GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Griffins forwards Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (BRANS-egg NEE-gard) and Eduards Tralmaks will travel to Switzerland for the remainder of the 2026 IIHF World Championship, which continues through May 31.

Brandsegg-Nygard and Team Norway (2-1-1) will face Czechia (4-0-1) on Monday. Tralmaks and Team Latvia (2-3-0) will compete against Great Britain (0-5-0) on Sunday.  

Brandsegg-Nygard finished the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs with a team-high eight points (4-4—8) and a plus-four rating in eight games. With 11 points (6-5—11) in 11 career playoff games as a Griffin, Brandsegg-Nygard is part of a distinguished list with 10 others who’ve appeared in at least 10 postseason games with Grand Rapids and averaged at least one point per contest: Jonatan Berggren, Ivan Ciernik, Valtteri Filppula, Darren Haydar, Jiri Hudler, Ville Leino, Kevin Miller, Kip Miller, Stacy Roest and Ben Street. 

During the regular season, Brandsegg-Nygard totaled 44 points (20-24—44), 42 penalty minutes and a plus-17 rating in 60 games. The former first-round pick (15th overall) by Detroit in 2024 ranked among the AHL rookie leaders in points (T10th), goals (T6th), assists (T14th), plus-minus rating (T8th), power-play goals (7, T6th) and game-winners (8, 1st). Brandsegg-Nygard also placed among the team leaders in points (3rd), assists (3rd) and goals (5th). He was named the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending March 1 when he tallied five goals, six points and a plus-three rating in three games. Brandsegg-Nygard was one of three rookies to make the Red Wings’ opening-night roster out of training camp and showed one assist, two penalty minutes and a minus-five rating in 14 games with Detroit in 2025-26. 

Tralmaks finished the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs with four goals in eight games, which tied for second on the roster. During the regular season, Tralmaks totaled 42 points (26-16—42), 14 penalty minutes and a plus-29 rating in 64 games. He ranked among the AHL leaders in goals (T19th) and plus-minus rating (8th). Tralmaks also placed among the team leaders in points (4th), goals (2nd) and plus-minus rating (3rd). Tralmaks, a native of Riga, Latvia, competed for his home country in the 2026 Winter Olympics, pacing the team in points (3-1—4) and goals (3) while also tying for eighth in goals among all skaters at the tournament. 

There are now 14 former Griffins participating in the World Championship as players, coaches, and hockey operations staff: