2015-16 Griffiti - Issue #2

O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T H E G R A N D R A P I D S G R I F F I N S

Rugged ForwardEric Tangradi

2015-16 SEASON ISSUE NO. 2

POWERPLAY

Fox Motors is proud to support the Grand Rapids Griffins. Here’s to a remarkable 2015-2016 season.

foxmotors.com

CADILLAC CHARLEVOIX CHICAGO GRAND RAPIDS MARQUETTE NEGAUNEE TRAVERSE CITY

Ambitious goals make forremarkable achievements.

1

Vol. 20, No. 2

STARTING LINEUP

24 MIND OVER MATTER Eric Tangradi is thinking

positively about his chances of playing in the NHL again.

32 TOUGH GUYS The Griffins ve had their

share of scrappers and fig ters over their 20 seasons.

42 TRUSTED ADVISOR Bruce Ramsay is excited to be

working alongside his former teammate and coaching buddy, Todd Nelson.

45 MR. POSITIVE Griffins assist t coach

Ben Simon remains thrilled to have found a career in hockey.

50 WORKING MEN As Part 2 of a season-

long series celebrating the organization’s 20th anniversary, Griffi caught up with a hat trick of former Griffins w making their marks in other professions.

62 …AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

The AHL hopes a new format will give stars a chance to shine in its annual all-star event.

2 ...........Chalk Talk4 ...........Opposing Forces6 ...........Coming Soon9 ...........Griffins chedule12 ........AHL Tradition15 ........AHL Team Directory19 ........Detroit Red Wings21 ........Promotional Calendar40 ........Meet the Griffi

59 ........Griffins ecords68 ........Griffins ll-Stars69 ........Penalty Calls74 ........Arena Map/Ticket Info75 ........Social Media76 ........It All Starts Here79 ........Kids Page80 ........Parting Shot

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

ON THE BENCH

COVER:Power forward Eric Tangradi hopes to muscle his way back into the NHL.

Photo by Mark Newman

Griffiti magazine is published four times a year by the Grand Rapids Griffins, Van Andel Ar 130 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids, MI 49503. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in

part without permission is prohibited. All contents ©2015 Grand Rapids Griffin For advertising information, contact Griffins Sales & Marketing, (616) 774-4585; f (616) 336-5464. Unsolicited manuscripts and other materials will not be returned.

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Fox Motors is proud to support the Grand Rapids Griffins. Here’s to a remarkable 2015-2016 season.

foxmotors.com

CADILLAC CHARLEVOIX CHICAGO GRAND RAPIDS MARQUETTE NEGAUNEE TRAVERSE CITY

Ambitious goals make forremarkable achievements.

Opening with an awful slump was not the way that the Griffins wanted to start the season.

“There was tremendous pressure on everyone,” head coach Todd Nelson said, acknowledging that one victory in the fi st eight contests was detrimental to the positive message his staff w s trying to instill. “It was almost like we were waiting for something bad to happen and it did.”

After three seasons under the direction of Jeff lashill, the team seemingly needed time to embrace Nelson’s preferred style of play.

“I think this team had a hard time adapting to some of the things I was implementing,” Nelson said. “They were trying to figu e me out and I was trying to figu e them out, and we had to strengthen our player-coach relationship.”

Frankly, the team got off n the wrong foot. In the fi st 11 contests of the 2015-16 season, the opponent scored the fi st goal in every game but one.

“You gain confide ce any time you score the fi st goal because you can build momentum,” he said. “Scoring fi st is not the be-all and end-all because you still have to play 60 minutes, but we were a team lacking in confide ce, so scoring the fi st goal becomes important.”

Nelson was more concerned with the lack of scoring in general. Th ough the fi st eight games, the Griffins had scored a paltry 11 goals, even though the team was fi ing off aleague-leading 35.63 shots per game.

Using analytics, Nelson discerned that his team was plain unlucky. He contended that the

Griffins were generating more than enough scoring chances, but the puck just wasn’t going into the net.

“Believe it or not, there is such a thing as puck luck, where you are generating chances but aren’t getting rewarded for it,” he said. “What’s proven is that high shot volume produces more goals. We were outshooting teams, but we weren’t getting the results we wanted.”

His staff desi ned drills in practice to alter the trend. “We needed guys to compete harder,” he said. “On the fl p side, we needed our goaltenders to stop pucks.”

Nelson believes the turning point came in Cleveland during the weekend of Nov. 13-14.

“After a good win at home (5-2 over Iowa on Nov. 11), we went to Lake Erie and played well but lost in a shootout on Friday, then got off o a bad start on Saturday,” he recalled. “We were down three goals in the fi st period, so we aired things out in the dressing room in between periods.”

Nelson decided that he had seen enough. When the

Griffins returned home, he changed systems. The team adopted a more aggressive style of play based on a relentless forecheck that still emphasizes Red Wings-styled puck possession.

“Our philosophy is that if we have the puck, they can’t score,” he said. “We got to the point where we said ‘this is the way we’re going to play.’ I had to do things my way. I’m Todd Nelson, not Jeff lashill. I’ve had success in the past and I’m going to have success here. I don’t know if it was a turning point or not, but things were said.”

WITH GRIFFINS

HEAD COACH TODD

NELSON

“They were trying to figure me out and I was trying

to figure them out, and we had

to strengthen our player-coach

relationship.”

2 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

Griffins were generating more than enough scoring chances, but the puck just wasn’t going into the net.

“Believe it or not, there is such a thing as puck luck, where you are generating chances but aren’t getting rewarded for it,” he said. “What’s proven is that high shot volume produces more goals. We were outshooting teams, but we weren’t getting the results we wanted.”

His staff desi ned drills in practice to alter the trend. “We needed guys to compete harder,” he said. “On the fl p side, we needed our goaltenders to stop pucks.”

Nelson believes the turning point came in Cleveland during the weekend of Nov. 13-14.

“After a good win at home (5-2 over Iowa on Nov. 11), we went to Lake Erie and played well but lost in a shootout on Friday, then got off o a bad start on Saturday,” he recalled. “We were down three goals in the fi st period, so we aired things out in the dressing room in between periods.”

Nelson decided that he had seen enough. When the

Griffins returned home, he changed systems. The team adopted a more aggressive style of play based on a relentless forecheck that still emphasizes Red Wings-styled puck possession.

“Our philosophy is that if we have the puck, they can’t score,” he said. “We got to the point where we said ‘this is the way we’re going to play.’ I had to do things my way. I’m Todd Nelson, not Jeff lashill. I’ve had success in the past and I’m going to have success here. I don’t know if it was a turning point or not, but things were said.”

Every team goes through bad stretches. Unfortunately, the Griffins’ struggles were magnifi d because they were coming at the most inopportune time – at the start of the season for a new roster under a new regime.

With a new system in place, Nelson’s team faced an uphill climb. In a four-day stretch from Nov. 18-21, the Griffins had to face three strong teams. As that week began, Grand Rapids (2-8-0-1) had more regulation losses than all three of its opponents combined, as the Rockford IceHogs (9-3-1-1) and San Diego Gulls (9-3-0-1) each had three regulation losses and the Chicago Wolves (8-1-1-1) had only one.

The Griffins swept all three games, starting a six-game winning streak that raised their record to the 0.500 mark.

“I think the team has really come together the last couple of weeks,” Nelson said afterwards. “The players now know where I’m coming from and I know better what to expect from them. We’re at a point where we have a better feeling about each other because we have a better understanding of each other.

“I like the atmosphere and team mood. We’re molding together as a group and we’ve become a lot closer. I like the way our team is responding. We had a good week, but we need to continually build off hat.”

Nelson fi ally sees the makings of the trust and respect that will make the Griffins a better and more cohesive unit in the long run.

“As individuals, it’s the players’ responsibility to make themselves better through practice and do the things necessary to hone their craft” he said. “Every day you come to work, you try to make yourself better. We have to focus on the process that will make us better as a team. That’s what we’re striving for.”

While the slow start was difficult to stomach, Nelson believes it will provide the intestinal fortitude that the Griffins will need come playoff ime.

“It’s a long season and all this adversity will make our team stronger in the end,” he said. “We know we’re good – it’s going to click. Th s is a team that went to the conference fi als last season after winning the Cup two years ago. We just have to make believers of everyone.”

2015-16 GRIFFINS COACHING AND TRAINING STAFF

Head Coach: Todd Nelson

Video Coach: Bill LeRoy

Assistant Coach: Bruce Ramsay

Athletic Trainer:John Bernal

Assistant Coach:Ben Simon

Equipment Manager: Brad Thompson

Assistant Coach:Mike Knuble

Assistant Equipment Manager: Andrew Stegehuis

Goaltending Coach:Jeff alajko

Strength & Conditioning Coordinator: Marcus Kinney

“Th players now know where I’m

coming from and I know better what to expect from them.”

Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 3

MILWAUKEE (Dec. 9, Dec. 31, Jan. 8)

Admirals center Kevin Fiala (#12) is an explosive forward with game-breaking potential. A native of St. Gallen, Switzerland, the 19-year-old Fiala was a fi st-round pick (11th overall) of the Nashville Predators in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. is quickness and agility make him a dangerous weapon that other teams have trouble defending. A bit small by NHL standards (5-foot-10, 193-pounds), Fiala makes up for his lack of size by being creative with the puck.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “When he fi st came (to North America), you certainly wouldn’t have thought ‘here’s a guy that is going to play NHL games,’ but he did last year,” said Admirals head coach Dean Evason. “His skill level is second to none and you see it every time he’s on the ice. He can do some amazing things.”

TEXAS (Dec. 18, Dec. 19)

Stars center Devin Shore (#34) is a highly touted prospect who played three seasons for the University of Maine Black Bears before making his pro debut in Texas last season, tallying four goals and two assists in 19 games. A second-round pick (61st overall) by the Dallas Stars in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, he 21-year-old Shore has excellent hockey instincts to go with good playmaking abilities. Now scoring at better than a point-per-game pace, the Ajax, Ontario, native has a knack for scoring goals in bunches. Shore had 12 goals in the Stars’ fi st 16 games.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “He’s a solid player, and he knows the game,” said Dallas Stars head coach Lindy Ruff. “I think he has really good potential. He’s about where I thought he would be, and it will be interesting to see where he gets to.”

The Griffins will hope to slow streaking Central Division rivals Milwaukee, Chicago and

Lake Erie when the trio of Great Lakes foes make their way to Van Andel Arena in December and January.

OPPOSING FORCES


LAKE ERIE (Jan. 9, Jan. 15)

Monsters defenseman John Ramage (#5) signed a free agent contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets this past summer after spending two seasons in the Calgary Flames organization. A fourth-round pick (103rd overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, he 24-year-old blueliner is the son of Rob Ramage, the former Toronto Maple Leafs captain who played 1,044 games in the NHL. The younger Ramage was a teammate of Griffins center Mark Zengerle at the University of Wisconsin, where he served as captain during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “He’s a warrior as a player,” said Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “He’s a leader as a person.”

CHICAGO (Jan. 17)

Wolves defenseman Petteri Lindbohm (#4) is a scrappy defenseman who likes to clear the crease and battle hard in the corners. A native of Helsinki, Finland, the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Lindbohm split last season between Chicago and St. Louis, appearing in 23 games with the NHL’s Blues. A sixth-round pick (176th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, he 22-year-old Lindbohm served as the team captain for Finland at the 2013 World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia, where he had two assists and was plus-8 in six games.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “He’s a young guy and he’s a little green, but he’s got great energy,” said St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock. “He’s got a real feistiness to him; he loves the competition.”

ROCHESTER (Jan. 22, Jan. 23)

Americans defenseman Brady Austin (#57) is a solid blueliner who needs to use his size (6-foot-3, 232 pounds) to his advantage while clearing players from the front of the net. A seventh-round selection (193rd overall) of the Buff lo Sabres in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, ustin appeared in 66 games during his rookie season in Rochester a year ago when he tallied one goal and nine assists. A native of Bobcaygeon, Ontario, the 22-year-old Austin has surprising stick handling and passing skills for a player his size.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “We need him to be more of a physical presence,” said his former coach Chadd Cassidy. “He doesn’t have to be a goon, but he has to use his body to end plays.”

TORONTO (Jan. 27)

Marlies center William Nylander (#62) is a dynamic, versatile playmaker with the kind of skill that should enable him to eventually excel at the NHL level, once he improves his ability to play at both ends of the ice. The eighth overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, he 19-year-old Nylander was leading the AHL in scoring six weeks into the season after recording 14 goals in 37 games a year ago. He is the son of Michael Nylander, who appeared in 920 games with seven different NHL teams and played 24 games with the Griffins during the 2009-10 season.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “He’s good. He’s as talented a guy as we have,” said Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock. “He’s got to (learn to) be a pro…and bring it every day.”

OPPOSING FORCES


f o r DINING & EVENTS

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

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

DEC. 19 LEGO NIGHT PRESENTED BY FLAGSTAR BANK

A Griffins skyline jersey auction and an Anthony Mantha Blockhead Giveaway (kids 12 and under) highlight Lego Night, a tribute to the Danish plastic toy building bricks that have yielded a worldwide empire that includes a hit movie, video games, retail stores and amusement parks.

DEC. 31 19TH ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION PRESENTED BY FARM BUREAU INSURANCE

A 7 p.m. start is slated for the fi al game of 2015, which will pit the Griffins against the Milwaukee Admirals. A post-game fi eworks show will light up Van Andel Arena, followed by an open skate presented by Arby’s.

JAN. 17 BRING YOUR DOG TO THE GAME PRESENTED BY NESTLÉ PURINA

The Griffins hope to give the Chicago Wolves a “ruff” time when their Central Division rivals come to Van Andel Arena. Ticket holders will be allowed to bring their canine companions to the game for an additional $5. Fans can also take advantage of $1 Pepsi drinks and $1 ice cream from 3-5 p.m.

JAN. 27 15TH ANNUAL MATINEE GAME PRESENTED BY BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MICHIGAN

Interactive and educational displays throughout the concourse will provide valuable information for elementary, middle and high school students prior to the annual matinee game, which starts at 11 a.m. when the puck drops between the Griffins and Toronto Marlies.

Marathon events were originally created to commemorate a Greek messenger named Pheidippides. Legend has it that when he was sent from the battlefi ld of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in 490 B.C., he ran the entire distance without stopping before relaying his message, then collapsed and died on the spot. There are various versions of the tale, but they all tell a similar story about the creation of the marathon.

