Half an hour before he’d know the answer, Martin Frk spoke of how much he hoped to find work with another NHL team.

If not, he said he’d go to the American Hockey League and play there.

It ended up being the latter, as Frk cleared waivers at noon Thursday, and the Detroit Red Wings assigned him to Grand Rapids.

“I just want to play,” Frk said. “If I have to go to the A, I will go to the A. This season was so far really horrible for me. I just want to enjoy hockey, I don’t want to be here sitting in the stands. I feel that has been so long.”

Frk, 25, has one goal and four assists in 25 games with Wings. He never was able to gain a foothold in the lineup, hampered first by an injury during training camp.

“Guys were playing good in preseason, you are hurt, someone takes your spot and he plays better than you, that’s what it came down to,” Frk said. “I’m not mad about it or anything. It’s how it goes.”

More:Why Detroit Red Wings are better off not trading these three players

More:How Patrick Kane showed the Red Wings the value of No. 1 overall pick

Frk was told of the decision to place him on waivers after landing in Detroit following their trip home Tuesday night from Nashville. The Wings need to clear a roster spot as Tyler Bertuzzi (concussion) is expected to play this weekend. Frk has been in the lineup only three times since Dec. 23.

“I’m kind of glad it’s finally happened,” he said. “It was frustrating a little bit, but I tried not to show it.”

Frk’s strength is his hard, right-handed shot, but opponents found ways to neutralize him, limiting his effectiveness. He isn’t good enough defensively to earn a spot as a fourth-line grinder and penalty killer, and game after game found himself out of the lineup.

This would seem to be the end of Frk’s NHL career. He was a low risk for another team to pick up, as he’s in the last year of a contract making $1.05 million. Originally taken by the Wings 49th overall in the 2012 draft, Frk has 12 goals and 18 assists in 95 career NHL games.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter..