GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Griffins forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (BRANS-egg NEE-gard) has joined Team Norway for the 2025 IIHF World Championship, which continues through May 25 in Sweden and Denmark. Norway (0-2) will face Germany (2-0) on Tuesday. 

Brandsegg-Nygard finished the Calder Cup Playoffs with three points (2-1—3) and a plus-one rating in three games with the Griffins, after making his AHL debut in two regular-season games. Of the 26 players who’ve made their Griffins debut the season after being selected in the NHL Entry Draft, Brandsegg-Nygard became the fifth to score a playoff goal and just the fourth to record a two-point playoff game (1-1—2), doing so on May 5 in Game 2 against Texas. Brandsegg-Nygard joined Filip Zadina (2019), Dylan Larkin (2015), Jason Spezza (2002), and Konstantin Gorovikov (2000) on the goal-scoring list, and Zadina, Larkin, and Jan Mursak (2007) on the two-point list. 

He was selected with the 15th overall pick by Detroit in 2024, becoming the first-ever Norwegian to be chosen in the first round of the NHL draft. He showed 11 points (5-6—11), 51 penalty minutes and a minus-two rating in 42 regular-season games this season with Skelleftea in the Swedish Hockey League, then added six points (4-2—6), 12 penalty minutes and a minus-three rating in 11 playoff outings. 

There are now 12 former Griffins participating in the World Championship as players, coaches, and hockey operations staff:  

USA: Asst. GM Brett Peterson (2008-09)
Austria: Marco Kasper (2023-25)
Czechia: Filip Hronek (2016-19), Filip Zadina (2018-20, 22-23)
Denmark: Asst. Coach Andreas Lilja (2009-10)
Finland: Vili Saarijarvi (2017-20)
Germany: Moritz Seider (2019-20)
Norway: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (2024-25)
Slovakia: Patrik Rybar (2018-19), Asst. Coach Robert Petrovicky (1998-00)
Slovenia: Jan Drozg (2021-22)
Sweden: Simon Edvinsson (2022-24)

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins