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2024-25 Player in Review: Austin Watson

2024-25 Player in Review: Austin Watson

Jun 19, 2025

Written By: Andrew Streitel

Right wing Austin Watson skated in his first season with the Griffins and 13th year as a professional. He showed 42 points (19-23—42) in 60 regular-season games with Grand Rapids, adding career-high totals in plus-minus rating (+10), penalty minutes (112), power-play goals (7), and short-handed goals (2). Watson then appeared in three Calder Cup Playoff games with a minus-three rating and four penalty minutes. The 33-year-old also suited up for 13 games with the Detroit Red Wings, contributing with three goals, a plus-one rating and 17 penalty minutes.

Regular Season Stat Line

60 GP, 19 goals, 23 assists, 42 points, +10 rating, 112 PIM with GRG
13 GP, 3 goals, 0 assists, 3 points, +1 rating, 17 PIM with DET

Postseason Stat Line

3 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points, -3 rating, 4 PIM with GRG

Contract Status

Under contract with Detroit through 2025-26

By the Numbers

11 – Made his Griffins debut on Oct. 11 against former team Milwaukee, securing two assists

42 – Logged 42 points in 60 games, four points shy of tying career high of 46 set in 2013-14, and ranked third on the team

23 – His 23 assists were one shy of tying career best of 24 set in 2013-14 and tied for fifth on the team

19 – Finished seven goals short of tying career high of 26 set in 2016-17. 19 goals tied for third on the roster

112 – His 112 penalty minutes set a new AHL career high, ranked first on the roster, and tied for 17th in the AHL

10 – Registered 10 major penalties, which tied for second in the AHL

3 – Scored a career-high three short-handed goals, which ranked first on the roster and tied for seventh on the circuit

1 – Represented the Griffins at the AHL All-Star Classic, his first All-Star appearance in his career

6 – Produced a career-high six-game goal streak from March 8-April 5. The goal run was the longest by a Griffin in more than 10 years, since Teemu Pulkkinen’s eight-game stretch from Dec. 19-Jan. 7, 2014 that tied Donald MacLean’s franchise record.

7 – Logged a career-high seven-game point streak from March 5-April 5 (7-4—11)

3 – From March 15-April 5, posted three straight multi-point outings and finished the run with seven points (4-3—7)

800 – On Feb. 24 against Iowa, skated in 800th professional game

250 – Scored a goal in 250th AHL game on Nov. 24 against Iowa

150 – Secured 150th AHL point with a goal on Dec. 14 at Colorado

16 – Posted an AHL single-game career-high 16 penalty minutes on April 18 at Rockford

9 – Finished with nine multi-point outings, including two games with three points and one game with two goals

14 – Made his debut as a Detroit Red Wing on Oct. 14 at the New York Rangers

24 – Scored first goal as a Red Wing on March 24 at Utah and then followed up with another goal the following night at Colorado

15 – Recorded a NHL season-high 15 penalty minutes on March 29 against Boston

14 – Logged a NHL season-high 14 minutes of ice time on April 17 at Toronto, scoring a goal in the process