2014-15 Griffiti - Issue #2

2014-15 SEASON ISSUE NO. 2

Point Producer Center Andy Miele

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

WE’RE FANS OF THE GRIFFINS. WE’RE ALSO FANS OF THEIR FANS. At Huntington, our community comes first. And we’re proud to support the teams that represent it, like the Grand Rapids Griffins. We’re also proud to support the people in the stands.

The Huntington National Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. ¥ ® and Huntington® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. Huntington.® Welcome.™ is a service mark of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2013 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated.

Vol. 19, No. 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS STARTING LINEUP

24 LISTEN UP! Andy Miele is doing his best to improve his play to a level that pricks up the ears of the Red Wings’ front office.

24

30 HOCKEY AMBASSADOR Goalie Tom McCollum has been a pillar of service in the Grand Rapids community throughout his six seasons with the Griffins.

42 SKATE LIKE THE WIND Speed is the name of the game for Griffins defenseman Nick Jensen.

48 POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Goaltending coach Jeff Salajko is helping the Red Wings’ top prospects progress toward the NHL.

30

59 STREAKING COMETS Utica hockey fans are enjoying the new direction of the Comets this season.

ON THE BENCH 2............Opposing Forces 4............Chalk Talk 6............Coming Attractions 9............Griffins Schedule 12.........AHL Tradition 15.........AHL Team Directory 19.........Detroit Red Wings 21.........Promotional Calendar

40.........Meet the Griffins 54.........Community Events 65.........Griffins Records 68.........Griffins All-Stars 69.........Penalty Calls 74.........Arena Map/Ticket Info 76.........It All Starts Here 79.........Kids Page 80.........Parting Shot

42

COVER:

Andy Miele has been scoring at a pointper-game clip for the Griffins this season.

Photo by Mark Newman

Griffiti magazine is published four times a year by the Grand Rapids Griffins, Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids, MI 49503. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. All contents ©2014 Grand Rapids Griffins.

For advertising information, contact Griffins Sales & Marketing, (616) 774-4585; fax (616) 336-5464. Unsolicited manuscripts and other materials will not be returned.

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1

OPPOSING FORCES The Griffins welcome visits by North Division foes Toronto and Utica, along with the West Division’s Charlotte and Iowa, while hoping to make the holidays less pleasant for rivals Chicago, Milwaukee and Rockford.

TORONTO (Dec. 19) FAST FACT: With their offense struggling, the Marlies scored only 30 goals in their first 19 games before beating the Griffins 4-2 on Dec. 2 to break a nine-game winless streak.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM: The Marlies are counting on Sam Carrick (#16) to rebound from a slow start. A native of Markham, Ontario, the 22-year-old center found himself without a goal 16 games into the 2014-15 campaign after recording 14 lamplighters a year ago. Carrick, a fifth-round pick (144th overall) of the Maple Leafs in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, saw action in five NHL games in early November as a replacement for the injured Joffrey Lupul.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “He’s a kid that just needs an opportunity,” said Stan Butler, Carrick’s coach when he played with Brampton in the OHL. “If they give him the opportunity, he’ll be a solid player for them — and he can fight, too. He’s probably that new style of player where he’s a good enough player to play, but he’ll have to drop the gloves, too.”

IOWA (Dec. 27, Jan. 24) FAST FACT: Through the first two months of the season, the Wild statistically had the worst penalty killing unit in the AHL, killing off a league-low 76.1 percent.

WORK IN PROGRESS: The Wild continue to push Corbin Baldwin (#14), an undrafted defenseman who spent time this season in the ECHL with the Alaska Aces. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, the 23-year-old Baldwin has the size (6-5, 220) that coaches love on the blueline. He played a career-high 64 games with Iowa last season.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “Baldy has great reach and good presence,” said former Iowa head coach Kurt Kleinendorst. “He has grown a lot but has a lot of development left.”

ROCKFORD (Dec. 31) FAST FACT: After 22 games, the IceHogs held a 29-14 scoring margin over their opponents during the third period.

HIGH SPIRITS: The IceHogs like the progress of Garret Ross (#26), a Michigan native who took home the team’s 2013-14 Rookie of the Year Award after netting 15 goals in 74 games.

The 22-year-old Dearborn Heights product, who tallied his first professional hat trick on Halloween night in San Antonio, was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fifth round (139th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “He’s a competitor and a warrior,” said Greg Gilbert, who coached Ross in Saginaw in the OHL. “He’s a guy who battles every night on both ends of the ice. He competes just as hard without the puck as he does with it.”

2 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

MILWAUKEE (Jan. 2, Jan. 31) FAST FACT: After winning their first six games of the season, the Admirals have cooled considerably, playing at a .500 clip since then.

HUGE STEP: The Admirals saw a different side of Anthony Bitetto (#2) last season when he tied for sixth among AHL defensemen in goals (11) and finished ninth in power play goals (6) after splitting the previous season between Milwaukee and Cincinnati (ECHL). A native of Island Park, New York, the 24-year-old needs to play with more consistency to advance to the NHL. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “He was in tremendous shape (last year),” said Milwaukee head coach Dean Evason. “We asked him to drop his body fat, to get into shape because he’s going to be a key guy for us. He did all the right things. There’s no question he’s made a huge development step.”

CHARLOTTE (Jan. 7, Jan. 9) FAST FACT: The Checkers have played a lot of lopsided games, losing six and winning two by margins of three goals or more.

STRONG FINNISH: Patience with the puck has earned Rasmus Rissanen (#2) another look from the Carolina Hurricanes, who originally selected the big defenseman from Kuopio, Finland, in the sixth round (178th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Now in his fourth full season in Charlotte, Rissanen, 23, needs to cut down on the minor infractions and play a more consistent game.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “Rasmus is a big, physical defenseman who skates very well and plays a consistently reliable game,” said Hurricanes assistant general manager Jason Karmanos. “With his physical tools, work ethic and aggressive play, he projects as a shutdown defenseman.”

CHICAGO (Jan. 10, Jan. 21) FAST FACT: The Wolves scored five or more goals in one-third of their first 15 games, including a pair of contests when the team put a lucky 7 on the board.

OUT OF NOWHERE: The Wolves are keeping a close eye on Petteri Lindbohm (#4), an unheralded unknown from Helsinki, Finland, who has become the top defensive prospect in the St. Louis Blues organization, which selected him in the sixth round (176th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Lindbohm, 21, who made his NHL debut in October, played the past two seasons in SM-liiga, the top Finnish league.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “Talk about coming from left field...nobody knew anything about him,” St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said of Lindbohm. “He’s got size, he’s got a bomb for a shot, he’s really competitive. He’s certainly put himself in the mix now, which is pretty impressive for a young guy.”

UTICA (Jan. 23) FAST FACT: Through the first 21 games, the Comets had a 12-1 record when scoring first.

ON THE REBOUND: The Comets are thrilled with the performance of 24-year-old goalie Jacob Markstrom (#33), who was acquired from the Florida Panthers in the Roberto Luongo deal last March. Markstrom allowed one goal in his first start of the season, then promptly posted three consecutive shutouts. A native of Gavle, Sweden, Markstrom was the CCM/ AHL Goalie of the Month for October.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “I think Jacob is going to be an NHL goalie, and an NHL goalie soon,” said Vancouver Canucks goaltending coach Rollie Melanson. “With a big frame like he has at 6-6, he just needs to be playing in the middle of the blue ice and let the game come to him – and that’s what he is doing.”

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When the Detroit Red Wings won their Stanley Cup titles in 1997, 1998 and 2002, the team was built, in part, through trades (Viacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Brendan Shanahan, Larry Murphy, Chris Chelios) and free agency (Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, Steve Duchesne).

So when the NHL adopted a salary cap beginning with the 2005-06 season, critics predicted it would spell the demise of the Red Wings franchise. With Detroit unable to spend freely on high-priced talent, many figured the team’s fortunes would wane. Some wondered if the Red Wings’ appearance in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals might be the team’s last hurrah.

However, the Red Wings have continued to appear in the playoffs year after year, even with an influx of young players. When Detroit stretched its streak to 23 straight playoff appearances last season, the roster included 11 players who weren’t even born the last time the Wings missed the playoffs.

Some would say it’s a sign of good coaching, but Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill believes that the credit should start with the Red Wings scouting staff.

With NHL teams drafting players in reverse order of their finish in the standings, Detroit never gets the pick of the most highly touted players, which means that the team’s scouts must work that much harder to find the proverbial diamonds in the rough.

The Red Wings, Blashill suggests, are doing something right.

Other teams struggle, even though their organizations are loaded with highly regarded prospects. For example, success continues to elude Edmonton (six Top 10 picks in the last six years, including three No. 1s) and Buffalo (six Top 20 picks in the last four years). As of early December, the Oilers and Sabres were firmly entrenched in last place in their respective divisions.

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Meanwhile, Detroit (with no Top 10 pick since 1992) was tied for first place in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference, with only six regulation losses in its first 28 games.

While watching one of the Red Wings’ recent victories, Blashill marveled at the team’s success.

“The thought that came into my head as I was watching is what a job the scouting staff has done for the Red Wings over the years,” Blashill said. “Those aren’t high first-round picks who are excelling up there, and they are developing into elite NHL players.”

Everyone is aware that Pavel Datsyuk (6th round, 171st overall) and Henrik Zetterberg (seventh round, 210th overall) were late-round picks. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson was the last player chosen (9th round, 291st overall) in the 2002 draft.

Blashill points out that while they were firstround picks, Brendan Smith (27th overall) and Riley Sheahan (21st overall) were chosen late in the round. Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco were second-round picks, while Gustav Nyquist was a fourth-round choice.

“You have to have quality players in your organization to help guys get better, and we certainly feel blessed with the players that we have here,” Blashill said. “We take great pride in our job to develop our young players to reach the best of their ability. We want them to realize their maximum potential.”

Often it requires patience, both from the organization and the player. The team must be willing to suffer through the growing pains endured by most young pros; the player must realize that he has a lot to learn and must pay his dues before getting an opportunity.

Blashill points to the mantra of the Red Wings’ general manager.

“As Ken Holland says, when you’re a young player, every time you go out on the

ice, you’re building a resume. The more good games you put in, the more you build your resume in a positive fashion,” Blashill said.

“We try to reward guys based on their play as much as we can.”

No position this year is more symbolic of the Red Wings’ development process than that of goaltender.

Petr Mrazek started the season with the Griffins before getting recalled by Detroit to replace the injured Jonas Gustavsson. Tom McCollum, who since 2012 has revitalized his career after struggling through three mediocre seasons, assumed the No. 1 spot, while Jared Coreau looked to re-establish himself as a prospect.

Coreau had a forgettable season a year ago when he had a 1-16-6 record in 25 games between the Griffins and ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. This season, he won his first three starts for Grand Rapids, stopping 87 of 89 shots and logging his first pro shutout.

“He had a tough year last season, but he was a really good college goalie,” Blashill said of Coreau, who started all 38 games for Northern Michigan University as a junior before signing with the Wings as an undrafted free agent. “It looks like he’s gotten better at the things that he needs to.”

In fact, Blashill was encouraged by the Griffins’ play as a whole, although the team

was still flirting with the .500 level as midDecember approached.

“We’ve gotten much better as a team,” Blashill said. “We’ve been doing the things that we will need to do to be successful. We’re better defensively and I think we’re much better offensively, for that matter. We’re making good progress.”

Blashill believes the Griffins are “in a good spot as a team,” although the club was still looking to put together an extended winning streak “If you play (hard) night after night, you’re going to get the results. I’ve urged our guys to show their maturity, and maturity is showing up with that same effort every single game,” Blashill said. “The league’s so tight, you’re going to go through ebbs and flows. You just have to keep your head up and keep plugging away.”

The Griffins had three-game win streaks in October and November but were still struggling with inconsistent play. As long as his team continues to work through the process, Blashill is confident that the Griffins will enjoy success in the long run.

“We can talk about ourselves being a good team and we can think we’re a real good team, but we have to go prove it,” Blashill said.

“Nobody gives you wins. You have to go out and execute at a high level every night.”

2014-15 GRIFFINS COACHING AND TRAINING STAFF

Head Coach: Jeff Blashill

Assistant Coach: Pat Ferschweiler

Assistant Coach: Dave Noel-Bernier

Assistant Coach: Mike Knuble

Goaltending Coach: Jeff Salajko

Video Coach: Bill LeRoy

Athletic Trainer: John Bernal

Equipment Manager: Brad Thompson

Assistant Equipment Manager: Andrew Stegehuis

Strength & Conditioning Coordinator: Marcus Kinney

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THE ICE “CUBE” COMETH

Here’s a resolution that will start your New Year on a positive note: plan to attend the Friday, Jan. 2 game between the Griffins and Milwaukee Admirals at Van Andel Arena and enjoy the intermission entertainment of Mystic Cube.

Jean-Francois Martel, a former gymnast and acrobat, takes showmanship to the third power with his unique Mystic Cube show that has been featured at various sporting events, from NBA games to the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Martel performs feats of balance and strength with amazing agility and grace using a cube-shaped apparatus that allows him to display his acrobatic, juggling and gymnastic skills in a head-spinning, Cirque du Soleil-like performance.

A former performer in Cirque du Soleil’s Mystere production, Martel is also one-half of Acrobazia, a balancing act he performs with partner Christian Paquet.

DEC. 31: 18TH ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION PRESENTED BY FARM BUREAU INSURANCE Every year save one (2000), the Griffins have followed the tradition of putting the old year on ice with a good oldfashioned hockey game. This year’s opponent is the Rockford IceHogs, with the contest slated for an early 6 p.m. start.

New Year’s Eve festivities will include a post-game indoor fireworks show and a post-game open skate.

AND MORE GIVEAWAYS… If you collect team memorabilia, get ready to see some hockey in January. The Griffins have planned DEC. 27: 2015 TEAM CALENDAR GIVEAWAY three giveaways during the month, a docket that PRESENTED BY FOX MOTORS includes a Winter Hat Giveaway presented by Griffins fans can make a date to pick up their team- Comerica Bank (Jan. 10), a Superhero Lunch Box issued calendar when the Iowa Wild make their first Giveaway (featuring Jeff Hoggan) presented by Pepsi of two visits to Van Andel Arena. A Huntington Bank (Jan. 24), and a Griffins Texting Gloves Giveaway post-game autograph session will follow the contest. presented by DTE Energy (Jan. 31).

(NOTE: Only kids 12 and under will be eligible to receive the Superhero Lunch Box.)

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O P E N TO T H E P U B L I C f o r D I N I N G & E V E N TS

2500 76th Street, Byron Center, MI 616.878.1140 | www.railsidegolf.com

SEASON SCHEDULE S 5 12

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7:30

7:00

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7:05

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7:00

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7:00

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HAM HAM 7:30

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7:00

18

19

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22

7:00

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8:00

IA

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march

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Post-Game Open Skate Huntington Bank Post-Game Autograph Session Friends & Family 4-Pack Home Game Pepsi Reading Goals Redemption Date

7:00

Home

Away

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Games broadcast live on

All times Eastern.

Dates, opponents and times subject to change.

7:00

ADK – Adirondack CHA – Charlotte CHI – Chicago HAM – Hamilton IA - Iowa

PRIMARY AFFILIATE OF THE DETROIT RED WINGS

LE – Lake Erie MIL – Milwaukee OKC – Oklahoma City RCH – Rochester RFD – Rockford

TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR FOR MORE INFO, VISIT GRIFFINSHOCKEY.COM OR CALL 1.800.2.HOCKEY.

SA – San Antonio TEX – Texas TOR – Toronto UTI - Utica

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 9

Griffins President & CEO

Dear Grand Rapids Griffins Fans, The Griffins’ 2013-14 season will forever be engrained in our memories, for reasons that go far beyond the year-long celebration of our Calder Cup championship.

Never ones to be satisfied with past success, coach Jeff Blashill, his staff and players valiantly defended the Cup. We led the Midwest Division for most of the season, forged a better record than during our championship year and reached the conference semifinals before passing the torch to a worthy successor, the regular season and eventual Cup champion Texas Stars.

Given what has transpired over the last two seasons, I don’t believe there’s ever been a better time to be a Griffins fan.

Blashill, the American Hockey League’s reigning coach of the year, signed a new contract with the Detroit Red Wings over the summer that will keep him in the organization for the next three seasons. And while we’ve said goodbye to assistant coach Spiros Anastas and longtime friend Jim Paek, both of whom helped us capture the Cup in 2013 and now lead their own teams, we’re thrilled to welcome a pair of highly touted, new coaches with West Michigan ties in Pat Ferschweiler and Dave Noel-Bernier.

Last season saw the best of both worlds in terms of our affiliation with the Red Wings. The Griffins earned consecutive playoff berths for the first time since 2007, while nine of our players made their NHL debuts in Hockeytown. Several other recent Grand Rapids alumni, such as Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan, played invaluable roles in Detroit making the playoffs for a remarkable 23rd straight season.

Perhaps most impressive was our incredible attendance. We finished second out of 30 league franchises, welcomed more than 300,000 fans for the first time in our 13 AHL seasons – including more than 20,000 for our first-ever outdoor game at Comerica Park in Detroit – and finished with our highest average since 1999-2000.

As the Griffins enter season number 19, it’s humbling that your support and interest are as strong and fervent as they’ve ever been.

After witnessing these tremendous accomplishments in two seasons under coach Blashill, everyone in Griffins Nation can hardly wait to see what the third act will bring. I look forward to cheering along with you.

Sincerely,

Dan DeVos President & CEO Grand Rapids Griffins

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DAVID A. ANDREWS

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

American Hockey League

One Monarch Place – Springfield, MA 01144 Phone: (413) 781-2030 Fax: (413) 733-4767 Dear Fans, It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2014-15 American Hockey League season, our 79th year of play. We are proud to be entering what is sure to be another exciting season, continuing our tradition of excellence and bringing an entertaining, physical and highly skilled level of professional hockey to more than 6 million fans in arenas across North America.

The 2014-15 season will once again feature 30 teams who will be competing for the AHL’s historic Calder Cup championship, and 30 National Hockey League clubs who will be developing their top prospects and future stars in our cities. Last season alone, more than 240 first- and second-round NHL draft picks competed in the American Hockey League, and 347 players took the ice in both the AHL and the NHL. We take great pride in our tradition of developing the best hockey talent in the world, with over 88 percent of today’s NHL players, coaches and officials having honed their skills in the American Hockey League. Through the years, our loyal and passionate fans have enjoyed cheering for more than 100 future Hockey Hall of Famers, and have witnessed the triumphs of more than 100 Calder Cup champions who would go on to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup as well.

We’re pleased to continue to deliver professional hockey to the great fans of Glens Falls, N.Y., and we welcome Allentown, Pa., to the league as the Adirondack Flames and Lehigh Valley Phantoms hit the ice this season. The AHL’s two newest entries will join the rest of the league in looking to dethrone the defending Calder Cup champion Texas Stars in the chase for the AHL’s 2015 title.

On behalf of all of our teams, players and staff, thank you again for your continuing support of the AHL. I wish you the utmost enjoyment of all the excitement that our 2014-15 season has in store.

Sincerely, David A. Andrews President & Chief Executive Officer American Hockey League /TheAHL

theahl.com

@TheAHL

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A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE since 1936 THE BEGINNINGS The American Hockey League is enjoying its 79th season of play in 2014-15, continuing a tradition of excellence that began in 1936 when the Canadian-American Hockey League merged with the International Hockey League to form what is today known as the AHL. Eight teams hit the ice that first season, playing in 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 the new league, and his name would be given to its championship trophy. The first Calder Cup was won by the Syracuse Stars in 1937; the 78th championship was captured by the Texas Stars last spring.

Photo: AHL Archives

From those roots, the American Hockey League has grown into a 30team 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.

THE PLAYERS In today’s National Hockey League more than 88 percent of the players are AHL alumni, including 2014 Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks and 2014 Vezina Trophy recipient Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins. The 2014 Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings were stocked with AHL graduates as well, among them Jonathan Quick, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Tyler Toffoli, Dustin Brown, Slava Voynov, Alec Martinez and head coach Darryl Sutter, who was the AHL’s rookie of the year as a player in 1980.

Photo: Getty Images/LA Kings

During the 2013-14 season, more than 870 AHL alumni played in the National Hockey League, including 347 who skated in both leagues last year alone. San Jose’s Joe Pavelski, Carolina’s Eric Staal, Boston’s David Krejci, Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf and Nashville’s Shea Weber were among the 20 AHL graduates who led their NHL teams in scoring, and former AHL All-Stars Kari Lehtonen, Jimmy Howard, Ryan Miller, Jonathan Bernier and Ben Bishop were among the 28 AHL goaltending alumni who paced their NHL clubs in victories. More than 240 former first- and second-round draft picks developed their skills in the AHL last season, including standout rookies like Ryan Strome, Filip Forsberg, Alexander Khokhlachev and John Gibson.

Tyler Toffoli 2014 Stanley Cup Champion 2013 AHL Rookie of the Year

THE COACHES At the start of the 2014-15 season, the National Hockey League featured 20 head coaches who were former AHL bench bosses, including recent Stanley Cup champions Joel Quenneville, Claude Julien and Mike Babcock and Calder Cup winners Willie Desjardins, Jon Cooper, Bruce Boudreau, Todd McLellan, Peter Laviolette, Bob Hartley and Barry Trotz.

All-time greats like Fred Shero, Mike Keenan, Pat Quinn, Don Cherry and 2014 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Pat Burns all coached in the AHL on their way to great NHL careers.

“Without my time in the American Hockey League, the door to the NHL does not open. The AHL gets many of its much deserved accolades for developing players, but the three years I spent in the AHL were the most important in my career to prepare me to be a head coach in the NHL.” -- Jon Cooper, Head Coach, Tampa Bay Lightning 2014 Jack Adams Award Finalist, 2012 AHL Coach of the Year and Calder Cup Champion Photo: Graig Abel/AHL

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THE LEGENDS Over nearly eight decades, the American Hockey League has been home to some of the greatest players in the history of our sport. In fact, more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame have been affiliated with the AHL during their careers. All-time greats like George Armstrong, Toe Blake, Gump Worsley, Terry Sawchuk, Glenn Hall, Brad Park, Ken Dryden and Brett Hull 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 Patrick Roy, Larry Robinson, Gerry Cheevers, Andy Bathgate, Tim Horton, Al Arbour, Emile Francis, Doug Harvey and Billy Smith.

Photo: AHL Archives

The American Hockey League has created its own legends as well, and in 2006 began honoring them with the formation of the AHL Hall of Fame. The ninth class of inductees, recognized in 2014, included Bill Dineen, Al MacNeil, Bob Perreault and John Slaney. They join the likes of Johnny Bower, Fred Glover, Jody Gage, Mitch Lamoureux, Eddie Shore Willie Marshall, Frank Mathers, Eddie Shore, Bruce Boudreau, Tim Tookey, Zellio Toppazzini and others as distinguished members of Honored Member, Hockey Hall of Fame Honored Member, AHL Hall of Fame the American Hockey League Hall of Fame.

THE FANS

Photo: Christina Shapiro

For the 13th consecutive season, American Hockey League teams drew more than 6.2 million fans to games across North America in 2013-14. The Hershey Bears led the league for the eighth year in a row, averaging 9,664 fans per home game, while the St. John’s IceCaps extended their sellout streak to an AHL-record 114 straight regular-season games at Mile One Centre (plus 19 in the playoffs).

Since the start of the 2001-02 season, more than 85 million fans have attended AHL games.

The Texas Stars brought a Calder Cup championship to their fans at Cedar Park Center in 2014.

Fans are also continuing to follow their teams and the league in record numbers digitally. Last season, the AHL Internet Network -- featuring theahl.com and the official Web sites of all 30 clubs -- got nearly 90 million page views from fans worldwide. Meanwhile, more than one million fans follow the AHL and its teams on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

88.4

870

347

Percentage of all NHL players in 2013-14 who were AHL graduates

Former AHL players who skated in the National Hockey League last season

AHL players who also played in the NHL in 2013-14

19

242

AHL alumni who Former 1st- and 2ndplayed for the 2014 round NHL draft picks who skated in the AHL Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in 2013-14

“Looking back, I have a great appreciation for the time I spent in the American Hockey League and how it helped me develop as a hockey player. It gave me the opportunity to learn the professional game and play with great teammates, many of whom have gone on to successful careers at the next level.”

-- Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks 2x Stanley Cup Champion, 2x Norris Trophy Winner, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist Photo: Chicago Blackhawks

theahl.com

/TheAHL

@TheAHL Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

13

MVPSportsClubs.com

Health & Fitness Destination Fitness | Group Exercise | Aquatics | Basketball | Tennis | Kid’s Area

Grand Rapids | Downtown GR | Holland | Rockford

2 014 - 15 A H L D I R E C T O RY

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC DIVISION: Manchester, Portland, Providence, St. John’s, Worcester EAST DIVISION: Binghamton, Hershey, Lehigh Valley, Norfolk, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton NORTHEAST DIVISION: Albany, Bridgeport, Hartford, Springfield, Syracuse

ALBANY DEVILS

NHL AFFILIATION: New Jersey Devils HOME ICE: Times Union Center (6,691) GENERAL MANAGER: Chris Lamoriello HEAD COACH: Rick Kowalsky ENTERED AHL: 2006-07 (as Lowell Devils) CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 8 2013-14 RECORD: 40-23-5-8, 93 pts.

WEBSITE: www.thealbanydevils.com

BINGHAMTON SENATORS

LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS

NHL AFFILIATION: Philadelphia Flyers HOME ICE: PPL Center (8,578) GENERAL MANAGER: Ron Hextall HEAD COACH: Terry Murray ENTERED AHL: 1996-97 (as Philadelphia Phantoms) CALDER CUPS: Two (1998, 2005) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 10 of 18 2013-14 RECORD: 30-38-2-6, 68 pts.

WEBSITE: www.lehighvalleyphantoms.com

MANCHESTER MONARCHS

NHL AFFILIATION: Los Angeles Kings HOME ICE: Verizon Wireless Arena (9,852) GENERAL MANAGER: Rob Blake HEAD COACH: Mike Stothers ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 12 of 13 2013-14 RECORD: 48-19-3-6, 105 pts.

WEBSITE: www.manchestermonarchs.com

NHL AFFILIATION: Ottawa Senators HOME ICE: Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena (4,679) GENERAL MANAGER: Randy Lee HEAD COACH: Luke Richardson ENTERED AHL: 2002-03 CALDER CUPS: One (2011) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 6 of 12 2013-14 RECORD: 44-24-3-5, 96 pts.

WEBSITE: www.binghamtonsenators.com

NORFOLK ADMIRALS

BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS

PORTLAND PIRATES

NHL AFFILIATION: New York Islanders HOME ICE: Webster Bank Arena (8,412) GENERAL MANAGER: Garth Snow HEAD COACH: Brent Thompson ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 7 of 13 2013-14 RECORD: 28-40-2-6, 64 pts.

WEBSITE: www.soundtigers.com

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

NHL AFFILIATION: Anaheim Ducks HOME ICE: Norfolk Scope (8,701) GENERAL MANAGER: Bob Murray HEAD COACH: Jarrod Skalde ENTERED AHL: 2000-01 CALDER CUPS: One (2012) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 10 of 14 2013-14 RECORD: 40-26-3-7, 90 pts.

WEBSITE: www.norfolkadmirals.com NHL AFFILIATION: Arizona Coyotes HOME ICE: Cross Insurance Arena (6,157) GM/HEAD COACH: Ray Edwards ENTERED AHL: 1993-94 CALDER CUPS: One (1994) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 15 of 21 2013-14 RECORD: 24-39-3-10, 61 pts.

WEBSITE: www.portlandpirates.com

PROVIDENCE BRUINS

NHL AFFILIATION: New York Rangers HOME ICE: XL Center (15,635) GENERAL MANAGER: Jim Schoenfeld HEAD COACH: Ken Gernander ENTERED AHL: 1997-98 CALDER CUPS: One (2000) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 14 of 17 2013-14 RECORD: 37-32-1-6, 81 pts.

WEBSITE: www.hartfordwolfpack.com

NHL AFFILIATION: Boston Bruins HOME ICE: Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence (11,075) GENERAL MANAGER: Don Sweeney HEAD COACH: Bruce Cassidy ENTERED AHL: 1992-93 CALDER CUPS: One (1999) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 17 of 22 2013-14 RECORD: 40-25-2-9, 91 pts.

WEBSITE: www.providencebruins.com

HERSHEY BEARS

SPRINGFIELD FALCONS

NHL AFFILIATION: Washington Capitals HOME ICE: Giant Center (10,500) GENERAL MANAGER: Doug Yingst HEAD COACH: Troy Mann ENTERED AHL: 1938-39 CALDER CUPS: 11 (1947, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1974, 1980, 1988, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2010) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 64 of 76 2013-14 RECORD: 39-27-5-5, 88 pts.

WEBSITE: www.hersheybears.com

NHL AFFILIATION: Columbus Blue Jackets HOME ICE: MassMutual Center (6,784) GENERAL MANAGER: Chris MacFarland HEAD COACH: Jared Bednar ENTERED AHL: 1994-95 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 8 of 20 2013-14 RECORD: 47-23-1-5, 100 pts.

WEBSITE: www.falconsahl.com Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

15

2 014 - 15 A H L D I R E C T O RY ST. JOHN’S ICECAPS

NHL AFFILIATION: Winnipeg Jets HOME ICE: Mile One Centre (6,287) GENERAL MANAGER: Craig Heisinger HEAD COACH: Keith McCambridge ENTERED AHL: 2011-12 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 3 2013-14 RECORD: 46-23-2-5, 99 pts.

WEBSITE: www.stjohnsicecaps.com

SYRACUSE CRUNCH

NHL AFFILIATION: Tampa Bay Lightning HOME ICE: War Memorial Arena (6,099) GENERAL MANAGER: Julien BriseBois HEAD COACH: Rob Zettler ENTERED AHL: 1994-95 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 11 of 20 2013-14 RECORD: 31-32-4-9, 75 pts.

WEBSITE: www.syracusecrunch.com

WESTERN CONFERENCE MIDWEST DIVISION: Grand Rapids, Chicago, Lake Erie, Milwaukee, Rockford NORTH DIVISION: Adirondack, Hamilton, Rochester, Toronto, Utica WEST DIVISION: Charlotte, Iowa, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Texas

ADIRONDACK FLAMES

NHL AFFILIATION: Calgary Flames HOME ICE: Glens Falls Civic Center (4,796) GENERAL MANAGER: Brad Treliving HEAD COACH: Ryan Huska ENTERED AHL: 2014-15 WEBSITE: www.adirondackflames.com

CHARLOTTE CHECKERS

NHL AFFILIATION: Carolina Hurricanes HOME ICE: Time Warner Cable Arena (8,200) HEAD COACH/ GENERAL MANAGER: Jeff Daniels ENTERED AHL: 2010-11 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 4 2013-14 RECORD: 37-36-1-2, 77 pts.

WEBSITE: www.gocheckers.com

CHICAGO WOLVES

NHL AFFILIATION: St. Louis Blues HOME ICE: Allstate Arena (16,692) GENERAL MANAGER: Wendell Young HEAD COACH: John Anderson ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: Two (2002, 2008) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 9 of 13 2013-14 RECORD: 45-21-5-5, 100 pts.

WEBSITE: www.chicagowolves.com

16 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS NHL AFFILIATION: Pittsburgh Penguins HOME ICE: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza (8,050) GENERAL MANAGER: Jim Rutherford HEAD COACH: John Hynes ENTERED AHL: 1999-00 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 13 of 15 2013-14 RECORD: 42-26-3-5, 92 pts.

WEBSITE: www.wbspenguins.com

WORCESTER SHARKS

NHL AFFILIATION: San Jose Sharks HOME ICE: DCU Center (5,400) GENERAL MANAGER: Joe Will HEAD COACH: Roy Sommer ENTERED AHL: 2006-07 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 8 2013-14 RECORD: 36-34-4-2, 78 pts.

WEBSITE: www.sharksahl.com

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

NHL AFFILIATION: Detroit Red Wings HOME ICE: Van Andel Arena (10,834) GENERAL MANAGER: Ryan Martin HEAD COACH: Jeff Blashill ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: One (2013) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 8 of 13 2013-14 RECORD: 46-23-2-5, 99 pts.

WEBSITE: www.griffinshockey.com

HAMILTON BULLDOGS

NHL AFFILIATION: Montreal Canadiens HOME ICE: FirstOntario Centre (8,819) GENERAL MANAGER: Marc Bergevin HEAD COACH: Sylvain Lefebvre ENTERED AHL: 1996-97 CALDER CUPS: One (2007) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 12 of 18 2013-14 RECORD: 33-35-1-7, 74 pts.

WEBSITE: www.hamiltonbulldogs.com

IOWA WILD

NHL AFFILIATION: Minnesota Wild HOME ICE: Wells Fargo Arena (8,162) GENERAL MANAGER: Jim Mill HEAD COACH: John Torchetti ENTERED AHL: 2013-14 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 0 of 1 2013-14 RECORD: 27-36-7-6, 67 pts.

WEBSITE: www.iowawild.com

LAKE ERIE MONSTERS

NHL AFFILIATION: Colorado Avalanche HOME ICE: Quicken Loans Arena (20,093) HEAD COACH: Dean Chynoweth ENTERED AHL: 2007-08 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 7 2013-14 RECORD: 32-33-1-10, 75 pts.

WEBSITE: www.lakeeriemonsters.com

TM

2 014 - 15 A H L D I R E C T O RY MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS

NHL AFFILIATION: Nashville Predators HOME ICE: BMO Harris Bradley Center (17,845) GENERAL MANAGER: Paul Fenton HEAD COACH: Dean Evason ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: One (2004) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 12 of 13 2013-14 RECORD: 39-24-6-7, 91 pts.

WEBSITE: www.milwaukeeadmirals.com

OKLAHOMA CITY BARONS

NHL AFFILIATION: Edmonton Oilers HOME ICE: Cox Convention Center (6,400) GENERAL MANAGER: Bill Scott HEAD COACH: Todd Nelson ENTERED AHL: 2010-11 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 4 of 4 2013-14 RECORD: 36-29-2-9, 83 pts.

WEBSITE: www.okcbarons.com

TORONTO MARLIES

NHL AFFILIATION: Toronto Maple Leafs HOME ICE: Ricoh Coliseum (7,851) HEAD COACH: Gord Dineen ENTERED AHL: 2005-06 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 6 of 9 2013-14 RECORD: 45-25-2-4, 96 pts.

WEBSITE: www.marlies.ca

UTICA COMETS

NHL AFFILIATION: Vancouver Canucks HOME ICE: Utica Memorial Auditorium (3,815) DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY OPERATIONS: Pat Conacher HEAD COACH: Travis Green ENTERED AHL: 2013-14 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 0 of 1 2013-14 RECORD: 35-32-5-4, 79 pts.

WEBSITE: www.uticacomets.com

ROCHESTER AMERICANS

NHL AFFILIATION: Buffalo Sabres HOME ICE: Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial (10,662) GENERAL MANAGER: Tim Murray HEAD COACH: Chadd Cassidy ENTERED AHL: 1956-57 CALDER CUPS: Six (1965, 1966, 1968, 1983, 1987, 1996) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 44 of 58 2013-14 RECORD: 37-28-6-5, 85 pts.

WEBSITE: www.amerks.com

ROCKFORD ICEHOGS

NHL AFFILIATION: Chicago Blackhawks HOME ICE: BMO Harris Bank Center (5,895) GENERAL MANAGER: Mark Bernard HEAD COACH: Ted Dent ENTERED AHL: 2007-08 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 7 2013-14 RECORD: 35-32-5-4, 79 pts.

WEBSITE: www.icehogs.com

SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE

NHL AFFILIATION: Florida Panthers HOME ICE: AT&T Center (6,374) HEAD COACH: Tom Rowe ENTERED AHL: 2002-03 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 12 2013-14 RECORD: 30-37-3-6, 69 pts.

WEBSITE: www.sarampage.com

TEXAS STARS

NHL AFFILIATION: Dallas Stars HOME ICE: Cedar Park Center (6,863) GENERAL MANAGER: Scott White HEAD COACH: Derek Laxdal ENTERED AHL: 2009-10 CALDER CUPS: One (2014) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 4 of 5 2013-14 RECORD: 48-18-3-7, 106 pts.

WEBSITE: www.texasstarshockey.com

2014-15 PLAYOFF FORMAT Eight teams in each conference will qualify for the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs: The three division winners will be seeded first through third in order of points, and the next five teams in order of points will be seeded fourth through eighth.

The conference quarterfinals will be best-of-five series; the conference semifinals, conference finals and Calder Cup Finals will be best-of-seven series.

Teams will be re-ordered after the first round so that the highest-remaining seed plays the lowest-remaining seed.

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

17

THIS WINTER, DON'T GET STUCK WITH HIGH PRICES ON TIRES!

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Ask a Store Associate for Details!

SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE! 15 West Michigan locations to choose from. For the location nearest you call 888-GO-BELLE or go to belletire.com to schedule an appointment.

DETROIT

RED WINGS TOP AFFILIATE

Grand Rapids Griffins (13th Season) through 2016-17

ARENA

Joe Louis Arena • Seating Capacity: 20,066

INFO

Phone: (313) 394-7000 • www.detroitredwings.com

STANLEY CUPS

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

MANAGEMENT

Ken Holland, Executive VP/General Manager Ryan Martin, Assistant General Manager

COACHING STAFF

Photo: Getty Images

Mike Babcock, Head Coach Tony Granato, Assistant Coach • Jim Hiller, Assistant Coach Andrew Brewer, Assistant Coach – Video Jim Bedard, Goaltending Coach Peter Renzetti, Strength and Conditioning Coach

Tomas Jurco and eight other Griffins made their NHL debuts with the Red Wings during 2013-14. Playing alongside recent Grand Rapids alumni such as Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar, they helped Detroit extend its remarkable streak of consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff appearances to 23 seasons.

GRIFFINS WHO HAVE EARNED THEIR WINGS *

Justin Abdelkader, 2008-09 Adam Almquist, 2013-14 Joakim Andersson, 2011-12 Sean Avery, 2002-03 Ryan Barnes, 2003-04 Patrick Boileau, 2002-03 Darryl Bootland, 2003-04 Fabian Brunnstrom, 2011-12 Mitch Callahan, 2013-14 Ty Conklin, 2011-12 Chris Conner, 2011-12 Danny DeKeyser, 2013-14 Aaron Downey, 2008-09 Patrick Eaves, 2013-14 Matt Ellis, 2006-07 Cory Emmerton, 2010-11 Jonathan Ericsson, 2007-08 Landon Ferraro, 2013-14 Valtteri Filppula, 2005-06 Luke Glendening, 2013-14 Mark Hartigan, 2007-08 Darren Helm, 2007-08 Jimmy Howard, 2005-06 Jiri Hudler, 2003-04 Matt Hussey, 2006-07 Doug Janik, 2009-10 Tomas Jurco, 2013-14 Jakub Kindl, 2009-10 Tomas Kopecky, 2005-06 Niklas Kronwall, 2003-04 Marc Lamothe, 2003-04 Josh Langfeld, 2006-07

Brian Lashoff, 2012-13 Brett Lebda, 2005-06 Ville Leino, 2008-09 Joey MacDonald, 2006-07 Donald MacLean, 2005-06 Alexey Marchenko, 2013-14 Darren McCarty, 2007-08 Tom McCollum, 2010-11 Derek Meech, 2006-07 Kevin Miller, 2003-04 Mark Mowers, 2003-04 Petr Mrazek, 2012-13 Jan Mursak, 2010-11 Anders Myrvold, 2003-04 Andrej Nestrasil, 2014-15 Kris Newbury, 2009-10 Gustav Nyquist, 2011-12 Xavier Ouellet, 2013-14 Teemu Pulkkinen, 2013-14 Kyle Quincey, 2005-06 Mattias Ritola, 2007-08 Jamie Rivers, 2003-04 Nathan Robinson, 2003-04 Stacy Roest, 2002-03 Riley Sheahan, 2011-12 Brendan Smith, 2011-12 Ryan Sproul, 2013-14 Garrett Stafford, 2007-08 Tomas Tatar, 2010-11 Jordin Tootoo, 2013-14 Jason Williams, 2002-03

* 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) and Stephen Weiss (2014-15).

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

19

One of Michigan’s premier golf destinations. “ - Places to Play” “One of the 25 best golf courses in Michigan” -GOLF DIGEST

Our beautiful Rees Jones signature course is designed to provide a challenging test of golf, while accommodating golfers of all skill levels.

Just minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, see for yourself why this stunning jewel has been rated one of the best golf courses around.

www.togc.net

4100 Thousand Oaks Drive, Grand Rapids | East Beltline and 5 Mile - go East one mile | 616.447.7750

Casual and inviting surroundings.

Diverse menu. Breathtaking views.

Thousand Oaks is a name synonymous with attention to detail, sumptuous dining and unblemished nature. Once reserved for small parties and business meetings, Thousand Oaks now presents Grand Oaks Banquet and Meeting Facility to accommodate gatherings of all sizes. Nestled into a private, 425-acre setting, yet just minutes from Downtown Grand Rapids, Grand Oaks Banquet Facility offers a refreshing alternative for meetings, receptions, and private parties. From the intimate setting of the Birch Room that seats 60 Guests, the expanse of the Grand Oaks Hall that accommodates up to 350 persons, Grand Oaks Banquet Facility can meet most reception needs in style. Our high performance facility, with its pre-function area, offers a flawless setting for professional meetings and personal events. With a full line of projection screens, audio/visual equipment, stage and wireless business center, Grand Oaks is versatile, reliable, and priced ala-carte to most budgets.

Year-round Golf Lessons.

Join the Academy!

Call 616-363-GOLF

More than a great place to visit–it’s a great place to live.

Call 616-828-6780

2014-15 GRIFFINS PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE

MARK YOUR

CALENDAR! Check out our Season-Long Promotions on the next page!

Dec. 19: Salute to Heroes Night Dec. 27: 2015 Team Calendar Giveaway presented by Fox Motors Dec. 31: 18th Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration presented by Farm Bureau Insurance/Post-Game Fireworks t

Jan. 24: Superhero Lunch Box Giveaway presented by Pepsi (kids 12 and under)/Scout Night/Fan Design Jersey Auction #1/East Grand Rapids vs. Grand Rapids Christian High School Hockey (pre-game) t

Feb. 7-8: 13th Annual Great Skate Winterfest at Rosa Parks Circle (NEW DATES!) Feb. 9: Griffins & Sled Wings Game at Griff’s IceHouse (NEW DATE!) Feb. 13: Purple Community Game presented by Van Andel Institute/ Purple Jersey Auction t

Jan. 2: Mystic Cube performance t Feb. 14: Griffins Jersey Scarf Giveaway presented by Centennial Securities t

Jan. 9: ‘80s Night Jan. 10: Griffins Winter Hat Giveaway presented by Comerica Bank t

tJan. 31: Griffins Texting Gloves Giveaway presented by DTE Energy/ Social Media Seminar (pregame) tFeb. 7: Mitch Callahan Bobblehead Giveaway presented

by Lake Michigan Credit Union/ Mascot Mania/ Grandville vs.

Detroit Catholic Central High School Hockey (pre-game)

Feb. 17: Griffins Booster Club Silent Auction Feb. 20: Russian Bar Trio performance t

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

21

Feb. 21: Star Wars Night presented by Consumers Energy t

March 16: Corks, Pucks & Brews at the Goei Center, benefiting Easter Seals Michigan March 20: ‘90s Night/Fan Design Jersey Auction #2 t

March 14: Griffins Cereal Bowl Giveaway presented by Flagstar Bank t

March 22: Dog Day at Van Andel presented by Nestlé Purina/$1 Pepsi Drinks and $1 Ice Cream from 3-5 p.m.t

April 4: Tomas Jurco Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Michigan Office Solutions t

April 6: Griffins Booster Club Awards Banquet April 18: Season Finale presented by Huntington Bank/Friday Night Jersey Auction

SEASON-LONG PROMOTIONS $2 Beers and $2 Hot Dogs: Every Friday, enjoy $2 domestic drafts and $2 hot dogs from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last.

Get in the D-ZONE: Every Friday night is a Griffins D-Zone night. Avoid the concession lines and get your $2 beers and $2 hot dogs served to you in your seats. Call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com/dzone today!

Military Nights: Every home game, current members of our military can purchase up to four Upper Level tickets for $14 each or four Lower Level Faceoff tickets for $18 each with a valid military ID. The offer also extends to veterans who present a VA ID or discharge papers.

College Nights: Every Friday, college students can show their ID to purchase an Upper Level ticket for $14 (or $13 in advance at The Zone) and stop by the McFadden’s concourse table to receive a free pass to the post-game party at McFadden’s. Limit one ticket per ID. 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.

Wednesday is Hockey Night: For all Wednesday games from December through March (excluding Dec. 31), show your Griffins ticket at participating Arena District restaurants and bars to enjoy Happy Hour specials before the game and Hockey Night specials afterward. Visit griffinshockey. com/hockeynight for a list of participating establishments.

Amway Winning Wednesdays: Every time the Griffins win at home on Wednesday, each fan in 22 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

attendance will receive a free ticket to the next Wednesday game. Additionally, the first 300 fans to visit the Amway table in Section A will receive a gift.

Fans can also enjoy a buy-one, get-one-free deal on a 16 oz. Pepsi all night long at any concession stand that sells fountain drinks. (Winning Wednesday and BOGO Pepsi offers exclude Dec. 31.)

Wednesdays at Rosa Parks Circle: Before every Wednesday game in January and February, bring your ticket for that night’s Griffins game to Rosa Parks Circle and skate for free. (Skate rentals are always free, compliments of the Griffins Youth Foundation.) One free admission per ticket. Valid Jan. 7, Jan. 21 and Feb. 18. Rink hours are noon9:45 p.m.

Fox Motors Fast Lane: Before every home game, show your Fox Motors keychain to skip the main box office lines in the arena lobby and purchase your tickets at the designated “Fox Motors Fast Lane” ticket window.

Post-Game Parties at Peppino’s: Every Wednesday night (excluding Dec. 31), join Griffins players and staff for the official post-game party at Peppino’s Sports Grille downtown.

Library Nights: For every Sunday and Wednesday game (excluding Dec. 31), 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 either an Upper Level ticket for $14 (regularly $16 advance and $19 day of game) or a Lower Level Faceoff ticket for $18 ( (regularly $20 advance and $23 day of game). Limit four tickets per card per person, subject to availability.

Friends & Family 4-Packs: Available for all Saturday games, each pack incudes four tickets and $12 in concession cash for a great low price.

Visit griffinshockey.com/f4p or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2.

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 any one of the following games: Bookmark #1 - Dec. 27 and Jan. 21; Bookmark #2 - Feb. 18; March 22; and April 1, 4 and 8.

Post-Game Open Skates: Dec. 31; Jan. 10; Feb. 14; March 22; and April 18.

Huntington Bank Post-Game Autograph Sessions: Dec. 27; Jan. 31; Feb. 21; March 14; and April 4.

MOS Corner Office: Presented by Michigan Office Solutions, 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 unprecedented amenities. Call (616) 774-4585.

J. Gardella’s Burger and Beer Special: Take your used Griffins ticket to J. Gardella’s Tavern to enjoy a burger and beer for $5. Refer to the back of your ticket for details.

Bagel on the Board: Whenever the Griffins “put a bagel on the board” – i.e. shut out their opponent – you have one week to take your ticket to any Bagel Beanery location to receive one free bagel and a gourmet coffee.

All promotions and dates subject to change.

For more information, visit griffinshockey.com.

LISTEN UP! 24 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

Andy Miele is doing his best to improve his play to a level that pricks up the ears of the Red Wings’ front office.

Story and photos by Mark Newman

When you think at the highest level. about the various skills It was a big decision required to play in for Miele and his the National Hockey parents: Jim, an League, the ability to employee of Hewlettlisten is probably not Packard, and Sue, who the first one that comes worked various jobs to to mind. And yet, support Andy and his there may be no more older sister Ashleigh important quality for and younger brother a player interested in Shawn. “They put in improving his game. the time and hours of Hockey is a sport travel that most hockey where self-preservation parents do,” he said, is a natural urge, and noting that he had their the tendency of some full support to leave players is to hear only home at age 16.

Miele tied for third overall among AHL scorers last season after posting 72 points in 70 games. what they want to hear.

Jim Miele had played Thinking they know club hockey at Ferris what is best for them, young players all too often State after running track and playing baseball and believe the quickest way to the NHL is the path of football in high school. As an athlete himself, he least resistance. did everything he could to motivate his children.

Andy Miele has learned to listen.

“If I wasn’t trying my best, my dad would get It was not always so. As a youngster growing very frustrated with me,” he recalled. “He felt up in Grosse Pointe Woods near Detroit, Miele that if I wasn’t working hard, I was wasting my (pronounced mee-lee) was a bit of a pistol with a time and his time. I remember a game during my rebellious streak. Having been raised on 8 Mile sophomore year in high school where I didn’t try like rapper Eminen, he wonders if he might have very hard and he didn’t talk to me for three days. had a little bit of a gangster attitude.

He was really, really upset with me.”

“I was probably a tough kid to deal with,” Miele played well in the USHL, first in Cedar said Miele, who started skating when he was Rapids and later in Chicago, so he was confident 4. “When I was real young, my mom and dad that he was on track to play college hockey at the would have to pin me down to get me dressed Division I level. “My biggest goal, of course, was because I didn’t want to go to the rink.” the NHL,” he said. “I was a huge Red Wings fan Miele liked to play hockey – in fact, he played growing up. When I was young, I loved watching all sports except football – but practice was (Sergei) Fedorov because he was so dynamic another story. “Some days I wanted to go, but and fast. As I got older and grew to understand if I didn’t want to go, I didn’t want to go. So on the game, I gained a ton of respect for Steve certain days, for a little bit, they had to push me.”

Yzerman.”

Despite his size – he was always one of the Ignored by the two big programs in his smaller guys – Miele excelled at the sport. He backyard – Michigan and Michigan State – Miele loved playing with the puck, so much so in street chose Miami (Ohio) on the basis of the positive hockey that another kid once yelled at him until direction of its hockey team. It didn’t hurt that he ran back to his house in tears. He became the school also had a beautiful campus and a more of a playmaker after that and, like most 3-to-1 female-to-male ratio. “That was actually kids in hockey skates, set his sights on someday one of their recruiting tools,” he said. As things playing in the NHL. turned out, it was at Miami that he would meet He played high school hockey at Grosse his girlfriend, Hilary.

Pointe North, then played AAA hockey with His admission to the school was delayed, at HoneyBaked Ham and Little Caesars, before least temporarily, by the fact that his ACT scores trying out for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of weren’t high enough. Unable to be on the campus the USHL to pursue his dream of playing hockey with the rest of the freshman class, he had to wait Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

25

until he was cleared academically by the NCAA. He joined the RedHawks midway through the 2007-08 season.

“I had been a little lazy because I always knew I could get into school based on my hockey,” Miele said. “I wish my parents had pushed me a little more in school than they did.”

Miele enrolled in the school’s American Studies program, but he jokes that ice hockey was his major. He scored on his first shift in his first college game, then continued to improve his play from that point forward, with his point totals increasing each year.

He gives a lot of credit for his progress at Miami to the college’s coaching staff: head coach Enrico Blasi and a bevy of assistant coaches, including current Griffins coach Jeff Blashill, who was at Miami during Miele’s freshman year.

“They all had their different styles, but they got the same results,” he said. “They were all great in their own way.”

Miele led the nation in scoring during his senior season (2010-11), when he tallied 24 goals and 47 assists for 71 points in 39 games. It was the most points by a Division I player in eight years.

“I had great chemistry with my linemates, who were Reilly Smith (now with the NHL’s Boston Bruins) and Trent Vogelhuber (now with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons),” Miele said. “We didn’t have to communicate – we always knew where each other would be.”

Although Miami fell short in its bid for a national title – the No. 1 seeded RedHawks lost to New Hampshire in their first tournament game – Miele won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player. “The icing on the cake would have been a national championship, but (the honor) was a nice way to end the year,” he said.

Having previously been given the cold shoulder during the NHL Entry Draft, Miele attracted a number of free agent offers following his collegiate career. Most organizations talked about putting Miele in the AHL and letting him develop, but the Phoenix Coyotes indicated that he would get a good shot at starting in the NHL. “At the time, it was exactly what I wanted to hear,” he said. “Looking back, I think I probably should have listened to the guys who were talking about development. I needed more time to develop before I got my chance in the NHL.” Miele ended up playing 15 NHL games during his three-year stint in the Coyotes organization.

26 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

Miele signed with the Red Wings last summer after three seasons in the Phoenix Coyotes organization.

He registered a pair of assists in his first appearance last season, but otherwise was kept off the scoresheet.

“Maybe if I had developed a little more confidence, I would have played better,” he said.

“For some guys, (success in the NHL) is easy and for others, it isn’t. I was the kind of guy who had always been a late bloomer. I usually get better as the years go by and I’m hoping that continues.”

Shuttled back and forth between Phoenix and the team’s affiliate in Portland, Maine, Miele put together two solid AHL seasons before exploding with an all-star caliber campaign in 2013-14.

“I knew I was going to become a free agent, so at the beginning of last season, my agent told me, ‘You’re going to need to have a year like your Hobey Baker year where you tear it up.’ To get a good opportunity somewhere else, I was going to have to put up a lot of points.”

Miele won the Hobey Baker Award in 2011 as the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player.

28 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

Miele tied for third overall among AHL scorers last season after posting 72 points (27 goals, 45 assists) in 70 contests with Portland.

He tied for third among league scorers in power play assists (25) and tied a career-high by recording five points in a single game.

When Miele was ready to ink a new deal, he had a good idea where he wanted to sign. “No matter where I was going, I knew I would be starting in the AHL,” he said. “I knew I wanted to play for a team where I enjoyed the city and where I could play for a coach who could teach me more things and help me develop. I wanted to play for Blash.”

Miele had developed great respect for Blashill during his first year at Miami before Blashill left the school to become head coach and general manager of the Indiana Ice, a Tier I junior hockey team in the USHL. “He’s a winner and if you’re winning at every level, you’re doing something right,” Miele said.

“He pays so much attention to detail, which is so important throughout the year.”

Miele was looking forward to the Red Wings’ training camp in Traverse City to show the

organization what he could do, but he was never able to set foot on the ice during the preseason. He remained sidelined with a sports hernia that had been misdiagnosed at the end of last season.

“I was doing all my workouts like nothing was wrong during the summer, and then I skated,” Miele recalled. “I started feeling (pain) again, so I knew something wasn’t right.”

Projected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks prior to the season, he missed the Griffins’ first three games. “It was frustrating because I was really looking forward to getting a fresh start,” he said.

Miele wasted little time in making an impression when he made his Griffins debut.

He tallied a goal and assist in his first game, then recorded a pair of goals three games later.

Through his first 15 games, Miele was scoring at a point-per-game clip.

Yet he knows that points alone won’t be enough to earn a promotion to Detroit. Blashill has already told him as much. “He’s told me that I won’t play in the NHL if I don’t work on my defensive game,” Miele said. “It’s tough to hear but it’s what I need to hear.”

Blashill concedes that Miele has “high-end offensive ability” but believes that he has the talent to be more than a one-dimensional player. “Andy’s learning how hard we expect our centers to work defensively,” Blashill said.

“That’s a habit that’s going to take some time, but I think his best hockey is still ahead of him.”

Feeling that he was cheated out of a chance to make a favorable impression on his hometown team during training camp, Miele is looking at the regular season as his audition for the Red Wings.

“This is my time to show them what I can do,” Miele said. “Luckily, it’s a long season, so I still have plenty of time. They know I will put up points and they expect it, but what they want to see is whether I can play both sides of the puck.”

Blashill believes that Miele will prove that the Red Wings made the right decision when they signed him last summer. Why? Because he listens.

“What I like about Andy is that he’s not just an offensive player,” Blashill said. “He competes extremely hard, similar to Tomas Tatar, and you win with guys like that.”

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

29

Story by Mark Newman

Goalie Tom McCollum has been a pillar of service in the Grand Rapids community throughout his six seasons with the Griffins.

A smile. A wave. A handshake. A simple hello. An autograph.

It doesn’t take much for a professional athlete to make a positive, lasting impression on a kid. Tom McCollum is only too glad to oblige young hockey fans because there was a time when he, too, stood in awe of his heroes.

Living in upstate New York, McCollum’s family had a natural affinity for the NHL team in Buffalo, since their hometown of Amherst is the largest and most populous suburb of The Nickel City. When the Griffins goaltender thinks of his personal heroes, he tells two stories related to Sabres players, one of which predates his earliest memories.

Brad May was scheduled to sign autographs at a grocery store in Amherst after being selected in the first round of 30 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, McCollum wasn’t even a year old, but his mom and aunt stood in line to get a photo autographed and personalized.

“I grew up with that photo in my room – in fact, the picture’s still there – and I was fortunate enough to play with Brad during my first year in Grand Rapids,” McCollum said.

“When he was here, I showed him the picture in private to let him know that the little things you do can go a long way.”

Years later at one of his minor hockey year-end banquets, McCollum met goaltender Dominik Hasek, who was still building his legend in Buffalo. “Hasek had a son a couple of years younger than me and he ended up behind us in line to get food,” McCollum recalled. “He started talking to my dad and I

remember standing there with my mouth open the whole time. He was one of the best players in the world, a true superstar, and yet he took the time to talk to my dad.”

Whenever McCollum finds himself in the position to talk to kids, he does his best to reciprocate the kindness.

“I was once that little kid,” he said. “I know the impressions those guys made on me and I think it’s only right that I try to do the same.

It was a huge deal for me and so now I do my part. Anytime you meet someone, you hope to make their day a little better, or, at the very least, to leave them with a good memory.”

Now in his sixth season with the Griffins, McCollum, 25, said he feels it is important to give back.

“I’ve done so much growing up and maturing as a person here that Grand Rapids really feels like my second home,” he said.

“After everything this city has given to me, I want to put myself in a position to give back and draw attention to various causes.”

McCollum admits he never would have imagined that he would feel such affection for a city that he once needed a map to find.

“I definitely didn’t plan on being here this long,” he said. “I had been given some indication that if I played well, I might be here only a year or two, but I might have listened

Spending time at the local Boys & Girls Club has become a pleasurable pastime for the affable McCollum.

to that talk too much and, as a result, put too much pressure on myself.”

McCollum struggled during his first three years with the Griffins, allowing just under three-and-a-half goals per game while splitting each season between Grand Rapids and Toledo (ECHL).

“Nobody wishes it hadn’t taken so long for me to get things together more than me, but it’s the path I had to go through,” he said. “(Red Wings goaltending coach) Jimmy Bedard kept reminding me the whole time that if it was easy, everybody would do it. I feel very fortunate that Detroit was willing to give me so many opportunities.”

McCollum compiled a record of 18-11-2 during the Griffins’ Calder Cup season (2012-13)

Taking a break during the team’s Pumping Gas event, McCollum (far right) talks with a young hockey fan.

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

31

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McCollum (far right) poses for a photo during the team’s annual Corks, Pucks & Brews fundraiser for Easter Seals Michigan.

when he posted a solid 2.63 goals-against average, then went 24-12-4 last season when he improved his GAA to 2.30, the fourth-best figure among AHL goalies.

Still, McCollum feared he might be saying goodbye to his teammates for the final time at the close of last season. Although he was a former first-round draft pick (30th overall) of Detroit, his future in the organization was in doubt.

“At the end of last year, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” he said. “I knew I had had a good season, but I wasn’t sure where I was going to fit in the grand scheme of the Red Wings’ plans. I really had no idea. I thought things could have gone either way.”

He was thankful when Detroit rewarded his efforts to resurrect his career by signing him to a one-year contract for the 2014-15 season.

“I’ve gone from a 19-year-old kid and a year removed from high school to a 25-year-old adult with a much better understanding of life,” he said. “I still have a lot to learn, but I think I have a more realistic perspective now.”

That perspective has led him to become a more active participant in the Griffins’ community activities. He was named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL

Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Grand Rapids area during the 2013-14 season, and he has even more on his philanthropic plate this season.

“When I first came here, I was pretty quiet,” he admits. “I was very shy and wasn’t very comfortable doing stuff. But as you get more comfortable with who you are as a person, it becomes easier and the more you do it, the more comfortable you get.

There’s nothing he enjoys more than being able to put a smile on the face of youth hockey players.

McCollum walks a dog during the annual Pups and Pucks Fall Walkathon at Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary.

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

33

McCollum (center) joins teammates Landon Ferraro and Xavier Ouellet during the popular Tip-a-Griffin event.

“I love going to their practices and helping out their teams,” he said. “Coaches are never sure what to do with me, but I like to circulate among all the players and give them little tips where I can, and when they score, you can see their faces light up.”

