2025-26 Griffiti - Issue #4

NOTHING BUT NET JOHN LEONARD

PROUD TO BACK THE GRIFFINS. EVEN PROUDER TO STAND WITH THEIR FANS.

Huntington Bank is honored to support the Grand Rapids Griffins. With every pass and shot, through each hard-fought win and heartbreaking loss, watching you give your all is a thrill we never take for granted.

From your biggest fans at Huntington: Let’s Go Griffins!

Vol. 29, No. 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

After helping lead the Charlotte Checkers to the 2025 Calder Cup Finals, John Leonard hopes to do the same for the Griffins this season.

The memory of a friend has a daily, enduring impact on defenseman Ian Mitchell.

42........

The Griffins’ storied playoff success is the fruit of the determined efforts and spectacular performances of many players throughout the years.

46........

ANGLE’S DAY OFF

From Ontario to Cleveland and Germany to Grand Rapids, forward Tyler Angle always finds a way to make the most of his time.

Jeff Blashill brought the Griffins to new heights during the 2012-13 season, guiding the team to its first Calder Cup championship.

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo

CHALK TALK

WITH GRIFFINS HEAD COACH DAN WATSON

By Jonathan Mills

As the Grand Rapids Griffins began the stretch drive of their 2025-26 regular season – one destined to rank among the most memorable in the franchise’s 30-year history –head coach Dan Watson stressed the need for his players to stay focused on the process and maintain the same approach that they’ve had since opening night, as the club set its sights on officially clinching a postseason berth and then making a deep run in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

“Whatever we call the ‘dog days,’ where there’s not a lot of games and not a lot of practice time, we’re trying to figure out how to navigate playing through this time,” Watson said. “We’re still trying to figure out ways to battle some adversity, handle the flights and bus travel, even handle the non-practice days. We’re putting a lot of pressure on our guys, especially those who haven’t gone through this as pros, to keep the high standards and expectations that we’ve had all year. That’s hard to do. It takes commitment and dedication, but our guys are trying to do it the best they can.”

Getting back to playing their identity, Watson said, will help the Griffins return from this season’s AHL All-Star break with plenty of momentum. Although Grand Rapids owned a 35-7-2-1 (73 points) overall record as of Feb. 12, marking the second-best start in league history through 45 games, its play had leveled off over the final weeks of January.

“Part of our identity is having the skating

legs, being relentless on pucks and on our forecheck, and being aggressive in our D-zone and our coverage,” Watson said. “We lost a little bit of that identity, so it’ll be a recommitment. They were committed to it early on, and it’s not easy to do daily, so we’re going to need to get back to who we have been. We’re not looking to turn our game into an overly skilled or complicated one, and one that isn’t predictable.”

As the games get tighter and the stakes get higher, Watson knows maintaining good habits – especially in their own zone – must come first for his players. As of Feb. 12, the Griffins’ defense stood as one of the very best in the AHL, ranking second with 1.96 goals allowed per game.

“We’ve been a really good defending team, especially our tracking,” Watson said. “When we lose the puck in the offensive zone, our track has been incredible – that’s work ethic. That’s a will. You have to be willing and wanting to get back to help defensively. I also think we’ve done a really good job of owning the middle of the ice and keeping everything to the outside. That’s allowed our goalies to see pucks and make saves. Those have been two of the biggest keys that we’ve been very consistent at.”

Amid the Griffins’ historic success this season, Watson believes actively involving several different voices in the dressing room has helped keep the messaging fresh and the group engaged.

“Especially in this type of year, we try to involve our players in our team meetings,” Watson said. “We value their opinion and how they see the game. With our coaching staff, like Steph [Julien] and [Brian] Lashoff, we use them quite a bit for individual clips and specialteams meetings. I’ve got all of the 5-on-5 and daily meetings, so we share it so that it’s not always one voice. I think for game prep, the players are always going to hear me. That’s for everyday habit.”

Grand Rapids has paced the Central Division for the entire campaign, and as of Feb. 12 the team was 19 points above the secondplace Chicago Wolves and 35 points up on a playoff spot. Looking ahead to its schedule coming out of the break, 21 of its remaining 27 contests were against divisional foes.

“The season felt like a crawl, to be honest, up until Christmas,” Watson said. “Especially in October and November, there are a lot of long weeks of practice at this level. You’re only playing two games a week most of the time. Then when you hit the middle of the winter, you’re playing midweek games and sometimes

three in four nights. There’s been a lot of travel and trying to squeeze games in a short period of time. This is the time where it goes fast, and there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

The Griffins suffered a quick exit from the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, getting swept by the Texas Stars in the Central Division Semifinals. Although that experience left a sour taste in their mouths, Watson feels he and the group both are better because of it.

Now, it’s about proving that when it matters most.

“I learned a lot from last year’s great start to the second half and then getting swept in the playoffs,” Watson said. “There’s a lot of messaging and work that goes into becoming better. It’s staying on top of things and not letting things slide through the cracks, and winning can do that. I think having the seasons we’ve had in the past, you want to stay up with it. You can’t have things slip. Being clear with the players is huge, and I think that’s where I’ve sort of grown. I’m trying to make sure the message is clear, what we’re trying to do as a team is clear, and what roles individuals have.”

2025-26 GRIFFINS HOCKEY OPERATIONS STAFF

SCOUTING REPORT

By Andrew Streitel

ROCKFORD

MARCH 4, APRIL 11

Defenseman Kevin Korchinski is the lone first-round draft pick on the IceHogs’ roster, as he was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the seventh overall selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Korchinski is a two-time AHL All-Star (2025, 2026) and is in his second season with Rockford. The 21-year-old spent his entire rookie season of 2023-24 in the NHL with Chicago, showing 15 points (5-10—15), 20 penalty minutes and a minus-39 rating in 76 games. Throughout parts of two NHL seasons, he has 18 points (6-12—18) in 94 appearances. With Rockford since 2024-25, the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native has 49 points (5-44—49) in 97 outings. In his final junior season in 2022-23, Korchinski became a Western Hockey League champion with Seattle and was named to the WHL First All-Star Team and the CHL Third All-Star Team, adding a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championship.

Rockford’s Ryan Mast (Bloomfield Hills) and Gavin Hayes (Ypsilanti) both hail from the state of Michigan. Mast played his youth career with Belle Tire in Detroit and Compuware in Plymouth before heading to the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League. Mast and the Griffins’ Ian Mitchell competed for two seasons together with the Providence Bruins from 2023-25. Hayes also

Stats and records through games of Feb. 4, 2026

skated with Compuware as a youth before joining the Flint Firebirds in the OHL. Hayes and Amadeus Lombardi were on the same Flint team from 202123, and the duo combined for 291 points (123-168—291) in 265 career games with the Firebirds. In 2022-23, Lombardi ranked first on the roster in points followed by Hayes, and both logged 40-plus goal seasons. On Flint’s all-time points list, Hayes ranks second with 166 (79-87—166 in 158 GP) and Lombardi places third with 161 (63-98—161 in 134 GP).

Veteran forward Rem Pitlick was acquired by the IceHogs on Dec. 14, 2025, via a trade with the Bakersfield Condors for defenseman Tyson Feist. With Rockford, Pitlick had 17 points (8-9—17) in 18 games as of Feb. 5, in addition to 15 points (6-9—15) in 24 games with Bakersfield. This is Pitlick’s second stint with the IceHogs, as he logged 33 points (14-19—33) in 27 games with the team in 2023-24 and then paced the roster with five points (1-4—5) in four games during the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. Pitlick, the 76th overall pick by Nashville in 2016, has competed in 132 NHL games between the Predators, Minnesota, Montreal and Chicago, totaling 54 points (21-33—54). All time against Grand Rapids since 2019-20, the 29-year-old has 13 points (7-6—13) in 19 games.

MILWAUKEE

MARCH 13, MARCH 14

Milwaukee has the most former first-round NHL draft picks in the Central Division with six. Chicago, Grand Rapids and Manitoba are tied for second with four former first-rounders apiece. The six from Milwaukee are Tanner Molendyk (24th in 2023, NSH), David Edstrom (32nd in 2023, NSH), Joakim Kemell (17th in 2022, NSH), Reid Schaefer (32nd in 2022, EDM), Fedor Svechkov (19th in 2021, NSH), and Zach L’Heureux (27th in 2021, NSH). Of the six players, Svechkov has spent the most time in the NHL with 101 games, followed by L’Heureux (62 GP), Schaefer (25) and Kemell (4). Molendyk and Edstrom have not yet made their NHL debuts.

Milwaukee head coach Karl Taylor is in his seventh season as head boss and is the Admirals’ winningest AHL coach. Taylor had a 263-152-33-14 record (.620) with the Admirals as of Feb. 5 that includes three division titles and four 40-plus win seasons, in addition to never finishing worse than third place in the Central Division. In 2019-20, Taylor won the Louis AR Pieri Memorial Award as AHL Coach of the Year when the Admirals won the regular-season title with a 41-14-5-3 record (.714, 90 pts.). Prior to joining Milwaukee in 2018-19, the North Bay, Ontario, native served as an assistant coach for the Texas Stars from 2014-18. Taylor began his coaching career

CHICAGO

MARCH 28, APRIL 10

The Wolves are led by third-year pro Justin Robidas, who had 41 points (20-21—41), 10 penalty minutes and a plus-27 rating in 38 games as of Feb. 5. In the AHL rankings, Robidas tied for ninth in points, tied for sixth in goals, and second in plus-minus rating. Last season, Robidas showed 55 points (20-35—55) in 70 regular-season games with Chicago and added two points (1-1—2) in two NHL games with Carolina, scoring his first goal on April 5, 2025, at Boston. Robidas was the 147th overall pick by the Hurricanes in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and spent his entire rookie campaign in 2023-24 with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, totaling 27 points (1215—27) in 32 outings. Prior to turning pro, Robidas spent four seasons in the QMJHL from 2019-23 and registered a combined 239 points (95-144—239) in 223 regular-season games, adding 43 points (1825—43) in 36 postseason contests.

Similar to the Griffins, Chicago’s road power play is far better than its home power play. At home, the Wolves rank 31st out of 32 teams at 11.8%, having converted just nine of their 76 opportunities at Allstate Arena. However, on the road, Chicago’s power play is showing a 23.1% success rate (15-for-

in 1997-98 at the University of New Brunswick as an assistant coach and won the CIAU University Cup in his inaugural season.

Milwaukee’s Ryan Ufko is having a standout season and has already notched career-high totals in goals (10), assists (30) and points (40) through just 42 games. His previous highs were eight goals, 22 assists and 30 points in 72 games in 2024-25. As of Feb. 5, the AHL All-Star defenseman ranked among the league’s blueline leaders in points (1st), assists (2nd), goals (T2nd) and power-play goals (5, 1st). Ufko, a second-year pro, was the 115th pick by Nashville in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut with the Predators last season. Prior to joining the pro ranks, the 22-year-old spent three seasons with UMass from 2021-24 and registered 81 points (23-58—81) in 106 outings. During his final collegiate season as a junior in 2023-24, Ufko was a Hobey Baker Award nominee and was selected to the NCAA East First All-American Team with 26 points (10-16—26) in 37 games.

65) and places seventh in the AHL. Overall, the Wolves are tied for 23rd with a power play rate of 17.0%. Former first-round pick Bradly Nadeua (30th in 2023) leads the team with five power-play tallies.

The Griffins’ Antti Tuomisto and Chicago’s Aleksi Heimosalmi both hail from Pori, Finland, and come from the same youth program, Assat. Both players were also second-round draft picks to their respective franchises (Tuomisto 35th in 2019 (DET), Heimosalmi 44th in 2021 (CAR)). Despite playing for the same youth club, Tuomisto and Heimosalmi played just five games together, which included two contests in 2018-19 for Assat U18 and three outings in 2019-20 for Assat U20. Heimosalmi, a 5-foot-11 defenseman, is in his second season with the Wolves and has combined for 27 points (7-20—27) and 58 penalty minutes in 93 regular-season games.

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Dear Griffins Fans,

A lot can happen in 30 years.

Unbreakable friendships can be forged. Beloved traditions can be passed down by generations. Breathtaking moments can be shared and indelible memories made. Cities can unite around common goals and celebrations. Downtowns can be transformed.

All of that and so much more have occurred since the Griffins first skated out onto Van Andel Arena’s ice on Oct. 11, 1996. West Michigan fell in love with this team that bears a mythical moniker, but the franchise’s impact has been very real.

Three times the Griffins have competed in our league’s championship finals, and we brought home the coveted hardware in both 2013 and 2017 to cap off arduous playoff runs that captivated the Calder City.

Fans who endured 16 years without a professional hockey team to cheer for following the departure of the Owls turned out in droves from the start, and we have unending gratitude for your passionate support that continues not just season after season but decade after decade. We have opened the doors to the “Freezer on Fulton” nearly 1,200 times, and we have strived night after night to do our absolute best to not just entertain all 9.1 million of you but truly earn your allegiance.

Five other times we’ve been fortunate to welcome the Detroit Red Wings to town for their annual intrasquad game, and the incredible energy and enthusiasm nearly 11,000 of you brought for the long-awaited return of the Red & White Game on Sept. 21 made a powerful and unforgettable impression on every player wearing the Winged Wheel. (Not to mention Steve Yzerman.)

Far beyond the ice, we remain dedicated to helping improve our community through a range of programs, events and initiatives that since our inception has generated just shy of $10 million for various schools, organizations and nonprofits throughout West Michigan. That commitment is currently amplified by the similar efforts of our third-year women’s pro volleyball team, the Grand Rapids Rise of Major League Volleyball, and it will be further enhanced when our city’s new soccer team, Athletic Club Grand Rapids, begins play in 2027 at Amway Stadium as a member of MLS NEXT Pro.

Thirty years ago, none of us could have imagined the incredible playground for professional sports that downtown Grand Rapids would one day become. I cannot wait to see what the next 30 have in store for us.

Sincerely,

Dan DeVos Chief Executive Officer Grand Rapids Griffins

a message from the president

Dear Fans,

he president

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the historic 90th season of the American Hockey League.

Since we first dropped the puck in 1936, our league has grown to include 32 cities from coast to coast and a truly global community with fans cheering on our teams from around the world. And we remain proud of our commitment to being the top development league for nearly all of the players, coaches, executives, trainers, broadcasters and officials who you see throughout the National Hockey League today.

Since we first dropped the puck in 1936, our league has grown to include 32 cities from coast to coast and a global community with fans cheering on our teams from around the world. And we remain proud of our commitment to being the top development league for nearly all of players, coaches, executives, trainers, broadcasters and officials who you see throughout the National Hockey

For nine decades, you have cheered on future superstars, Stanley Cup champions and Hockey Hall of Famers as they have come through the AHL. This season we reflect on our past while continuing our tradition of excellence, from the excitement of opening night to the pageantry of the AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford to the pure emotion of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

On behalf of all of our teams, thank you for your continuing support of the American Hockey League.

Sincerely,

Scott Howson President & CEO | American Hockey League

For nine decades, you have cheered on future superstars, Stanley Cup champions and Hockey Hall of Famers have come through the AHL. This season we reflect our past while continuing our tradition of excellence, the excitement of opening night to the pageantry of AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford to the pure emotion

On behalf of all of our teams, thank you for your continuing support of the American Hockey League.

THE BEGINNINGS

Celebrating its 90th season in 2025-26, the American Hockey League is continuing a tradition of excellence that began in 1936 when the Canadian-American Hockey League joined with the International Hockey League to form what is today known as the AHL. Eight teams hit the ice that first season, representing Buffalo, Cleveland, New Haven, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Springfield and Syracuse.

Frank Calder, the National Hockey League’s president at the time, was instrumental in the forming of this new league, and his name would be given to its championship trophy. The Abbotsford Canucks are the reigning Calder Cup champions after capturing their first title last spring.

From those roots, the American Hockey League has grown into a 32team, coast-to-coast league that provides fans with exciting, high-level professional hockey while preparing thousands of players, coaches, officials, executives, trainers, broadcasters and more for careers in the NHL.

BY THE NUMBERS

87.0%

Percentage of all NHL players in 2024-25 who were graduates of the AHL

891

Former AHL players who skated in the NHL last season

330

AHL players who also played in the NHL in 2024-25

245

Former 1st- and 2nd-round NHL draft picks who skated in the AHL in 2024-25

THE PLAYERS

In today’s National Hockey League nearly 90 percent of the players are AHL alumni, including 202425 Vezina Trophy winner and NHL MVP Connor Hellebuyck and Art Ross Trophy recipient Nikita Kucherov. The 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers were stocked with AHL graduates including former league scoring champion Carter Verhaeghe

During the 2024-25 season, a total of 891 AHL alumni played in the National Hockey League. There were 330 players who skated in both leagues last year alone, and 245 former first- and second-round NHL draft picks developed their skills in the AHL last season, including Artyom Levshunov, David Reinbacher, Nate Danielson, Simon Nemec Denton Mateychuk, Lian Bichsel, 2025 AHL All-Star Challenge MVP Kevin Korchinski, and 2024-25 AHL Top Prospects team members Dalibor Dvorsky Konsta Helenius, Logan Mailloux , Scott Morrow and Bradly Nadeau

THE LEGENDS

For nine decades, the American Hockey League has been home to some of the greatest players in the history of our sport. In fact, there are 136 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame who have been affiliated with the AHL during their careers.

All-time greats from Milt Schmidt and Gump Worsley to Roberto Luongo and Martin St. Louis came through the AHL ranks and now find themselves enshrined in Toronto, and the coveted Calder Cup is inscribed with the names of legendary AHL alumni like Johnny Bower, Larry Robinson, Gerry Cheevers Bathgate, Tim Horton

Francis, Patrick Roy Billy Smith.

THE COACHES

At the start of the 2025-26 season, the National Hockey League featured 21 head coaches who were former AHL bench bosses, including Paul Maurice of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and 2024-25 Jack Adams Award winner Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals.

Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper, Colorado’s Jared Bednar, Edmonton’s Kris Knoblauch, New Jersey’s Sheldon Keefe, San Jose’s Ryan Warsofsky and Winnipeg’s Scott Arniel are also among the current NHL coaches who spent time in the American Hockey

AHL DIRECTORY

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC DIVISION:

Bridgeport, Charlotte, Hartford, Hershey, Lehigh Valley, Providence, Springfield, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

NORTH DIVISION: Belleville, Cleveland, Laval, Rochester, Syracuse, Toronto, Utica

BRIDGEPORT ISLANDERS

NHL Affiliation:.......................... New York Islanders

Home Ice: Total Mortgage Arena (8,412)

General Manager: Chris Lamoriello

Head Coach: ................................. Rocky Thompson

Entered AHL: ..............................................2001-02

Calder Cups: None

Seasons In Playoffs:.................................... 10 Of 22

2024-25 Record: ..................15-50-4-3, 37 Pts./.257 Website: ...........................Bridgeportislanders.com

CHARLOTTE CHECKERS

NHL Affiliations: ............................ Florida Panthers

Home Ice: Bojangles Coliseum (8,500)

General Manager: Paul Krepelka

Head Coach: .................................. Geordie Kinnear

Entered AHL: ..............................................2010-11

Calder Cups: One (2019)

Seasons In Playoffs:...................................... 9 Of 13

2024-25 Record: ..................44-22-3-3, 94 Pts./.653

Website: .............................. Charlottecheckers.com

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

NHL Affiliation:........................... New York Rangers

Home Ice: PeoplesBank Arena (15,635)

General Manager: ............................... Ryan Martin

Head Coach: ...................................... Grant Potulny

Entered AHL: ..............................................1997-98

Calder Cups: One (2000)

Seasons In Playoffs:.................................... 17 Of 26

2024-25 Record: ..................30-33-7-2, 69 Pts./.479 Website: .............................. Hartfordwolfpack.com

HERSHEY BEARS

NHL Affiliation:....................... Washington Capitals

Home Ice: Giant Center (10,500)

General Manager: ............................. Bryan Helmer

Head Coach: ...........................................Derek King

Entered AHL: ..............................................1938-39

Calder Cups: 13 (1947, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1974, 1980, 1988, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2023, 2024)

Seasons In Playoffs:.................................... 72 Of 85 2024-25 Record: ..................44-20-7-1, 96 Pts./.667 Website: Hersheybears.com

LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS

NHL Affiliation:.......................... Philadelphia Flyers

Home Ice: ...................................PPL Center (8,420)

General Manager: Alyn Mccauley

Head Coach: .....................................John Snowden

Entered AHL: . 1996-97 (As Philadelphia Phantoms) Calder Cups: .................................Two (1998, 2005)

Seasons In Playoffs: 15 Of 27 2024-25 Record: ..................36-28-6-2, 80 Pts./.556 Website: ............................... Phantomshockey.com

PROVIDENCE BRUINS

NHL Affiliation:.................................. Boston Bruins

Home Ice: .............. Amica Mutual Pavilion (11,273)

General Manager: ................................... Evan Gold

Head Coach: Ryan Mougenel

Entered AHL: ..............................................1992-93

Calder Cups: .......................................... One (1999)

Seasons In Playoffs:.................................... 26 Of 31

2024-25 Record: 41-23-5-3, 90 Pts./.625

Website: ...............................Providencebruins.com

SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS

NHL Affiliation: St. Louis Blues

Home Ice: ..................... Massmutual Center (6,793)

General Manager: ............................Kevin Maxwell

Head Coach: ............................. Steve Konowalchuk

Entered AHL: 2016-17

Calder Cups: ................................................... None

Seasons In Playoffs:........................................ 3 Of 7

2024-25 Record: 34-32-2-4, 74 Pts./.514 Website: Springfieldthunderbirds.com

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS

NHL Affiliation: Pittsburgh Penguins

Home Ice: Mohegan Arena At Casey Plaza (7,500)

General Manager: .............................. Jason Spezza

Head Coach: ................................... Kirk MacDonald

Entered AHL: 1999-00

Calder Cups: ................................................... None

Seasons In Playoffs:.................................... 20 Of 24 2024-25 Record: ..................41-23-5-3, 90 Pts./.625 Website: Wbspenguins.com

BELLEVILLE SENATORS

NHL Affiliation:..............................Ottawa Senators

Home Ice: CAA Arena (4,365)

General Manager: .................................. Matt Turek

Interim Head Coach.....................Andrew Campbell

Entered AHL: ..............................................2017-18

Calder Cups: None

Seasons In Playoffs:........................................ 2 Of 6

2024-25 Record: ..................34-27-6-5, 79 Pts./.549

Website: .....................................Bellevillesens.com

ROCHESTER AMERICANS

NHL Affiliation: Buffalo Sabres

Home Ice: ........................... Blue Cross Arena At The Rochester War Memorial (10,662)

General Manager: ......................... Jason Karmanos

Head Coach: Michael Leone

Entered AHL: ..............................................1956-57

Calder Cups: ......................... Six (1965, 1966, 1968, 1983, 1987, 1996)

Seasons In Playoffs: 50 Of 67

2024-25 Record: ..................42-22-5-3, 93 Pts./.639

Website: .............................................. Amerks.com

CLEVELAND MONSTERS

NHL Affiliation:.................... Columbus Blue Jackets

Home Ice: Rocket Arena (18,277/9,447 Lower Bowl)

General Manager: .................................. Chris Clark

Head Coach: .................................Trent Vogelhuber

Entered AHL: ......... 2007-08 (As Lake Erie Monsters)

Calder Cups: One (2016)

Seasons In Playoffs:...................................... 5 Of 16

2024-25 Record: ..................35-26-5-6, 81 Pts./.563 Website: ............................ Clevelandmonsters.com

LAVAL ROCKET

NHL Affiliation:........................ Montreal Canadiens

Home Ice: Place Bell (10,043)

General Manager: ........................... John Sedgwick

Head Coach: ..................................... Pascal Vincent Entered AHL: ..............................................2017-18

Calder Cups: None

Seasons In Playoffs:........................................ 3 Of 6

2024-25 Record: ................48-19-3-2, 101 Pts./.701

Website: ........................................ Rocketlaval.com

THE ROAD TO THE CALDER CUP

SYRACUSE CRUNCH

NHL Affiliation: Tampa Bay Lightning

Home Ice: ....... Upstate Medical University Arena At Onondaga County War Memorial (6,150)

General Manager/Head Coach:..........Joel Bouchard

Entered AHL: 1994-95

Calder Cups: ................................................... None

Seasons In Playoffs:.................................... 19 Of 29

2024-25 Record: ..................37-23-8-4, 86 Pts./.597

Website: Syracusecrunch.com

A total of 23 teams will qualify for the AHL’s 2026 postseason, with five rounds of playoffs leading to the crowning of a Calder Cup champion.

The playoff field will include the top six finishers in the eight-team Atlantic Division, the top five finishers each in the seven-team North and Central Divisions, and the top seven teams in the 10-team Pacific Division.

TORONTO MARLIES

NHL Affiliation: Toronto Maple Leafs

Home Ice: ..................... Coca-Cola Coliseum (7,851)

General Manager: .................................Ryan Hardy

Head Coach: ........................................ John Gruden

Entered AHL: 2005-06

Calder Cups: .......................................... One (2018)

Seasons In Playoffs:.................................... 14 Of 18

2024-25 Record: 37-23-4-8, 86 Pts./.597

Website: Marlies.ca

UTICA COMETS

NHL Affiliation: New Jersey Devils

Home Ice: ............... Adirondack Bank Center At The Utica Memorial Auditorium (3,917)

General Manager: .......................... Dan Mackinnon

Head Coach: Ryan Parent

Entered AHL: ..............................................2013-14

Calder Cups: ................................................... None

Seasons In Playoffs: 5 Of 10

2024-25 Record: 31-33-6-2, 70 Pts./.486

Website: .......................................Uticacomets.com

First Round matchups will be best-ofthree series. The two highest seeds in the Atlantic, the three highest seeds in each of the North and Central, and the first-place team in the Pacific will receive byes into the best-of-five Division Semifinals, with the First Round winners re-seeded in each division. The Division Finals will also be best-of-five series, followed by best-ofseven Conference Finals and a best-ofseven Calder Cup Finals.

Grand Rapids

AHL DIRECTORY

WESTERN CONFERENCE

PACIFIC DIVISION: Abbotsford, Bakersfield, Calgary, Coachella Valley, Colorado, Henderson, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose, Tucson

CENTRAL DIVISION: Grand Rapids, Chicago, Iowa, Manitoba, Milwaukee, Rockford, Texas

ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS

NHL Affiliation:.......................... Vancouver Canucks

Home Ice: ....................... Abbotsford Centre (7,073)

General Manager: Ryan Johnson

Head Coach: ................................. Manny Malhotra

Entered AHL: ..............................................2021-22

Calder Cups: One (2025)

Seasons in Playoffs: ........................................ 4 of 4

2024-25 Record: ..................44-24-2-2, 92 pts./.639

Website: ........................... abbotsford.canucks.com

BAKERSFIELD CONDORS

NHL Affiliation:..............................Edmonton Oilers Home Ice: ...................Dignity Health Arena (8,751) General Manager: Keith Gretzky

in Playoffs: ........................................ 4 of 8

CALGARY WRANGLERS

NHL Affiliation:................................ Calgary Flames

Home Ice: Scotiabank Saddledome (19,289)

General Manager: ................................ Brad Pascall

Head Coach: ......................................... Brett Sutter

Entered AHL: 2022-23

Calder Cups: None

Seasons in Playoffs: ........................................ 3 of 3

2024-25 Record: ..................37-28-4-3, 81 pts./.563 Website: calgarywranglers.com

COACHELLA VALLEY FIREBIRDS

NHL Affiliation:.................................Seattle Kraken

Home Ice: Acrisure Arena (10,087)

General Manager: .................................. Troy Bodie

Head Coach: ....................................... Derek Laxdal

Entered AHL: 2022-23

Calder Cups: None

ONTARIO REIGN

Seasons in Playoffs: ........................................ 3 of 3

2024-25 Record: ..................37-25-5-5, 84 pts./.583 Website: cvfirebirds.com

COLORADO EAGLES

HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS

NHL Affiliation:......................Vegas Golden Knights

Home Ice: ...................... Lee’s Family Forum (5,567)

General Manager: Tim Speltz

Head Coach: ........................................... Ryan Craig Entered AHL: ..............................................2020-21

Calder Cups: None

Seasons in Playoffs: 1 of 4

2024-25 Record: ..................29-38-3-2, 63 pts./.438 Website: ..................... hendersonsilverknights.com

ONTARIO REIGN

NHL Affiliation:............................ Los Angeles Kings

Home Ice: ............................... Toyota Arena (9,491)

General Manager: Richard Seeley

Head Coach: ........................................Andrew Lord

Entered AHL: ..............................................2015-16

Calder Cups: None Seasons in Playoffs: 7 of 8

2024-25 Record: ..................43-25-3-1, 90 pts./.625 Website: ...................................... ontarioreign.com

SAN DIEGO GULLS

SAN JOSE BARRACUDA

NHL Affiliation: San Jose Sharks

Home Ice: ..............................Tech CU Arena (4,200)

General Manager: ....................................... Joe Will

Head Coach: John McCarthy

Entered AHL: ..............................................2015-16

Calder Cups: ................................................... None

Seasons in Playoffs: ........................................ 5 of 8

2024-25 Record: 36-27-5-4, 81 pts./.563 Website: ........................................sjbarracuda.com

TUCSON ROADRUNNERS

NHL Affiliation: Utah Mammoth

Home Ice: ............................... Tucson Arena (6,521)

General Manager: ............................ John Ferguson

Head Coach: Steve Potvin

Entered AHL: ..............................................2016-17

Calder Cups: ................................................... None

Seasons in Playoffs: ........................................ 4 of 7

2024-25 Record: 34-32-4-2, 74 pts./.514 Website: ............................ tucsonroadrunners.com

CHICAGO WOLVES

NHL Affiliation:......................... Carolina Hurricanes

Home Ice: Allstate Arena (16,692)

General Manager: ...............................Darren Yorke

Interim Head Coach.......................... Spiros Anastas Entered AHL: 2001-02

Calder Cups: Three (2002, 2008, 2022)

Seasons in Playoffs: .................................... 15 of 22

2024-25 Record: ..................37-31-4-0, 78 pts./.542 Website: chicagowolves.com

IOWA WILD

NHL Affiliation:............................... Minnesota Wild

Home Ice: Casey’s Center (8,356)

General Manager: ........................... Matt Hendricks

Head Coach: ......................................... Greg Cronin

Entered AHL: 2013-14

Calder Cups: None

Seasons in Playoffs: ...................................... 2 of 10

2024-25 Record: ..................27-37-6-2, 62 pts./.431 Website: iowawild.com

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

NHL Affiliation: Detroit Red Wings

Home Ice: ........................Van Andel Arena (10,834)

General Manager: ............................Shawn Horcoff

Head Coach: Dan Watson

Entered AHL: ..............................................2001-02

Calder Cups: .................................Two (2013, 2017) Seasons in Playoffs: .................................... 15 of 22

2024-25 Record: 37-29-4-2, 80 pts./.556

Website: .................................... griffinshockey.com

MANITOBA MOOSE

NHL Affiliation:..................................Winnipeg Jets

Home Ice: Canada Life Centre (7,667)

General Manager: ........................... Craig Heisinger

Head Coach: ..................................... Mark Morrison Entered AHL: 2001-02 (played through 2010-11; re-entered 2015-16)

Calder Cups: ................................................... None Seasons in Playoffs: .................................... 13 of 18 2024-25 Record: 25-41-3-3, 56 pts./.389 Website: .....................................moosehockey.com

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS

NHL Affiliation:......................... Nashville Predators

Home Ice: ............................. Panther Arena (9,450)

General Manager: Scott Nichol

Head Coach: ........................................... Karl Taylor

Entered AHL: ..............................................2001-02

Calder Cups: One (2004) Seasons in Playoffs: 19 of 22

2024-25 Record: ..................40-21-5-6, 91 pts./.632 Website: ...........................milwaukeeadmirals.com

ROCKFORD ICEHOGS

NHL Affiliation:........................ Chicago Blackhawks

Home Ice: ................................. BMO Center (5,895)

General Manager: Mark Bernard

Head Coach: ................................ Jared Nightingale

Entered AHL: ..............................................2007-08

Calder Cups: None Seasons in Playoffs: 10 of 16

2024-25 Record: ..................31-33-6-2, 70 pts./.486 Website: .............................................. icehogs.com

TEXAS STARS

NHL Affiliation:......................................Dallas Stars

Home Ice: .......... H-E-B Center at Cedar Park (6,778)

General Manager: Scott White

Head Coach: ...................................... Toby Petersen

Entered AHL: ..............................................2009-10

Calder Cups: One (2014) Seasons in Playoffs: 11 of 14

2024-25 Record: ..................43-26-3-0, 89 pts./.618

Website: .......................................... texasstars.com Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

DETROIT RED WINGS

Defenseman Simon Edvinsson and forward Marco Kasper spearhead the latest generation of players making an impact in Hockeytown after honing their skills in Grand Rapids, alongside other young Griffins alumni like Moritz Seider, Albert Johansson and Elmer Soderblom.

TOP AFFILIATE: Grand Rapids Griffins • 24th Season

ARENA: Little Caesars Arena • Seating Capacity: 19,515

CONTACT: (313) 471-7000 • detroitredwings.com

STANLEY CUPS: 1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008

MANAGEMENT

EXECUTIVE VP/GENERAL MANAGER: Steve Yzerman

VP/HOCKEY OPERATIONS: Nicklas Lidstrom

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS: Shawn Horcoff, Kris Draper, Aaron Kahn

COACHING STAFF

HEAD COACH: Todd McLellan

ASSISTANT COACHES: Alex Tanguay, Trent Yawney

GOALTENDING COACH: Michael Leighton

VIDEO COORDINATOR: Jeff Weintraub

ASSISTANT VIDEO COORDINATOR: Erich Junge

GRIFFINS WHO HAVE EARNED THEIR WINGS

Justin Abdelkader 2008-09

Adam Almquist 2013-14

Joakim Andersson 2011-12

Zach Aston-Reese 2023-24

Andreas Athanasiou 2015-16

Sean Avery 2002-03

Riley Barber 2021-22

Ryan Barnes 2003-04

Jonatan Berggren 2022-23

Tyler Bertuzzi 2016-17

Patrick Boileau 2002-03

Darryl Bootland 2003-04

Madison Bowey 2019-20

Michael BrandseggNygård 2025-26

Mathias Brome 2020-21

Fabian Brunnstrom 2011-12

Mitch Callahan 2013-14

Jake Chelios 2018-19

Alex Chiasson 2022-23

Dennis Cholowski 2018-19

Ty Conklin 2011-12

Chris Conner 2011-12

Jared Coreau 2016-17

Sebastian Cossa 2024-25

Kyle Criscuolo 2021-22

Austin Czarnik 2022-23

Nate Danielson 2025-26

Danny DeKeyser 2013-14

Aaron Downey 2008-09

Patrick Eaves 2013-14

Simon Edvinsson 2022-23

Christoffer Ehn 2018-19

Matt Ellis 2006-07

Turner Elson 2021-22

Cory Emmerton 2010-11

Jonathan Ericsson 2007-08

Adam Erne 2022-23

Landon Ferraro 2013-14

Valtteri Filppula 2005-06

Emmitt Finnie 2025-26

Martin Frk 2017-18

Luke Glendening 2013-14

Erik Gustafsson 2025-26

Mark Hartigan 2007-08

Darren Helm 2007-08

Joe Hicketts 2017-18

Taro Hirose 2019-20

Jimmy Howard 2005-06

Filip Hronek 2018-19

Jiri Hudler 2003-04

Matt Hussey 2006-07

Ville Husso 2024-25

Michael Hutchinson 2023-24

Doug Janik 2009-10

Nick Jensen 2016-17

Albert Johansson 2024-25

Tomas Jurco 2013-14

Marco Kasper 2024-25

Jakub Kindl 2009-10

Tomas Kopecky 2005-06

Niklas Kronwall 2003-04

William Lagesson 2024-25

Marc Lamothe 2003-04

Josh Langfeld 2006-07

Dylan Larkin 2015-16

Brian Lashoff 2012-13

Brett Lebda 2005-06

Ville Leino 2008-09

John Leonard 2025-26

Gustav Lindstrom 2019-20

Matt Lorito 2016-17

Matt Luff 2022-23

Joey MacDonald 2006-07

Donald MacLean 2005-06

Anthony Mantha 2015-16

Alexey Marchenko 2013-14

Carter Mazur 2024-25

Darren McCarty 2007-08

Tom McCollum 2010-11

Dylan McIlrath 2018-19

Derek Meech 2006-07

Wade Megan 2018-19

Drew Miller 2016-17

Kevin Miller 2003-04

Mark Mowers 2003-04

Petr Mrazek 2012-13

Jan Mursak 2010-11

Anders Myrvold 2003-04

Alex Nedeljkovic 2022-23

Andrej Nestrasil 2014-15

Kris Newbury 2009-10

Tomas Nosek 2015-16

Gustav Nyquist 2011-12

Xavier Ouellet 2013-14

Chase Pearson 2021-22

Calvin Pickard 2019-20

Matt Puempel 2018-19

Teemu Pulkkinen 2013-14

Kyle Quincey 2005-06

Michael Rasmussen 2018-19

Dan Renouf 2016-17

Mattias Ritola 2007-08

Jamie Rivers 2003-04

Nathan Robinson 2003-04

Stacy Roest 2002-03

Robbie Russo 2016-17

Axel Sandin-Pellikka 2025-26

Moritz Seider 2021-22

Riley Sheahan 2011-12

Dominik Shine 2024-25

Brendan Smith 2011-12

Givani Smith 2019-20

Elmer Soderblom 2022-23

Ryan Sproul 2013-14

Garrett Stafford 2007-08

Ben Street 2016-17

Libor Sulak 2018-19

Evgeny Svechnikov 2016-17

Eric Tangradi 2015-16

Tomas Tatar 2010-11

Jordin Tootoo 2013-14

Dominic Turgeon 2017-18

Joe Veleno 2020-21

Jakub Vrana 2022-23

Austin Watson 2024-25

Jason Williams 2002-03

Luke Witkowski 2021-22

Filip Zadina 2018-19

* not including conditioning stints for Curtis Joseph (2003-04), Chris Osgood (2005-06), Manny Legace (2005-06), Chris Chelios (2008-09), Andreas Lilja (2009-10), Jonas Gustavsson (2012-13), Carlo Colaiacovo (2012-13), Stephen Weiss (2014-15), Gemel Smith (2021-22) and Magnus Hellberg (2022-23).