Dance marathons started in the 1920s as dance contests and developed into inexpensive entertainment events during the Great Depression. There are singing marathons, comedy marathons and marathon swimming. But the one marathon that matters to the Griffins is the event known as the Great Skate Winterfest.

The Great Skate debuted in 2002 as a 24-hour ice skating marathon held at the outdoor Rosa Parks Circle ice rink in downtown Grand Rapids, with every Griffins player and coach skating for at least one hour. In 2009, the event expanded into a two-day, 34-hour Winterfest, with skating, winter sports demonstrations, games and activities as part of a celebration of winter in West Michigan.

The 2016 Great Skate Winterfest will begin at noon on Saturday, Jan. 23, preceding that evening’s Griffins game against the Rochester

Americans, when a Youth Jersey Giveaway presented by Comerica Bank will offer kid-size jerseys to everyone 12 and under. The Griffins will wear special fan-designed jerseys that will be available for bidding in a post-game auction.

Sled dogs, ice sculptors, horse-drawn carriages, winter sport athletes, museums and other community partners and local celebrities have all traditionally been part of

the event, which is highlighted by the Great Skate, which allows fans to skate alongside their favorite players around the clock starting at 10 p.m. Saturday. A warming tent will be available, as well as hot chocolate and coff e.

Admission for all activities is free, but attendees are encouraged to sponsor their favorite player’s participation by making a donation to the Griffins Youth Foundation, which gives kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity the chance to play hockey. Rental skates are $2 for adults, $1 for kids. For more information, visit griffinshockey.com/greatskate.

SKATE, SKATE, SKATE!


Annual two-day Great Skate will draw plenty of activity to Rosa Parks Circle.

f o r DINING & EVENTS

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

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

The 2016 Great Skate Winterfest will begin at noon on Saturday, Jan. 23, preceding that evening’s Griffins game against the Rochester

Americans, when a Youth Jersey Giveaway presented by Comerica Bank will offer kid-size jerseys to everyone 12 and under. The Griffins will wear special fan-designed jerseys that will be available for bidding in a post-game auction.

Sled dogs, ice sculptors, horse-drawn carriages, winter sport athletes, museums and other community partners and local celebrities have all traditionally been part of

the event, which is highlighted by the Great Skate, which allows fans to skate alongside their favorite players around the clock starting at 10 p.m. Saturday. A warming tent will be available, as well as hot chocolate and coff e.

Admission for all activities is free, but attendees are encouraged to sponsor their favorite player’s participation by making a donation to the Griffins Youth Foundation, which gives kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity the chance to play hockey. Rental skates are $2 for adults, $1 for kids. For more information, visit griffinshockey.com/greatskate.

BAK - BakersfieldCHA - CharlotteCHI - ChicagoIA - IowaLE – Lake ErieMB - ManitobaMIL - Milwaukee

RCH - RochesterRFD - RockfordSA – San AntonioSD – San DiegoTEX - TexasTOR - TorontoUTI - Utica

Post-Game Open SkateHuntington BankPost-Game Autograph SessionFriends & Family 4-Pack Home GamePepsi Reading Goals Redemption Date

2015-16 SEASON SCHEDULE

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

@GRIFFINSHOCKEY

All times Eastern. Dates, opponents and times subject to change.

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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. AndrewsPresident & Chief Executive OfficerAmerican Hockey League

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

DAVID A. ANDREWS

American Hockey LeagueOne Monarch Place – Springfield, MA 01144Phone: (413) 781-2030 Fax: (413) 733-4767

@TheAHLtheahl.com/TheAHL


Griffins Chief Executive Offic

Dear Griffins Fans,

Michigan’s favorite musical son, Bob Seger, once sang “Twenty years now, where’d they go?...I sit and I wonder sometimes where they’ve gone.”

As the Griffins enter our 20th anniversary season, I look back upon all the memories we’ve shared and am grateful to all the people and partners who have been so integral to our remarkable success. Van Andel Arena’s staff nd the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority ensure that our home remains a world-class arena, making continual investments in amenities such as the HD video board and LED ribbon that enhance your enjoyment at a game.

We enjoy rich relationships with our Pillar Partners – Amway, Fox Motors, Huntington, Meijer, Spectrum Health and West Side Beer Distributing – and dozens of other sponsors, several of whom have been with us since our inaugural 1996-97 season.

Most crucial, though, has been the unwavering support of the best fans in hockey. After fi st setting sellout records in our early years, we’ve witnessed attendance increases in eight of the last nine seasons and led the AHL in total attendance during the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs

Such stability has been a hallmark of our organization, a welcome attribute in a sport in which change often seems to be the only constant. After three seasons of unprecedented success behind the Griffins’ bench, Jeff lashill is now the head coach for the Detroit Red Wings. He undoubtedly left ehind big shoes to fill, but fortunately we found a man with large feet: Todd Nelson, who comes full circle as the fi st player ever signed by the Griffins in 1996 and, now, the 10th head coach in franchise history.

After winning several cups during his playing and coaching careers and serving as interim head coach of the Edmonton Oilers last season, Nelson heads up a staff c mprised of fellow former Griffins Bruce Ramsay, Ben Simon and Mike Knuble, all of whom are focused on defending our seventh division title and making a run at our second Calder Cup.

We’re proud of the new logo and colors that our players will be sporting on the ice this year and enthused about what’s happening off he ice as well. Under the leadership of new Griffins president and original employee Tim Gortsema, our staff s planning an exciting array of promotions and events in celebration of 20 seasons of Griffins Hockey.

A new era is taking fli ht. I hope you enjoy everything that this landmark season has to offer.

Sincerely,

Dan DeVosGriffins Chief Executive Offic

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.


Sincerely,



DAVID A. ANDREWS

American Hockey LeagueOne Monarch Place – Springfield, MA 01144Phone: (413) 781-2030 Fax: (413) 733-4767

@TheAHLtheahl.com/TheAHL

Dear Fans,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the historic 2015-16 American Hockey League season, onethat is sure to be one of the most memorable campaigns ever.

We are celebrating our 80th anniversary season literally from coast to coast: From the shores of the Atlantic to our five new members in California, all 30 teams will hit the ice to continue a tradition of excellence that has been the hallmark of the American Hockey League since 1936.

The AHL remains proud of its role in developing more than 88 percent of today’s National Hockey Leagueplayers, as well as the vast majority of the NHL’s coaches, managers, training staffs, broadcasters andofficials. In total, nearly 350 AHL players were recalled to the NHL last season alone, and more than250 former first- and second-round NHL draft picks developed their skills in the AHL. And 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.

To our new fans in Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose and Stockton; to our returning fans inManitoba; to all of you who cheer for AHL teams across North America -- We are excited to have you joinus from the excitement of opening weekend, to the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic in Syracuse, and through the thrills and emotion of the Calder Cup Playoffs.


Sincerely,


American Hockey LeagueOne Monarch Place – Springfield, MA 01144Phone: (413) 781-2030 theahl.com


DAVID A. ANDREWS

Dear Fans,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the historic 2015-16 American Hockey League season, one that is sure to be one of the most memorable campaigns ever.

We are celebrating our 80th anniversary season literally from coast to coast: From the shores of the Atlantic to our fi e new members in California, all 30 teams will hit the ice to continue a tradition of excellence that has been the hallmark of the American Hockey League since 1936.

The AHL remains proud of its role in developing more than 88 percent of today’s National Hockey League players, as well as the vast majority of the NHL’s coaches, managers, training staffs, broadcasters and officia . In total, nearly 350 AHL players were recalled to the NHL last season alone, and more than 250 former firs - and second-round NHL draft picks developed their skills in the AHL. And 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.

To our new fans in Bakersfiel , Ontario, San Diego, San Jose and Stockton; to our returning fans in Manitoba; to all of you who cheer for AHL teams across North America -- We are excited to have you join us from the excitement of opening weekend, to the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic in Syracuse, and through the thrills and emotion of the Calder Cup Playoffs.


Dear Fans,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the historic 2015-16 American Hockey League season, onethat is sure to be one of the most memorable campaigns ever.

We are celebrating our 80th anniversary season literally from coast to coast: From the shores of the Atlantic to our five new members in California, all 30 teams will hit the ice to continue a tradition of excellence that has been the hallmark of the American Hockey League since 1936.

The AHL remains proud of its role in developing more than 88 percent of today’s National Hockey Leagueplayers, as well as the vast majority of the NHL’s coaches, managers, training staffs, broadcasters andofficials. In total, nearly 350 AHL players were recalled to the NHL last season alone, and more than250 former first- and second-round NHL draft picks developed their skills in the AHL. And 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.

To our new fans in Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose and Stockton; to our returning fans inManitoba; to all of you who cheer for AHL teams across North America -- We are excited to have you joinus from the excitement of opening weekend, to the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic in Syracuse, and through the thrills and emotion of the Calder Cup Playoffs.


Sincerely,


American Hockey LeagueOne Monarch Place – Springfield, MA 01144Phone: (413) 781-2030 theahl.com


DAVID A. ANDREWS



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The American Hockey League is celebrating its 80th season of play in 2015-16, 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 Buffal , 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 79th championship was captured by the Manchester Monarchs last spring.

From those roots, the American Hockey League has grown into a 30-team league that provides fans with exciting, high-level professional hockey while preparing thousands of players, coaches, officia , executives, trainers, broadcasters and more for careers in the NHL.

In today’s National Hockey League more than 88 percent of the players are AHL alumni, including 2015 Hart and Vezina Trophy recipient Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. The 2015 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks were stocked with AHL graduates as well, among them Conn Smythe Trophy winner Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad, Kris Versteeg, Corey Crawford, Andrew Shaw, and head coach Joel Quenneville.

During the 2014-15 season, a total of 865 AHL alumni played in the National Hockey League, including 341 who skated in both leagues last year alone. Forty of the 49 players who skated in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final were AHL graduates, including Tampa Bay’s Ben Bishop, Ryan Callahan, Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn, and Ondrej Palat.

More than 250 former firs - and second-round draft picks developed their skills in the AHL last season, including Teuvo Teravainen, David Pastrnak, William Nylander, Derrick Pouliot, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ryan Hartman, Matt Dumba, and Julius Honka.

At the start of the 2015-16 season, the National Hockey League featured 21 head coaches who were former AHL bench bosses, including former Calder Cup champions Jon Cooper, Peter Laviolette, Barry Trotz, Todd McLellan, Bruce Boudreau, Bob Hartley, Willie Desjardins, and Jeff Blashill. Stanley Cup winners Joel Quenneville, Claude Julien, Dan Bylsma, and Mike Babcock also spent time in the AHL before making the jump.

“The time I spent in the American Hockey League was essential in my preparation to become head coach of the Detroit Red Wings. Without question, the AHL is just as valuable as a proving ground for future coaches as it is for young players.”-- Jeff Blashil , Head Coach, Detroit Red Wings2014 AHL Coach of the Year2013 Calder Cup Champion

At the start of the 2015-16 season, the National Hockey League featured 21 head coaches who were former AHL bench bosses, including former Calder Cup champions Jon Cooper, Peter Laviolette, Barry Trotz, Todd McLellan, Bruce Boudreau, Bob Hartley, Willie Desjardins, and Jeff Blashill. Stanley Cup winners Joel Quenneville, Claude Julien, Dan Bylsma, and Mike Babcock also spent time in the AHL before making the jump.

THE COACHES

THE PLAYERS

THE BEGINNINGS

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCEsince 1936

Carey Price2015 Hart, Vezina Trophy winner

2007 Calder Cup Playoffs MV


For the past 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 affil ted 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.

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 10th class of inductees, recognized in 2015, included Frederic Cassivi, James C. Hendy, Bronco Horvath, and Art Stratton. They join the likes of Johnny Bower, Fred Glover, Jody Gage, Mitch Lamoureux, Willie Marshall, Frank Mathers, Eddie Shore, Bruce Boudreau, Tim Tookey, Zellio Toppazzini, and others as distinguished members of the American Hockey League Hall of Fame.

For the 14th consecutive season, American Hockey League teams drew more than 6.2 million fans to games across North America in 2014-15. The Hershey Bears led the league for the ninth year in a row, averaging 9,700 fans per home game, while the Utica Comets followed up their inaugural season with 27 sold-out regular season crowds at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, plus 13 more in the playoffs. And Syracuse set a new U.S. indoor pro hockey record when 30,715 fans packed the Carrier Dome for a Crunch game on Nov. 22, 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 officia 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.

In their first ever Calder Cup playoffs ap earance, theUtica Comets sold out all 13 postseason games at the Aud.

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“Everywhere I’ve been, the American Hockey League has been an important part of my career. It has been the biggest part of our success in developing our players in Chicago, first with th

Norfolk Admirals and now with the Rockford IceHogs.”-- Scotty Bowman, Honored Member, Hockey Hall of Fame

14-Time Stanley Cup Champion2-Time Jack Adams Award Winner

THE COACHES

THE PLAYERS

THE LEGENDS

THE FANS

THE BEGINNINGS

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCEsince 1936

Carey Price2015 Hart, Vezina Trophy winner

2007 Calder Cup Playoffs MV

Eddie ShoreHonored Member, Hockey Hall of Fame

Honored Member, AHL Hall of Fame

Percentage of all NHL players in 2014-15

who were graduatesof the AHL

Former AHL playerswho skated in the National Hockey

League last season

AHL players whoalso playedin the NHLin 2014-15

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

in 2014-1

AHL alumni whoplayed for the 2015

Stanley Cup championChicago Blackhawks

88.8 865 341 254 519

UNLEASHYOUR MVP

5 LOCATIONS!VISIT MVPSPORTSCLUBS.COM TODAY!


ALBANY DEVILS NHL AFFILIATION: New Jersey DevilsHOME ICE: Times Union Center (6,691)GENERAL MANAGER: Ray SheroHEAD COACH: Rick KowalskyENTERED AHL: 2006-07 (as Lowell Devils)CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 92014-15 RECORD: 37-28-5-6, 85 pts.WEBSITE: thealbanydevils.com

BINGHAMTON SENATORSNHL AFFILIATION: Ottawa SenatorsHOME ICE: Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena (4,696)GENERAL MANAGER: Randy LeeHEAD COACH: Luke RichardsonENTERED AHL: 2002-03CALDER CUPS: One (2011)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 6 of 132014-15 RECORD: 34-34-7-1, 76 pts.WEBSITE: binghamtonsenators.com

BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERSNHL AFFILIATION: New York IslandersHOME ICE: Webster Bank Arena (8,412)GENERAL MANAGER: Garth SnowHEAD COACH: Brent ThompsonENTERED AHL: 2001-02CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 7 of 142014-15 RECORD: 28-40-7-1, 64 pts.WEBSITE: soundtigers.com

HARTFORD WOLF PACKNHL AFFILIATION: New York RangersHOME ICE: XL Center (15,635)GENERAL MANAGER: Jim SchoenfeldHEAD COACH: Ken GernanderENTERED AHL: 1997-98CALDER CUPS: One (2000)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 15 of 182014-15 RECORD: 43-24-5-4, 95 pts.WEBSITE: hartfordwolfpack.com

HERSHEY BEARSNHL AFFILIATION: Washington CapitalsHOME ICE: Giant Center (10,500)GENERAL MANAGER: Doug YingstHEAD COACH: Troy MannENTERED AHL: 1938-39CALDER CUPS: 11 (1947, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1974, 1980, 1988, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2010)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 65 of 772014-15 RECORD: 46-22-5-3, 100 pts.WEBSITE: hersheybears.com

LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMSNHL AFFILIATION: Philadelphia FlyersHOME ICE: PPL Center (8,420)GENERAL MANAGER: Ron HextallHEAD COACH: Scott GordonENTERED AHL: 1996-97 (as Philadelphia Phantoms)CALDER CUPS: Two (1998, 2005)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 10 of 192014-15 RECORD: 33-35-7-1, 74 pts.WEBSITE: phantomshockey.com

PORTLAND PIRATESNHL AFFILIATION: Florida PanthersHOME ICE: Cross Insurance Arena (6,157)GENERAL MANAGER: Eric JoyceHEAD COACH: Tom RoweENTERED AHL: 1993-94CALDER CUPS: One (1994)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 16 of 222014-15 RECORD: 39-28-7-2, 87 pts.WEBSITE: portlandpirates.com

PROVIDENCE BRUINSNHL AFFILIATION: Boston BruinsHOME ICE: Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence (11,075)GENERAL MANAGER: Don SweeneyHEAD COACH: Bruce CassidyENTERED AHL: 1992-93CALDER CUPS: One (1999)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 18 of 232014-15 RECORD: 41-26-7-2, 91 pts.WEBSITE: providencebruins.com

ROCHESTER AMERICANSNHL AFFILIATION: Buffalo abresHOME ICE: Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial (10,662)GENERAL MANAGER: Tim MurrayHEAD COACH: Randy CunneyworthENTERED AHL: 1956-57CALDER CUPS: Six (1965, 1966, 1968, 1983, 1987, 1996)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 44 of 592014-15 RECORD: 29-41-5-1, 64 pts.WEBSITE: amerks.com

SPRINGFIELD FALCONSNHL AFFILIATION: Arizona CoyotesHOME ICE: MassMutual Center (6,784)GENERAL MANAGER: Darcy RegierHEAD COACH: Ron RolstonENTERED AHL: 1994-95CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 8 of 212014-15 RECORD: 38-28-8-2, 86 pts.WEBSITE: falconsahl.com

ST. JOHN’S ICECAPSNHL AFFILIATION: Montreal CanadiensHOME ICE: Mile One Centre (6,287)GENERAL MANAGER: Marc BergevinHEAD COACH: Sylvain LefebrveENTERED AHL: 2011-12CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 42014-15 RECORD: 32-33-9-2, 75 pts.WEBSITE: stjohnsicecaps.com

PORTLAND PIRATESPRIMARY MARK

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UNLEASHYOUR MVP

5 LOCATIONS!VISIT MVPSPORTSCLUBS.COM TODAY!

2 0 1 5 - 1 6 A H L D I R E C T O R Y

EASTERN CONFERENCEATLANTIC DIVISION:

Bridgeport, Hartford, Hershey, Lehigh Valley, Portland, Providence, Springfiel , Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

NORTH DIVISION: Albany, Binghamton, Rochester, St. John’s,

Syracuse, Toronto, Utica


SYRACUSE CRUNCHNHL AFFILIATION: Tampa Bay LightningHOME ICE: War Memorial Arena (6,010)GENERAL MANAGER: Julien BriseBoisHEAD COACH: Rob ZettlerENTERED AHL: 1994-95CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 12 of 212014-15 RECORD: 41-25-10-0, 92 pts.WEBSITE: syracusecrunch.com

TORONTO MARLIESNHL AFFILIATION: Toronto Maple LeafsHOME ICE: Ricoh Coliseum (7,851)GENERAL MANAGER: Kyle DubasHEAD COACH: Sheldon KeefeENTERED AHL: 2005-06CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 7 of 102014-15 RECORD: 40-27-9-0, 89 pts.WEBSITE: marlies.ca

UTICA COMETSNHL AFFILIATION: Vancouver CanucksHOME ICE: Utica Memorial Auditorium (3,855)GENERAL MANAGER: Pat ConacherHEAD COACH: Travis GreenENTERED AHL: 2013-14CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 22014-15 RECORD: 47-20-7-2, 103 pts.WEBSITE: uticacomets.com

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINSNHL AFFILIATION: Pittsburgh PenguinsHOME ICE: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza (8,050)GENERAL MANAGER: Jason BotterillHEAD COACH: Mike SullivanENTERED AHL: 1999-00CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 14 of 162014-15 RECORD: 45-24-3-4, 97 pts.WEBSITE: wbspenguins.com

BAKERSFIELD CONDORSNHL AFFILIATION: Edmonton OilersHOME ICE: Rabobank Arena (8,751)GENERAL MANAGER: Bill ScottHEAD COACH: Gerry FlemingENTERED AHL: 2015-16WEBSITE: bakersfield ondors.com

CHARLOTTE CHECKERSNHL AFFILIATION: Carolina HurricanesHOME ICE: Bojangles’ Coliseum (8,300)GENERAL MANAGER: Derek WilkinsonHEAD COACH: Mark MorrisENTERED AHL: 2010-11CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 52014-15 RECORD: 31-38-6-1, 69 pts.WEBSITE: gocheckers.com

CHICAGO WOLVESNHL AFFILIATION: St. Louis BluesHOME ICE: Allstate Arena (16,692)GENERAL MANAGER: Wendell YoungHEAD COACH: John AndersonENTERED AHL: 2001-02CALDER CUPS: Two (2002, 2008)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 10 of 142014-15 RECORD: 40-29-6-1, 87 pts.WEBSITE: chicagowolves.com

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINSNHL AFFILIATION: Detroit Red WingsHOME ICE: Van Andel Arena (10,834)GENERAL MANAGER: Ryan MartinHEAD COACH: Todd NelsonENTERED AHL: 2001-02CALDER CUPS: One (2013)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 9 of 142014-15 RECORD: 46-22-6-2, 100 pts.WEBSITE: griffinshock .com

IOWA WILDNHL AFFILIATION: Minnesota WildHOME ICE: Wells Fargo Arena (8,162)GENERAL MANAGER: Brent FlahrHEAD COACH: John TorchettiENTERED AHL: 2013-14CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 0 of 22014-15 RECORD: 23-49-2-2, 50 pts.WEBSITE: iowawild.com

LAKE ERIE MONSTERSNHL AFFILIATION: Columbus Blue JacketsHOME ICE: Quicken Loans Arena (19,665/10,025 lower bowl)GENERAL MANAGER: Bill ZitoHEAD COACH: Jared BednarENTERED AHL: 2007-08CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 82014-15 RECORD: 35-29-8-4, 82 pts.WEBSITE: lakeeriemonsters.com

MANITOBA MOOSENHL AFFILIATION: Winnipeg JetsHOME ICE: MTS Centre (8,812)GENERAL MANAGER: Craig HeisingerHEAD COACH: Keith McCambridgeENTERED AHL: 2001-02 (played through 2010-11; re-entered 2015-16)CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 9 of 10WEBSITE: moosehockey.com

BAKERSFIELD CONDORSPRIMARY MARK

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WESTERN CONFERENCECENTRAL DIVISION:

Grand Rapids, Charlotte, Chicago, Iowa, Lake Erie,

Manitoba, Milwaukee, Rockford

PACIFIC DIVISION: Bakersfiel , Ontario,

San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose, Stockton,

Texas

MANITOBA MOOSEPRIMARY MARK

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MANITOBA MOOSEPRIMARY MARK

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MILWAUKEE ADMIRALSNHL AFFILIATION: Nashville PredatorsHOME ICE: BMO Harris Bradley Center (17,845)GENERAL MANAGER: Paul FentonHEAD COACH: Dean EvasonENTERED AHL: 2001-02CALDER CUPS: One (2004)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 12 of 142014-15 RECORD: 33-28-8-7, 81 pts.WEBSITE: milwaukeeadmirals.com

ONTARIO REIGNNHL AFFILIATION: Los Angeles KingsHOME ICE: Citizens Business Bank Arena (9,491)GENERAL MANAGER: Rob BlakeHEAD COACH: Mike StothersENTERED AHL: 2015-16WEBSITE: ontarioreign.com

ROCKFORD ICEHOGSNHL AFFILIATION: Chicago BlackhawksHOME ICE: BMO Harris Bank Center (5,895)GENERAL MANAGER: Mark BernardHEAD COACH: Ted DentENTERED AHL: 2007-08CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 4 of 82014-15 RECORD: 46-23-5-2, 99 pts.WEBSITE: icehogs.com

SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGENHL AFFILIATION: Colorado AvalancheHOME ICE: AT&T Center (6,374, lower bowl)GENERAL MANAGER: Craig BillingtonHEAD COACH: Dean ChynowethENTERED AHL: 2002-03CALDER CUPS: NoneSEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 4 of 132014-15 RECORD: 45-23-7-1, 98 pts.WEBSITE: sarampage.com

SAN DIEGO GULLSNHL AFFILIATION: Anaheim DucksHOME ICE: Valley View Casino Center (12,920)GENERAL MANAGER: Bob FergusonHEAD COACH: Dallas EakinsENTERED AHL: 2015-16WEBSITE: sandiegogulls.com

SAN JOSE BARRACUDANHL AFFILIATION: San Jose SharksHOME ICE: SAP Center (8,000, curtained)GENERAL MANAGER: Joe WillHEAD COACH: Roy SommerENTERED AHL: 2015-16WEBSITE: sjbarracuda.com

STOCKTON HEATNHL AFFILIATION: Calgary FlamesHOME ICE: Stockton Arena (9,737)GENERAL MANAGER: Brad PascallHEAD COACH: Ryan HuskaENTERED AHL: 2015-16WEBSITE: stocktonheat.com

TEXAS STARSNHL AFFILIATION: Dallas StarsHOME ICE: Cedar Park Center (6,863)GENERAL MANAGER: Scott WhiteHEAD COACH: Derek LaxdalENTERED AHL: 2009-10CALDER CUPS: One (2014)SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 5 of 62014-15 RECORD: 40-22-13-1, 94 pts.WEBSITE: texasstarshockey.com

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALSPRIMARY MARK

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PANTONE 152 C 2015-16PROCESS BLACK WHITE

SAN DIEGO GULLSPRIMARY MARK

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5455 CWHITE

ONTARIO REIGNPRIMARY MARK

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STOCKTON HEATPRIMARY MARK

PANTONE186 C

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PROCESSBLACK

2015-16 PLAYOFF FORMATEight teams in each conference will qualify for the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs.

The top four teams in each division, ranked by points percentage (points earned divided by points available), will qualify for the postseason, with one possible exception in each conference. If the fi th-place team in the Atlantic or Central Division finishes with a better points percentage than the fourth-place team in the North or Pacific Division, espectively, it will cross over and compete in the other division’s bracket.

The division semifinals will be bes -of-fi e series; the division final , conference finals and alder Cup Finals will be best-of-seven series.

2 0 1 5 - 1 6 A H L D I R E C T O R Y 2 0 1 5 - 1 6 A H L D I R E C T O R Y

THE ROAD TO THE CALDER CUP

During the 2014-15 season, 24 of the 31 players who saw action with the Red Wings had previously worn a Griffins un orm. Those Grand

Rapids alumni are now guided by their new head coach, former Griffinbench boss Jeff Blashil , who tutored many of them during his remarkable

three-year tenure (2012-15) in Hockeytown West.

DETROIT RED WINGS

TOP AFFILIATE Grand Rapids Griffin

14th Season / Through 2016-1

ARENA Joe Louis Arena

Seating Capacity: 20,066

CONTACT (313) 394-7000

detroitredwings.com

STANLEY CUPS 1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952,

1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008

MANAGEMENT Executive VP/General Manager:

Ken Holland Assistant General Manager:

Ryan Martin

COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Jeff Blashil

Assistant Coaches: Tony Granato, Pat Ferschweiler,

Chris Chelios

Goaltending Coach: Jim Bedard

Video Coach: Dave Noel-Bernier

Strength and Conditioning Coach: Mike Kadar

RAISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

When it’s time, come to Comerica.

When was the last time you felt celebrated?

Proud Sponsor of the

MEMBER FDIC. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY LENDER.CBP-5151 08/15

CBP-5151 GRGriffins Ad-MM.pdf 1 8/26/15 4:41 PM

* 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).

During the 2014-15 season, 24 of the 31 players who saw action with the Red Wings had previously worn a Griffins un orm. Those Grand

Rapids alumni are now guided by their new head coach, former Griffinbench boss Jeff Blashil , who tutored many of them during his remarkable

three-year tenure (2012-15) in Hockeytown West.

DETROIT RED WINGS

TOP AFFILIATE Grand Rapids Griffin

14th Season / Through 2016-1

ARENA Joe Louis Arena

Seating Capacity: 20,066

CONTACT (313) 394-7000

detroitredwings.com

STANLEY CUPS 1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952,

1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008

MANAGEMENT Executive VP/General Manager:

Ken Holland Assistant General Manager:

Ryan Martin

COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Jeff Blashil

Assistant Coaches: Tony Granato, Pat Ferschweiler,

Chris Chelios

Goaltending Coach: Jim Bedard

Video Coach: Dave Noel-Bernier

Strength and Conditioning Coach: Mike Kadar

RAISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

When it’s time, come to Comerica.

When was the last time you felt celebrated?

Proud Sponsor of the

MEMBER FDIC. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY LENDER.CBP-5151 08/15

CBP-5151 GRGriffins Ad-MM.pdf 1 8/26/15 4:41 PM


GRIFFINS WHO HAVE EARNED THEIR WINGS

Justin Abdelkader, 2008-09Adam Almquist, 2013-14Joakim Andersson, 2011-12Andreas Athanasiou, 2015-16Sean Avery, 2002-03Ryan Barnes, 2003-04Patrick Boileau, 2002-03Darryl Bootland, 2003-04Fabian Brunnstrom, 2011-12Mitch Callahan, 2013-14Ty Conklin, 2011-12 Chris Conner, 2011-12Danny DeKeyser, 2013-14Aaron Downey, 2008-09Patrick Eaves, 2013-14Matt Ellis, 2006-07Cory Emmerton, 2010-11Jonathan Ericsson, 2007-08Landon Ferraro, 2013-14Valtteri Filppula, 2005-06Luke Glendening, 2013-14Mark Hartigan, 2007-08

Darren Helm, 2007-08Jimmy Howard, 2005-06Jiri Hudler, 2003-04Matt Hussey, 2006-07Doug Janik, 2009-10Tomas Jurco, 2013-14Jakub Kindl, 2009-10Tomas Kopecky, 2005-06Niklas Kronwall, 2003-04Marc Lamothe, 2003-04Josh Langfeld, 2006-07Dylan Larkin, 2015-16Brian Lashoff, 2012-1Brett Lebda, 2005-06Ville Leino, 2008-09Joey MacDonald, 2006-07Donald MacLean, 2005-06Alexey Marchenko, 2013-14Darren McCarty, 2007-08Tom McCollum, 2010-11Derek Meech, 2006-07Kevin Miller, 2003-04

Mark Mowers, 2003-04Petr Mrazek, 2012-13Jan Mursak, 2010-11Anders Myrvold, 2003-04Andrej Nestrasil, 2014-15Kris Newbury, 2009-10Gustav Nyquist, 2011-12Xavier Ouellet, 2013-14Teemu Pulkkinen, 2013-14Kyle Quincey, 2005-06Mattias Ritola, 2007-08Jamie Rivers, 2003-04Nathan Robinson, 2003-04Stacy Roest, 2002-03Riley Sheahan, 2011-12 Brendan Smith, 2011-12Ryan Sproul, 2013-14Garrett Stafford, 2007-0Tomas Tatar, 2010-11Jordin Tootoo, 2013-14Jason Williams, 2002-03

*


2015-16 GRIFFINS PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE

Dec. 19: Lego Night presented by Flagstar Bank/Anthony Mantha Blockhead Giveaway (kids 12 and under)/Skyline Jersey Auction

Dec. 31: 19th Annual New Year’s Eve

Celebration presented by Farm Bureau

Insurance/Post-Game Fireworks

Jan. 9: 20th Anniversary

Blanket Giveaway

presented by DTE Energy

Jan. 17: Bring Your Dog to the Game presented by Nestlé Purina/$1 Pepsi Drinks and $1 Ice Cream from 3-5 p.m.

Jan. 23: Youth Jersey Giveaway presented by Comerica Bank (kids 12 and under)/Fan-Designed Jersey Auction #1

Jan. 23-24: 14th Annual Great Skate Winterfest at Rosa Parks Circle

Jan. 27: 15th Annual Matinee Game presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (11 a.m. start)

Jan. 29: ‘80s Night

(continued on next page)

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!


$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 Griffi 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 griffinsho ey.com/dzone today! Fans can purchase a package of four or more D-ZONE tickets for any Friday night game, or customize their own ticket package with the D-Zone seven-game pack or purchase the 14-pack, which includes all Friday games this season.

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: Presented by Michigan First Credit Union, college students can show their ID at every Friday game to purchase an Upper Level ticket for $14 (or $13 in advance at The Zone). 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 select Wednesday home games, show your Griffin ticket at participating Arena District restaurants and bars to enjoy Hockey Night specials all night long. Hockey Night specials are available on Dec. 9, Feb. 17, March 2 and April 13. Visit griffinsho ey.com/hockeynight for participating establishments and more information.

Winning Wednesdays: Presented by Farm Bureau Insurance, every time the Griffin win at home on Wednesday, each fan in attendance will receive a free ticket to the next Wednesday game.

Fox Motors Fast Lane: An owner of a Fox Motors vehicle has the ability to bypass normal ticket lines on game nights by showing their keychain at the designated “Fox Motors Fast Lane” ticket window, located at Van Andel Arena’s main box office. Once presented, the keychain owner may purchase their tickets, subject to availability, at the window and proceed into the game.

Post-Game Parties at Peppino’s: After every Wednesday game, join Griffin players and staff for the officia post-game party at Peppino’s Sports Grille downtown.

Library Nights: For every Sunday and Wednesday game, 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 griffinsho ey.com/f4p or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2. New this season, fans may use their concession cash to purchase healthy choice menu options at the stand located outside of section 125, including low-fat yogurt, apples, oranges, granola bars and smoothies.

Popcorn Packs: Enjoy all of the popcorn you can eat with this special offer that includes four or more upper or lower level tickets and a Griffin popcorn bucket good for unlimited popcorn refills throughout the game. Popcorn packs are only available by calling 616-774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinsho ey.com/popcorn.

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 of the following games: Bookmark #1 – Dec. 9 and Jan. 17; Bookmark #2 – Feb. 17 and 28; March 2; and April 13.

Post-Game Open Skates: Dec. 31; Jan. 9; Feb. 27; March 12; and April 16.

Huntington Bank Post-Game Autograph Sessions: Jan. 9; Feb. 6 and 20; and March 26.

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 ext. 4.

J. Gardella’s Burger and Beer Special: Take your used Griffin ticket to J. Gardella’s Tavern to enjoy a burger and beer for $6. Refer to the back of your ticket for details.

Bagel on the Board: Whenever the Griffin “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.

Feb. 6: Teemu Pulkkinen Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union

Feb. 9: Griffi & Sled Wings Game at Griff ’s IceHouse

Feb. 19: Fifth Annual Purple Community Game presented by Van Andel Institute/Purple Jersey Auction

Feb. 20: Baseball Cap Giveaway presented by Option 1 Credit Union

Feb. 27: Tom McCollum Bobblehead Giveaway/Social Media Night presented by Michigan Office Solutions

Feb. 28: Pennant Giveaway presented by Centennial Securities/$1 Pepsi Drinks and $1 Ice Cream from 3-5 p.m.

March 2: Brain Injury Awareness Game presented by Brain Injury Association of Michigan

March 8: Corks, Pucks & Brews at the Goei Center, benefiting aster Seals Michigan

March 12: Star Wars Night presented by DTE Energy

March 26: Team Sock Giveaway/Superhero Night presented by Eikenhout Inc./Fan-Designed Jersey Auction #2

April 6: Griffins ooster Club Awards Banquet

April 16: Season Finale presented by Huntington Bank/20th Anniversary Jersey Auction

ALL PROMOTIONS AND DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT GRIFFINSHOCKEY .COM.

SEASON-LONG PROMOTIONS

Popcorn Packs: Enjoy all of the popcorn you can eat with this special offer that includes four or more upper or lower level tickets and a Griffin popcorn bucket good for unlimited popcorn refills throughout the game. Popcorn packs are only available by calling 616-774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinsho ey.com/popcorn.

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 of the following games: Bookmark #1 – Dec. 9 and Jan. 17; Bookmark #2 – Feb. 17 and 28; March 2; and April 13.

Post-Game Open Skates: Dec. 31; Jan. 9; Feb. 27; March 12; and April 16.

Huntington Bank Post-Game Autograph Sessions: Jan. 9; Feb. 6 and 20; and March 26.

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 ext. 4.

J. Gardella’s Burger and Beer Special: Take your used Griffin ticket to J. Gardella’s Tavern to enjoy a burger and beer for $6. Refer to the back of your ticket for details.

Bagel on the Board: Whenever the Griffin “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.

SEASON-LONG PROMOTIONS


MIND

MATTER

Tangradi signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings this past July.

OVER

“Ninety percent of this game is half mental.”– Yogi Berra Yogi Berra was talking about baseball when

he articulated the importance the mind plays in a game, but he could just as easily have been talking about hockey.

When a netminder is allowing too many bad goals or a skater is mired in a scoring slump, staying positive isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially when one’s confide ce is haunted by the specter of serial struggles.

For many players, the prescription is mind over matter: “If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” But the reality is that psychology is a powerful piece in the puzzle of every player’s performance. Dealing with the ups and downs of a professional career, players learn that the mental aspects of the sport can be almost as important as the physical parts.

Just ask Eric Tangradi. The Grand Rapids Griffins’ power forward knows the rollercoaster ride of professional hockey all too well.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Tangradi was a diehard Flyers fan. His bedroom included Eric Lindros and Keith Primeau jerseys and a Flyers “Legion of Doom” poster. In a city where hockey took a backseat to baseball and football,

he loved playing stick sports (lacrosse was another early passion).

When it came to ice hockey, Tangradi was actually a bit of a late bloomer.

“I was playing in a fl or hockey league at the YMCA when someone suggested to my dad that I should try roller blades,” said Tangradi, the son of a postal worker who was a carrier before bad knees forced him into a desk job.

“I played a couple of years of roller hockey before someone else suggested that he try me on skates. It was like someone was looking over us and telling us the direction that Eric Tangradi was supposed to go. Once I got on skates, I knew that hockey was what I wanted to do.”

“I played all kinds of sports, but hockey was the one thing that was different. I would play baseball, football and basketball with all the kids in the neighborhood, but we had to drive 30 minutes for me to play hockey. It was like this whole separate life where I played ice hockey with a whole new group of people.”

Tangradi was always the biggest kid in class, a little overweight until he hit his growth spurt in the ninth grade. “When I look at my minor hockey films, I see this big tree being chased around by a bunch of little guys,” he chuckled.


MIND

MATTER

Eric Tangradi is

thinking positively

about his

chances of

playing in the

NHL again.OVER


Born and raised in Philadelphia, Tangradi started his NHL career with the Pittsburgh Penguins.


When he was 16, his coach was Ed “Boxcar” Hospodar, a retired NHL defenseman who was an enforcer for the Flyers and New York Rangers, among other teams. “He asked me to name my favorite players and when I said Keith Primeau, he said, ‘That’s your guy. Be like him,’ which meant playing a north-south game, being physical and strong on the puck.”

So Tangradi wore No. 25, which was Primeau’s number with the Flyers, when he played junior hockey in Belleville, Ontario, after spending a year at Wyoming Seminary Prep School in Kingston, Pa. In juniors, he became close with P.K. Subban, the future Montreal Canadiens defensemen. Both had been chosen in the same round of the OHL draft nd Tangradi was taken one pick (42nd overall) ahead of Subban in the second round of the 2007 NHL draft

“Our relationship grew stronger over the years, from two kids just trying to have some fun to him playing in the World Juniors for Canada and me for the U.S.,” Tangradi said. “We learned a lot from each other. It seemed like he did well, I did well, and then we got to the NHL level and he just took off”

Tangradi was traded before he ever played a game in the NHL. On Feb. 26, 2009, he was dealt along with Anaheim Ducks forward Chris Kunitz to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Ryan Whitney.

All of a sudden, Tangradi had to change his thinking.

“It was my fi st taste of the business,” he said. “Growing up in Philly in a family of diehard Flyer fans, getting traded to the Penguins was like being pushed across the state to the enemy,” he said. “I knew people who would only wear Penguins shirts under their Flyer jerseys while I played there.”

As a top prospect, Tangradi was expected to eventually develop into a linemate to Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, but he struggled in several auditions with the Penguins, tallying one goal and four assists in 45 games spread over four seasons.

“I think the hardest part was being a young kid and learning how to deal with the media,” he said. “Before you even show up to the rink, you have people writing articles about how you’re going to be the next Kevin Stevens or the next linemate to Sidney Crosby. When handled the right way, that might give you confide ce, but as a 21-year-old

kid on his own without proper guidance, it was very tough on me.”

Tangradi made the Penguins’ roster out of training camp at the beginning of the 2010-11 season but saw his minutes dwindle before he was eventually sent back to Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

“The Penguins still had a win-now mentality and there wasn’t a whole lot of patience for a young guy,” he said. “One of the closest guys in age to me was Crosby, and he was not somebody who you could knock on his hotel room door and say, ‘Hey, can I get some advice?’ Not to fi d excuses, but it was very, very tough, and I think I wasn’t the strongest mentally at the time.”

Tangradi admits that he may have been thinking too much.

“I would go to the rink, practice and go back to my hotel room. What else was there to do? I didn’t really have anybody to talk to or vent to, so you sit in the room and you do a lot of thinking, way too much thinking,” he said. “Nobody’s going to be perfect in this league, but if you beat yourself up over the little things, it defin tely compounds over time and it can be a tough way to play.”

On Feb. 13, 2013, Pittsburgh sent their former top prospect to the Winnipeg Jets for a seventh-round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. or Tangradi, it was an opportunity for a fresh start.

“In Winnipeg, I got to play a lot of minutes and I did a lot of good things,” said Tangradi, who played 91 games during the two seasons with the Jets. “Playing on the fourth line, I was able to chip in a few points, get into a few scraps and play my role.”

Being relegated to the fourth line allowed Tangradi to do what he does best.

“What I learned over the years is that when you press to put points or stats on the scoresheet, it never comes,” he said. “When I was on the fourth line, I played some of my best hockey because there was no pressure to do those things.”

Winnipeg was good for Tangradi’s confide ce but not so good for his car. Winters in Winnipeg are harsh and Tangradi wrecked his car on icy roads and was dismayed when his car battery died three times in one season. “I remember a news story that said Winnipeg was colder than Mars,” he said. “It reached like minus-51 degrees. It was something I had never experienced, that’s for sure.”


Every game is a big game.

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At Blue Cross, we help teach kids the importance of eating healthy and staying active so they develop good habits that last, season after season.

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But a coaching change in Winnipeg ended Tangradi’s time in Manitoba and got him thinking again. Was he doing something wrong? “I wished things had worked out in Pittsburgh and I wished things had worked out in Winnipeg, but I decided to turn the page.”

He decided he needed to change something. “I got to play a lot of minutes in Winnipeg, but I just couldn’t fi d the back of the net. I did a lot of good things and I was able to earn a two-year contract and show that I could be a stable NHL player in the lineup. I felt like things were starting to add up and then – boom! – I was the odd man out.”

After talking with his agent and a number of former coaches, Tangradi decided to start seeing a sports psychiatrist. “My play wasn’t suffering for a lack of effort on the ice or hard work in the gym,” he said. “The mental aspect of the game is the one thing that I never really dialed into.

“We spend five nights a week pumping iron, running stairs, and practicing, but as hockey players, we don’t do the proper things to train our brains. After Pittsburgh and Winnipeg, I felt it was something that I needed to focus on and so I’ve really started to hammer on it the last two years.”

Tangradi believes the sessions have been therapeutic. “Th s game is so crazy that it’s not easy to be focused and stay on the right path,” he said. “The highs and lows are huge and if I miss a couple of weeks, I can feel myself slowly getting off- rack. It’s all about staying positive and staying on task in terms of what’s important.”

In Tangradi’s mind, it’s about keeping things simple – and fun. “You try to create a big picture in your mind of why you’re playing hockey,” he said. “Th s sport means so much more than putting on your gear and scoring goals. It goes back to the beginning – to your family, your parents, your faith. It’s about keeping everything in perspective. It humbles me and, at the same time, it motivates me.”

He has learned not to sweat the small stuff.“There is no conscious thought of good or bad.

You’re just going. Now that I’ve worked with a sports psychologist, I think I’ve gotten the mental

aspect of my game where it needs to be. It’s called being in the zone, and that zone is about trying to relax and doing what you’re good at.”

Winnipeg traded Tangradi to Montreal on Oct. 5, 2014, in exchange for Peter Budaj and Patrick Holland. Tangradi spent most of last season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, although he saw action in seven games with the NHL’s Canadiens.

“It was very special playing for a historic organization like Montreal,” he said. “Putting on that sweater and playing in front of that crowd, it’s one of those moments that I’ll remember for a long time. But in the end, it was one of those things. Getting another chance back in the NHL, I might have put too much pressure on myself and I wasn’t able to establish my game.”

Given the chance to sign with the Red Wings this past summer, Tangradi jumped at the offer. “I wanted to go to a place where winning is just the DNA of the organization,” he said. “When the opportunity to come to Detroit presented itself, it was a no-brainer.”

Tangradi had actually given thought to going to Europe to play. “I had plenty of opportunities to go to Europe and give this whole thing up,” he said. “But when I looked into the mirror, I saw that I truly believed I could play in the NHL. At 26, I’m not too old and I think I have what it takes to play there. I came here because I wanted another crack.”

He admits that he was a bit dismayed by the Griffins’ slow start this season.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t struggling with us being 1-7. You start questioning yourself,” he said. “You just have to refocus and pay attention to the little things and know that everything will be OK.”

Tangradi contends that the Griffins’ early season struggles are proof that games are won on the ice and not on paper.

“Just having a strong roster on the board doesn’t guarantee you’re going to have success, especially in the AHL,” he said. “Th s is the league where hard work wins more games than it loses. In the NHL, you can get away with skill a little more because the talent there is so amazing. In

“If we focus on hard work and determination first, the talent and all of the other things will take care of themselves. The

sky’s the limit for this team...”- Eric Tangradi


Every game is a big game.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofi t corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

At Blue Cross, we help teach kids the importance of eating healthy and staying active so they develop good habits that last, season after season.

GROUP HEALTH PLANS | INDIVIDUAL PLANS | DENTAL | VISION | BCBSM.COM

#MIKIDSCAN

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Your ImageOur Quest

At 6-foot-4 and 233 pounds, Tangradi is the epitome of a power forward.


Anywhere, Anytime, Anyplace. We’re there for you!

the AHL, it often comes down to who has a little more heart, will and determination.”

Tangradi remains confide t that the Griffins will fi d their destiny.

“If we focus on hard work and determination fi st, the talent and all of the other things will take care of themselves. The sky’s the limit for this team,” he said, just before the Griffins earned points in five of six games (4-1-0-1) and posted three straight wins against Western Conference powers.

As for himself, Tangradi resolves to strengthen his standing as a potential net presence for the Red Wings. “It’s too narrow to say ‘power forward’ only. I think I can be a net-front force who can play in every situation and who can carry a team at the right time.

“I want the coaches to know what they’re going to get out of me every night. I’m playing an in-your-face style, I’m fin shing every check, I’m showing offensive tools where I can make plays and I’m creating space for the other guys. I want to be that physical force who can open up the ice for the skilled guys, maybe tilt the ice a little bit. I want to be a game-changer.”

All in all, life is good for Tangradi, a dog lover

who owns a boxer named Carson in honor of the street in Pittsburgh where he met his wife, Caitlyn Hess.

A Penn State graduate with a knack for fashion, Caitlyn started SCHEÉ (pronounced SHE-ay), a shoe company with a philanthropic twist where a percentage of each sale goes to a charity. “She’s doing well enough to stay afl at, which is all we can ask at this point, while supporting causes like autism, breast cancer and cystic fibrosis,” Tangradi said.

With its altruistic angle, SCHEE takes nothing for granted – an attitude that Tangradi fully embraces. “You have to come to the rink every day with that mentality,” he said. “The guy next to you is someone who is trying to take your job. You have to come to the rink and do everything possible to prove you deserve to play.”

In the end, if Tangradi doesn’t play in the NHL again, he believes he will have nobody else to blame.

“What I have learned about this business is that it’s the guys who are going to give the team the best chance to win who get to play in the NHL,” he said. “You have to do something that makes you stand out as an everyday NHL player. It’s entirely up to you.”


Scanning the names on the Griffins’ all-time roster, you’ll come across a number of players who didn’t hesitate to defend their teammates by dropping their gloves or using their physical presence to change the tone of a game.

Bruce Ramsay, Matt Ruchty, Chris Neil, Wade Brookbank and Darryl Bootland are just a few of the tough guys who would roam the ice, dispensing justice in their efforts to enforce the rules and maintain the integrity of the game. They were working-class superheroes who were popular among teammates and fans alike.

There was a time when players of their ilk were known as enforcers or, less favorably, as goons, but there was never any debate that they were prized for their aggressive style of play and their willingness to use their checking abilities or fists to their advantage.

Some came to the task more naturally than others, but all were eager to do whatever it took to make a difference on the ice.

The Griffins have had their share of scrappers and fi hters over their 20 seasons.

Story by Mark Newman

Phot

o: J

im H

ill

Probably the toughest team in the 20 seasons of Griffins hockey was the fi st. But curiously, it didn’t start that way.

Grand Rapids’ inaugural 1996-97 season opened with feisty defenseman Darcy Simon patrolling the blueline, but head coach Dave Allison called for reinforcements when a particularly scrappy San Antonio team took liberties against the expansion Griffins not once but twice.

Griffins general manager Bob McNamara secured the service of Bruce Ramsay on Nov. 5, 1996, then added Matt Ruchty a week later.

“San Antonio had a rough-and-tumble team and they came into town and beat up the Griffins pretty good. Everybody knew Davey Allison’s reputation as a player and a coach and that it was something he wasn’t going to stand for,” Ramsay recalled.

Although he was only 6-foot and 180 pounds, Ramsay was about as tough as they came. “He was, pound for pound, probably one of the toughest guys I ever played with,” said Ruchty, who played more than a decade professionally. “Don’t let anyone tell you that he wasn’t a good fi hter. He had no fear.”

Ramsay led the International Hockey League in fi hting majors with 34 during 1996-97, then fin shed second the following season with 32. He never backed away from a fi ht. “It’s just like anything – if you want to be good at something, you want to be the best,” Ramsay said. “I always wanted to prove that I was one of the toughest and best fi hters in the league.”

He admits that fi hting was a tough way to make a living.

“Once you earn a reputation, you look at the roster of the other team and know you might have to go against their toughest players. In my case, they were usually a lot bigger and stronger, but I never backed down from the challenge,” Ramsay said.

“It’s not only difficult physically, but it’s hard on your mind, too. You know you’re going into a battle where you might not come out unscathed. I defin tely won more fi hts than I lost, but when I lost, the repercussions often weren’t pretty. I remember getting taken out of the building once on a stretcher because of a fi ht. Every hockey player known to drop his gloves usually has that fear of getting hurt.”

Ruchty, by contrast, was hardly a one-dimensional player. As a member of the 1994-95 Calder Cup-winning Albany River Rats, Ruchty tallied 26 goals and 23 assists while collecting 348 penalty minutes. He reached double figu es in goals during five of his 10 full pro seasons.

“Growing up and in college, I never envisioned myself as that type of player, but with my style of play, it was inevitable,” Ruchty said. “I was very physical. I played the body. Hitting was a big part of my game and that evolved into me getting into fi hting. When you get into altercations, you have to drop the gloves.”

“I played with some guys who just wanted to fi ht, but I wanted to play the game. I wanted to


“You know you’re going into a battle where you might not come out unscathed. I defin tely won more fi hts than I lost, but when I lost, the repercussions often weren’t pretty.” - Bruce Ramsay

Bruce Ramsay

Story by Mark Newman

Phot

o: J

im H

ill


bring a little more to the table.”Like Ramsay, Ruchty admits that it isn’t easy to

carry the burden of being a tough guy. “It wears on you mentally because when you get into a fi ht, you can win, you can lose. I was very fortunate that I never broke any bones. I still have all my teeth. It’s not an easy thing to do.”

Ruchty agrees that the fi st Griffins team was a tough bunch. Besides Ramsay, Simon and himself, the roster included Ben Hankinson and Jamie Linden, who also weren’t afraid to drop the gloves. Without a clear pecking order, it often was a case of “fi st come, fi st served,” Ruchty said.

Chris Neil was probably the Griffins’ fi st bonafide eavyweight. He came into the IHL during the 1999-2000 campaign after breaking into the pros with the Muskegon Fury during the playoffs he previous season.

With three older brothers, Neil already knew what it meant to stand up for himself. Now he was eager to stand up for his teammates.

“I was a skilled player in juniors and put up some points, but I knew I had to change my role to make it in the pros,” Neil said. “I wanted to play in the NHL so bad and I knew I had to do something

to make myself stand out from other guys.“I knew I wasn’t going to make it as a top-two

line guy because there were already so many guys who were really good players. I saw a lot of good players get lost in the shuffle, so I knew I had to do something different. That’s what I did, and 16 years later, I’m still going at it.”

Neil, who recorded 301 and 354 PIM in consecutive seasons in Grand Rapids, currently ranks in the all-time top 30 for NHL penalty minutes, having played more than 900 games with the Ottawa Senators during his 14-year NHL career. He has fond memories of playing with the Griffins.

“Grand Rapids had an older group of guys when I came into the league, which really helped me,” he said. “Guys like Ed Patterson, Derek King, the Miller brothers (Kevin, Kip and Kelly), Travis Richards and Danton Cole took me under their wing and just showed me the ropes. Hockey is a game and it’s fun, but you’ve obviously got to work at it as well. Those guys were all good examples for me in terms of role models for having the proper work ethic.”

During his two seasons with the Griffins, Neil had 50 fi hting majors, none more memorable

Matt Ruchty

Chris Neil

than the one he received for his toe-to-toe tussle with Mel Angelstad on Dec. 29, 1999. He bloodied the head of the K-Wings enforcer, which boosted the price that his own blood-stained jersey got in an auction later that night.

“Playing in Grand Rapids was a part of my life I’ll never forget,” Neil said. “I’ve kept the scrapbooks that the Griffins boosters club put together for me, and my Griffins jersey still hangs in the sports bar in my basement.”

The city was also integral to the career of Wade Brookbank, who was assessed 337 penalty minutes during the 2001-02 season when he was still a 24-year-old prospect trying to make a name for himself.

Brookbank led the league in fi hting majors that year with 38, which was nearly double the rest of his team combined. There were other tough players on the team, but Brookbank was nearly a one-man show during his third professional season.

“I was the young guy coming up and wanting to do it,” Brookbank said. “I got to play quite a bit under Bruce Cassidy and Gene Reilly, and we had a very good team that year. We had a very good defense, too. I wasn’t the best defenseman, but when you play with five other good defensemen,

it’s easier to get out there more often because they’re so good. They could hide my mistakes and carry me a little bit.

“It worked out for me because I made a name for myself fi hting in the AHL, and it gave me an opportunity to play in the NHL.”

Brookbank was a young kid from Saskatchewan, the middle of three brothers. “We were all into hockey,” said Brookbank, whose older brother Leigh reached major junior hockey while younger brother Sheldon – a teammate of Wade’s for six games during that 2001-02 Griffins season – played nine seasons in the NHL. “We liked scoring goals, we liked body checks, and we liked fi hting. I just happened to be better at fi hting.”

Besides his brothers, Brookbank credits a former Griffins defenseman, Dean Trboyevich,


“I saw a lot of good players get lost in the shuffle, so I knew I had to do something different. That’s what I did, and 16 years later, I’m still going at it.”- Chris Neil

Wade Brookbank

Darryl Bootland


with being helpful to his development as a fi hter. Trboyevich, who played in Grand Rapids during the Griffins’ fi st two seasons, was a teammate during Brookbank’s fi st full season in the West Coast Hockey League.

“I played with him when I was 21, coming up with the Anchorage Aces,” Brookbank said. “He was a tough, older defenseman, and he went out of his way to show me the ropes of how to fi ht, when to do it and how to defend myself.”

Brookbank eventually played 127 games in the NHL, making appearances with Nashville, Vancouver, Boston and Carolina spread over five different seasons, but he looks back at his year in Grand Rapids as the one that set his career in motion.

“It was defin tely one of my better fi hting years,” Brookbank said. “It did a lot for my reputation. After that, I bounced around the NHL a lot. I couldn’t stick up there – the game’s a little too fast and too skilled for me – but I gave it a shot. In my mind, it was defin tely the year that springboarded me to the NHL.”

Darryl Bootland also has fond memories of playing with the Griffins. Now in his 14th season and playing in the ECHL at age of 34, Bootland started his pro career in Grand Rapids, where he played for five seasons and became the team’s all-time penalty minute leader with 1,164.

“I’ve always been a fi hter. I enjoyed it from day one,” said Bootland, who “blames” his older brother Nick and a friend for getting him started while playing pond hockey. “I never did anything like that on the streets, but I saved it for the ice.”

Always an agitator, Bootland was often eager to drop the gloves and fi ht.

“It didn’t matter who you were or what you were doing, it was time to go,” Bootland said. “At that point, I was trying to get to the next level. I was one step away, so I was fi hting for a job, fi hting for a career. When you’re younger, you’re willing to fi ht anyone and everybody.”

One of his mentors in Grand Rapids was veteran enforcer Peter Vandermeer, who collected 310 penalty minutes with the Griffins during the 2004-05 season. “To learn from someone who had been doing it for almost 10 years, it was amazing how much I could learn,” Bootland said. “He was probably one of the most influential guys in my whole career. I can’t thank that guy enough.”

Bootland proved he was hardly a one-hit wonder. During the 2005-06 season, he registered 27 goals and 29 assists in 77 games while amassing 26 fi hting majors and a franchise-record 390 penalty minutes.

“Playing with Tomas Kopecky and Valtteri Filppula, it was pretty easy to score 27 goals – I probably should have had 50 that year,” Bootland said. “I probably got a contract a couple of times later in my career just because of that year.”

Like many tough guys, Bootland said he probably has fought less as he’s gotten older, although it’s not always easy. “You get young guys coming up, wanting to make a reputation for themselves and they know right where to go,” he said. “I’d like to say not many want to come my way, but it happens once in a while.”

Not that Bootland minds taking a break from fi hting.

“My body has defin tely taken a toll,” Bootland said. “I’ve played the same game the same way since I was 16 years old. I defin tely feel the aches and pains a little longer now, but it’s something I’ll never be able to take out of my game.”

Brookbank, who is now a pro scout with the Chicago Blackhawks after retiring in 2014, said he fought fewer times late in his career.

“After 10 or 15 years, you lose a little bit of your edge,” Brookbank said. “Not everybody does, but I defin tely did. I wouldn’t say I tired of it, I just didn’t go looking for it as much, but I still took care of it when something happened.”

In general, fisticuffs re a lot less frequent these days, as leagues are doing what they can to legislate fi hting out of the game. In his opinion, Brookbank said he thinks that’s not necessarily a bad idea.

“When you break down fi hting and put it on paper, it sounds barbaric and ridiculous,” he said. “I’m fi e with getting rid of that part of the game where you have tough guys fi hting for no reason. I don’t think you can make a case for it,

“You get young guys coming up, wanting to make a reputation for themselves and they know right where to go.” - Darryl Bootland

Peter Vandermeer


One of his mentors in Grand Rapids was veteran enforcer Peter Vandermeer, who collected 310 penalty minutes with the Griffins during the 2004-05 season. “To learn from someone who had been doing it for almost 10 years, it was amazing how much I could learn,” Bootland said. “He was probably one of the most influential guys in my whole career. I can’t thank that guy enough.”

Bootland proved he was hardly a one-hit wonder. During the 2005-06 season, he registered 27 goals and 29 assists in 77 games while amassing 26 fi hting majors and a franchise-record 390 penalty minutes.

“Playing with Tomas Kopecky and Valtteri Filppula, it was pretty easy to score 27 goals – I probably should have had 50 that year,” Bootland said. “I probably got a contract a couple of times later in my career just because of that year.”

Like many tough guys, Bootland said he probably has fought less as he’s gotten older, although it’s not always easy. “You get young guys coming up, wanting to make a reputation for themselves and they know right where to go,” he said. “I’d like to say not many want to come my way, but it happens once in a while.”

Not that Bootland minds taking a break from fi hting.

“My body has defin tely taken a toll,” Bootland said. “I’ve played the same game the same way since I was 16 years old. I defin tely feel the aches and pains a little longer now, but it’s something I’ll never be able to take out of my game.”

Brookbank, who is now a pro scout with the Chicago Blackhawks after retiring in 2014, said he fought fewer times late in his career.

“After 10 or 15 years, you lose a little bit of your edge,” Brookbank said. “Not everybody does, but I defin tely did. I wouldn’t say I tired of it, I just didn’t go looking for it as much, but I still took care of it when something happened.”

In general, fisticuffs re a lot less frequent these days, as leagues are doing what they can to legislate fi hting out of the game. In his opinion, Brookbank said he thinks that’s not necessarily a bad idea.

“When you break down fi hting and put it on paper, it sounds barbaric and ridiculous,” he said. “I’m fi e with getting rid of that part of the game where you have tough guys fi hting for no reason. I don’t think you can make a case for it,

especially in this day and age.”Neil may be the last of a dying breed. He is

only one of two active players among the NHL’s top 100 all-time penalty minute leaders. The only other player, Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, is at No. 97, nearly 900 PIM behind Neil, who is currently in the 29th slot.

“I’ve been vocal about (being against) staged fi hting because I’m not a big fan of it,” Neil said. “I’m not saying I haven’t done it, I’m just not a fan. Sometimes you’re battling in front of the net and you look into the other guy’s eyes and you know you’re going. That’s the way I like to do it.

“I take pride in being able to get under the skin of the other team. I’m a guy who likes to go out and create a spark for my team, whether it’s

“In general, fisticuffs re a lot less frequent these days, as leagues are doing what they can to legislate fi hting out of the game.” - Wade Brookbank

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a hit or you’re battling in front of the net. When the intensity level is high, that’s when you see your best fi hts.

“I look back fondly on the days of old school hockey. Bob Probert was a prime example of a guy who could play the game and make something happen, whether it was going out and scoring a goal, making a hit or getting into a fi ht. I think there’s still room in the game for it because it’s an exciting part of the game and fans still love to see it.”

Ruchty is another person who doesn’t believe fi hting should ever completely disappear from the sport.

“If anybody says that people don’t like fi hting, just watch how the crowd reacts when there’s a fi ht,” Ruchty said. “Everybody stands up and the crowd cheers, even more so than for a goal in certain circumstances. The crowd loves it.”

Even so, he admits the times have changed.

“It’s a different era,” Ruchty said. “The game is different now. I think it’s changed for the good in terms of entertainment value. Guys today are so big and fast and skilled. But there’s no fear factor anymore. I don’t

know if that’s better or worse, but it’s changed.”Neil hopes it doesn’t change too much more.

He would like to play one more season, which would likely allow him to top 1,000 games played for his NHL career.

“I’ve been very blessed and fortunate to be with the Ottawa organization for so long,” he said. “After being drafted by the Senators in the late rounds, I was a long shot to make it, but I worked hard and I think they appreciated it.

“Making it to 1,000 games would be cool. Obviously that’s a milestone I would like to reach,” Neil said. “We’ll see how it goes. I still feel good. Playing with a lot of young guys, I feel like I’m 25. I feel like I have lots left in he tank.”

“I take pride in being able to get under the skin of the other team. I’m a guy who likes to go out and create a spark for my team, whether it’s a hit or you’re battling in front of the net.”

- Chris Neil


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42 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 42 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS

Bruce Ramsay had every intention of becoming a teacher.

He had just fin shed his university degree when he got an opportunity in 1994 to try out for the Prince Edward Island Senators, the American Hockey League team affiliated with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.

Ramsay had played three seasons for Thunder Bay in the Colonial Hockey League, a lower-level circuit where he made a living dropping his gloves, twice collecting 313 penalty minutes in a single season. He didn’t know the head coach, Dave Allison, but he did his best to impress the new boss behind the bench.

“I did what I did best in training camp,” Ramsay said. Fighting for a roster spot, he took the the challenge quite literally. He knew opportunities to play at a higher level didn’t come around that often, so he knuckled down and worked hard to get noticed.

Ramsay didn’t earn a roster spot out of camp, but he was eventually called up to play a couple of games for the 1994-95 Senators team that included no less than seven players who would one day play for the Grand Rapids Griffins.

One look at the scoresheet seemingly told you everything you needed to know about Ramsay. He amassed 462 penalty minutes in 62 games for the Thunder Bay Senators during the 1994-95 season, when he added 14 goals and 29 assists, impressive totals given the amount of time he was spending in the sin bin.

Ramsay had 400 penalty minutes in 56 games with Thunder Bay the following season, when he also appeared in three games in the International Hockey League with the Milwaukee Admirals. He was not one to sit quietly, waiting for opportunities to come. Th s was not a man sitting on his hands.

He quickly earned a reputation as a standup guy, an energetic enforcer who was eager to defend his teammates without hesitation or fear. At age 26, he became a player-assistant coach in Thunder Bay when he received another call from Allison.

Allison had become the new head coach of the expansion team in Grand Rapids, and he had taken issue with the fact that San Antonio Dragons had taken liberties with his Griffins squad not once but twice during the fi st month

Ramsay brings 11 seasons of head coaching experience to his job as an

assistant with the Griffi .

TRUSTED ADVISORBruce Ramsay is excited to be working alongside his former teammate and coaching buddy, Todd Nelson.

Story and photos by Mark Newman


of the team’s inaugural 1996-97 season.“He persuaded me to come here for a couple

of games to see what it was like and I took advantage of the opportunity,” Ramsay said. “A two-week tryout turned into three years with the Griffins and the opportunity to meet my wife, Jennifer.”

Two decades later, Ramsay is back in Grand Rapids as an assistant coach to former teammate Todd Nelson. Even though he retired as a player long ago, Ramsay, now the father of two children, Natalie, 14, and Reid, 11, remains as competitive as ever.

“I’ve probably settled down a bit from my playing days, but I still have that energy and fi e,” he said. “When I played, there was never any question that I wanted to win more than anyone else. That’s always been my approach.”

Ramsay was a rugged competitor whose toughness was unmatched. More than one teammate has proclaimed that Ramsay was, pound for pound, the toughest guy they knew, and it was hardly a surprise when he signed a contract with the St. Louis Blues following his fi st season in Grand Rapids.

It gave him his fi st and only taste of an NHL training camp.

“It was an incredible thrill, especially when you consider the players who were there at the time: Brett Hull, Adam Oates, Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis, Steve Duchesne, Grant Fuhr and the list goes on. It was especially cool for me because Pronger was from my hometown, Dryden, Ontario, and even used to date my sister.”

The Blues’ roster also included Pavol Demitra, whom Ramsay had befriended the prior year because both of their careers went back to Prince Edward Island. “We got tattoos together with Matt Ruchty,” he recalled. “I got a ram and he got a bulldog.”

Ramsay was assigned by St. Louis to Worcester (AHL) after the camp, but he never played there as the Griffins bought out his contract so he could return to Grand Rapids. “I thought I had a real good training camp, but there were 70-plus players there and I was a little older, so I don’t think I fit into St. Louis’ plans.”

After playing two more seasons with the Griffins – for whom his 781 penalty minutes still rank second all time – Ramsay departed to become a player-assistant coach for Allison in

Fort Wayne during the 1999-2000 season. He played a year in the Central Hockey League with the Wichita Thunder before fin shing his playing career in Muskegon.

Ramsay and Todd Nelson were serving as player-assistant coaches under Danton Cole in 2001-02 when the Muskegon Fury captured the Colonial Cup as UHL champs. “There’s no better feeling after working so hard for a whole season than experiencing the results of being the best in the league,” he said.

Although Ramsay and Nelson became close that season, their bond had been forged much earlier.

“When I got called up to the Griffins, my fi st game was in Quebec City and my roommate was Todd Nelson,” he recalled. “Right from the beginning, we hit it off. We stayed close through the years, and after Nellie got the head coaching position in Muskegon, he relied heavily on me to help him out.”

In 2002-03, Ramsay had left he UHL to accept his fi st head coaching position in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, but he returned to lead the Port Huron Beacons through the 2003-04 campaign.

Nelson, meanwhile, led the Fury to back-to-back UHL titles in 2004 and 2005 before losing out in the second round in 2006. When Nelson left o become an assistant coach with the Chicago Wolves, he recommended Ramsay to be his successor.

Ramsay was the head coach in Muskegon for three seasons before taking the head coaching position with the CHL’s Tulsa Oilers in 2009-10, one year before Nelson became the head coach of the Oklahoma City Barons.

All told, Ramsay coached six years in Tulsa, giving him a total of 11 seasons of head coaching experience at the AA level.

“When you’re the head coach and director of hockey operations at that level, you’re in charge of recruiting, immigration, housing, scheduling… basically every aspect that falls under running a team,” he said. “It was a very hands-on experience.”

For the past five seasons, Ramsay and Nelson were the only two professional hockey coaches in Oklahoma.

“We were only 90 minutes away, so I’d visit him sometimes in Oklahoma City and he’d come

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fish with me in the summertime,” Ramsay said. “I loved Tulsa, a great city with friendly people. It was really hot in the summer, but the winters were nice.”

When Nelson succeeded Jeff lashill to become the 10th head coach in Griffins history, Ramsay got the offer to join his old teammate and coaching buddy in Grand Rapids. He didn’t hesitate before saying yes.

“Nellie is an intelligent coach who understands the game extremely well,” Ramsay said. “He knows how to motivate players to strive to be their best. And, like I do, he believes in having a healthy locker room where guys want to play for the guy beside them, where the whole team is working for each other.”

Ramsay was thrilled to be given the opportunity to not only rejoin the Griffins but also to work with the Red Wings organization.

“I think 24 straight seasons in the playoff says everything about the standards that are set in Detroit,” he said. “Developing players is their specialty and I’m excited that I’m now going to be part of that process. As a coach, you want to work with the best players you can, and I now get to work with future NHLers. That’s really exciting.”

MR. POSITIVEGriffins assistant coach emains thrilled

to have found a career in hockey.Story and photos by Mark Newman

Ramsay played three seasons with the Griffi , from 1996 to 1999.

Ben Simon counts his blessings every day.Making a career in hockey is something

that he never imagined when he was young. “I didn’t really play year-round,” he said. “I played baseball with the same group of friends, and in the summer we were on our bikes, cruising the neighborhood. We were just hanging out with our buddies. It wasn’t hockey, hockey, hockey, like it is now.”

But Simon played hockey every year, through mite, squirt and pee wee, until he played Junior-A hockey for the Cleveland Barons. He tried out and played for Team USA in a tournament in Japan and soon found himself on the radar of a number of colleges.

He made five offi al campus visits before choosing Notre Dame, drawn by the allure of being in the fi st recruiting class of head coach Dave Poulin, a 13-year NHL veteran who had played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.

“It’s a football school, no question, but there’s a mystique about Notre Dame,” Simon said.

Simon is in his first season as an assista t coach under Griffins head oach Todd Nelson.

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“Everybody thinks there’s a mystique about their alma mater, but there’s something about that school that makes it quite the experience. The tradition of athletics and academics made a win-win situation.”

Simon not only earned a degree in sociology, but he also met his wife there. Beth Cooper was a Kalamazoo Central High graduate who was a member of the women’s golf team at Notre Dame.

