| HISTORY |
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2005-06:
- Transferred from home in Slovenia to play in Czech under-20 league with Ceske Budejovice.
- Finished fourth in team scoring (48-15-17-32, plus-16).
- Helped Slovenia win silver at second-level world under-18 championship (5-1-1-2).
- Won bronze on line with Anze Kopitar at second-level world under-20 championship (5-3-2-5).
- Ranked atop the 2006 draft class for his skating and hands by Central Scouting.
- Drafted in the sixth round (182nd overall) by Detroit at the 2006 draft in Vancouver.
- Selected 33rd overall in the CHL import draft by the Saginaw Spirit.
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2006-07:
- Started OHL rookie season with Saginaw on sizzling 22-game scoring streak (22-13-27-40).
- Spent most of first few months among OHL's top 10 scorers (28-13-22-45).
- Shined on a team that experienced player suspensions and a police investigation in October.
- Represented Slovenia (1-4 record) at second-level world under-20 championship (5-3-2-5).
- Wore down during mid-season stretch (25-8-15-23) before strong finish (8-6-6-12).
- Finished fourth in OHL rookie scoring (62-27-53-80).
- Plus-27 was second best on team that went 44-21-0-3, fourth in its 10-team conference.
- Struggled in playoffs in six-game loss to Sault Ste. Marie (6-1-2-3).
- Signed three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Red Wings in April.
- Signed amateur tryout contract and joined the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins for playoffs.
- Appeared in all seven first-round games (two assists, plus-3) as Grand Rapids lost to Manitoba.
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2007-08:
- Added more than 10 pounds of muscle in off-season and appeared in one NHL pre-season game.
- Started junior season in OHL with Saginaw and had a slow start (26-6-20-26).
- Traded at mid-season to Belleville in a five-player swap and finished strong (31-11-27-38).
- Missed time near end of regular season with a concussion.
- Won bronze with Slovenia at second-tier world junior championship (5-1-2-3, 31 shots).
- Seventh in OHL playoff scoring (21-9-15-24) en route to seventh-game loss to Kitchener in final.
- Shut down offensively as Belleville went 2-2 at Memorial Cup (4-1-0-1).
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2008-09:
- Appeared in five NHL pre-season games with Detroit (5-1-0-1, plus-2, three shots).
- Survived until the second-to-last round of cuts before being sent to AHL's Grand Rapids.
- Struggled to find his place in Grand Rapids' lineup and didn't produce much (51-2-7-9).
- A regular healthy scratch and didn't make the clear day roster in March.
- Fired just 77 shots on goal and had an even plus-minus.
- Got into six of 10 playoff games and had an assist and 11 shots.
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2009-10:
- Appeared in two NHL pre-season games with Red Wings (2-0-0-0, two shots, minus-1.
- Returned to Grand Rapids for second AHL season and enjoyed a big rebound campaign.
- Finished third in team scoring and second in goals (79-24-18-42).
- Emerged as a consistent game-by-game threat while firing 139 shots and finishing plus-12.
- Increased his goal total by 1,100 percent and point total by 366 percent.
- Enjoyed best stretch from late November to early January (23-13-7-20).
- Represented Slovenia at Pool B world championship (5-5-2-7).
- Called up to Detroit as a Black Ace (spare who doesn't play) for the NHL playoff run.
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