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

MARCH 13

14th Annual Purple

Community Game presented by Van Andel Institute/Purple

Jersey Auction

MARCH 14

Star Wars Night presented by DTE/ Character Appearances

MARCH 28

Top Gun Night presented by Adventure Credit Union/ Austin Watson Aviator Bobblehead Giveaway

APRIL 10

Annual Team

Equipment Sale/$2

Beers and $2 Hot Dogs

APRIL 11

Fan Appreciation Night presented by Huntington Bank

WEEK OF APRIL 19

2026 Calder Cup Playoffs begin, with $2 Beers and $2 Hot Dogs during every home playoff game. All playoff games on 96.1 The Game.

CHECKPROMOTIONS OUT THESE SEASON-LONG

Be

$2 BEERS AND $2 HOT DOGS

Every Friday, enjoy $2 domestic drafts and $2 hot dogs from 6-8 p.m., at select stands while supplies last.

MILITARY NIGHTS

Every home game, current members of our military can purchase up to four Upper Level Faceoff or Crease tickets for $16 each, four Upper Level Center Ice tickets for $19 each, or four Lower Level Faceoff tickets for $23 each with a valid military ID. The offer also extends to veterans who present a VA ID or discharge papers.

COLLEGE DISCOUNT

College students can buy online using their school .edu email address or show their ID at every Friday game to purchase an Upper Level Faceoff or Crease ticket for $16, an Upper Level Center Ice ticket for $19, or a Lower Level Faceoff ticket for $23. Limit one ticket per ID if purchasing in-person. Visit griffinshockey.com/college to purchase College Night tickets and sign up for text alerts. (Online purchase fees not applied at the box office).

FREE RIDE FRIDAY ON THE RAPID

Ride the Rapid to and from any Friday game and enjoy a complimentary fare by showing your ticket to that night’s game. Visit ridetherapid.org for schedule information, routes and maps.

WINNING WEDNESDAYS

Presented by Gun Lake Casino Resort, every time the Griffins win at home on

Wednesday, each fan in attendance will receive a free ticket to the next Wednesday game. To redeem a Winning Wednesday ticket, please visit the box office following the Winning Wednesday game, The Zone during normal business hours, or the Van Andel Arena box office prior to the next Wednesday game beginning at 5:30 p.m. Fans who exchange their Winning Wednesday ticket at The Zone on a non-game day will receive 20% off the purchase of one item (excluding jerseys). One discount per person present.

LIBRARY NIGHTS

For all Wednesday and Sunday games, fans can present their Grand Rapids Public Library card or Kent District Library card at the Van Andel Arena box office on the night of the game or at The Zone anytime during the store’s regular business hours to purchase an Upper Level Faceoff ticket for $18 (regularly $24), an Upper Level Center Ice ticket for $21 (regularly $27), or a Lower Level Faceoff ticket for $25 (regularly $30). Limit four tickets per card per person, subject to availability.

FRIENDS & FAMILY 4-PACKS

Presented by Morning Belle, these packs are available for all Saturday games and include four or more game tickets, $20 or more in concession cash, and one free “share it” item from Morning Belle. Visit griffinshockey.com or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2.

SUNDAY IS FUN DAY

For all Sunday games, enjoy $1 small Pepsi drinks and $1 small ice cream cups from 3-5 p.m., while supplies last.

PEPSI READING GOALS

Children with Griff’s Reading Goals bookmarks who have completed the required three hours of reading can redeem their bookmark for two free Upper Level tickets to the March 4 game.

APPLIED INNOVATION ISLAND

Presented by Applied Innovation, this section, located on the terrace level above section 118, provides the best seats in the house for groups of up to 30 people, with La-Z-Boy chairs and an array of amenities. Call (616) 744-4585 ext. 4.

STRETCH-RUN SCORING

Story by Jonathan Mills

After helping lead the Charlotte Checkers to the 2025 Calder Cup Finals, John Leonard hopes to do the same for the Griffins this season.

In the Leonard family tree, where basketball runs deep through its winding roots, hockey turned into the breakout branch for John and his brother Ryan.

“We played every sport you could think of,” Leonard said. “I think that’s kind of what helped us in hockey too, just because we weren’t stressed or pressured to do anything. We could kind of just do whatever we had a passion for and loved. That’s what our parents stressed the most. We played pickup basketball a lot as well, and obviously my brother and I chose the hockey route.”

Their father, John Sr., was a four-year letterman, team captain his senior year and two-time team Most Valuable Player with the Manhattan College men’s basketball team from 1978-82. He was selected in the 10th round (No. 211 overall) of the 1982 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and went on to coach at the collegiate level for roughly three decades.

Then there’s their two older sisters, Alyssa and Brianna, who enjoyed standout careers at Amherst Regional High School before playing

Leonard was chosen by the San Jose Sharks in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

Division III women’s basketball at Castleton State College – now Vermont State University Castleton – and Eastern Connecticut State University, respectively.

But the older Leonard brother is viewed as the trailblazer in his athletic household.

A native of Amherst, Massachusetts, Leonard played three seasons (2012-15) at Springfield Cathedral High School in Massachusetts, totaling an impressive 151 points (91 goals, 60 assists) in 72 games. After spending two seasons (2015-17) with the Green Bay Gamblers in the United States Hockey League, the skilled forward spent three seasons (2017-20) at the University of Massachusetts, recording 105 points (56 goals, 49 assists) and a plus-30 rating in 106 games.

“I was the first person on either side of my family, and extended, to play hockey,” said Leonard, who as a junior in 2019-20 led the NCAA with 27 goals to set a UMass Division I single-season record and become a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top men’s player in Division I ice hockey. “We

Unable to participate in this year’s AHL All-Star Classic due to injury, Leonard led the Griffins in both goals (26) and points (40) going into the break.

settled in Massachusetts because of my dad, and I just kind of started skating when he was coaching basketball to kill some time. I fell in love with it, and the next thing you know I’m going to prep school about 30 minutes away from my hometown. Definitely grateful for all of that, for sure.”

When the San Jose Sharks selected Leonard in the sixth round (No. 182 overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, he received a once-in-alifetime phone call that he cherishes to this day.

“It was a really cool moment,” Leonard said. “It was my last year of eligibility for the draft, and to be honest I wasn’t really expecting to hear my name be called or anything. It was after my freshman year of college, so obviously grateful for that. I loved my time there and met some really awesome people along the way.”

While the teams he’s played for and the leagues he’s been part of have changed over the years, the 5-foot-11, 196-pound forward’s demeanor and attitude haven’t swayed.

“You never take anything for granted,” Leonard said. “You’re always grateful for those opportunities that you do get, and when you

get them you try to make the most of them. You learn a lot of awesome lessons along the way about just finding your game as quickly as possible when you do get them. It’s nothing to be afraid of, and obviously it’s a big step, but you’re there for a reason.”

Transitioning between the AHL and NHL isn’t always seamless, but Leonard said he’s been able to stay true to his identity amid what often feels like constant change.

“You’ve got to be yourself and embrace it,” Leonard said. “Obviously, every team, whether you’re there for a few years or not, you just got to be yourself and embrace it. In the business we’re in, there are people going different places all the time, so you just have to be yourself and have fun with it. Be a good guy and the rest will take care of itself.”

That’s exactly how Leonard has been traversing the 2025-26 campaign, his first with the Grand Rapids Griffins. As of Feb. 24, he had also recorded four points (two goals, two assists) in nine contests with the Detroit Red Wings.

“It’s an extremely historic organization and

one that I’m really proud to be part of,” said Leonard, who signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings last summer as a free agent. “[I had] some really good phone calls with some really good people about opportunities and things like that when I first joined, so obviously I was extremely excited to come here. It’s been an awesome start so far and a good group of guys.”

Going into the AHL’s All-Star break, Leonard led Grand Rapids in both goals (26) and points (40) through just 32 games. The 27-year-old forward also ranked second in the league in goals, trailing only fellow forward Arthur Kaliyev of the Belleville Senators, who had notched 29 in 47 contests.

“I don’t think I’ve changed a whole lot in my game,” Leonard said. “I think I’ve just trusted my ability and have been put into some good situations to have that sort of success. The coaching staff has a good belief in me doing those sorts of things. I’m also playing with really good players, so all those types of things add up. It’s been a lot of fun.”

As a sophomore in 2018-19, Leonard recorded 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 40 games to help UMass advance to the NCAA championship game.

Leonard’s all-around impact has been instrumental in fueling the Griffins’ success this season – one of the most dominant starts in AHL history.

“Honestly, we have a got a great coaching staff and great group of guys,” Leonard said. “Good goaltending and special teams, everything has been really good. As the year goes on, games will get more challenging. We still have to find a way to be that consistent team that we have been all year. It’s a long year and a grind, but it’s a lot of fun when you’re winning games like we have been.”

Leonard knows what it’s like to play those meaningful games, having recorded 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 18 postseason contests with the Charlotte Checkers last season and helping them reach the Calder Cup Finals. He believes that experience will prove valuable as the Griffins gear up for the stretch run and a deep playoff push.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to help younger guys as much as I can the same way that older guys helped me when I was

younger,” Leonard said. “You try to lead by example. You talk to them when you can. Whether it’s about hockey or not, you try to make them feel as comfortable as you can. I try to do that as much as I can.”

Watson described Leonard as a “quiet leader” and a player that has great anticipation as well as situational awareness.

“He leads by example,” Watson said of Leonard. “He shows up to work every day with a really good attitude. He’s an offensive weapon, but he can skate. He’s another guy that defensively, he can get back into the zone and defend. He anticipates plays extremely well and has the ability to cut plays off. He can create offense from our own zone, whether its breakaways or getting his linemates opportunities. Then when he has the puck on his stick, he’s a shooting threat every time he’s in the zone. Other teams have to prepare for that, and I just think he’s a special player at this level because of the way he can produce offense.”

But just because Leonard and other

Since 2020-21, Leonard has collected 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 79 NHL games with four different clubs.

veterans on the club have the experience, Watson pointed out, doesn’t mean that they’re automatically slotted into increased roles. Like any player, those responsibilities are earned, not given.

“Yes, we don’t want to put guys in positions where they are going to fail, but we want to make sure they’re going to be ready for those opportunities,” Watson said. “Whether that is power-play minutes, penalty-kill minutes or playing up in the lineup, we want them to be prepared. That’s made possible through practice, video and extra skill work so that when they do have those opportunities, they’re being simple and hard to play against.”

There’s a lot going on in John’s world, but one thing is for certain: he always makes time to cheer on and follow his younger brother.

Originally selected by the Washington Capitals with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Ryan signed a three-year entry-level deal with the club on March 31, 2025. Going into the NHL’s Olympic break, the 21-year-old forward had tallied 30 points

Leonard paced the Griffins with 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 11 games during the month of January.

(10 goals, 20 assists) in 52 games as a rookie skating in his first full season for the Capitals.

“We talk as much as we can,” John said. “Obviously, sometimes it’s hard. If we’re playing on different nights, then we’re not talking as much. We try to watch as many games as we can of each other. As much as we can, we’ll talk. Whether it’s about hockey or not, I’m there for him and he’s there for me. We’ve gotten closer as every year goes on. I’m super proud of him, and he’s been on a fun journey.”

That familial support helps fuel John’s personal drive, with his focus staying locked in on consistently contributing on a nightly basis.

“I want to continue doing the things that I’m doing,” Leonard said. “I want to help the team offensively and defensively, just be a guy they can count on no matter what the situation is. Whether you’re down a goal or up a goal, the kind of player that I want to be is the one who is being put into all those situations and helping the team.”

As for the Griffins, Leonard said it’s a lot of fun being part of a squad that thrives on a mix of camaraderie and heightened focus.

And as he looks to the months ahead, it’s about keeping the good times going on and off the ice.

“We’re a really fun group with a lot of different personalities,” Leonard said. “We like to keep it pretty loose, and when it’s time to lock it in, be focused and business-like, we’re able to flip that switch pretty quickly and do that. Anytime, no matter what team I’ve been on in the past, you can have that kind of loose style and joke around while also being closer to each other, then if you’re able to get ready when it’s time to do so…that’s what matters the most. We’ve done a good job of that so far and hopefully, we can continue to do it.”

Jonathan Mills has served as the Detroit Red Wings’ team reporter since the 2021-22 season. He’s covered a broad array of sports and events, including roles at U.S. Figure Skating and the University of Wisconsin athletics department. He earned his master’s degree in sports media from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications after receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

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SKATING WITH PERSPECTIVE

Story by Phil de Haan

by Nicolas Carrillo

The memory of a friend has a daily, enduring impact on defenseman Ian Mitchell.

Before the puck drops and the noise rises, there’s a moment of stillness that never changes for Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Ian Mitchell.

“Every game, when the anthem ends, I remind myself how grateful I am to be there, to be playing hockey, to still be doing this,” Mitchell said.

It’s his own quiet ritual, one that doesn’t really draw any attention. No stick taps. No dramatic pause. Just a breath and a reminder.

Mitchell has played hockey from rural Alberta to the highest level of college hockey, in the National Hockey League and now the American Hockey League. But since 2019, wherever he goes, he brings something with him.

It’s small, about the size of the palm of your hand. It bears the name and number of someone he refuses to leave behind.

“It’s just a little decal, but it means a lot,” he said. “It says ‘In memory of Logan Hunter’ and it’s got his number, number 18. It’s in my stall [at Van Andel Arena] and I bring it with me for every road trip game and put it in my stall on the road.”

It’s not a good-luck charm, he said. It’s a reminder. Of friendship, of loss, and of a perspective that fundamentally changed his hockey journey.

WHY IT’S PERSONAL

On April 6, 2018, a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey

League collided with a semi-trailer truck on a rural Canadian highway, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others. Mitchell lost one of his closest friends, Logan Hunter, in the crash.

Mitchell’s connection to Hunter went back to sixth grade and was documented by Jason LaRose, senior manager of content strategy for Hockey Canada, during the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“That connection, that bond you make growing up with someone, when something like [the bus accident] happens, it’s hard to put into words,” Mitchell told LaRose.

And though their paths had diverged before that tragic day, Mitchell vowed to carry Hunter’s memory with him, forever.

That promise shows up in the smallest of ways. The decal was made by Hunter’s mother about a year after the crash and given to his friends. Mitchell has kept it with him ever since.

“It’s been with me through college, through pro hockey,” he said. “It comes with me wherever I go.”

There’s no fanfare. And, Mitchell added, the decal and the reminder it provides are not meant to define him. But he does hope they steady him.

Hockey, especially at the professional level, moves fast both on and off the ice. Locker rooms change. Teammates come and go. A stall that

Whether at Van Andel Arena or on the road, a decal honoring the memory of Logan Hunter is a constant presence in Mitchell’s locker stall.

feels permanent one season can be gone the next. Through all of that movement, Mitchell’s small decal has remained constant, a quiet presence in spaces that are often otherwise temporary.

“You think of all hockey players anywhere,” Mitchell said. “How many buses we’ve been on. And for whatever reason, those guys didn’t make it home. You just try to take from it some kind of gratitude for the life that you do have and for the opportunities.”

The ritual has become part of how Mitchell processes both the game and life. It pulls his focus away from outcomes and back to appreciation. It reminds him that playing hockey is a privilege, not a guarantee.

And it reminds him of someone who should still be lacing up skates.

That sense of gratitude didn’t just begin after the Humboldt crash, though. It was already being shaped long before, in a small community where hockey was a way of life.

BUILT IN ALBERTA

Mitchell grew up in Calahoo, Alberta, just outside Edmonton, where hockey was part of the culture.

“Yeah, when you grow up there, you’re born into hockey,” Mitchell said with a chuckle. He started playing at 5 years old, but his foundation was laid even earlier through power

Mitchell played a key role as the Griffins laid claim to the best start in the AHL’s 90-year history.

skating, technique work that his father, Bill, had learned as a young skater and later passed along to both Ian and his younger brother Sean, who now plays at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

“We spend lots of time with no pucks, no sticks, just our skating and our edge work,” Mitchell said. Those early lessons mattered. They shaped Mitchell into a smooth-skating, two-way defenseman who was comfortable moving the puck and transitioning play, traits that still define his game today.

Much of that love for hockey was built at a covered outdoor rink not far from home called Villeneuve, a magical place complete with a heated shack, excellent ice, and a strong sense of community.

It was an environment that legendary Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden described so well in his 1983 book, “The Game.”

Wrote Dryden: “The Canadian game of hockey was weaned on long northern winters uncluttered by things to do. It grew up on ponds and rivers, in big open spaces, unorganized, often solitary, only occasionally moved into arenas for practices or games.”

Mitchell would agree.

“I was always begging my dad to go there and

The 57th overall pick by Chicago in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Mitchell has logged 110 games between the Blackhawks and Boston Bruins.

play,” he said with a smile. “Whenever I could, I would have my birthday party there. We spent so much time at that rink, just playing and having fun.”

When Mitchell reached junior hockey eligibility, he stayed close to home, playing for the Spruce Grove Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, a 12-team Junior A loop.

“I was able to live at home and didn’t have to billet,” he said. “And it was about 20 minutes away from where I grew up. It was really an ideal situation.”

The Saints weren’t just another stop. They were his childhood team.

“When I was a kid, I would go to Saints games,” Mitchell said. “So when I had the opportunity to play there, that was kind of a dream come true.”

While Mitchell was drafted by the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League, his family leaned toward a college path, one that allowed more time for growth on and off the ice. Spruce Grove was a natural stepping stone on that chosen path.

“I just felt that there wasn’t really a rush to get to the pros,” he recalled. “The whole point of why I went to college was to give myself a bit more time to mature and get ready for the pro game.”

FINDING HIS FIT

That path became a clear possibility during an AJHL showcase early in Mitchell’s first season with Spruce Grove, when the University of Denver first saw him play.

“Once I started talking to [the Denver coaches] and after I went on my visit, I was totally sold,” he said.

Mitchell committed in 11th grade and arrived at Denver ready to develop. Over time, the transformation was evident.

“When I look at pictures of myself when I started there versus when I left, I just look like a totally different person,” he said.

His career at Denver was marked by immediate impact and steady progress.

As a freshman in 2017-18, he played in all 41 games and ranked among the highest-scoring freshman rearguards in the NCAA with 30 points. The next season saw him lead all Denver defensemen with 27 points and represent his country at the 2019 World Junior Championship.

In his third and final season in the Mile High City, Mitchell was named a captain and finished the season among the top NCAA defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 22 assists in 36 games.

Mitchell served as an alternate captain for Team Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship in Vancouver.

“Getting back to be the captain was appealing,” he said of returning for his junior season, after being drafted 57th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017. “I wanted to win a national championship.”

That season, in which he was named a CCM/ AHCA Hockey All American, was, of course, cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s always something I’ll think back on,” Mitchell said. “Wish that it could have happened.”

Still, Denver did what Mitchell hoped it would do: prepare him for the realities ahead.

That preparation went far beyond systems and structure. Denver taught Mitchell how to lead and how to manage both his time and his expectations. College hockey was a place where development was assumed. Time was built in.

In pro hockey, every day can feel like an audition. Lineups change. Roles shift. Younger players arrive. Veterans fight to stay. Opportunities are earned daily and can disappear just as quickly. The habits Mitchell developed at Denver, from attention to detail to emotional discipline, became essential tools rather than nice-to-haves.

Those lessons would soon collide with the reality he describes best.

LEARNING THE PRO GAME

“In pro hockey, one day you can be at the top of the mountain, and a week later you can be in the doghouse,” Mitchell said. “You really just have to keep an even keel about things. It’s all about timing too.”

Since turning pro in 2020-21, Mitchell had played 110 NHL games and another 156 in the AHL heading into the 2025-26 campaign with Grand Rapids.

But he has never been part of a team that began a year as hot as the Griffins.

This season, he said simply, “has been special,” and he has been thrilled to be lending a hand in making AHL history.

He knows that starts like this don’t happen often in professional hockey. At the AHL level, parity is the rule. Every roster is filled with players chasing opportunity, fighting for the same limited spots and capable of winning on any given night.

That’s what has made the Griffins’ start stand out and what has made it meaningful for a player like Mitchell.

His role has been defined by trust. He’s been used in multiple situations, asked to move the puck, manage pace, and help drive play from the back end.

He’s having a blast.

“It’s fun coming to the rink,” he said. “The guys get along great. Everyone comes to work ready to get better and try to do something special this year.”

Winning helps, of course. But Mitchell also recognizes how fragile momentum can be at this level. Success doesn’t erase competition. It heightens it. Every strong performance is both a step forward and a reminder that consistency is required.

For Mitchell, the season represents alignment: preparation meeting opportunity, perspective meeting performance. It’s a place where his steady, grateful and grounded approach fits.

“There’s a lot of ways a defenseman can impact the game,” he said, “whether it’s breaking out pucks, playing defensively, or starting the offense.”

WHAT HE CARRIES

Away from the rink, Mitchell’s life has changed in the best possible way. He and his wife Mackenzie recently welcomed their first child, daughter Ella.

Fatherhood has only deepened his sense of perspective and reinforced the lessons he carries with him each night. And it has caused him to reflect more deeply on his own hockey journey and what he might tell his younger self, or his daughter, about the road ahead.

Mitchell captained the Denver Pioneers during his final collegiate season in 2019-20.

“I would say just have fun,” Mitchell said. “Enjoy every moment because eventually you’re not gonna be able to play anymore and you’re gonna just have memories.”

Those words carry extra weight given what he’s experienced.

Before every game, the decal is there, in his stall at Van Andel Arena or taped up in a visiting locker room somewhere on the road. It’s a routine fans don’t see, but one that shapes how Mitchell approaches every shift.

The anthem ends. Mitchell takes a breath.

He remembers a friend. He remembers the buses. He remembers how fortunate he is to still be doing this.

Then he steps onto the ice, skating with both passion and perspective, playing the game he’s always loved.

Phil de Haan brings years of experience as a writer and communications professional to the pages of Griffiti, having crafted features and stories for organizations across West Michigan. A hockey fan since his childhood in Exeter, Ontario, and a longtime member of a local 6 a.m. hockey group, he combines a lifelong love of the sport with a storyteller’s instinct for bringing players and teams to life.

2025 - 26 GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS ROSTER

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ALEX KANNOK LEIPERT Defenseman

6-0, 205 lbs. Born: 7/20/00

Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

CARTER MAZUR Forward

6-0, 197 lbs. Born: 3/28/02 Jackson, Mich.

GABRIEL SEGER Forward

6-4, 215 lbs.

Born: 11/15/99

Uppsala, Sweden

WILLIAM LAGESSON Defenseman

6-2, 210 lbs. Born: 2/22/96 Gothenburg, Sweden

IAN MITCHELL Defenseman

6-0, 195 lbs. Born: 1/18/99 St. Albert, Alta.

DOMINIK SHINE Forward

5-11, 180 lbs. Born: 4/18/93 Detroit, Mich.

JOHN LEONARD Forward

5-11, 190 lbs. Born: 8/7/98 Amherst, Mass.

MICHAL POSTAVA Goaltender

6-1, 205 lbs. Born: 2/28/02 Valasske Mezirici, Czechia

EDUARDS TRALMAKS Forward

6-4, 225 lbs. Born: 2/17/97 Riga, Latvia

AMADEUS LOMBARDI Forward

5-11, 182 lbs. Born: 6/5/03 Aurora, Ont.

51 22 4 11 55 35 81 43

ANTTI TUOMISTO Defenseman

6-5, 218 lbs.

Born: 1/20/01

Pori, Finland

WILLIAM WALLINDER Defenseman

6-5, 210 lbs. Born: 7/28/02 Solleftea, Sweden

AUSTIN WATSON Forward

6-4, 215 lbs. Born: 1/13/92 Ann Arbor, Mich.

JAKUB RYCHLOVSKY Forward

5-11, 200 lbs.

Born: 8/7/01 Vrchlabi, Czechia

JACOB TRUSCOTT Defenseman

6-1, 198 lbs. Born: 4/12/02 Port Huron, Mich.

THE BEST Simply

The Griffins’ storied playoff success is the fruit of the determined efforts and spectacular performances of many players throughout the years.

The list of Griffins playoff legends is a long one. Since the early days of the franchise, years before the first Calder Cup banner was raised to Van Andel Arena’s rafters, many players have distinguished themselves by their elite play at the most wonderful – and crucial – time of the year. Richards. Hudler. Hoggan. Lashoff. Mrazek. Tatar. Bertuzzi.

These players are just a few of the dozens who need no introduction to Griffins fans, as their impact on the team’s playoff fortunes has been felt spring after spring. In addition to the Calder

Jonatan Berggren

All Time: 4 GWG (T3rd); 2 OTG (T1st)

Single Season: 4 GWG (T2nd) and 2 OTG (T1st) in 2024

Led the Griffins with 5 G, 5 A (tied), 10 PTS and 4 GWG in 2024.

Tyler Bertuzzi

Calder Cup champion and AHL playoff MVP (2017)

All Time: 23 G (1st); 39 PTS (2nd); 8 GWG (1st); Plus-12 (T4th)

Single Season: 19 G (T5th) in 2017; *4 GWG (T2nd) in 2015

Led Griffins with *4 GWG in 2015; 7 G in 2016.

Mitch Callahan

Two-time Calder Cup champion (2013, 2017)

All Time: 60 GP (3rd); 21 A (T4th); 34 PTS (T3rd); 3 GWG (T5th)

Single Season: Plus-10 in 2017 (T2nd)

Cup championships in 2013 and 2017, Grand Rapids reached the IHL Turner Cup Finals in 2000 and has played for a conference title on four other occasions.

Take a walk back through time and conjure up your memories of some of the most significant and iconic players in Griffins postseason lore. Those listed here rank in the franchise’s top five in the most prominent statistical categories, whether for their Griffins careers or for a single playoff season.