McCollum hopes to eventually conduct oneday camps for aspiring goaltenders, potentially starting with a clinic in early 2015 for goalies from the Griffins Youth Foundation. “I can speak from personal experience that there isn’t a ton of instruction for young goalies,” he said. “In my case, coaching often consisted of my teammates’

McCollum signs an autograph before the annual Griffins-Sled Wings game.

34 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

dads hammering pucks at me and telling me to stop them.”

His interest in encouraging the younger generation extends to visiting elementary schools and children’s hospitals. McCollum has also teamed with Landon Ferraro to purchase tickets for the Boys & Girls Club under the banner of the TLC Club (i.e., the Tommy and Lando Care Club).

“If we can visit with kids and make the rest of their day better, that’s something worth doing,” he said. “If we can get them to a Griffins game and make their life better for three hours, that’s even better yet.”

The Boys & Girls Club provides a safe and positive place for youth through a variety of afterschool and summer programs. McCollum and a number of Griffins teammates make frequent visits to the organization.

“We go there to help make their day better, but every time I go, I leave in better spirits than when I came,” he said. “When you hang out with them and talk to them, you would never know some of the things these kids have to face. They seem like the happiest people on the planet.”

McCollum also enjoys lending a hand at Kids’ Food Basket, the only organization in West Michigan focused solely on childhood hunger.

“They prepare sack suppers for

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underprivileged kids, and a lot of guys from the team go once or twice a month to pack all these suppers for delivery to schools,” McCollum said. “The kids take them home and eat them for dinner.”

Through the Griffins’ Charitable Goals program, Carlin O’Brien Batson is donating $1 to Kids’ Food Basket for every save that McCollum or his teammates make this season, as well as $200 for every shutout. “It provides

Appearances at the Griffins’ Great Skate Winterfest have become a tradition for McCollum.

36 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

more motivation for us to do well so we can help an organization that is doing nothing but good,” he said. “Every good performance can help somebody else’s life be a little bit better.”

McCollum is also hoping to do something with the Michigan Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. “My family does a lot of the MS Walks in Buffalo because my grandmother has MS,” he said. “She used to come to games all the time, but it’s tougher for her now with MS, so it’s a cause that’s near and dear to my heart.”

He also would like to do his part to promote anti-bullying campaigns. “We hear so much about it happening in schools and it’s so unnecessary,” he said, conceding that the cause might seem contradictory for an athlete in a sport that allows fighting. “As you get older, you realize that there is no need to hurt people, and I’d like to draw attention to the problem.”

Whether he’s serving beverages at Corks, Pucks & Brews for Easter Seals Michigan or interacting with fans at the Tip-a-Griffin fundraiser or Great Skate Winterfest for the Griffins Youth Foundation, McCollum enjoys doing what he can to brighten the lives of others.

“As you get older, you realize what’s really important in life,” he said. “Hockey is important to me, but I realize that it’s just a game. There are plenty of people who are facing much more serious issues in their lives.”

His volunteer efforts leave McCollum reinvigorated for another day and other challenges.

“I can go home and sit on my couch or I can go visit kids and make their lives a little better,” he said. “As players, we have a ton of free time, so why not try to make good use of it?”

Best of all, McCollum’s positive attitude seems to have helped his play on the ice.

“I’ve spent enough time worrying about what’s going to be, what could be, what should be,” he said. “I realize that if I don’t take care of what’s right in front of me, it doesn’t matter what’s down the road.

“I’d like to think if I have another good year, I’ll get another good opportunity next year, but I’m not going to be worrying about it. Right now I’m one of the goalies for the Griffins and that’s my focus.

“If I can’t be in the NHL, there’s no better place to be than Grand Rapids.”

McCollum ranks among the Griffins’ all-time goaltending leaders in games, minutes played, wins, shutouts and saves.

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40 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

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Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

41

Speed is the name of the game for Griffins defenseman Nick Jensen.

Growing up in Minnesota, Nick Jensen loved the outdoors. He played soccer, football and hockey, the latter often on the frozen ponds that dotted the landscape – the state is known as “The Land of 10,000 Lakes” for a reason.

His father, Jeff, had played college hockey at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie back in the ‘70s, and he steered his son in the direction of becoming a defenseman.

“His idea was that finding good, fast, puckmoving defensemen is pretty rare,” Jensen said.

“He felt that if you can get those things down, you can definitely go places with it.”

Although Jensen was athletic and excelled at all sports – he was an all-conference running 42 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

back and free safety on the Rogers High School football team – hockey was his first love.

His father was chosen by the Colorado Rockies in the 10th round (159th overall) of the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft; his mother Teresa was originally from Michigan (Flint), which made the Detroit Red Wings his favorite team.

Jensen has good hockey bloodlines.

His father, Jeff, played at Lake Superior State University and his uncle, Steve Jensen, played seven seasons in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and Los Angeles Kings.

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

43

“They always tell the story about how they were walking through a sporting goods store and picked up a pair of skates and how I started crying when they put them back. I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s the story they told.”

Jensen began skating before he started school. “My dad would take me out before he played in the beer leagues and he’d help me skate around the rink even though I couldn’t stand up on my own,” he said.

His dad served as his coach for many years, even offering words of advice when he was playing for other coaches during his high school years in Rogers, a city that straddles Interstate 94 northwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

“He gave me his input and it definitely helped, even though at the time it seemed like he was only yelling at me,” said Jensen, who admits that his father was his toughest critic.

“It was constructive criticism in its own way.”

Jensen passed up his senior year at Rogers to move to Green Bay to play elite junior hockey in the United States Hockey League. “I wanted to keep my amateur status in order to attend college. It was the path that most Minnesota guys took,” he said.

He played two seasons (2008-10) for the Green Bay Gamblers. His billet family lived five minutes from Lambeau Field, so he even got to see a couple of Packers games. “They say there is not a bad seat in the house and it’s true,” he notes.

Jensen was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings after his first year in Green Bay. “I was driving back from a wedding in Texas when I got a call from Dave Kolb, one of the Red Wings’ scouts. We talked for a few minutes and I remember thinking, ‘What was that all about?’

“When I got home, I was dog-tired. It was the second day of the draft and I got a call from my coach, Jon Cooper, who is now the head coach at Tampa Bay, and he told me I had been drafted. I was pretty shocked.”

Detroit had selected Jensen in the fifth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft with the 150th overall pick.

Jiri Fischer, director of player development for the Red Wings, said the organization felt fortunate that Jensen had “slipped” to the fifth round. “He competes as hard as anybody (and) he can fly on the ice,” Fischer said of Jensen. “He can skate as well as anybody.”

When it came time for Jensen to make a decision about college, he did not have to look far. St. Cloud State had shown the most interest in him early, and he wanted to play close to home.

“My parents put a lot of time and effort into my hockey as I was growing up – they worked, but they travelled with me, paid for ice time, paid for teams, paid for hotels and all that stuff – so I wanted them to be able to watch me further my career,” he said. “It was important to me to stay close to home so they could do that.”

A finance major at St. Cloud, Jensen steadily improved each year until he was chosen WCHA Defensive Player of the Year after his junior season in 2012-13, when he helped lead the Huskies to their first Frozen Four appearance.

“College was a lot of fun,” Jensen said.

“Getting to play hockey while making progress toward your education is pretty cool. You can’t play hockey forever, which is the main reason for going to college.”

Nevertheless, Jensen opted to forego his senior year and final season of eligibility in order to sign a two-year entry-level contract with the Red Wings.

“It was one of the hardest decisions I ever made,” he said. “I talked to a lot of people, including my coaches, my parents and my fiancee. It was not an easy decision, but I ended up deciding that signing pro was the best thing for me.

“Of course, I would like that senior year back, but I wanted to move up to the next level

“Getting to play hockey while making progress toward your education is pretty cool. You can’t play hockey forever, which is the main reason for going to college.”

44 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

Jensen was Detroit’s fifth pick (150th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

45

so I could keep progressing in my game. The ultimate goal is to play in the NHL, of course, but it was still hard to leave because I can never go back and play college hockey again.”

His pro debut ended up being delayed after a tussle with fellow prospect Tyler Bertuzzi in Detroit’s summer development camp left him with a shoulder injury that required surgery.

“As soon as I found out that I needed surgery, my heart sank to my stomach,” Jensen said. “It was pretty frustrating. I was ready to get my pro career going and to have that happen, it was tough mentally.”

While Jensen admits that it was an incident that didn’t have to happen, it might have saved him some grief down the road. “One of the doctors thought I might already have had some damage in there, so it could have happened in the middle of this year – and that would have been way worse,” he said.

Jensen scored a goal in back-to-back games for the Griffins on Nov. 28-29, 2014.

46 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

Going through the rehab process – healing and staying positive – wasn’t easy, according to Jensen. “I wouldn’t have been able to get through it without all my friends and family,” he admitted. “It was a good test of character. I think it will help me battle through adversity – not letting things get the best of you.”

Jensen made his professional debut with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye in late November 2013 then played his first AHL game with the Griffins in early December. “Jumping into a pro league where I had never played was tough, but the team eased me into things,” he said. “I didn’t play too much, but once I got going, I started developing like I had hoped. It just happened a little later than I expected.”

He played 45 games, racking up nine assists while being a plus-12. He started to blossom in March when he collected an assist in three consecutive games, then earned assists in backto-back games.

This past fall marked his first true Red Wings training camp. “The first one is a bit of a blur since I was in the training room or weight room doing rehab,” said Jensen, who finally got to play some NHL exhibition games. “I was really nervous, but it was a lot of fun at the same time.”

He averaged nearly 19 minutes a game in four exhibitions, scoring a goal and posting a plus-1 rating. His preseason play improved his stock. Suddenly, he was on everybody’s radar as a defensive prospect, joining the likes of Xavier Ouellet, Ryan Sproul, Alexey Marchenko and Mattias Backman.

“I hope I made a good impression,” Jensen said. “I talked to Kenny Holland and Mike Babcock before they sent me down and they had good things to say. I just need to keep gaining experience and improving my resume.”

Jensen concedes that there is room for improvement. Consistency is the biggest thing.

“It’s not enough to have a good game here or there,” he said. “You want to have a pretty good game every time out, not just average, average, good.”

He had already scored three goals by the end of November, as he made a concerted effort to improve his breakouts from the defensive zone. “That’s what Detroit wants, guys who can take the puck from the D-zone and turn it into offense,” he said.

Indeed, it’s his ability as a puck-moving

defenseman that is likely to earn him a spot in the NHL. “By NHL standards, he’s not the biggest guy, but he makes up for it with his ability to skate and his ability to transport the puck,” Holland said.

Jensen realizes that it’s his wheels that will eventually get him to Detroit. “My dad emphasized that speed is the name of the game and everybody in the NHL can skate like the wind, so you need to be able to skate,” he said.

“My mindset is every shift is pedal to the floor.

It’s like playing the last shift in a Stanley Cup game.

I feel like every shift has got to be played like that and that’s how I try to approach the game. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the NHL or it’s down here.”

Jensen looks at the fact that he is just one of several high-end prospects as a positive, not a negative.

“You don’t want to earn a spot by default just because there’s nobody better,” he said. “Having competition among all these young defensemen is a good thing because if one guy plays well, all of the others want to play well, too. It may seem like we’re competing against each other, but we’re really just making each other better. And getting better is what we are all here to do.”

Jensen was the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year in 2012-13.

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Salajko is in his second season working with the Griffins’ goalies.

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Story and photos by Mark Newman

Goaltending coach Jeff Salajko is helping the Red Wings’ top prospects progress toward the NHL.

48 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

When Detroit Red Wings minor league goaltending coach Jeff Salajko talks with the Griffins’ netminders, he brings a unique perspective.

A 10th-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Salajko (pronounced suh-LAY-koh) posted a 148125-31 record in the pros, playing all but 52 of his 323 pro games in the ECHL with Columbus (Ohio), Arkansas, Reading, Peoria and Charlotte.

He joined the Toledo Storm in March 2003 for the ECHL playoffs, serving as a backup in the first round before fatigue and frayed nerves forced him to the stands.

Within months, he had trouble climbing stairs, and his muscles would regularly twitch and spasm. Something was seriously wrong.

Although doctors initially feared it might be amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), it turned out to be benign fasciculation syndrome, a neurological disorder with some of the same symptoms as ALS, but one that can be treated with medication.

