The 2024-25 NHL season was a true breakout campaign for Detroit Red Wings rookie Marco Kasper, who showed tremendous promise and all of the signs of being an effective impact player for years to come.
Thanks to his impressive first foray into the NHL, he's being recognized by being named the 2024-25 Red Wings Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Media (DSM).
Kasper the Friendly ROTY. 👻
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 10, 2025
More » https://t.co/nGdvj2ra8lpic.twitter.com/LUnlvylAKj
Kasper, whom the Red Wings drafted with the eighth overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, began the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins but was called up to the Red Wings in late October, and remained with the club for the remainder of the campaign.
Kasper ultimately played in 77 games, scoring 19 goals with 18 assists. His first NHL goal was scored on November 15 against the Anaheim Ducks and goaltender John Gibson, who is now his teammate in Detroit after being acquired in a recent trade.
But it was Kasper's second half of the season that was extremely encouraging. In the 42 games that he played spanning from January 10 through the end of the season in April, Kasper's 17 goals were first among all NHL rookies. His 29 even-strength points were tied for first among all rookies, and his 30 points were good for fifth overall.
“I mean, I’m always giving my best to get better, but I know it’s going to be hard next year,” Kasper said after the season ended. “You know, it’s, I mean, I personally feel like I had a pretty good year, but it’s going to be really hard to come back and do just like that and even improve what I want."
Tic-tac-GOAL!
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 16, 2025
Marco Kasper's 13th of the season. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/RdEpZw4sJa
Kasper, who also later played for Austria in the 2025 World Championship, also said that he's going to spend the summer focusing on improving himself physically.
“Obviously, I always talk about I’m trying to get better every day. It’s really hard, but it’s something I’m going to focus on this summer," he said. "Just whenever I’m in the gym, when I’m just maybe watching some playoff games, that’s where we’re going to go and everybody’s going to have to improve for us to get there. And so it’s going to be an important summer.”
Under coach Todd McLellan, who took over the head coaching duties on December 26, Kasper would routinely center Detroit's second line flanked by Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, a line that will likely be intact heading into next season.
At only 20 years old, the sky is the limit for Kasper moving forward.