Jared Coreau

Calder Cup champion (2017)

All Time: 26 GP (T3rd, goalies); 18 W (2nd)

Single Season: 19 GP (2nd, goalies) in 2017; *15 W (T1st) in 2017; 1.89 GAA (4th) in 2016; 1.92 GAA (5th) in 2018; *.949 SV% (1st) in 2016

Jeff Hoggan

Calder Cup champion (2013-captain)

All Time: 59 GP (T4th)

Jiri Hudler

All Time: 21 A (T4th)

Single Season: 16 A (2nd) and 22 PTS (T1st) in 2006

Led Griffins with 5 A and 6 PTS in 2004; 16 A and 3 PPG (tied) in 2006. Owns single-game record for assists (5) and points (5, tied).

Derek King

Turner Cup finalist (2000)

All Time: 16 G (T3rd); 25 A (2nd); 41 PTS (1st); 7 PPG (T2nd)

Led Griffins with 3 PPG (tied) in 2001; 10 A in 2003. Owns single-game records for goals (4, tied) and points (5, tied).

Brian Lashoff

Two-time Calder Cup champion (2013, 2017)

All Time: 75 GP (2nd)

Kevin Miller

Turner Cup finalist (2000)

All Time: 14 G (5th); 6 PPG (T5th)

Single Season: 11 G (T3rd) and 5 PPG (T4th) in 2000

Led Griffins with 11 G, 18 PTS (tied) and 5 PPG in 2000; 3 G in 2004.

Petr Mrazek

Calder Cup champion (2013)

All Time: 34 GP (1st, goalies); 20 W (1st); 4 SO (1st)

Single Season: *24 GP (1st, goalies), *15 W (T1st) and *4 SO (1st) in 2013

Jan Mursak

Calder Cup champion (2013)

All-Time: Plus-17 (1st)

Single Season: 11 G (T3rd) and Plus-12 (1st) in 2013

Tomas Nosek

Calder Cup champion (2017)

All Time: 30 PTS (T5th); 6 PPG (T5th); 4 GWG (T3rd)

Single Season: 10 G (T5th), 12 A (T5th), 22 PTS (T1st), 5 PPG (T5th), and *4 GWG (T2nd) in 2017

Led Griffins with 10 G and *4 GWG in 2017.

Nathan Paetsch

Two-time Calder Cup champion (2013, 2017-captain)

All Time: 78 GP (1st); 27 A (1st); 30 PTS (T5th)

Teemu Pulkkinen

Calder Cup champion (2013)

All Time: 22 G (2nd); 34 PTS (T3rd); 9 PPG (1st)

Single Season: *14 G (2nd) and *6 PPG (T2nd) in 2015

Led Griffins with 5 G (tied) and 11 PTS in 2014; *14 G, 18 PTS and *6 PPG in 2015.

Travis Richards

Turner Cup finalist (2000)

All Time: 59 GP (T4th); 21 A (T4th)

Stacy Roest

All Time: 5 GWG (2nd); 2 OTG (T1st)

Single Season: 10 G (T5th), *5 GWG (1st) and 2 OTG (T1st) in 2003

Led Griffins with 10 G, 16 PTS and 3 PPG (tied) in 2003.

Ben Street

Calder Cup champion (2017)

Single Season: 13 A (T3rd) and 21 PTS (T3rd) in 2017

Led Griffins with 4 G, 4 A and 8 PTS in 2018.

Eric Tangradi

Calder Cup champion (2017)

All Time: 22 A (3rd); Plus-12 (T4th)

Single Season: 17 A (1st) and 19 PTS (T5th) in 2017

Tomas Tatar

Calder Cup champion and AHL playoff MVP (2013)

All Time: 16 G (T3rd); 7 PPG (T2nd)

Single Season: *16 G (1st), 21 PTS (T3rd) and *7 PPG (1st) in 2013

Led Griffins with 21 PTS in 2013.

* Led league

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TYLER ANGLE’S DAY OFF

From Ontario to Cleveland and Germany to Grand Rapids, forward Tyler Angle always finds a way to make the most of his time.

Last summer, Tyler Angle was having a rare day off in Thorold, Ontario, his hometown, situated less than 10 miles west of Niagara Falls.

With his beloved Aussiedoodle Nora at his side, Angle walked along the historic Welland Canal, which runs directly through town. It’s peaceful there, serene but powerful.

As he and Nora strode along the canal, he thought about what he might do next with his day. Golf? A visit to a local winery, perhaps?

Wayne Gretzky’s nearby winery was one of many choices in the lush grape-growing region of the Niagara Escarpment.

If only the next phase of his career was as easy to answer as his next move on his day off. The quickly approaching hockey season was a giant question mark.

“Last summer was a hard one,” said the 25-year-old Angle. Having just returned from a year playing hockey in Germany, preceded by four seasons with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, he was now a free agent. His agent was calling team GMs, trying to find a good fit for the forward. Angle was skating with the Belleville Senators, Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, but nothing was really gelling and the summer was slipping away fast.

“It was do or die,” he said of claiming another chance to play pro hockey in North America. Europe was an option in his back pocket, but he really wanted another shot at the NHL. So he kept skating, believing, and hoping. And he waited for the phone to ring.

PRELOADED FOR HOCKEY

Born in Niagara Falls as the middle child of Michelle and Todd Angle, young Tyler began playing hockey at age 4, wearing hand-medown equipment from older brother James. The family, which includes younger sister Jenna, bought a house in Thorold when he was a little boy, on the perfect street to dream of hoisting big silver cups someday.

“I grew up on an athletic street, where everyone who built [houses] there knew each other already,” he said. Preloaded with hockey people, there was always a street hockey game going on in the summer, and in the winter there was lots of ice time on the rink in his backyard.

One of Angle’s neighborhood friends was Conor Timmins, now a defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres. “Conor was two years older than me and was a role model for me,” said Angle, who hustled to keep up with Timmins

The Griffins signed Angle to a contract on Oct. 8, two days before the 2025-26 season started.

Angle grew up in Thorold, Ontario, playing street hockey in the summer and on backyard rinks in the winter.

and older boys such as his brother. “I thought I was better than him, but he was actually better than me,” Angle said.

Angle was used to wearing James’ secondhand gear. “Dad was strict about buying unnecessary new hockey equipment,” said Angle. Todd made an exception, though, the time he accidentally backed his car over Tyler’s hockey bag.

When Angle was 15, it was time to choose which sport he would pursue. Hockey was an obvious choice, but he also played and loved lacrosse, Canada’s national summer sport.

He chose hockey, because “I wanted to make a living.” By age 16, that decision was set in stone. Timmins had already carved a path into the Ontario Hockey League and Angle followed, heading south to the Windsor Spitfires.

DIRTY DANGLE, THE MOVE, AND THE HORSE

“I love Windsor,” Angle said, unequivocally. The industrial border city over the Detroit River from the Red Wings’ home gets a bad rap, but Angle is having none of it. “The hockey there is unbelievable and there’s tons of

boating,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”

Playing there for parts of four seasons, Angle really got to know the place. His billet mom, Julie, was wonderful and helped him feel at home. “She fed me and took care of me,” he said. “She was great.”

So was his junior hockey career.  Besides recording 132 points (61 goals and 71 assists) in 228 OHL games, the cherry on top was winning junior hockey’s most coveted trophy. “In my first season we won the Memorial Cup,” Angle said. “They say that is the hardest trophy to win because you only have four years to win it.” Like most players who play junior hockey, Angle formed some of the most enduring friendships of his life thus far with his Spitfire teammates, including current Winnipeg Jet Gabe Vilardi.

Don Cherry, the infamous former commentator on “Hockey Night in Canada,” even took notice, labeling one of Angle’s hockey moves a “Dirty Dangle.” It was Oct. 18, 2019, when this “Dangle” dropped in a game between the Spitfires and rival London Knights. It was one of those goals you could never replicate, a between-the-legs-and-over-

the-shoulder-of-the-goalie number, magical to watch, impossible to make up. It went viral, and “Hockey Night in Canada” showed the clip on its national broadcast with Cherry, as usual, providing a technicolor description of the play. “He said something like, ‘One of those hot dog moves by a young guy, what a dirty dangle!’”

Enter Angle’s proud grandpa, Ralph, who owns thoroughbred racing horses. After watching the clip of his grandson lighting up “Hockey Night in Canada,” he named a horse “Dirty Dangle” in young Tyler’s honor.

“I love horses,” Angle said. “I love going to the racetrack and hanging around the [business]. My grandpa always sends me photos of horses he has bought or is thinking of buying.”

Could the name itself be sprinkled with fairy dust? Dirty Dangle started as a crazyangled, viral goal, and then the namesake creature had a spellbinding gallop, winning its first big race.

“HI, I’M SID”

Part of being a hockey player means waiting for the phone to ring. Such was the case for

A highlight-reel goal during Angle’s junior career resulted in recognition on “Hockey Night in Canada” and a horse named in his honor.

Angle during the 2019 NHL Draft. “Waiting for the call was stressful.”

When the call came through, Angle learned he had been selected in the seventh round by the Columbus Blue Jackets. By early September, Angle was thrown into the deep end with his first NHL training camp.

“In my first camp I was fighting for a spot on the team with guys I played in NHL video games,” he said, including the late Johnny Gaudreau.

Returning to Windsor for his fourth season, Angle co-led the Spitfires by earning 67 points in 62 regular-season games. He was lighting up the goal lamp like nobody’s business until he was faced with the reality of COVID-19. Things shut down hard and fast, and the remainder of the 2019-20 season was cancelled.

With the 2020–21 season delayed due to the continuing pandemic, and junior hockey on hiatus for the season, Angle signed an amateur tryout contract with the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate in Cleveland on Jan. 21, 2021. Impressed with Angle’s precise passing and resourcefulness on the ice, the Blue Jackets

signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Angle continued to produce offensively for the Monsters, and at the end of the 2022-23 season he got the call that all hockey players dream of. He was headed up to the NHL.

Angle’s family flew up to Columbus for the game on April 13, 2023. Todd was only slightly delayed. He had flown to Florida for vacation, and no sooner had he touched down than his son rang: “Dad, I just got called up.” Quicker than you could say “dream come true,” Todd pivoted and flew to Ohio. “No way he was missing that game,” said Angle.

And what a game it was. Angle took NHL ice against his favorite team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and his childhood idol Sidney Crosby. The Blue Jackets pulled off a 3-2 win, and Crosby approached Angle after the game. “He introduced himself to me and said something like, ‘Nice to meet another good Canadian guy out here,’” Angle said. “He took pictures with me and my family.”

The thrill continued the next night, when Angle scored his first NHL goal in just his second game, helping the Blue Jackets to a 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres.

Angle

the

Though he was called up again for two games the next season, Angle mainly played for the Monsters, who share Rocket Arena with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. In Cleveland, as in Windsor, Angle had no trouble finding stuff to do on his days off. He indulged in the city’s “incredible” food scene, scored free tickets to a Cavs game or caught an exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

By the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, however, his time in Ohio was closing with the end of his contract. It was time to await his next opportunity.

GUTEN TAG, DÜSSELDORF

That was when Germany called. For Düsseldorfer EG of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Angle was a perfect fit, the “last piece of the puzzle” for the squad. In the German fashion capital, “they love their [foreign players],” Angle said. “One time they had my picture on a tower in the city.”

Angle flourished there, opting to take German lessons in his free time as well as explore all the historic city had to offer. During his year there, Angle traveled to Spain and France and attended a pro soccer game.

As of the AHL All-Star break, Angle was tied for fourth on the Griffins with 15 assists.

At Christmas, his family flew to Germany, bringing Nora with them, as they all enjoyed the fabled Christmas markets of Düsseldorf.

But when the season ended, Angle knew it was time to go home to Canada and Thorold. As much as he reveled in his German experience, he definitely wanted another crack at the NHL.

GRIFF CALLING

The phone rang on Oct. 8. It was two days before the start of the 2025-26 AHL season, and Shawn Horcoff, the GM of the Griffins, was on the line, offering Angle a one-year contract.

“I love it,” he said of the city and playing for the Griffins. “[The team] has a passionate fan base,” said Angle, not to mention a positive, winning culture. “When I was younger, I was a goal scorer, but now I am a pass-first kind of guy.” Through his first 41 games of the season, Angle registered 19 points, including 15 assists.

“The guys in the [locker] room make it amazing,” he said of the team culture. “The coaches trust the captains and leave much of the communicating to them. There is trust because our older guys listen to us. Not many teams do this.”

Angle has learned to make the most of his downtime in Grand Rapids, whether the movie buff is critiquing a big-screen flick (“Marty Supreme” and “Avatar” are recent favorites), taking in a Grand Rapids Rise volleyball match, or relishing “the best burgers ever” at Gin Gins.

About the only thing he hasn’t done yet is see a concert at Van Andel Arena, his home away from home. “They say the acoustics are perfect there,” said Angle. Sounds like the ideal way for him to spend his next day off.

Lorilee Craker is the author of 16 books, including Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter and Me, the CBA and ECPA bestseller My Journey to Heaven with Marv Besteman, the Audie Awards nominee Money Secrets of the Amish, and the New York Times bestseller Through the Storm with Lynne Spears. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, she lives in a century-old house in Grand Rapids, with her husband, pets, and various international students from around the world. She has loved hockey since becoming a card-carrying member of the Winnipeg Jets Junior Booster Club at age 11.