Nonetheless, it spelled an end to Salajko’s

“Goalies are going to have their ups and downs. The guys who make it to the next level are the ones who can keep an even keel – not too high, not too low.”

Salajko gives a tip to Griffins goaltender Tom McCollum.

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

49

“Maturity takes time. It’s not just the physical part – it’s also the emotional and mental part of the game.”

playing career at the relatively young age of 28.

“I couldn’t play because of my medical condition,” said Salajko, who had been considering opportunities to play in Europe.

“I was told that any period of sustained activity could trigger more seizures, spasms or cramps. Once I had health problems, my career got cut short.”

Hockey had been his whole life, so eventually he found his way back into the game.

Starting with the 2008-09 season, Salajko served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Ohio State men’s ice hockey team, working mainly with the goalies. “I really enjoyed coaching and that’s when I realized it was what I wanted to do,” he said.

He also helped out with the women’s ice hockey program, an experience which he now terms “interesting,” before Red Wings goaltending coach Jim Bedard brought him into Detroit’s development camp in 2013.

Salajko had conducted goaltending camps with Bedard, whom he had known since his major junior days with the Niagara Falls

Salajko shares a laugh with Griffins goaltenders Jared Coreau and Tom McCollum.

50 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

Thunder in the Ontario Hockey League.

Upon Bedard’s recommendation, the Red Wings hired Salajko before the 2013-14 season to work with the organization’s minor league goaltenders.

“It’s great to be working at the pro level again and working with quality kids like Petr (Mrazek), Tommy (McCollum), Jared (Coreau) and Jake (Paterson),” Salajko said. “Coaching is the next best thing (to playing).”

Salajko remains based in Columbus, where his wife Karen is the assistant news director at local CBS affiliate WBNS-TV and their three children attend school.

He commutes to Grand Rapids to attend practices. He also watches both AHL and ECHL games (primarily in Toledo), and he occasionally visits Saginaw, where Paterson, Detroit’s third-round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, is currently playing in the OHL. Salajko talks regularly with Bedard. “He wants to know how our guys are doing,” said Salajko, who files a report with the Red Wings’ scouting service after every game he

Salajko, who played parts of three seasons with the Manitoba Moose, also played with the Kansas City Blades and Indianapolis Ice in the IHL.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! The Intermission Restaurant and Bar is located next to the main

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watches. “He’s very attuned to what our guys are doing here, plus he reads my scouting reports on other goalies that may be useful down the road.”

Although he misses playing, Salajko, 39, loves his work. “I’ve got the easy job,” he said, referring to his teaching responsibilities, which include reviewing video and running various drills. “The players have the tough job. They’re the ones who’ve got to execute and produce.”

Goaltenders today have one advantage that Salajko did not enjoy when he was playing. “NHL teams then only had one goalie coach, sometimes only part-time, and now it seems that every organization has two coaches,” he said.

“Goaltending is such an important position and such a pivotal part of every team that it only makes sense to give them a little more

attention.”

Salajko said he attended nine NHL camps during his playing career, which exposed him to the teachings of Vladislav Tretiak (Chicago), Rick Wamsley (Toronto) and Pete Peeters (Edmonton), among others.

As he was generally the fourth or fifth goalie in the system, he didn’t always get the coaching afforded the team’s top prospects. “I didn’t mind because I was chasing the dream,” he said.

But toiling in the minors gave Salajko a taste of the realities of the game. “Maturity takes time,” he said.

“It’s not just the physical part – it’s also the emotional and mental part of the game.

“Kids come into the pro game with the notion that they’re going to be successful and dominate, but it’s not the case most of the time. Forwards seem to adjust a little quicker,

“Coaching is the next best thing (to playing).”

Salajko shares his thoughts with Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill.

52 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

but it’s tougher for defensemen and it’s even tougher for the goalies. You have to be a special individual, almost a prodigy, to come into the league and excel.”

When a player with the talent of McCollum or Coreau struggles at the pro level, Salajko can empathize. “I can relate because I’ve lived it,” he said. “I was a later pick, so the expectations were not as high, but I thought I could play. As I tell them, it doesn’t matter where you are at. Just play well and learn to win.”

Psychology plays a big role in Salajko’s job.

“Every time you get sent down, it’s upsetting, but you’ve got to make the best of it,” he said.

“I played a lot of games and have a lot of good memories of playing between the IHL and ECHL. I had a couple of call-ups to practice with the big guys but never got into an NHL game, and that’s something I regret. But it allowed me to realize how tough it is (to make it).”

Salajko does his best to emphasize the positive.

“I’m here to pick these guys up – you don’t

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want to dwell on the negative,” he said. “Our coach-player relationship is built on trust; I’ve got their back. But at this level, they know they have to be accountable, too. They know when they haven’t played well.”

While goaltending techniques have evolved as the game has changed, Salajko tries to adapt his teaching style to the player’s personality. “What works for Petr may not work with Tommy.

They’re totally different goalies with different personalities,” he said. “You try to take what works for each individual.”

Salajko sees himself as much mentor as teacher. “These guys are going to have their ups and downs,” he said. “The guys who make it to the next level are the ones who can keep an even keel – not too high, not too low.

“These guys know where they want to go. They want to play in the NHL. Obviously, I want to see our guys develop and do well. When they are winning, it’s huge. Everybody’s happy when you win, so ultimately that’s our goal. I want to see all of our goalies playing and playing well.”

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&PLAY!

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Don’t miss your chance to meet and interact with your favorite Griffins players while supporting some great West Michigan charitable organizations.

F E B

SKATE 7 8 GREAT WINTERFEST Saturday, Feb. 7 at noon through Sunday, Feb. 8 at 10 p.m.

Rosa Parks Circle Free admission Celebrate winter in our city, skate with Griffins players and support the Griffins Youth Foundation! You can help raise money for the foundation by sponsoring your favorite Griffins player or collecting pledges for your own participation in the Great Skate.

Go to griffinshockey.com/greatskate.

F E B

9

GRIFFINS & SLED WINGS GAME

Monday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. (doors) Griff’s IceHouse Tickets: $5 per person/$20 per family at the door Following an autograph session, watch the Griffins play a spirited game of sled hockey with and against the Grand Rapids Sled Wings, a talented team of physically challenged children and young adults sponsored by the Griffins Youth Foundation and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.

54 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

GR TE E WINAT SK AST TE R F E

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M A R

Monday, March 16 from 6:30-9 p.m.

Goei Center Tickets: $35 (two for $50) at essmichigan.org or 942-2081.

Must be 21 years of age.

Griffins players will serve over 100 varieties of wine and craft beer samples to guests at the event, which features live music, appetizers and silent and live auctions. All proceeds benefit Easter Seals Michigan programs and services in West Michigan.

Presented by Flagstar Bank.

All dates, times and details subject to change. Visit griffinshockey.com/community for more information on these and other community events and programs.

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Utica hockey fans are enjoying the new direction of the Comets this season.

Utica is one of six American Hockey League franchises that sits atop its respective division.

But none of the leaders has witnessed the kind of reversal experienced by the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.

On Nov. 18, 2013, the Comets sat dead last in the league with a record of 2-10-1-1, owning only six points. The team was averaging just 2.07 goals per

Photo Credit: Lindsay A. Mogle/Utica Comets

game while allowing an average of 3.50 per game.

Kent Huskins, an ex-Red Wing who had won a Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007, was just five games into his career as a Comet, goalie Jacob Markstrom was playing for another team (San Antonio), and Cal O’Reilly, Dustin Jeffrey and Bobby Sanguinetti had yet to step foot in the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

Cal O’Reilly Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

59

Photo Credit: Lindsay A. Mogle/Utica Comets

Cal O’Reilly

60 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

The 2015 AHL All-Star Classic will include the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, January 25, followed by the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony on Monday, January 26 and the 2015 AHL All-Star Game that evening. The Skills Competition and the AllStar Game will take place at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in downtown Utica; all other events during the All-Star Classic will take place at Turning Stone Resort Casino in nearby Verona, N.Y. The 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino will feature the league’s top young talent. Of the 644 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 94 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Daniel Briere, Ryan Callahan, Zdeno Chara, Jimmy Howard, Niklas Kronwall, Chris Kunitz, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Bobby Ryan, Martin St. Louis, Cory Schneider, Patrick Sharp, Jason Spezza and Eric Staal.

DOUBLE DUTY

Forward Rocco Grimaldi, a second-round pick (No. 33) of the Florida Panthers in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, had hockey fans seeing double on Nov. 18.

Grimaldi started his day in a black sweater for the San Antonio Rampage, skating in their Cool School Day game against AHL divisional rival Oklahoma City. He finished it wearing the white and red jersey of the NHL’s Panthers.

As the Rampage were defeating the Barons 4-3 in a shootout, Grimaldi was long gone, having departed before the six-round shootout was even

Photo Credit: Darren Abate

Fast-forward 365 days, and Utica’s world had flipped. The Comets improved their goals-per-game average to 2.80, while giving up just 1.73 goals per game. O’Reilly, tabbed as the Comets’ captain, was the league leader in assists. Jeffrey and Sanguinetti were among the team’s top scoring threats while Huskins was anchoring the defense. Markstrom had become virtually impenetrable, ranking among the AHL’s best goalies in wins, goals-against average and save percentage.

What prompted the U-turn for Utica, which will make its first-ever visit to Grand Rapids on Jan. 23?

“I don’t think you can point at one thing,” Comets head coach Travis Green said. “Our returning players are a year older and have improved their games, [and] having upwards of 15 returning guys helps. Our players are competing hard and we have had a lot better goaltending to start this season than we did last year.”

Utica’s turnaround actually started last season when the Comets’ fortunes changed during the second half, with the team posting a 24-12-3-1 record down the stretch.

Alternate captain Brandon DeFazio credits the competiveness of the team’s returning players for the Comets’ progress.

“Coming in this year, we knew the city, the systems, and each other,” said DeFazio. “We understood how we wanted to play. We pride ourselves on working hard and getting better every day. It’s a culture we started to build last year and one that is continuing to grow over time.”

Of course, the contributions of Utica’s younger players should not be overlooked. The Comets’ roster has showcased three of Vancouver’s firstround NHL Draft picks: Nicklas Jensen (2011, 21st overall), Brendan Gaunce (2012, 26th overall) and Hunter Shinkarus (2013, 24th overall).

There were other reasons to get excited.

On Nov. 22, the Comets participated in the historic Toyota Frozen Dome Classic in Syracuse. A total of 30,715 fans filled the Carrier Dome on the campus of Syracuse University to watch the game between Utica and the Syracuse Crunch.

The attendance figure established a new all-time record for largest indoor crowd for a pro hockey game in the U.S., eclipsing the previous record of 28,138 fans. That mark was set at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1996 when the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning faced the Philadelphia Flyers.

Utica will also host the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino in January.

Rocco Grimaldi Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

61

a thought in anyone’s minds. He left the ice in the third period, presumably because of either an equipment or injury issue.

Instead, he was hopping on a plane to the West Coast, joining the Rampage’s parent club in time for their tilt against the Los Angeles Kings.

“It’s special, obviously,” Grimaldi told NHL.com.

“This is one of the ones on the calendar that I really wanted to play and coming into this morning I obviously didn’t expect it.”

The AT&T Center, home of the Rampage, is 1,358 miles from the Kings’ home ice inside the Staples Center. The flight was just under three hours.

The California trip was a bit of a homecoming for the 5-foot-6 center, who grew up in Rossmoor, just south of Los Angeles.

Grimaldi, who made his NHL debut with the Panthers on Nov. 1, scored his first NHL goal on Nov. 22 at Nashville, when he fired a rebound past Predators netminder Pekka Rinne.

Photo Credit: Darren Abate

Rocco Grimaldi

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keep the conversation going

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Stop by the #GriffinsSocial Lounge behind Section 224 on game nights to charge your phone, connect to free wifi, see your social media posts displayed on our TV and much more! /grgriffins

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/griffinshockey

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Check out griffinshockey.com/socialmedia to follow us on all of our social channels.

Download the official Griffins iPhone and Android app to stay connected with the Griffins on the go!

SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTIONS Follow the Griffins on social media for these promotion details, plus many more!

