Jon Merrill signs with Red Wings after 3 seasons with Knights

Jon Merrill is going home.

The free-agent defenseman left the Golden Knights on Friday to sign a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. The deal represents a dream come true for Merrill, who said he used to be a “die-hard” Red Wings fan after living in Grand Blanc and Brighton, Michigan, growing up and playing college hockey at Michigan.

A person familiar with the deal confirmed it carries a $925,000 salary cap hit.

“As a kid, as a pro hockey player even, I always said if the opportunity to play for the Red Wings came up, I would jump at it,” Merrill said. “To see them calling right away today, it was an honor and it was a really easy decision for me.”

Merrill played the past three seasons for the Knights after being selected in the expansion draft. He was used primarily as a depth defenseman and posted two goals and seven points in 49 games last season.

In 140 games with the Knights, Merrill had six goals and 19 assists.

He said the Red Wings were the first team to call him when free agency opened.

“It feels like it’s going to be my first game in the NHL,” Merrill said. “It feels like I just made it. This is a whole different feeling. A whole different emotion that will kind of come through, I’m sure, just to step in that dressing room and be around the Red Wings organization.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.