"I'm A Red Wing At Heart": Alex DeBrincat Happy To Sign Extension With Detroit

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Following Tuesday evening's contest against the New Jersey Devils, in which forward Alex DeBrincat scored his third and fourth goals of the season, Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan explained that DeBrincat is a "critical" piece of the team and that the organization "needs" him.

Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff clearly felt the same way, officially signing DeBrincat to a seven-year, $91 million extension with a $13 million annual cap hit. The deal takes effect beginning in the 2027-28 season.

The Michigan-born DeBrincat, who was acquired via trade from the Ottawa Senators in 2023, had repeatedly emphasized his desire to remain with the Red Wings entering his contract season.

Now, it's a reality. 

"I'm so proud to be a Red Wing and put on that jersey every night, and I take immense pride in it," DeBrincat said following Wednesday's skate. "So do a lot of other guys in that room. I'm happy to be here, and happy to be here for a long time." 

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The Red Wings are currently enduring the NHL's longest postseason drought, having missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons and counting. Like fellow Michigan native Dylan Larkin, DeBrincat has limited Stanley Cup Playoff experience, appearing in only a handful of postseason games during his time with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2020.

For a hometown kid who grew up watching the franchise's most recent glory years, DeBrincat wants to be part of the next era of greatness and help bring another championship to Detroit.

"I want to be part of the solution; I really believe in what we're trying to build here," he said. "I believe in that group in there, and I think we're a good team. Obviously, a lot of steps to be taken. But overall, I feel like we're right there. I feel good about what we have going here." 

Rather than entering free agency and seeing whether he could capitalize on the league's skyrocketing salaries, DeBrincat made it clear that staying with his hometown team was his goal all along.

"I knew this was the spot I wanted to be - I'm a Red Wing at heart," he said.  

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