Red Wings Husso Doesn’t Survive Warmup in Grand Rapids

Friday was to be comeback night for Detroit Red Wings netminder Ville Husso. Recovering from a lower-body injury, he was going to see his first game action guarding the net for Detroit’s top farm club, the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

Husso, though, didn’t make it through the pre-game warmup. After taking some shots in the Griffins net, Husso left the ice prior to the conclusion of the warmup. He was seen conversing with the Griffins training staff after leaving the ice.

@DetroitRedWings goalie Ville Husso was scheduled to start for @griffinshockey & did take warm ups but then left the ice a bit early. We are told he will no longer start nor dress tonight. @SebastianCossa will now start, riding a personal franchise record 19 game point streak pic.twitter.com/EZFn4OdDmf

— Larry Figurski (@larryfigurski) April 12, 2024

When the Griffins would skate out for their game against the Rockford IceHogs, Sebastian Cossa was the starting goalie. Carter Gylander was backing him up.

“Ville Husso is now unavailable for tonight’s game,” the Griffins posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. “Sebastian Cossa will be in net.”

Following the game, Griffins coach Dan Watson was offering no update on Husso’s condition, only that he was told the netminder wouldn’t be available for the game. It was uncertain whether the Detroit goalie would be accompanying Grand Rapids to Chicago for Saturday’s game against the Wolves.

Injury-Plagued Season For Husso

Slated to be Detroit’s No. 1 goalie at the outset of the season, Husso has seen action in one NHL game since December. The Finnish puckstopper would suffer a lower-body injury in a Dec. 18 game against the Anaheim Ducks at Little Caesars Arena.

Husso sat out Detroit’s next 20 games while recovering from the ailment. Following a rehab stint at Grand Rapids in which he would post a 25-save shutout against the Belleville Senators, Husso was back in the Red Wings net for a Feb. 13 game at Edmonton against the Oilers. Just 8:48 into that game, He would suffer another lower-body injury and depart.

“I guess it’s part of it,” Husso said earlier of his injury struggles this season. “It’s one of those years that everything goes not your way. It’s been tough but it’s hockey. I’ll be stronger when I come back.”

UPDATE: The #RedWings today loaned goaltender Ville Husso to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning. pic.twitter.com/1njr5cFeFK

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 8, 2024

He was slated to see his first game action since that injury on Friday.

The Giffins lost 2-0 to the IceHogs, thus ending their 19-game home-ice point streak. As well, Cossa’s franchise-record 19-game point streak also was coming to a halt.

Sharing the Red Wings net with Alex Lyon and James Reimer, Husso is 9-5-2 in 19 games, with an .892 save percentage and 3.55 GAA.