to do another year over there or try to find something else,” Hagg told Swedish Hockey News. “But we said we’d give it another chance.

“Somewhere in the middle of the season, we felt that now was the time for something new. It was pretty nice to come to that decision myself, too. After 11 years away, I wanted to try to find the joy again and have fun with hockey – not just feel pressure. Even though the hockey profession is always pressure, you have to have fun too, otherwise it won’t be fun.”