The Grand Rapids Griffins have signed ECAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Gabriel Seger.
It’s entirely possible that the Detroit Red Wings won’t be selecting a Swede during this month’s NHL entry draft. Regardless, another Swedish player is joining the organization.
On Tuesday, the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, top farm club of the Red Wings, were announcing the signing of college free agent Gabriel Seger. The Swedish forward and the Griffins were agreeing to terms on a one-year pact for the 2024-25 AHL season.
Seger completed in his fifth season of college eligibility with Cornell University in 2023-24. He finished with a team-best 44 points (14-30-44) in 35 games. His 44 points and 30 assists last season were both the most by a Big Red player since 2002-03.
The native of Uppsala, Sweden, totaled 74 points (21-53-74) in 65 career games with Cornell from 2022-24. Seger began his collegiate career with Union College from 2019-22 and logged 43 points (14-29-43) in 71 appearances. In 2019-20, the 24-year-old was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team after producing 22 points (7-15-22) in 37 outings.
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Seger’s stellar 2023-24 campaign saw him lead the Big Red toward claiming the ECAC championship. He would earn spots on the ECAC and All-Ivy League First All-Star Teams. Seger also garnered a Hobey Baker Award nomination.
As well, Seger was named the 2024 ECAC Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
“It’s about finding that balance,” Seger told the Cornell Sun about combining elite-level hockey with a high grade point average. “At first it was a challenge. Now it’s kind of routine.”
Posting a 3.513 GPA, the Swede would graduate with a degree in computer and electrical engineering.
“I’ve always been kind of a math guy,” Seger explained. “I love math. I love building things.
“A couple of family members are engineers — my grandpa, dad, sister.”
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Seger first came to North America in 2018-19, concluding his junior career with the Amarillo Bulls in the North American Hockey League. He would finish with 70 points (18-5270) in 58 contests, good for sixth in league scoring.
The 6-foot-4, 213-pound forward played much of his junior career in Sweden with Brynäs IF and Växjö HC. From 2013-17, Seger competed with Brynäs’ U16, J18 and J20 programs before moving on to Växjö’s J20 squad in 2017-18.
He showed 55 points (21-34-55) in 42 games at the U16 Elit level, 20 points (10-10-20) in 36 contests in the J18 Allsvenskan, 65 points (25-40-65) in 47 games in the J18 Elit and 42 points (20-22-42) in 85 outings in the J20 SuperElit. Seger captured a J20 silver medal in 2018 with Växjö and a U16 silver medal in 2014 with Brynäs.
