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Among the rookies who made the roster for the Detroit Red Wings out of Training Camp for last season was 2023 seventh-round (201st overall pick) Emmitt Finnie. 

Ultimately, Finnie played in all 82 regular season games for the Red Wings, tallying 13 goals with 17 assists. 

Thanks to what he accomplished during his first full year in the NHL, he's been honored with the title of 2025-26Red Wings Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Media (DSM).

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During the season, Finnie spent regular time playing on Detroit's top line alongside forwards Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Despite eventually rotating into various roles, he didn't miss a single game. 

Not only did head coach Todd McLellan recognize the energy that Finnie brings, but also touted the routine scoring opportunities that he enjoyed. 

"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 of Finnie in April. "The pace he plays with, how he closes on players with and without the puck, and his ability to drive pucks to the net."

"The scoring part of it, for a first-year player to have put up the numbers that he's had at this point, is actually quite good," McLellan said. "Yet, you think of the opportunities and chances he's had - with a little more confidence and more time, I think more of those will go in." 

Finnie is signed for two more seasons with a salary cap hit of $921,667. 

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