“You talk about what the game of hockey can do for you. I was a kid from Cleveland who played a game because my brothers played it and had fun doing it and all of a sudden I get a scholarship to a great academic institution, I meet my wife, have kids, travel to different countries, get the job I have now – all because of chasing a stupid puck.

“It’s funny what a game can do for your life.”The job Simon now has is being an assistant

coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins, a position for which the seeds of success were sown many years earlier.

Drafted in the fi h round (110th overall) in 1997 by the Chicago Blackhawks, Simon saw his rights traded to the Atlanta Thr shers (“for a

bag of pucks,” he jokes) before he ever played a game professionally. He was a winner right from the start, capturing championships in his fi st two pro seasons. On both occasions, his team defeated the Griffins during its playoff un.

In 2000-01, he was a member of the Turner Cup-winning Orlando Solar Bears, a team that was led by Todd Richards, Mark Beaufait and Jarrod Skalde. (The roster included several players – Hugo Boisvert, Bryan Adams, Yves ramSarault, Wade Brookbank and David Gove – familiar to Griffins fans).

“We had 10 or 11 rookies – it was a young group of guys who were enthusiastic about coming to the rink every day,” he said. “You may not remember all the wins and loses, but you remember the people and the times you went through together as a team and the fun you had at the rink.”

In 2001-02, Simon won a Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves, a team led by Steve Maltais, J.P. Vigier, Cory Larose and goaltender Kari Lehtonen. He also saw his fi st NHL action, appearing in six games with the Thr shers. “Once you get a taste, you want more,” he said.

After another season split between Chicago


and Atlanta, Simon signed a contract with the Nashville Predators. But his 2003-04 season began on a sour note when a former teammate, Dan Snyder, died in a tragic car accident.

“He was one of my best friends and any time you lose a friend, it’s tough,” he said. “I was struggling because I felt like I wanted nothing to do with hockey.”

Playing for the Milwaukee Admirals, Simon returned from a two-week road trip to learn he had been traded back to Atlanta. He spent the rest of the season in the NHL. He scored three goals in 52 games as the fourth-line center of the Thr shers.

“What came out of that whole experience is that you can’t take anything for granted,” he said. “Come to the rink every day, have fun. Every day is a chance to get better. Every day presents an opportunity to embrace the challenge. I really took those things to heart. The game of hockey has a funny way of teaching you life lessons.”

During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Simon was back in Chicago. The Wolves reached the Calder Cup Finals, losing to a Philadelphia team that included Mike Richards and Patrick Sharp. “That might have been some of the best hockey I ever played,” he said. “Both teams were stacked with some really good prospects who were right at the cusp of breaking through.”

By the 2005-06 season, Simon had reached proverbial journeyman status. He signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets and bounced up and down between the NHL and the team’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse until then-Griffins general manager Bob McNamara, another Notre Dame grad, brought him to the Griffins a couple of months before the end of the 2006-07 season.

Simon had hoped to stay in Grand Rapids the

next season, but he went unsigned and played in Springfi ld instead. A year in Germany followed, then he auditioned with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings at the beginning of the 2009-10 season before he was called back to the AHL by the Toronto Marlies.

“Dave Poulin, my old coach at Notre Dame, was director of hockey operations in Toronto, and I had played with (head coach) Dallas Eakins in Chicago, so I was happy when they called,” he said. Simon played 44 games with the Marlies, but it was becoming evident that he was nearing the end of his playing career.

Unable to secure a job in the AHL, Simon headed to England to become the player-coach of the Sheffield Steelers.

“I wanted to play one more season and nothing was really popping over here,” he recalled. “My agent found the Sheffield job and it was a good opportunity to explore coaching a little bit. A

lot of players think it’s a natural progression, but I wasn’t sure if I would like it. I figu ed it was a good way to get one more year of playing out of my system while fi ding out whether or not coaching was for me.”

His team won the regular season championship with a record of 43-10-0-1. “Sheffield is an old steel town where the original Stanley Cup was made,” he said. “It was a new cultural experience. We saw some cool parts of the country, Ireland, old castles, Belfast, and Saint Andrews.”

More signifi antly, he discovered he loved coaching.

“From the coaching side, it was a blast,” he said. “It really taught me organizational skills and things like time management, because the job included things like marketing, ticket sales and

Simon played 21 games with the Griffin during the 2006-07 season.


payroll. It was a good learning experience, plus I got to play a little bit, too.”

Simon returned to the States in 2011 to become an assistant with the Rockford IceHogs. He was hired by Stan Bowman, another Notre Dame graduate. “When I interviewed, it was the fi st time we met,” he said. “It was a tremendous organization. Chicago does a lot of things right and they do a great job of developing players. It was fun to be a part of their 2013 Stanley Cup run as black aces.”

Unfortunately, he was looking for work again after the 2012-13 season when Rockford downsized to one assistant. He became the head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones for 2013-14, leading the team to the ECHL fi als where the Cyclones lost to Alaska in six games.

All the while, Simon was becoming a stronger coach.

“You get a little sharper in terms of picking things out, little habits that can help players,” he said. “You learn systems, ways of presenting, how to approach guys. It’s no different than a job in a factory or a farm. You get better with age. For better or worse, you learn something from every experience.”

Simon spent last season in Toronto, where he was an assistant coach for the AHL’s Marlies.

“It was a chance to work for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization with two people I thought the world of. Gord Dineen, who was the head coach, is one of the most down-to-earth, humble people you’ll ever meet, and associate coach Derek King is one of the most personable, fun-loving guys with the biggest heart in the world.

“It was fun going to the rink with them every day. I learned a lot. We had a lot of young guys and had a slow start. We began the year 5-12, but we fin shed the year 25-15. We clawed our way into the playoffs nd then we played Grand Rapids.

“We were up 2-0 in games and we were rolling, and then all of a sudden we poked the bear. We had a lot of young guys and I think that played into how we let the series slip away. Blash (Jeff Blashill, then Griffins head coach) obviously did his homework. He made some corrections and his team responded.”

It was a devastating loss for Toronto. “At the end of the year, they blew everything up,” he said. “They got rid of the GM, the coaches, the scouts. They were going to rebuild.”


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After Blashill was promoted to Detroit, Simon reached out to Red Wings assistant general manager Ryan Martin and Todd Nelson, who was rumored to be the leading candidate to replace Blashill, to express his interest in coming to Grand Rapids.

Simon is thrilled to be back with the Griffins. He sees it as not only a good move for his career but also for his family. His daughters, Meg, 12, and Kate, 9, both play travel hockey. “They love life and they’re having fun,” he said.

Best of all, he’s doing what he loves.“Hockey is Xs and Os, but at the end of

the day, you’re dealing with people. The game doesn’t change. It’s the same game that eight-year-olds play, it’s just the people and the teams that change. It’s managing personalities and egos. It’s giving a guy a pick-me-up when he’s sent down, it’s the thrill of telling a kid that he’s been called up.

“You can’t put a price on the smile you get when you give a kid the news. Of course, you’ve got to give full credit to the player, but as a coach it’s hard not to think that you had a little something to do with it. It’s pretty cool to see them achieve their boyhood dream.

To help facilitate that feels almost as good as doing it yourself.”

He is doing his best to provide the direction and guidance that will help the Red Wings’ top prospects reach the next level.

“You try to keep them accountable,” he said. “You have to hold players to a high standard. There’s a fi e line between being too nice and laying down the hammer when it’s needed. In pro sports, if you’re not doing your job, somebody else is going to come along and take it away.

“Each person is wired differently and that’s the fun of coaching. You’ve got to figu e out how to press these guys’ buttons, how to get them to react and produce. That’s our job as coach and there are a lot of moving parts, but that’s what we’ve got to figu e out.”

The Griffins’ slow start failed to put a damper on his enthusiasm.

“Winning is contagious,” he said. “Being positive is contagious, just as a negative attitude is, too. Whether you’re winning or losing, it’s important to have that positive environment, a place where guys want to work, compete and have fun. At the end of the day, it’s still a game.”

As Part 2 of a season-long series celebrating the organization’s 20th anniversary, Griffi caught

up with a hat trick of former Griffins now making their marks in other professions.



BRAD FERENCE: QUENCHING THE COMPETITIVE FIRESWhen Brad Ference saw his career coming

to an end in Grand Rapids during the 2007-08 season, he began to think about what was next.

He wasn’t yet 29 years old, but a bad wrist injury and a couple of years in the American Hockey League had left him ondering whether his NHL career was over after 250 games with the Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes and Calgary Flames.

Ference had suffered a radiocarpal dislocation of his wrist when David Ling hit him from behind and sent him crashing into the boards during a game in Toronto. “The doctor compared the damage to the ligaments to an injury suffered in a car crash,” he said. “If the bone had broken, I’d probably have been better off.”

He thought about a career in commercial real estate. He considered a career in the oil and gas industry, which was thriving at the time in Calgary. He thought about going back to school. “Hockey had been my whole life, so it was a big decision.”

Ultimately, he found the idea of becoming a

city fi efi hter in Calgary the most appealing. “My dad was a city employee in the planning department for many years,” he said. “Being a fi efi hter is a good stable job and it’s as close to a hockey team as you can get.”

Ference was attracted to the camaraderie and sense of teamwork that exists in a fi e hall, not to mention the physical demands of the profession. “Plus it offers a pretty good schedule for the family – two 10-hour days, two 14-hour nights and then four days off,” he said.

He went through 16 weeks of fi e academy training, undergoing various degrees of systematic training, from fi e ground tactics to aerial pumping. He was one of a couple thousand people applying for 20 positions, but he made the cut.

Ference started in the Calgary Fire Department in January 2009. He is one of 1,500 fi efi hters who staff he city’s 43 fi e halls.

“What I enjoy is that every call is different,” he said. “You never go on the same call twice. Every time the alarm rings, we’re on the truck going

As Part 2 of a season-long series celebrating the organization’s 20th anniversary, Griffi caught

up with a hat trick of former Griffins now making their marks in other professions.


somewhere to something interesting. It’s usually people’s worst day, but that’s what we’re trained for.”

He is also a member of the department’s water rescue team. The Bow River is a popular destination in Calgary plus there are a number of man-made lakes in the area, so there are any number of potential opportunities for Ference to put his training into action.

“It’s a highly sought after position, but I’ve always been a good swimmer,” he said. “I’ve been a boat guy since I was a kid. My family went to the lake in the summer and I bought a lake house in British Columbia a few years ago.”

During the summer, Ference patrols the river and talks to people about water safety. River rescues are almost a daily occurrence during the warmer months, and occasionally a driver will put their car through the ice during Calgary’s freezing winters.

Ference was present at one of the biggest fi es in Calgary in the past 10 years – a five-story condo building covering an entire city block. “I was inside the fi e, looking in the attic when we had to pull out,” he recalled. “The size and magnitude of the fi e was a once-in-a-lifetime event. It was a crazy call.”

Working in potentially dangerous situations, Ference’s hockey background comes into play. “When the adrenaline runs high, you have to stay calm and be instructive while staying safe,” he said. “If we end up hurting ourselves, we’re no good to the people we’re there to help.”

Like a hockey team, fi efi hters are a close-knit bunch. “We’ve had the same crew for a full three years at my fi e hall,” he said. “We know each other’s families. We have Christmas dinners together. We’ve got to have each other’s backs in those situations.”

Their work doesn’t go unnoticed. “When policemen show up, they’re the bad guy, but when you call the fi e department, everybody is happy to see you,” Ference said. “It’s gratifying when little kids come by the fi e hall to thank the

crew for saving their home or an elderly woman drops off a ake or coffee in appreciation for a smoke detector.”

While there are long hours, the schedule allows him the freedom to spend more time with his family. Ference and his wife, Kristin, have two children: Morgan, 6, and Easton, 3. “Not many dads have the time to pick up their kids from school and take them to their activities,” he said while making a backyard rink on a Saturday afternoon.

Easton is already on skates, which pleases Ference, who still skates at least once a week himself. He is a member of the Calgary Fire Department’s ice hockey team that won the gold medal at the World Police and Fire Games in Fairfax, Virginia, this past July, beating Moscow Fire by a 5-4 score in the Gold Medal Final.

The World Police and Fire Games is a biennial athletic event, open to active and retired law enforcement and fi e service personnel throughout the world. The Games attract approximately 10,000 entrants, slightly fewer than the Summer Olympic Games.

“Our team is pretty good,” Ference said. “We have about a dozen ex-pro players, including Chris Herperger, who played 169 NHL games, and Todd Ford, our goalie, who was a third-round draft ick of the Toronto Maple Leafs. All of our defensemen played at least major junior hockey.”

Ference said his team won silver and bronze at previous Games in Vancouver and New York City. “The next Games will be in Montreal, Quebec, in 2017 and I will probably go to that one, but probably not the 2019 Games in China,” he said.

He also participates in an intrasquad league, which helps satisfy his competitive urge. “I love my work; it’s a great job, so getting to play hockey with the guys is a nice bonus.” — Mark Newman

KEVYN ADAMS: DEVELOPING ELITE HOCKEY PLAYERSKevyn Adams has fond memories of the

1996-97 season. Not only was it his fi st as a professional after four years at Miami University, but it was also the inaugural season of the Grand Rapids Griffins.

“Everything was a big deal,” Adams recalled.

“I remember our fi st win in Indianapolis, the fi st game in the arena, playing in front of soldout crowds every night. It was fun playing with a group of good guys in a great league.”

Adams signed with the Griffins after failing to come to contract terms with the Boston Bruins,


who had chosen him in the fi st round (25th overall) of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. I needed some place to play and, as a 21-year-old kid out of college, I learned a lot in a short time,” he said. “I was fortunate to have some success on the ice, which helped my career moving forward.”

He singled out Todd and Jeff elson, Brian Dobbin and Michel Picard as some of the veterans who helped him make the transition to the pro lifestyle. It was a good lesson for Adams, who would spend 10 seasons in the NHL, including 2005-06 when he was a member of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

“I had an amazing run of wonderful teams and teammates,” said Adams, who also played for Toronto, Columbus, Florida and Chicago. “I had a lot of great experiences over the years, and winning the Stanley Cup is at the top of the list. The journey was great.”

Once he was established in the NHL, Adams did his best to be a good elder statesman, helping younger players make the adjustment to the pros as the Griffins once did for him.

