‘I was called up for a reason’: Mazur discusses emotions of NHL debut with Red Wings, offseason training

DETROIT -- Rather than thinking about what could have been in terms of his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings on March 6, when he unfortunately sustained a season-ending upper-body injury on his second shift, forward prospect Carter Mazur is concentrating on what lies ahead.

“I was called up for a reason,” Mazur recently told DetroitRedWings.com. “My game is still there. It’s not a career-ending injury, but the thought of that happening with all my family and friends there is still brutal. However, I have a great support system behind me. Every single one of them supports me no matter what. It was a tough thing to go through, but I have the right people behind me to get me in the right spot.”

It hasn’t been easy, but Mazur has grown to embrace the challenges that have come his way. That includes his 2024-25 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, which saw the 23-year-old forward sidelined from Oct. 19 – Jan. 18 because of an upper-body injury before he returned to notch 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 20 American Hockey League contests.

“Already having a year in the American Hockey League under my belt, I felt more comfortable last year,” Mazur said. “That helped me a lot. I trust my ability, and I always go back to that. I feel like I have some skill and snarl to my game…And out of the 20 games I did play, I felt like my game added a lot to the group.”

Mazur believes his offseason work will help him stay healthy and effective in 2025-26. The Jackson, Mich., native confirmed he’s added 15 pounds of muscle this summer, thanks to a detailed nutrition and conditioning plan.

“Gaining strength was always a big part of probably why I’ve gotten hurt a lot,” Mazur said. “I’m on the smaller side, but [Griffins Strength and Conditioning Coordinator] Marcus [Kinney] and [Griffins Physical Therapist] Zack Harvey put me in a good spot heading into the summer. Just keeping that muscle on, figuring out more about my body and what I really need is huge.”

Although his second full AHL season had plenty of adversity, Mazur credited his Griffins teammates for helping him through it all.

“I keep in touch with a lot of those guys, mostly every day,” Mazur said. “It’s easy to just show up to the rink, be around your buddies and go to work with them. It’s a lot of fun. Shai Buium was my roommate, so I practically got to be around him 24/7. There are so many other guys there who, like me, want the same goal. It’s easy to push each other to get to that goal.”

Mazur also said when he was getting his body back to full health at the start of last season, Grand Rapids head coach Dan Watson served as a guiding, positive presence.

“Last year, especially when I was hurt, he was the one who would always come up to and start talking with me,” Mazur said about Watson. “Since I couldn’t be out there, I didn’t really have anything to talk about hockey wise, but he always made sure to get it away from hockey and go to personal life stuff. That really helps around the rink, gets away from all that and then when it’s really time to lock in, he’s really dialed in on everything. He’s an unbelievable guy and coach to play for.”

With a new campaign fast approaching, Mazur said his goal is to pick up right where he left off. He’s especially eager for Detroit’s Training Camp to kick off this fall and intends to put his best foot forward to try to secure a spot on the Opening Night roster.

“After being [with the Red Wings], it makes it even clearer how much I need to be better,” Mazur said. “I need to push myself and I want to help them get back to the playoffs. I know I can get to that level. I have the ability, so it’s just about staying healthy. I’ve been through a lot of injuries, and I feel like I’ve come back better and stronger from every single one. I can’t really look at this one any differently.”