Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Luke Witkowski has found himself a new European home for the 2026-27 season. He’s suiting up this season for Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga. That’s the same club that Detroit acquired goalie prospect Michal Postava from.
The 36-year-old rearguard has already played two preseason games for Kometa Brno. And he’s quickly left his mark.
Witkowski scored in both games as Kometa Brno won the Dolomiten Cup in Neumarkt, Italy. Not his usual calling card.
Witkowski was also an intimidating physical presence. Now that’s more like it.
Frk Out of Action
When the KHL Shanghai Dragons signed former Red Wings forward Martin Frk as a free agent, they were counting on the hard-shooting winger to create offense.
That will be difficult to do from the injured list. Frk was hurt shortly after joining the Dragons for the KHL preseason.
“I think he’ll be out for one or two months,” Shanghai coach Mitch Love told Russian website Sport-Express. “It’s quite possible that his absence will be a plus for other players on the team. “
Frk was a 2017 AHL Calder Cup champion with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He played 98 games for the Red Wings from 2017-19.
Scary Moment For Liv
Teenage goalie Herman Liv, 19, is in his first SHL season with HV71. That’s the team his father, former Red Wings prospect Stefan Liv, tended goal for over many seasons. He’s an icon in the city, and Herman is excited to stand in the same goal crease where his father once stopped pucks.
“I have, of course, dreamed of this for many years when I grew up and played in HV as a child,” Liv told Swedish website Jönköpings-Posten.
Herman Liv endured a scary moment on Friday. Liv was struck in the neck with a puck and forced to leave the club’s practice.
“He got a puck on him, which found its way through some protection,” HV71 trainer Patrick Häggström said. “He is fine, and it should be okay. But it could have been bad.”
Stefan Liv was a Red Wings draft pick who played for the AHL Griffins. He died in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash.
Former Red Wings Pick Coming Out of Retirement?
Winger Dick Axelsson was playing for Sweden’s Huddinge IK when he was selected 62nd overall by the Red Wings in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Two decades later, the Swedish club is trying to lure him back to the ice.
Back in 2006, Linus Klasen and Axelsson finished 1-3 in scoring for Huddinge IK in HockeyAllsvenskan, the Swedish second division. Klasen, 40, recently rejoined Huddinge IK. Now he’s talking to Axelsson about getting the band back together.
“I’ll talk to him a bit, so we’ll see,” Klasen told Swedish website Aftonbladet. “He has to want to play ice hockey too.
“If Dick comes, Huddinge has every chance in the world to put together a good team.”
Axelsson, 39, previously came out of retirement for the 2024-25 season, helping Djurgården earn promotion to the SHL.
The 2018 Swedish Olympian is not ruling out another comeback.
“Haven’t thought about it that far,” Axelsson said. “But fun idea.”
The Red Wings had high hopes for Axelsson. Coming to North America in 2009, Axelsson put up 2-3-5 totals in 17 AHL games with the Griffins before returning to Sweden, citing homesickness.