DETROIT >> For sure there wasn’t — or isn’t, by this time — anyone in Jackson who doesn’t know Carter Mazur was recalled by the Red Wings.

His parents Jeff and Erin pretty much let everyone know the day before on social media.

“My dad knows enough people who are his friends, and (Mom) spread the news, too; I think everyone knows,” said Mazur, a Jackson native who the Wings officially recalled Thursday and inserted into the lineup against Utah. “They’ve been part of the journey. I’m going to have 200 to 300 friends and family, and it’s going to be pretty exciting.”

Yes, you read that right. Mazur expected to have over 200 family and friends at Little Caesars Arena.

“I don’t have 200 to 300 family members, and I have a lot of friends, but nowhere near that number,” coach Todd McLellan said with a smile. “This guy is pretty popular.”

Mazur has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 20 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and 11 points (seven goals) in his last 11 games. Mazur (6-foot, 170 pounds) missed much of the first half of the season after suffering an upper-body injury.

The Wings are hoping Mazur’s combination of offensive ability and edgy play can spark the lineup.

“It sounds like he has a tenacity to his game we could use right now,” said McLellan, adding Mazur was going to open the game on the fourth line. “But if we’re relying on Carter to drive our team, to spark us, it might happen a little bit, but there are some other players that have to find their own internal spark, too.”

Mazur, 22, was selected by the Wings in the third round (70th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He played in the Little Caesars youth program and won an NCAA championship in 2002 with Denver.

The ability to make his NHL debut with his favorite NHL team, and further, wearing No. 43 in honor of his favorite player Darren Helm, was overwhelming for Mazur.

“It’s crazy,” Mazur said. “It’s my third time wearing the Wings’ jersey in a way (Little Caesars, Griffins, Wings). It’s kind of special to me. And wearing No. 43 as well is also very special. Getting to wear his number and honor him, honestly, it’s pretty awesome.”

While other young fans were gravitating to Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg in those late 2000 Wings’ teams, Mazur favored Helm, and especially after Helm’s dominating penalty kill in the 2009 Western Conference finals.

“He had that two-minute penalty kill and that really stood out for me,” said Mazur, who received a call from Helm when Mazur was drafted by the Wings. “I was 8 years old and I just took a liking to that and I fell in love with him.

“I see a little bit of the speed and penalty killing (from Helm’ game in Mazur), but I want to be my own player here. I want to make my own name for sure, and be Carter Mazur.

“I love the battle. Detroit is a gritty city, too, and that’s something I can add to this team, add my game and hopefully contribute the way I can, and hopefully the wins will come.”

Mazur attributes his recent scoring surge in Grand Rapids with simply being healthy again.

“Just getting back to my game,” Mazur said. “I felt like my game wasn’t there for the first five games coming back from that injury, and it’s been pretty tough to get back, but once I got back to it I was comfortable with where I was at.”

Mazur joins a Wings’ locker room with plenty of former Grand Rapids teammates.

“Absolutely,” Mazur said. “It’s unbelievable seeing Marco (Kasper) and messing around with Marco on the ice. He was my linemate (in Grand Rapids). Just coming in, it’s been pretty (good) to feel welcome. I know a lot of the guys from the summer (workouts) and training camp, so it’s been easy to fit right in.”

Mazur got word of his recall from general manager Steve Yzerman, while Mazur was taking a nap.

“I got three calls from Steve and it’s kind of bad timing to get a call from Steve with the timing (the trade deadline is Friday), but it was pretty awesome to hear from him, pretty special,” Mazur said. “I thought I was still dreaming for sure, but it was pretty awesome.”

Mazur’s dad Jeff, a retired Jackson police officer, might be the happiest person of all Thursday, regarding his son’s recall by the Wings. Jeff had vowed to not shave off his beard — he’s been trimming it the entire time, but not shaving — until Carter made the NHL.

“He’s keeping it for the game, but I can’t tell you (when Dad is actually shaving),” Mazur said.

Ice chips

The Wings were awaiting word on whether Christian Fischer cleared waivers.

“That’s part of the unfortunate part of the business,” McLellan said. “Roster spots, cap space, that part of stuff.”

… Michael Rasmussen (upper-body) returned to the lineup Thursday after missing the last four games.

… McLellan wasn’t set on a lineup after the morning skate, what with Friday’s trade deadline (3 p.m. EST) still out there and not knowing if a deal would come down.

“We’ll figure that (lineup) out as the day goes on here,” McLellan said. “It’s an interesting time of year. We have to be flexible.”

… The Wings signed forward Austin Watson (Ann Arbor) to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Watson, 33, has proven to be a valuable veteran influence in Grand Rapids.