Red Wings assign Jacob Bernard-Docker to Grand Rapids after waiver clearance
Detroit sent the defenseman to its AHL affiliate on Sunday, seven months after signing him to a two-year extension.
The Detroit Red Wings assigned defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. The move sends him to Detroit’s American Hockey League affiliate months after he signed a contract extension with the Red Wings. The Griffins announced the assignment; Detroit Sports Nation reported that Bernard-Docker had cleared waivers first.
Detroit placed Bernard-Docker on waivers Saturday with the intention of assigning him to Grand Rapids, according to Detroit Sports Nation. The club had signed him to a two-year, $3.2 million extension in March, the outlet reported. He has a $1.6 million average annual contract value.
Bernard-Docker’s recent NHL and AHL record
Bernard-Docker, 26, played 63 games for Detroit last season, recording one goal, four assists and 25 penalty minutes, according to the Griffins. Those appearances account for more than a quarter of his 207 career NHL games. Grand Rapids listed his career totals at seven goals, 22 assists and 82 penalty minutes since his NHL debut in the 2020–21 season.
The assignment returns the Canmore, Alberta, native to the AHL for the first time since the 2023–24 season. He appeared in two games for the Belleville Senators that year. Across three AHL seasons with Belleville from 2021 to 2024, he recorded four goals and 11 assists in 101 regular-season games, the Griffins said.
Grand Rapids adds to its defense
Grand Rapids has a 4-1-1-0 record early in the season, Detroit Sports Nation reported. The outlet said the Griffins had lost defensemen Anton Johansson and William Wallinder to the Red Wings. Bernard-Docker’s arrival gives Grand Rapids another defenseman while Detroit reduces the number of defensemen it had been carrying from nine to eight.
Bernard-Docker was selected 26th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 NHL draft. Before joining Detroit, his professional experience included those AHL seasons with Belleville. The Griffins also noted that he played for Canada’s gold-medal teams at the 2020 World Junior Championship and the 2021 World Championship.
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Sources and context
- Red Wings Send Bernard-Docker Down, Months After Extending HimDetroit Sports Nation (by Aaron DesJardins; republished by Yahoo Sports)
- Detroit Assigns Jacob Bernard-Docker to GriffinsGrand Rapids Griffins
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.