Co-captain Trenton Bliss signed a contract through the 2022-23 season with the Grand Rapid Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.

Fifth year defenseman Michael Karow signed an amateur tryout contract with the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars. Karow joins former Huskies forwards Joel L’Esperance and Tanner Kero and goaltender Matt Jurusik.

Bliss joins the Griffins

Michigan Tech senior forward Trenton Bliss has signed an American Hockey League contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins–the primary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.

David Archambeau/For the Gazette Michigan Tech’s Michael Karow watches the play during a CCHA semifinal game against Bemidji State this season at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton.

The deal is a standard player’s contract for the remainder of this season and the 2022-23 campaign.

Bliss, a native of Appleton, Wisconsin, skated in 138 games over four years for the Huskies and tallied 107 career points with 42 goals and 65 assists. He became the 68th player in program history to reach the 100-point mark for his career and finished 56th in career points.

In 36 games as a senior, he tallied a career-high 40 points with 12 goals and 28 assists and was named to the All-CCHA Second Team. The co-captain ranked third in the CCHA in points (31) and assists (21) in CCHA games and was eighth with a +13. Bliss scored five power-play goals and the game-winner against Lake Superior State on November 6.

Bliss went on a 10-game point streak from December 30-February 11, tallying three goals and 16 assists over the span. He received votes on the Preseason All-CCHA Team after earning WCHA Third Team honors last season. He was a Hobey Baker candidate for three straight seasons.

Bliss was a two-time alternate captain and has twice received the Gary Crosby Memorial Award as the team’s leading scorer and was the team MVP last season with the Merv Youngs Award. He tallied 15 points as a freshman, 27 as a sophomore, and 25 during his junior season. He had 22 career power-play goals and four game-winners.

Prior to Michigan Tech, Bliss played 84 games in the USHL for the Green Bay Gamblers. During the 2017-18 season, he ranked tenth in the USHL with 55 points, scoring 21 goals and adding 34 assists in 60 games. He played four seasons with Appleton United and was named the Mr. Hockey for the State of Wisconsin and his team won the state title in 2016.

Karow joins the Stars

Michigan Tech senior defenseman Michael Karow has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Texas Stars–the primary affiliate of the Dallas Stars.

Karow, a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, transferred to Michigan Tech in the offseason and skated in all 37 games for the Huskies in 2021-22. He tallied a career-high 10 points with two goals and eight assists and was +13.

Karow helped anchor a Tech defense that ranked third in the nation in penalty killing percentage and fourth in scoring defense. He scored the overtime game-winner at Ferris State (Feb. 18).

Prior to Michigan Tech, Karow played four seasons and 131 games at Boston College from 2017-21. He tallied a goal and 14 assists for the Eagles and served as an alternate captain in 2020-21. The Eagles were three-time Hockey East Regular Season Champions.

Karow was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fifth round (126th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft and also played 58 games in the USHL for the Youngstown Phantoms in 2016-17 and registered 21 points (four goals, 17 assists).