The Detroit Red Wings welcomed one of their top prospects, center Nate Danielson, for his NHL debut this past Sunday, slotting him on the third line alongside Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton. Danielson finished the game without a point but recorded four shots on net from five attempts and added one takeaway.

Todd on Nate “we wanted to see him now, so we could make some decisions perhaps on some other players”

Interesting. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/3otzuaKBAo

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) November 10, 2025

The 21-year-old Red Deer native logged 15:16 of ice time, with 11:46 at even strength and 3:30 on the power play, ranking sixth among all Red Wings forwards, ahead of players like James van Riemsdyk, Marco Kasper, and J.T. Compher. While Danielson struggled on the faceoff dot, winning just two of ten draws, his effort and hustle were clear. Despite Chicago scoring five goals, none came with Danielson on the ice, and he helped limit high-danger chances, spending most of his night in the neutral zone or generating offensive pressure in the Blackhawks’ end.

In his first shift, Danielson drove to the front of the net and redirected a point shot through his legs, creating a scoring opportunity on the goaltender. On his second shift, he made a heads-up play behind the net, cutting off Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom and jumping into the glass to keep the puck in Chicago’s zone. Defensively, Danielson was strong, covering for teammates and limiting scoring chances, though he had one misstep when a breakaway slipped behind him when he was covering for the defense but Detroit goalie John Gibson came up big with two key saves to keep the play from turning into a goal.  

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He was active on the power play, working in with the second unit as a defenseman with Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Danielson made plays where he would work the puck low to set up teammates as well as getting open for chances himself like when he had a one-timer chance that was blocked. Danielson’s hustle in the neutral zone and transition game was notable, often picking up loose pucks and quickly moving them to the point. 

Offensively, he created scoring chances through quick passes and puck cycles, including a cross-crease attempt for Finnie and a setup for Marco Kasper in the slot. He showed grit in battles along the boards, tying up opponents to maintain possession, and even engaged physically to support teammates during scrums behind the net.

Despite a few missed opportunities, such as a loose puck that could have led to a high-danger chance, Danielson remained resilient, recovering quickly like when he was about to fall into the boards on one shift. It scared many at first as Danielson fell into the boards into his same shoulder that he just came off the injury reserve after injuring. He quickly got up though, stripped the puck off a Blackhawks forward and worked the puck back into Chicago's zone. 

Danielson will look to build on the performance and hopefully record his first NHL point Thursday, when the Red Wings take on the Anaheim Ducks at home.

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