‘A team and city that I believe in’: Appleton excited after inking two-year free-agent deal with Red Wings

DETROIT -- Signing a two-year free-agent contract with the Detroit Red Wings last Wednesday made a lot of sense, especially from a hockey and personal perspective, for Mason Appleton.

“When you go through the Free Agency process, you try to evaluate which teams you think you would fit right in and right from the start of things,” Appleton told DetroitRedWings.com on Tuesday. “I thought Detroit was a great fit for me on the ice. And then off the ice, it made a lot of sense too with my wife and I being from Wisconsin, it’s a lot closer than some other teams. It just seemed like the right fit. Free Agency kicks off, it’s a stressful time, and things happen that you wouldn’t expect but at the end of the day we were very happy to end up in Detroit. It’s a team that I believe is right there to make the playoffs and just needs to keep pushing. Hopefully, I can be a piece that kind of gets us over that hump.”

Appleton, a native of Green Bay, Wisc., spent the 2024-25 campaign with the Winnipeg Jets, recording 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 71 regular-season games before tallying seven assists in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.

Winnipeg took Appleton in the sixth round (No. 168 overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and the 6-foot-2, 194-pound forward has compiled 138 points (57 goals, 81 assists) in 400 career NHL games with the Jets and Seattle Kraken, who selected him in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, since 2018-19.

Appleton may be joining the Red Wings as a newcomer, but to the less experienced players in Detroit’s dressing room, he’ll be a veteran presence.

“I’m going to go about my work and hopefully, it’s noticed, and guys follow suit with that,” the 29-year-old said. “When something needs to be spoken up about, and I feel there’s a time to do it, I’ll chip in my two cents. But I’m not a guy that just talks to talk or a big motivator in that sense. Obviously, there’s guys in the room that do that and have that role. For me, it’s kind of just leading by example.”

Also, on the growth in his game over the years, Appleton, who is approaching his eighth NHL season, said striving for consistency has been a central component.

“You can kind of have more ups and downs when you’re young and still trying to figure out the League, but I try to pride myself on being the same player game in and game out, and I think I’ve built towards that over these past few years,” he said. “I’m just trying to be the same version of myself every single game.”

Appleton describes himself as a 200-foot forward who “can chip in offensively when needed but definitely is relied upon defensively to close out games and play hard,” and his hard-nosed attitude should provide a boost to the Red Wings.

“When you look at Free Agency, you want to go to a team you believe in,” Appleton said. “A team that you think is pushing for the playoffs or pushing to win the Stanley Cup. I think when you look at the Red Wings’ lineup, you have a lot of high-end skill up front, a good amount of scoring touch and playmaking. Obviously, to get [Patrick] Kane back was a big one and then you add John Gibson, who has been a good goaltender in this League for a long time too.”

Reuniting with former Jets teammates Andrew Copp and Ben Chiarot also has Appleton eager for this new chapter in his career.

“Copper is a guy who I’ve been talking to a lot as this whole process played out,” Appleton said. “Kind of bouncing things off him, asking him questions. He’s one of my good buddies. We’ve stayed in contact since he left Winnipeg a few years back, so he’s a guy who I’ve chatted with a lot recently. I also have a bunch of buddies who I went to [Michigan State University] with, so I’m excited to see those faces too.”

Altogether, there is a belief that Appleton has in himself, and the Red Wings, that looks to be a real strength next season.

“Detroit is a team that had a lot of success for a really long time,” Appleton said. “I think that getting this team back in the playoffs would just be huge, and the sky is the limit from there. You just have to get your foot in the door and then anything can happen. It’s a team and city that I believe in, and I’m super excited to get things rocking there.”