Moritz Seider talks Detroit Red Wings, Olympics hockey
Detroit Red Wings Moritz Seider, Todd McLellan & Patrick Kane, Jan. 21, 2026 in Toronto.
TORONTO — Moritz Seider spent a good 15 minutes talking to reporters after the Detroit Red Wings’ morning skate, as indefatigable in a locker room as he is on the ice.
The Detroit Red Wings’ top workhorse is having a banner season, on pace to produce a career high in points (54) and, for the first time in his five NHL seasons, finish with a plus rating. The Wings count on the 24-year-old to play upwards of 25 minutes per game, roughly three minutes more than defense partner Simon Edvinsson, and in all situations. Seider’s 25:15 average ice time ranks fifth among NHL defenseman. He played almost 28 (27:46) in the Wings’ 2-1 overtime victory at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Jan. 21, and picked up an assist when he forced a turnover on Easton Cowen to set up the winning goal.
“That’s Diesel right there,” Dylan Larkin said after turning Seider’s pass into a goal. “He’s got the diesel engine. He chases us like that in practice all the time and I knew when he started chasing Cowan that he was going to kind of get the puck because he does it, he plays like that.”
Seider’s motor is a popular analogy within the Wings.
“If we were rating our engines, if you will, he’s the No. 1 engine on our team,” coach Todd McLellan said. “He just doesn’t seem to tire. He doesn’t wear down. He plays in all situations. He can come off for a 15-second rest, and it’s like he’s ready to go again.
“We’re really fortunate to have that. He’s fortunate to have it too. It makes him an outstanding player. He’s just evolving with time, experience, and sometimes respect. too. The other teams respect him a lot more now ,too. He’s a tremendous player.”
Seider has seven goals, 27 assists and a plus-12 rating after 51 games. He plays a different style than Wings great Nicklas Lidström, but there’s a common thread in their ability to do whatever the team needs.
“I take a lot of pride in that,” Seider said. “You always want to be available, and you train the whole offseason to be in those situations. You just try to prove day by day that you’re the right guy for an important situation.”
In another couple of weeks, Seider will face the same responsibility when he leads his native Germany’s hockey hopes in the 2026 Olympics in Italy. (Two other Wings are also going: Larkin for the United States, and Lucas Raymond for Sweden.) McLellan is trying to balance knowing three of the Wings’ top players will be under such pressure, with also getting the most out of the Wings between now and the Feb. 5 break.
“We know we can run our team hot in the upcoming two weeks because they’ve got a break, but we also have to be concerned about, in our case, three players that are going to the Olympics and are going to run hot there, too,” McLellan said. “We think about the grind of flying and playing over there, but there’s the emotional toll that that tournament can take on a lot of players that have some pressure on them to perform.”
Seider hasn’t missed a performance since he first suited up the Wings, even when he had to spend a morning in hospital to deal with a nasty flu bug in April 2024, he was in the lineup that night. His imperturbability is part of his nature.
“Personally, too, I don’t really try to chase anything, just take it day by day and let the game come to me and just react to whatever,” Seider said.
Seider may downplay his contributions, but teammates don’t. Patrick Kane made a note of what it does for the rest of the team when Seider and Edvinsson are on the ice.
“You feel it’s pretty comforting to know that they’re out there.,” Kane said. “And usually nothing bad is going to happen. They’ve been so good in that aspect of playing good defense. But also I think Mo has really grown on the power play, the way he moves up there, the way he gets shots through, the way he’s able to distribute the puck.
“He’s really the total package, right? I mean, penalty kill, power play, tough match-ups, going against the best players on each team every night, and usually coming out on top, is pretty special.”
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected].
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