When the Detroit Red Wings look back at their 2024-25 season, one name keeps popping up as the ultimate underdog story: Emmitt Finnie. Drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Finnie wasn't expected to make waves so quickly. But as the saying goes in hockey, it's not where you're drafted, it's how you play—and Finnie has been playing like a star in the making.
Finnie's journey to the NHL is a testament to hard work and consistency. Coming out of the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, he was initially seen as a developmental, two-way forward, buried behind more experienced players on the roster. Scouts projected him as a potential middle-six contributor at best. But when given a bigger role in the 2024-25 season, Finnie exploded. At just 19 years old, he tallied 37 goals and 37 assists in 55 regular-season games, serving as captain for the Blazers in his final WHL campaign.
That offensive surge carried over to the professional level. In a brief stint with the Grand Rapids Griffins during the Calder Cup Playoffs, Finnie posted five points in three games—a goal and four assists—showing he could produce under pressure. It was enough to earn him a spot on the Red Wings' main roster out of training camp, surprising media and scouts alike.
Once in Detroit, Finnie didn't just blend in—he stood out. Playing primarily on the top line alongside Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin, he finished his rookie season with 13 goals and 30 total points in 82 games, ranking in the top ten on the team. While drafted as a center, Finnie spent most of his time on the wing, though late in the season, with injuries piling up, he shifted back to center and held his own on the third line.
Head coach Todd McLellan has been effusive in his praise. "You used the word energy, and when he's bringing that, which is 99 percent of the time for a first-year player, he's a big factor, a big influence on our team," McLellan said. "The pace he plays with, how he closes on players with and without the puck, and his ability to drive pucks to the net."
Signed through the 2027-28 season on an entry-level contract, Finnie will become a restricted free agent after that. For now, he's locked in as a key piece of the Red Wings' future—a reminder that sometimes the best finds come from the later rounds. Whether he sticks on the wing or moves back to center, one thing is clear: consistency is the key for Finnie, and he's delivering it night after night.