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A huge Griffins THANK YOU to our Corporate Season Ticket Members.

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THE FIRST BANNER

Jeff Blashill brought the Griffins to new heights during the 2012-13 season, guiding the team to its first Calder Cup championship.

There’s a litany of factors that make prognosticating an American Hockey League season a nearly impossible task.

So we can forgive The Hockey News – a staple in the media diet of diehard hockey fans since 1947 – for a slight error in judgment in Volume 66, Issue 8, published on Nov. 5, 2012.

After all, they were spot on with other season predictions. Their top team in the Eastern Conference, the Syracuse Crunch, was runnerup in the Calder Cup Finals. In the West, they projected the Oklahoma City Barons as first in the conference, followed by the Toronto Marlies. Those teams were dispatched in the Western Conference Finals and Western Conference Semifinals, respectively.

As for the team that defeated all three juggernauts? None other than the Grand Rapids Griffins, who captured the first Calder Cup in franchise history after being projected by THN to finish 15th in the conference – dead last.

“I didn’t play the card of ‘us against everybody,’” said Jeff Blashill, the current Chicago Blackhawks and former Detroit Red Wings head coach who was in his first season as the Griffins’ bench boss in 2012-13. “It was more

about making sure players have winning habits and learning what it takes to move on to become an NHL player. We wanted to come in and help our guys become the very best version of themselves, and hopefully in doing so, we’d have a good team.”

That last-place projection was posted in the Griffins’ dressing room for a time, though Blashill said he was not involved in putting it up. Still, it was emblematic of the expectations for the organization at the time, as the team had missed the postseason in three straight and four of the five previous seasons.

AHL rosters often undergo heavy turnover year-to-year, so, understandably, analysts can doubt the lack of recent success, influx of firstyear players, new head coach, and uncertainty about the makeup of the league itself. The NHL had locked out its players, leaving some top talent that would have otherwise been in the NHL playing in the AHL.

“The league itself was very, very talented,” said Blashill. “I remember Oklahoma City had some really good young players, like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall, who would have been up in Edmonton. You didn’t have

Blashill led the Griffins to their first Calder Cup in 2012-13, marking the first championship in 27 years of professional hockey in Grand Rapids (and 17 seasons for the Griffins).

the same daily player movement once the season started. You could really focus on your team. The guys who were down with us, they didn’t have anywhere else to go, so it’s not like they were wishing they were in Detroit. It was a unique time and probably advantageous for me in taking over a new team.”

The historic run wasn’t an immediate success, with the Griffins sputtering to a 2-4-1-1 start. They quickly righted the ship with an eight-game winning streak and stayed in the mix for a playoff spot for the duration of the season. Blashill credits the team’s selfless veteran core in helping the team come together.

“A good friend of mine, Rob Facca, who’s now a scout for the Blackhawks, gave me Jeff Hoggan’s name and put a stamp that he was my kind of player and person,” Blashill said. “He had all the kind of winning fundamentals that I wanted to preach. To be able to add him and then name him captain, that allowed me to have an extension of the coaching staff in the locker room, in that he believed in the core values we believed in as a staff.”

“And he wasn’t alone, guys like Nathan

Paetsch and Brennan Evans were great leaders and bought into what we were trying to get across,” continued Blashill. “All of those guys, with Triston Grant, Francis Pare, they were great ‘papa bears’ for our young players. Sometimes, veterans can hold young players down because they want to keep their spots, but our guys had great character. They wanted to see the young players grow.”

A highlight of the regular season occurred in mid-January, when the Griffins defeated the Rockford IceHogs 11-6 in a game that featured a bench-clearing brawl and a goalie fight. Penalty-minute records and suspensions ensued, but it left no doubt in the dressing room that the team had each other’s backs.

“It was a huge bonding moment, because it happened organically,” said Blashill. “I didn’t see anything like that happening heading into the game. We just got out to a big lead and, for whatever reason, that happened. Teams can bond in a lot of ways, and sometimes you bond through struggle. When you have a benchclearing brawl, there’s struggle involved. I remember thinking on the way home that it was

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Jeff Blashill went on to serve as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings for seven seasons (2015-22). After a three-year stint as an assistant in Tampa Bay, he was named head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks prior to the 2025-26 season.

Almost every member of the 2013 championship roster ended up seeing time in the NHL, with many still active across the globe as players or coaches at various levels.

Player, Position

Games (as of Feb. 24, 2026)

Adam Almquist, D 2 (DET)

Joakim Andersson, C 205 (DET)

Louis-Marc Aubry, C 0

Chad Billins, D 10 (CGY)

Mitch Callahan, RW 5 (DET)

Danny DeKeyser, D 547 (DET)

Brennan Evans, D 2 (CGY, playoffs only)

Landon Ferraro, C 77 (DET, BOS, MIN)

Gleason Fournier, D 0

Luke Glendening, C 916 (DET, DAL, TB, NJ)

Triston Grant, LW 11 (PHI, NSH)

Jeff Hoggan, RW 107 (STL, BOS, PHX)

Tomas Jurco, LW 221 (DET, CHI, EDM, VGK)

Brian Lashoff, D 136 (DET)

Tom McCollum, G 3 (DET)

Petr Mrazek, G 438 (DET, PHI, CAR, TOR, CHI, ANA)

Jan Mursak, RW 46 (DET)

Andrej Nestrasil, C 128 (DET, CAR)

Gustav Nyquist, RW 898 (DET, SJ, CBJ, NSH, MIN, WPG)

Nathan Paetsch, D 167 (BUF, CBJ)

Francis Pare, RW 0

Jordan Pearce, G 0

Teemu Pulkkinen, RW 83 (DET, MIN, ARI)

Riley Sheahan, C 637 (DET, PIT, FLA, EDM, SEA, BUF)

Brett Skinner, D 11 (NYI)

Tomas Tatar, LW 927 (DET, VGK, MTL, COL, SEA, NJ)

Jim Nill, GM

Ryan Martin (GM)

Jeff Blashill (Head coach)

Jim Paek (Asst. coach)

Spiros Anastas (Asst. coach)

2025-26 - HC Pustertal (ICEHL/Italy)

2019-20 - HV71 (SHL/Sweden)

2025-26 - Kölner Haie (DEL/Germany)

2023-24 - Brynäs IF (HockeyAllsvenskan/Sweden)

2025-26 - Honeybaked 14U AAA (Michigan) Head coach

2022-23 - Toronto Marlies (AHL)

2025-26 - OHA Edmonton U18 Prep (Alberta) Asst. coach

2022-23 - Kölner Haie (DEL/Germany)

2025-26 - Cardiff Devils (ICEHL/Wales)

2025-26 - New Jersey Devils (NHL)

2017-18 - Quad City Mallards (ECHL)

2025-26 - STAR Hockey Academy U17 Prep (Washington) Head coach

2025-26 - Lada Togliatti (KHL/Russia)

2025-26 - Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) Asst. coach

2025-26 - Kitzbüheler EC (AlpsHL/Austria)

2025-26 - Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

2025-26 - EC-KAC (ICEHL/Austria)

2025-26 - HC Oceláři Třinec (Czechia)

2025-26 - Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

2025-26 - Rochester Americans (AHL) Asst. coach

2025-26 - Quebec National (LNAH) / Séminaire St-François Blizzard (Quebec) Head coach

2012-13 - Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)

2025-26 - Starbulls Rosenheim (DEL2/Germany)

2022-23 - EHC Biel-Bienne (NL/Switzerland)

2025-26 - Fargo Force (USHL) Head coach/GM

2025-26 - EV Zug (NL/Switzerland) / Slovakia (Olympics)

GM or Coach

2025-26 - Dallas Stars (NHL) GM / Canada (Olympics) Asst. GM

2025-26 - New York Rangers (NHL) Asst. GM / Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) GM

2025-26 - Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) Head coach

2025-26 - HL Anyang (Asia League) Head coach

2025-26 - Chicago Wolves (AHL) Interim head coach

Getty Images

a critical moment.”

The difficulty level only increased down the stretch. The Griffins narrowly held off the Milwaukee Admirals for a Midwest Division title, winning just five of their final 17 games. With the likes of Gustav Nyquist, Joakim Andersson, Tomas Tatar and Brian Lashoff all seeing extended time in Detroit, the team’s depth was tested.

“We weren’t the best team in the regular season; we improved incrementally,” said Blashill. “I don’t think even when the season ended that anyone was going to say, ‘The Griffins are going to win the Calder Cup.’ We just progressively got better, and it’s a credit to our players for the work they put in and the belief they had in what we were doing.”

Facing the Houston Aeros in the first round was no easy task. Darcy Kuemper, currently of the Los Angeles Kings, was the Aeros’ starting goaltender and blanked the Griffins in Game 1. However, an injury among with the parent Minnesota Wild’s goalie stable led to Kuemper’s NHL recall, and Grand Rapids won the series 3-2, including a 7-0 rout in the deciding fifth game.

“It was the beginning of some fortunate things that happened for us, and nobody wants to admit it, but you need luck to be on your side a bit,” said Blashill. “I remember going into Game 5 thinking that we had been the better team for sure, but we had to go out and play our best, because it would have been a shame not to win that series. Thankfully, we won it in pretty convincing fashion.”

Each series would end up going long, with the Griffins playing 24 of a possible 26 postseason games – totaling 100 games on the year after playing a 76-game regular season. In the second round, the team faced a stiff test against a Toronto Marlies club that was near the top of the standings from wire to wire.

“Toronto had been really good all year and was kind of a rival,” Blashill said. “You could see us gain confidence as to exactly how good we can be throughout that series. We could see that, ‘Hey, we’re right there with one of the best in the league.’”

After dispatching the Marlies in six games, the tightest series may have been against Oklahoma City, then led by future Griffins head coach Todd Nelson – who, as a defenseman,

had been the first player signed by Grand Rapids before its inaugural 1996 season. Game 4 on the road was postponed by a devastating tornado that hit Oklahoma City, just as Nyquist and Andersson were returning to the Griffins’ lineup after the Red Wings’ loss to Chicago in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“The unforeseen event of the tornado really impacted the timing of our series,” said Blashill. “As a result, our guys coming back from the NHL had time to take a breath. We were down 2-1 and were able to climb back into the series. We could have closed it out in Game 6 with a late lead, but we lost in regulation. I remember being in my office with Kris Draper and Chris Osgood. Both of those guys were saying, ‘Blash, tell your players that we’d do anything to be in that Game 7 tomorrow.’”

The Griffins rose to the occasion in Game 7 at Van Andel Arena. After Jan Mursak tied the game 4-4 early in the third period, Tomas Jurco scored the series-clinching goal to send Grand Rapids to the Finals. Awaiting the Griffins were the Syracuse Crunch, largely comprised of players who won the 2012 Calder Cup with the Norfolk Admirals, as Tampa Bay

In 2014-15, Blashill became the first coach in franchise history to earn three 90-point seasons and make the playoffs in three straight years.

had switched its affiliation.

“At the time, we didn’t play anyone in the Eastern Conference and really had no comparables, so if I didn’t know Jon Cooper, I wouldn’t have known much about the team,” Blashill said of his longtime friend, who had been elevated from Syracuse to Tampa Bay during the 2012-13 season. “We were able to win those first two games [in Syracuse], walking out of there feeling like we were in a pretty good spot.”

Unlike the back-and-forth of the previous three series, the Griffins jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, earning two opportunities to win the Cup on home ice. However, Syracuse denied them that magic moment twice, sending the series back to Syracuse for Game 6.

“They were stronger than the 3-0 series lead indicated,” said Blashill. “Those games were super close, and we just happened to win all three. They had a mantra of ‘Don’t let us win one.’ Then it was, ‘It’s a long bus ride back to Syracuse.’ I do remember chuckling a bit because we already knew the Red Wings had very graciously allowed us to use their team plane. That gave us a chance to reset and have some

more time at home. The only regret is not being able to win it in front of our fans. It was a similar feeling to Game 7 with Oklahoma City; we turned a negative into what a great opportunity it was.”

On June 18, 2013, the Griffins finally accomplished what they had been chasing since 1996, capturing a championship trophy. Grand Rapids won Game 6 by a 5-2 score, with veteran Brennan Evans – goalless in 76 regular-season games – scoring the game-winning goal midway through the third.

“Brennan was such a good guy, good person, good player for us all year,” said Blashill. “It was fitting for a player like him to score since we had so many no-ego guys. Even the guys like Nyquist coming back from the NHL, they came back with no ego, they wanted to win. At the end of the game, when I knew we had won, it was the greatest feeling.”

A joyous on-ice celebration and plane ride to Grand Rapids followed, with the team taking full advantage of the time to celebrate its monumental accomplishment before parting ways for the summer. For Blashill, it’s the small

moments of how the team came together that stick with him.

“We were having a small get-together with just the team,” he said. “I’m sitting at the bar with Triston Grant. I didn’t know him at all before I took the job, but he was a fun guy to be around. We were talking about the year, and it just set in on how lucky I was to coach such a good group of people. It was one of those moments where you know you’ve all bonded, you’re all connected. That stands out to me.”