• Griffins Player Twitterviews • GRCC Guess the First Goal Scorer • Gardella’s Trivia Thursday • Great Clips, Great Shots Photo Contest • Huntington Bank Player of the Month

• #GRGInstafreeze • Star Tickets Guess the Attendance • McFadden’s Tweet Your Friday Night Beat • #GRGUnited – Show Your Griffins Pride!

• Marge’s Donut Den Sweetheart of the Game

RECORD BOOK AND LEADERS (Through Dec. 4, 2014)

Games Played

2013-14:

Adam Almquist........................ 73

ALL-TIME: Travis Richards....................... 655 ACTIVE LEADER: Landon Ferraro (20th)............ 219 SINGLE-SEASON: 5 players tied......................... *82

LANDON FERRARO

Goals Michel Picard............................158 Landon Ferraro (16th).................52 Donald MacLean (2005-06)......*56 Teemu Pulkkinen........................31

TRAVIS RICHARDS

Points

2013-14:

Teemu Pulkkinen..................... 59

ALL-TIME: Michel Picard......................... 380 ACTIVE LEADER: Landon Ferraro (24th)............ 105 SINGLE-SEASON: Michel Picard (1996-97)........ 101

Plus/Minus Travis Richards ..................... +131 Nathan Paetsch (T24th).......... +24 Ivan Ciernik (2000-01)...........*+41 Mitch Callahan........................ +23

Goalie Games Played

Goals Against Average Martin Prusek..........................1.83 Petr Mrazek (6th).....................2.31 Martin Prusek (2001-02)........*1.83

2013-14: Tom McCollum......................... 46 Petr Mrazek..............................2.10

ALL-TIME: Joey MacDonald.................... 210 ACTIVE LEADER: Tom McCollum (3rd).............. 172 SINGLE-SEASON: Joey MacDonald (2004-05).... *66

TOM McCOLLUM

ALL-TIME: ACTIVE LEADER: SINGLE-SEASON: 2013-14:

Shutouts Joey MacDonald....................... 20 Tom McCollum (7th).................. 5 5 players tied............................. 6 Petr Mrazek................................ 3

MIKE FOUNTAIN Saves Joey MacDonald.....................5,362 Tom McCollum (3rd)...............4,183 Joey MacDonald (2004-05)....1,785 Tom McCollum.......................1,158

Assists Michel Picard.................................. 222 Nathan Paetsch (T30th).................... 61 Jiri Hudler (2005-06)........................ 60 Adam Almquist................................ 49

TEEMU PULKKINEN Penalty Minutes Darryl Bootland............................1,164 Brennan Evans (17th)..................... 290 Darryl Bootland (2005-06)............. 390 Brennan Evans................................ 111 Wins Joey MacDonald............................. 109 Tom McCollum (3rd)......................... 74 Joey MacDonald (2004-05).............. 34 Mike Fountain (2000-01).................*34 Tom McCollum.................................. 24

PETR MRAZEK Save Percentage Martin Prusek...............................0.930 Petr Mrazek (T7th).......................0.916 Joey MacDonald (2003-04)..........0.936 Petr Mrazek..................................0.924

* Led League

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

65

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SERVICES: • Orthotics

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• Evaluation and treatment of sports injuries

• Gait analysis

• Application and removal of casts

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Official sports medicine provider for the Grand Rapids Griffins.

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2013 AHL All-Star Chad Billins Photo by Alan Sullivan/AHL

2014 AHL All-Star Alexey Marchenko Photo by Jeff Parsons/AHL

2013 AHL All-Star Gustav Nyquist Photo by Paul Yacovone III/AHL

2011 AHL All-Star Ilari Filppula

Photo by JustSports Photography/AHL

GRIFFINS ALL-STARS 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03 2003-04

2004-05 2005-06

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

2013 AHL All-Star Petr Mrazek Jeff Nelson, Michel Picard, Pokey Reddick Photo by Alan Sullivan/AHL Ian Gordon, Kerry Huffman, Michel Picard Robert Petrovicky, Maxim Spiridonov John Gruden, Jani Hurme, Kevin Miller, Petr Schastlivy Mike Fountain, Joel Kwiatkowski, Travis Richards, Todd White, Bruce Cassidy (co-coach) Chris Bala, John Gruden, Kip Miller, Martin Prusek, Petr Schastlivy, Bruce Cassidy (head coach), Gene Reilly (asst. coach) Marc Lamothe, Mark Mowers Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Travis Richards, Nathan Robinson Niklas Kronwall, Joey MacDonald Valtteri Filppula, Jiri Hudler, Donald MacLean Derek Meech, Kip Miller Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard Jakub Kindl, Daniel Larsson Patrick Rissmiller 2012 AHL All-Star Gustav Nyquist Ilari Filppula, Brendan Smith Photo by PhotoGraphics Photography/AHL Gustav Nyquist Chad Billins, Petr Mrazek, Gustav Nyquist Alexey Marchenko, Jeff Blashill (head coach)

2010 AHL All-Star Patrick Rissmiller

Photo by Sports Action Photography/AHL

2009 AHL All-Star Jakub Kindl

Photo by JustSports Photography/AHL

PENALTY CALLS

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Van Andel Arena 114

116

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101

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102

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6 7

228

201

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74 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

22

Seats may not be available in all price categories.

For season, game-plan and group ticket information, call 616.774.4585 or 1.800.2.HOCKEY.

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ONLINE griffinshockey.com/buytickets

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IT A

GRIFFINS IN THE NHL

LL STARTS HERE

Since their inception in 1996, the Griffins have sent 147 players to the National Hockey League, 15 of whom have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. In fact, a Griffins alumnus has had his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s chalice in five of the last seven years and in seven of the last 10 seasons.

In chronological order, here are the 20 goalies and 127 skaters who have worn an NHL sweater after playing for Grand Rapids, along with the dates of their NHL debuts/returns.

1................Pavol Demitra...............................................3/17/97 STL at PHX 2................Kevyn Adams............................................. 10/1/97 TOR vs. WSH 3................Tyler Moss....................................................10/28/97 CGY vs. PIT 4................Michel Picard........................................................1/6/98 STL at SJ 5................Jeff Nelson................................................ 10/10/98 NSH vs. FLA 6................Patrick Traverse........................................10/10/98 OTT at COL 7................Mark Greig.........................................................1/7/99 PHI vs. NYI 8................Radim Bicanek..............................................2/1/99 OTT at VAN 9................Robert Petrovicky...........................................2/15/99 TB at NYI 10.............Andrei Vasilyev.............................................3/5/99 PHX vs. DET 11.............Todd Hlushko...................................................4/25/99 PIT vs. NJ 12.............Patrick Lalime...............................................10/2/99 OTT at PHI 13.............Glen Metropolit.........................................10/2/99 WSH at FLA 14.............Kevin Miller.................................................10/31/99 OTT at ATL 15.............Karel Rachunek.........................................10/31/99 OTT at ATL 16.............Erich Goldmann....................................11/11/99 OTT vs. NSH

KEVYN ADAMS, 2006 CAROLINA

76 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

17.............Yves Sarault................................................... 11/20/99 OTT at NJ 18.............John Gruden.............................................11/30/99 OTT vs. CHI 19.............Mike Fountain................................................12/3/99 OTT at NJ 20.............Dave Van Drunen...................................12/13/99 OTT at TOR 21.............Petr Schastlivy..................................................1/3/00 OTT vs. NJ 22.............John Emmons..............................................1/6/00 OTT vs. PHX 23.............Slava Butsayev............................................1/28/00 OTT at BUF 24.............Aris Brimanis..................................................2/13/00 NYI at NYR 25.............Dieter Kochan...............................................3/28/00 TB vs. DAL 26.............Jani Hurme.........................................................4/9/00 OTT vs. TB 27.............Shane Hnidy................................................10/5/00 OTT at BOS 28.............Donald MacLean...................................10/14/00 TOR vs. OTT 29.............David Oliver................................................. 11/4/00 OTT vs. CBJ 30.............Jamie Rivers.............................................. 11/12/00 OTT at CAR 31.............Sean Gagnon............................................11/26/00 OTT at NYR 32.............Joel Bouchard..........................................11/29/00 PHX at COL 33.............Mike Crowley.............................................12/8/00 ANA at MIN 34.............Ivan Ciernik....................................................1/23/01 OTT at NYI 35.............Darren Rumble.................................................2/6/01 STL at COL 36.............Joel Kwiatkowski.......................................2/19/01 OTT at BUF 37.............Todd White....................................................2/19/01 OTT at BUF 38..........Chris Neil....................................... 10/3/01 OTT at TOR 39.............Toni Dahlman..............................................1/3/02 OTT vs. WSH 40.............Steve Martins...............................................1/11/02 OTT at FLA 41.............Kip Miller...............................................................1/17/02 NYI at SJ 42.............Jody Hull...............................................................2/4/02 OTT at TB 43.............Dmitry Afanasenkov.........................................2/6/02 TB at FLA 44.............Simon Lajeunesse............................................3/7/02 OTT at SJ 45.............Martin Prusek.............................................3/23/02 OTT vs. ATL 46.............Chris Bala.........................................................3/27/02 OTT at NYI 47.............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 51.............Sean Avery....................................................10/29/02 DET vs. SJ 52.............Jason Doig......................................................12/3/02 WSH at PIT 53.............Jason Williams............................................12/5/02 DET at PHX

NIKLAS KRONWALL, 2008 DETROIT

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 Joseph...........................................10/30/03 DET at NSH 60.............Darryl Bootland........................................11/8/03 DET vs. NSH 61.............Mark Mowers............................................11/19/03 DET vs. CBJ 62.............Nathan Robinson...................................11/28/03 DET vs. NYI 63.............Blake Sloan.......................................................12/4/03 DAL at LA 64..........Niklas Kronwall........................... 12/10/03 DET at BUF 65.............Ryan Barnes..............................................12/15/03 DET vs. FLA 66..........Chris Kelly........................................ 2/5/04 OTT vs. TOR 67.............Marc Lamothe...........................................2/23/04 DET at EDM 68.............Anders Myrvold........................................2/26/04 DET at CGY 69.............Mathieu Chouinard...................................2/29/04 LA at ANA 70.............Brett Lebda......................................................10/5/05 DET vs. STL 71.............Mark Eaton........................................................10/5/05 NSH vs. SJ 72.............Chris Osgood................................................10/29/05 DET at CHI 73..........Kyle Quincey.............................11/25/05 DET at ANA 74..........Jimmy Howard.............................11/28/05 DET at LA 75..........Valtteri Filppula............................12/15/05 DET at FLA 76.............Rob Collins.................................................12/17/05 NYI vs. COL 77.............Manny Legace................................................1/5/06 DET vs. STL 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 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 146.......Andrej Nestrasil..........................10/9/14 DET vs. BOS 147.......Stephen Weiss..........................11/24/14 DET vs. OTT Bold = Has played in the NHL this season (as of Dec. 8) Italics = Had name engraved on the Stanley Cup after playing for Grand Rapids.

All photos by Getty Images except Niklas Kronwall (Dave Reginek).

SHELDON BROOKBANK, 2013 CHICAGO

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

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78 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

KIDS

PAGE

FROM GRAND RAPIDS TO HOCKEYTOWN

As of press time, 20 of the 25 members of the 2014-15 Detroit Red Wings had once played for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Find the last name of each Griffins graduate by searching horizontally, vertically and diagonally, both forward and backward. Have fun!

Justin ABDELKADER Joakim ANDERSSON Danny DeKEYSER Jonathan ERICSSON Luke GLENDENING Jonas GUSTAVSSON Darren HELM

Jimmy HOWARD Tomas JURCO Jakub KINDL Niklas KRONWALL Brian LASHOFF Petr MRAZEK Gustav NYQUIST

Xavier OUELLET Kyle QUINCEY Riley SHEAHAN Brendan SMITH Tomas TATAR Stephen WEISS

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Q: Can you name those five current Red Wings who have never played for the Griffins?

A: Daniel Cleary, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Drew Miller and Henrik Zetterberg Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

79

PARTING SHOT

Post-game auctions are always popular, especially when they include a jersey worn by a highly touted Red Wings prospect like Anthony Mantha, who wore this blue-red sweater on Dec. 5, 2014.

Photo by Mark Newman

80 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

CADILLAC CHARLEVOIX CHICAGO GRAND RAPIDS MARQUETTE NEGAUNEE TRAVERSE CITY

Dreams.

It’s what drives champions.

Fox Motors is proud to support the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Here’s to a winning 2014-2015 season.

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