GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday assigned defenseman Jonathan Ericsson to the Grand Rapids Griffins and recalled defenseman Alex Biega from the Griffins.

Now in his 14th professional season in North America, Ericsson, 35, has yet to debut in 2019-20.

Ericsson, a 6-foot-4, 218-pound blueliner, has skated in 662 regular season games with Detroit – ranking 22nd in franchise history – since 2007-08 and tallied 125 points (27-98—125) and 531 penalty minutes. He has collected 21 points (5-16—21), a plus-nine rating and 55 PIM in 76 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.

The final player chosen in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, 291st overall, Ericsson began his North American pro career with Grand Rapids. From 2006-09, he accumulated 78 points (17-61—78), a plus-21 rating and 233 PIM in 176 regular season games and was selected to the 2008 AHL All-Star Game. Ericsson played in seven games during the 2007 Calder Cup Playoffs. He became the 90th Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he made his debut with the Red Wings on Feb. 22, 2008 at Calgary.

Should Ericsson play tonight, he would set the new standard for the longest time span between Griffins appearances at 3,888 days, or 10 years, 7 months and 22 days (March 1, 2009 to Oct. 23, 2019). The record is currently held by Jimmy Howard at 2,831 days, or seven years, eight months and 28 days (May 6, 2009 to Feb. 4, 2017).

A native of Karlskrona, Sweden, Ericsson won a silver medal with Sweden at the 2014 Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2010 IIHF World Championship while also representing his country at the 2012 IIHF World Championship.

Since being acquired by the Red Wings from Vancouver on Oct. 6 in exchange for forward David Pope, the 31-year-old Biega has skated in two games with Detroit.

A 5-foot-10, 199-pound defenseman, Biega has appeared in 181 NHL games since 2014-15 with Vancouver and Detroit and recorded 36 points (4-32—36) and 94 penalty minutes. He ranked fourth among Canucks blueliners in points last season behind a career-high 16 points (2-14—16) in 41 games.

A native of Montreal, Quebec, Biega was originally selected in the fifth round, 147th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Biega has skated in 351 AHL contests since turning pro in 2010-11 between the Portland Pirates, Rochester Americans and Utica Comets, and amassed 115 points (20-95—115), a plus-16 rating and 245 PIM. He shows 10 points (1-9—10) in 40 Calder Cup Playoff games and helped Utica reach the Calder Cup Finals in 2015, when the Comets defeated Grand Rapids in the Western Conference Finals.

The Griffins (2-2-0-1) begin a four-game homestand tonight against the Milwaukee Admirals at 7 p.m.

Single-game tickets are currently on sale. Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com for more information.

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