Kyle Kujawa is a Grand Valley State University graduate and lifelong hockey fan who enjoyed a 12-year career in sports that began as a public relations intern with the Griffins in 2010. After two seasons (and one Calder Cup!) as a full-timer, he moved on to the Detroit Red Wings’ PR staff, where he spent nine seasons (2013-22). He turned in his press credentials for the corporate world in 2022 but has remained involved in hockey through various freelance writing gigs, coming full circle with an opportunity to contribute to Griffiti.

RECORD BOOK AND LEADERS

Through games of Feb. 12, 2026

The AHL All-Star Classic was not held in either 2020-21 or 2021-22 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2025-26 Sebastian Cossa, John Leonard, Dominik Shine, Dan Watson (head coach)

2024-25 Sebastian Cossa, Austin Watson, Dan Watson (head coach)

2023-24 Jonatan Berggren, Simon Edvinsson

2022-23 Brian Lashoff (captain)

2019-20 Matthew Ford (captain), Chris Terry

2018-19 Chris Terry

2017-18 Matt Lorito, Matt Puempel

2016-17 Matt Lorito, Robbie Russo, Todd Nelson (head coach)

GRIFFINS IN THE ALL-STAR GAME

2015-16 Jeff Hoggan (captain), Xavier Ouellet

2014-15 Xavier Ouellet, Teemu Pulkkinen

2013-14 Alexey Marchenko, Jeff Blashill (co-coach)

2012-13 Chad Billins, Petr Mrazek, Gustav Nyquist

2011-12 Gustav Nyquist

2010-11 Ilari Filppula, Brendan Smith

2009-10 Patrick Rissmiller

2008-09 Jakub Kindl, Daniel Larsson

2007-08 Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard

2006-07 Derek Meech, Kip Miller (captain)

2005-06 Valtteri Filppula, Jiri Hudler, Donald MacLean

2004-05 Niklas Kronwall, Joey MacDonald

2003-04 Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Travis Richards (captain), Nathan Robinson

2002-03 Marc Lamothe, Mark Mowers

2001-02 Chris Bala, John Gruden, Kip Miller, Martin Prusek, Petr Schastlivy, Bruce Cassidy (head coach), Gene Reilly (asst. coach)

INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2000-01 Mike Fountain, Joel Kwiatkowski, Travis Richards, Todd White, Bruce Cassidy (co-coach)

1999-00 John Gruden, Jani Hurme, Kevin Miller, Petr Schastlivy

1998-99 Robert Petrovicky, Maxim Spiridonov

1997-98 Ian Gordon, Kerry Huffman, Michel Picard

1996-97 Jeff Nelson, Michel Picard, Pokey Reddick

PENALTY

BOARDING

Called for any action which causes an opponent to be thrown violently into the boards.

CHARGING

Taking a run at an opposing player using more than three strides to build up speed.

CROSS CHECKING

A check or block delivered by a player with both hands on the stick and no part of the stick on the ice.

DELAYED PENALTY

Referee extends his arm and points to the penalized player until the penalized team regains possession of the puck.

HIGH STICKING

Making contact with an opponent while carrying the stick above shoulder hight.

CALLS

HOLDING

Clutching an opposing player’s body with the hands, arms or legs.

HOOKING

The use of the stick or blade to impede the progress of an opponent.

INTERFERENCE

ELBOWING

Called when a player uses an elbow to impede an opponent.

When a player impedes the progress of an opponent who is not in possession of the puck.

KNEEING

Called when a player uses a knee to impede an opponent.

MISCONDUCT

10-minute or disqualification penalty for excessive or additional misbehavior on the ice.

ROUGHING

Called for engaging in fisticuffs or shoving.

SLASHING

Striking an opposing player with the stick.

SPEARING

Called for using the stick like a spear.

TRIPPING

Called for using the stick, arm or leg to cause an opponent to trip or fall.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

Called for unsportsmanlike actions such as disputing an official’s decision, grabbing the face mask of a player, etc.

WASH-OUT

When used by the referee, it means goal disallowed. When used by linesmen, it means there is no icing or no offside.

ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS

BAKERSFIELD CONDORS

BELLEVILLE SENATORS

BRIDGEPORT ISLANDERS

CALGARY WRANGLERS

CHARLOTTE CHECKERS

CHICAGO WOLVES

CLEVELAND MONSTERS

COACHELLA VALLEY FIREBIRDS

COLORADO EAGLES

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS

HERSHEY BEARS

IOWA WILD

LAVAL ROCKET

LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS

MANITOBA MOOSE

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS

ONTARIO REIGN

PROVIDENCE BRUINS

ROCHESTER AMERICANS

ROCKFORD ICEHOGS

SAN DIEGO GULLS

SAN JOSE BARRACUDA

SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS

SYRACUSE CRUNCH

TEXAS STARS

TORONTO MARLIES

TUCSON

IT ALL STARTS HERE

With Florida’s victory over Edmonton in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, forward Tomas Nosek became the first player to hoist the Stanley Cup after winning a Calder Cup (2017) in Grand Rapids.

GRIFFINS IN THE NHL

Since their inception in 1996, the Griffins have sent 221 players to the National Hockey League, and 21 former players or coaches have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. In fact, a Griffins alumnus has had his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s chalice in each of the last six years, 12 times in the last 18 years, and 14 times in the last 21 seasons. In chronological order, here are the 29 goalies and 192 skaters who have worn an NHL sweater after playing for Grand Rapids, along with the dates of their NHL debuts/returns.

2/6/02 TB at FLA

.........Neil Little .................................. 3/28/02 PHI at CAR 48 Josh Langfeld 3/30/02 OTT vs. TB 49 Gaetan Royer 4/1/02 TB vs. NYR 50 Jason Spezza 10/24/02 OTT at BOS

.........Sean Avery ............................... 10/29/02 DET vs. SJ

Jason Doig 12/3/02 WSH at PIT 53 Jason Williams 12/5/02 DET at PHX 54 Patrick Boileau 12/19/02 DET vs. DAL 55 .........Stacy Roest .............................. 2/20/03 DET vs. EDM

56 Wade Brookbank 10/9/03 NSH vs. ANA

57 Julien Vauclair 10/25/03 OTT at MTL

58 ....... Jiri Hudler ........................... 10/29/03 DET vs. STL 59 .........Curtis

78 David Gove 1/31/06 CAR at MTL

79 Tomas Kopecky 2/28/06 DET at SJ

80 .........Alexandre Giroux.......................3/25/06 NYR at TB

81 Joey MacDonald 10/19/06 DET at SJ

82 Derek Meech 12/7/06 DET vs. STL

83 Matt Ellis 12/18/06 DET at CBJ

84 .........Matt Hussey ..............................1/26/07 DET at STL

85 Sheldon Brookbank 2/6/07 NSH at PIT

86 Danny Syvret 2/27/07 EDM vs. PHX

87 .........Mark Hartigan ........................ 11/29/07 DET vs. TB

88 Drew MacIntyre 12/13/07 VAN at SJ

89 Peter Vandermeer 2/10/08 PHX vs. NSH

90 Jonathan Ericsson 2/22/08 DET at CGY

91 .........Garrett Stafford........................2/23/08 DET at VAN

92 Darren Helm 3/13/08 DET vs. DAL

93 Mattias Ritola 3/15/08 DET vs. NSH

94 Clay Wilson 3/25/08 CBJ at NSH

95 .........Darren McCarty .........................3/28/08 DET vs. STL

96 Krys Kolanos 11/4/08 MIN at SJ

97 Landon Wilson 11/22/08 DAL vs. ANA

98 .........Bryan Helmer..................... 11/28/08 WSH vs. MTL

99 .........Chris Chelios ......................... 12/13/08 DET at PHX

100 Aaron Downey 1/29/09 DET vs. DAL

101 Justin Abdelkader 1/31/09 DET at WSH

102.......Ville Leino ............................... 1/31/09 DET at WSH

103 Aaron Gagnon 10/16/09 DAL vs. BOS

104 Scott Parse 10/24/09 LA at PHX

105 Doug Janik 11/3/09 DET vs. BOS

106........Ryan Keller ............................... 11/25/09 OTT at NJ

107 Jakub Kindl 12/3/09 DET vs. EDM

108 Kris Newbury 12/14/09 DET vs. PHX

109........Darren Haydar..........................2/10/10 COL vs. ATL

110.......Andreas Lilja............................... 3/1/10 DET at COL

111 Jeremy Williams 10/24/10 NYR vs. NJ

112 Jan Mursak 12/27/10 DET at COL

113.......Chris Mueller ........................12/28/10 NSH vs. DAL

114 Tomas Tatar 12/31/10 DET vs. NYI

115 Cory Emmerton 1/22/11 DET vs. CHI

116 Patrick Rissmiller 2/23/11 ATL at BUF

117 ......Tom McCollum ........................3/30/11 DET vs. STL

118 Gustav Nyquist 11/1/11 DET vs. MIN

119 Fabian Brunnstrom 11/5/11 DET vs. ANA

120 ....Brendan Smith ..............11/17/11 DET at SJ

121......Mark Cullen ................ 11/29/11 FLA at CAR

122 Chris Conner 12/2/11 DET at BUF

123 Joakim Andersson 12/27/11 DET vs. STL

124 ......Ty Conklin ......................... 3/21/12 DET at NYR

125 Riley Sheahan 4/7/12 DET vs. CHI

126 Brian Lashoff 1/21/13 DET at CBJ

127 Mike Knuble 1/26/13 PHI at FLA

128.......Jamie Tardif ................................ 2/2/13 BOS at TOR

129 Petr Mrazek 2/7/13 DET at STL

130 Jonas Gustavsson 2/19/13 DET at NSH

131 Carlo Colaiacovo 4/1/13 DET vs. COL

132.......Danny DeKeyser .....................10/2/13 DET vs. BUF

133 Luke Glendening 10/12/13 DET vs. PHI

134 Xavier Ouellet 10/21/13 DET vs. SJ

135.......Adam Almquist ..................... 11/4/13 DET at WPG

136.......Chad Billins.............................. 11/5/13 CGY at MIN

137 Patrick Eaves 12/14/13 DET vs. PIT

138 Tomas Jurco 12/15/13 DET vs. TB

139.......Jordin Tootoo.........................12/19/13 DET vs. CGY

155

2/23/04 DET at EDM 68 Anders Myrvold 2/26/04 DET at CGY

.........Mathieu Chouinard .................. 2/29/04 LA at ANA 70 .........Brett Lebda.................................10/5/05 DET vs. STL 71

140 Alexey Marchenko 1/4/14 DET at DAL

141 Teemu Pulkkinen 3/14/14 DET vs. EDM

142 Landon Ferraro 3/18/14 DET vs. TOR

143.....Calle Jarnkrok .............. 3/21/14 NSH at CGY

144 Mitch Callahan 3/25/14 DET at CBJ

145 Ryan Sproul 4/13/14 DET at STL

Nestrasil.......................10/9/14 DET vs. BOS

Weiss ......................11/24/14 DET vs. OTT

Janmark...........10/8/15 DAL vs. PIT

149 Dylan Larkin

12/23/23 DET at NJ 206.....Ville Husso ...................2/13/24 DET at EDM 207.....Albert Johansson ...... 10/12/24 DET vs. NSH 208 Austin Watson 10/14/24 DET at NYR 209.....Marco Kasper ............. 10/19/24 DET at NSH 210 Sebastian Cossa 12/9/24 DET at BUF

William Lagesson 12/21/24 DET at MTL 212.....Donovan Sebrango .... 1/16/25 OTT vs. WSH

Shine .......................... 1/27/25 DET vs. LA 214 Carter Mazur 3/6/25 DET vs. UTA 215.....Emmitt Finnie............. 10/9/25 DET vs. MTL 216.....Axel Sandin-Pellikka... 10/9/25 DET vs. MTL 217.....Michael BrandseggNygard........................ 10/9/25 DET vs. MTL 218 .... Charle-Edouard D'Astous10/25/25 TB vs. ANA 219 ....Nate Danielson .............11/9/25 DET vs. CHI 220.....Erik Gustafsson ......... 11/26/25 DET vs. NSH

221.....John Leonard ..............12/16/25 DET vs. NYI

Bold = Has played in the NHL this season (as of Feb. 24, 2026)

Italics = Had name engraved on the Stanley Cup after playing for Grand Rapids

76

WORD SEARCH

This puzzle is inspired by Strands, the popular New York Times game. Using the puzzle’s title as a clue, your challenge is to connect letters – up, down, sideways or diagonally – to spell words that fit the theme, which is also hidden in the grid.

You must use every letter once and only once, so no words overlap. Good luck!

FAMILIAR FOES

L D C S E V S N

I W E N T L I F S S A T R O F I G R S A W D A R O H L D I M M G C E R O I V I O I A I N S I R O S L V S L A E S

PARTING SHOT

On Feb. 12, forward Eduards Tralmaks became the seventh player all time to participate in an Olympics while playing for the Griffins, debuting for Latvia against the United States in Milan. At least one active Griffin has been loaned to his country’s national team for six of the last seven Olympics.