“There were guys I tried to take under my wing, like Eric Staal and Andrew Ladd in Carolina or Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in Chicago,” he said. “They didn’t need my help on the ice – they were world class players from the get-go – but I tried to show them how to be a pro and how to approach the game. I took on that role late in my career and I really enjoyed it.”

Knee injuries ended Adams’ playing career, but a chance meeting with Buff lo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff at a golf tournament in 2009 led to his becoming the player development coach for the NHL team. Two years later, he became an assistant coach under Ruff.

“It seemed like a natural progression from the role I had assumed late in my career,” he said. “Player development was something I took very seriously. I read a lot of books and even went back to school to get my MBA. I was fascinated by the process of player development and what it takes to get better.

“I loved coaching, too. I loved the strategic, behind-the-scenes work and all the things you did to prepare, as well as the day-to-day interaction with the players. I really enjoyed my two years behind the bench.”

After the Sabres parted ways with Ruff, Adams lost his job following the 2012-13 season. But it opened a new opportunity as he joined the management team of the new HarborCenter in downtown Buff lo, the dream project of Terry and Kim Pegula, owners of the Sabres and Buff lo Bills, who envisioned creating a world-class destination for aspiring hockey players from western New York and southern Ontario.

“I was close to taking a job with another NHL team when I sat down for coffee with Terry and Kim to talk about their vision of doing something special in the hockey world,” Adams said. “Their big vision lined up with everything I am passionate about from the development side.”

As vice president and director of the complex’s Academy of Hockey, Adams oversees a full-time staff f seven development coaches who run a slate of rigorous on-ice training programs designed to help the dedicated hockey player reach their highest potential.

Taking a holistic approach, the Academy


strives for a 360-degree education experience that emphasizes skill progression, innovation and personalized contact befitting a close coach-to-player ratio that allows for consistent communication and correction.

The Academy has programs for all ages and abilities, from youngsters who are 4, 5 or 6 years old up to NHL players looking to push their skills to the next level. “We’re trying to provide opportunities for young players who want to be taught the right way,” he said. “We’re targeting the serious hockey players who want to get better.”

HarborCenter, which is connected to First Niagara Center (the home of the Buff lo Sabres), includes two NHL rinks, a full-service Marriott Hotel and a Tim Hortons restaurant. “It’s a phenomenal facility in a unique market,” Adams said. “We’re changing the mindset in terms of how you need to look at the whole picture when it comes to developing a hockey player.”

In two short years, Adams said the Academy has impacted nearly 2,000 players. “I really love what I’m doing,” he said. “But what trumps everything for me is that I’m able to be with my family every day. I get to coach my son’s hockey team or my daughter’s soccer team or watch my

other daughter’s theater performances.”Adams and his wife, Stacey, have three kids.

Emerson, 14, is a high school freshman. Paulina will soon turn 11 and Jackson, who plays hockey on the same team as the son of former Griffins captain Matt Ellis, is 8.

“What’s fun for me is not only do I coach his youth team, but he also gets to spend a lot of time with me at the Academy. I’ll pick him up from school and he’ll do his homework and then do the programs here. The opportunity to spend time with him is priceless.”

Adams is working on developing partnerships with area youth hockey programs as well as with players and coaches from Europe. “We would like to bring players and coaches here in the summer and then reciprocate by sending players and coaches to them.”

Outreach is an important component of the goals of the Academy, and Adams sees plenty of opportunities to make the HarborCenter a premier destination for players and coaches alike. “The chance to do something special and lasting in my hometown would obviously be very rewarding.” — Mark Newman

DAVE VAN DRUNEN: ICE IN HIS VEINSDuring his 14-year pro career, Dave Van

Drunen came to the rescue more than once. He was a solid, steady defenseman whose play made him a valuable addition. He played five seasons in Grand Rapids (1999-2004), plus four more with the Muskegon Fury.

So it seems appropriate that the good-natured defender became a paramedic after he retired from hockey following the 2010-11 season. “I probably would have toughed it out for a couple more years, but the body just didn’t cooperate,” he said.

Van Drunen endured a particularly tough fi al season. He had his nose and jaw broken during the exhibition season when he was sucker punched in a brawl. It took 18 screws and four plates to repair the damages.

“I came back two months later and played for about a month before I stopped a slapshot similar to those I had blocked a couple of million times in my career,” he said. “Somehow it hit a funny spot and split my kneecap in two.”

The knee never healed properly. “When they

pulled out the screws and I started skating, the knee swelled up really bad,” he said. “I had an MRI instead of an X-ray and my knee looked like


other daughter’s theater performances.”Adams and his wife, Stacey, have three kids.

Emerson, 14, is a high school freshman. Paulina will soon turn 11 and Jackson, who plays hockey on the same team as the son of former Griffins captain Matt Ellis, is 8.

“What’s fun for me is not only do I coach his youth team, but he also gets to spend a lot of time with me at the Academy. I’ll pick him up from school and he’ll do his homework and then do the programs here. The opportunity to spend time with him is priceless.”

Adams is working on developing partnerships with area youth hockey programs as well as with players and coaches from Europe. “We would like to bring players and coaches here in the summer and then reciprocate by sending players and coaches to them.”

Outreach is an important component of the goals of the Academy, and Adams sees plenty of opportunities to make the HarborCenter a premier destination for players and coaches alike. “The chance to do something special and lasting in my hometown would obviously be very rewarding.” — Mark Newman

DAVE VAN DRUNEN: ICE IN HIS VEINS

pulled out the screws and I started skating, the knee swelled up really bad,” he said. “I had an MRI instead of an X-ray and my knee looked like

Pac-Man, so I needed a second surgery and my knee never quite healed like it should have.”

Van Drunen started attending fi e school in Odessa, Texas, where he had been captain of the Jackalopes in the Central Hockey League his last three seasons. He attended Odessa College and took six months of basic EMT training, then spent 18 months in the paramedic program.

When his schooling was fin shed, he returned to Michigan and landed a job with Rockford Ambulance.

“Getting to help people gives you a good feeling,” Van Drunen said. “Knowing that you can go out and do some good for people makes every hour of the long days worth it.”

Working 24-hour shifts nd confronting high-pressure situations in the process requires the stamina and mental fortitude that allowed Van Drunen to excel on the ice.

“Obviously the stakes are a lot different, but your body reacts the same way,” he said. “You get that rush of adrenaline, but you have to try to stay calm and in the moment and do what you have to do, then there’s a big sigh of relief when it’s over and you feel exhausted.”

Like changing on the fly in a hockey game,

Van Drunen quickly became accustomed to the ups and downs of the work. “Whether it’s two in the morning or two in the afternoon, you go when the calls come,” he said.

“If you’re not busy, you’re either sitting in the ambulance or you’re back at one of the satellite stations trying to catch some sleep. When you’re running 24 hours straight and you get some high stress calls, it can mentally wear on you.”

The life of a paramedic requires responding to everything from toenail fungus to really bad car accidents, according to Van Drunen. “The worst is seeing little kids in bad car accidents. There’s a lot of stuff hat you see that you can’t unsee.”

It’s the calls with happy outcomes that make the drudgery worth it. “One of my favorite calls involved a gentleman who actually collapsed in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and died,” he said. “His wife was with us and within a couple of minutes, we were were able to shock him and bring him back.”

Once Van Drunen was assigned to follow a SWAT team making an entrance into a home. “We sat around the corner, waiting in case someone got hurt or shot,” he said. “We never got the call, but that was pretty cool.”


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But the sobering calls are the ones that he thinks about, whether it’s fishing a body out of the river or responding to a fatality involving a six-month-old child who had died after falling off a couch while sleeping.

“Usually fatalities involve an older person in bed who passed away in their sleep, but in this instance I walked into the room where this was this little body that was such a blue color, I thought it was a doll,” he said. “Then it hits you, ‘Oh no, that’s not right! To see the parents in their shock and disbelief, it’s pretty tough to deal with.”

Of course, there are moments of levity. Van Drunen jokes that one of his best saves involved a snapper turtle trying to cross a country road. “We pulled the ambulance over and turned on our lights,” he recalled. “We helped it across the road by nudging it.”

All in all, Van Drunen said the work of a

paramedic is rather fulfilling. “If you don’t get a good feeling from being able to go out and do something for somebody else that needs help, you don’t want to be a paramedic,” he said.

The schedule is not exactly the best for raising a family. Van Drunen and his wife, Jill, have two children: Connor, 11, and Brooke, 8, so when his old pal and teammate Travis Richards called with an offer to become the rink operations manager of the Southside Ice Arena in Byron Center, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“A bad day at the rink is still a good day,” he said. “I love being at the rink. I’ve always felt that way.”

Van Drunen is still a licensed paramedic and has given thought about working both jobs, but he’s been too busy at the rink to get serious about it. “I had never paid much attention to what it takes to maintain ice, but you just don’t freeze it. A lot goes into it,” he said. — Mark Newman


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paramedic is rather fulfilling. “If you don’t get a good feeling from being able to go out and do something for somebody else that needs help, you don’t want to be a paramedic,” he said.

The schedule is not exactly the best for raising a family. Van Drunen and his wife, Jill, have two children: Connor, 11, and Brooke, 8, so when his old pal and teammate Travis Richards called with an offer to become the rink operations manager of the Southside Ice Arena in Byron Center, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“A bad day at the rink is still a good day,” he said. “I love being at the rink. I’ve always felt that way.”

Van Drunen is still a licensed paramedic and has given thought about working both jobs, but he’s been too busy at the rink to get serious about it. “I had never paid much attention to what it takes to maintain ice, but you just don’t freeze it. A lot goes into it,” he said. — Mark Newman

GAMES PLAYED GOALS ASSISTSALL-TIME: Travis Richards ...................... 655 Michel Picard ...........................158 Michel Picard ................................. 222ACTIVE LEADER: Mitch Callahan (16th) ........... 251 Mitch Callahan (T14th) ..............61 Nathan Paetsch (T10th) ................... 88SINGLE-SEASON: 5 players tied ........................ *82 Donald MacLean (2005-06) .....*56 Jiri Hudler (2005-06) ....................... 602014-15: Jeff oggan/Kevin Porter ...... *76 Teemu Pulkkinen .....................*34 Andy Miele ...................................... 44

POINTS PLUS/MINUS PENALTY MINUTESALL-TIME: Michel Picard ........................ 380 Travis Richards ..................... +131 Darryl Bootland ...........................1,164ACTIVE LEADER: Mitch Callahan (20th) ........... 116 Nathan Paetsch (T6th) ........... +53 Mitch Callahan (17th) .................... 300SINGLE-SEASON: Michel Picard (1996-97) ....... 101 Ivan Ciernik (2000-01) ..........*+41 Darryl Bootland (2005-06) ............ 3902014-15: Andy Miele.............................. 70 Nick Jensen/Tomas Nosek .....*+30 Chris Bruton................................... 124

GOALIE GAMES PLAYED GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE WINSALL-TIME: Joey MacDonald .................... 210 Martin Prusek .........................1.83 Joey MacDonald ............................ 109ACTIVE LEADER: Tom McCollum (2nd)............. 203 Jared Coreau (8th) ...................2.53 Tom McCollum (3rd) ........................ 89SINGLE-SEASON: Joey MacDonald (2004-05) ... *66 Martin Prusek (2001-02) .......*1.83 Joey MacDonald (2004-05) ............. 34 Mike Fountain (2000-01) ................*342014-15: Tom McCollum ........................ 37 Jared Coreau ...........................2.20 Tom McCollum ................................. 19

SHUTOUTS SAVES SAVE PERCENTAGEALL-TIME: Joey MacDonald ...................... 20 Joey MacDonald ....................5,362 Martin Prusek ..............................0.930ACTIVE LEADER: Tom McCollum (T6th) ............... 6 Tom McCollum (2nd) .............5,003 Jared Coreau (T6th) .....................0.918SINGLE-SEASON: 5 players tied ............................ 6 Joey MacDonald (2004-05) ...1,785 Joey MacDonald (2003-04) .........0.9362014-15: Jared Coreau/Petr Mrazek ......... 3 Tom McCollum .........................949 Jared Coreau ................................0.927* Led League

Michel Picard

Martin Prusek

RECORD BOOK AND LEADERS

(Through Nov. 24, 2015)

GAMES PLAYED GOALS ASSISTSALL-TIME: Travis Richards ...................... 655 Michel Picard ...........................158 Michel Picard ................................. 222ACTIVE LEADER: Mitch Callahan (16th) ........... 251 Mitch Callahan (T14th) ..............61 Nathan Paetsch (T10th) ................... 88SINGLE-SEASON: 5 players tied ........................ *82 Donald MacLean (2005-06) .....*56 Jiri Hudler (2005-06) ....................... 602014-15: Jeff oggan/Kevin Porter ...... *76 Teemu Pulkkinen .....................*34 Andy Miele ...................................... 44

POINTS PLUS/MINUS PENALTY MINUTESALL-TIME: Michel Picard ........................ 380 Travis Richards ..................... +131 Darryl Bootland ...........................1,164ACTIVE LEADER: Mitch Callahan (20th) ........... 116 Nathan Paetsch (T6th) ........... +53 Mitch Callahan (17th) .................... 300SINGLE-SEASON: Michel Picard (1996-97) ....... 101 Ivan Ciernik (2000-01) ..........*+41 Darryl Bootland (2005-06) ............ 3902014-15: Andy Miele.............................. 70 Nick Jensen/Tomas Nosek .....*+30 Chris Bruton................................... 124

GOALIE GAMES PLAYED GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE WINSALL-TIME: Joey MacDonald .................... 210 Martin Prusek .........................1.83 Joey MacDonald ............................ 109ACTIVE LEADER: Tom McCollum (2nd)............. 203 Jared Coreau (8th) ...................2.53 Tom McCollum (3rd) ........................ 89SINGLE-SEASON: Joey MacDonald (2004-05) ... *66 Martin Prusek (2001-02) .......*1.83 Joey MacDonald (2004-05) ............. 34 Mike Fountain (2000-01) ................*342014-15: Tom McCollum ........................ 37 Jared Coreau ...........................2.20 Tom McCollum ................................. 19

SHUTOUTS SAVES SAVE PERCENTAGEALL-TIME: Joey MacDonald ...................... 20 Joey MacDonald ....................5,362 Martin Prusek ..............................0.930ACTIVE LEADER: Tom McCollum (T6th) ............... 6 Tom McCollum (2nd) .............5,003 Jared Coreau (T6th) .....................0.918SINGLE-SEASON: 5 players tied ............................ 6 Joey MacDonald (2004-05) ...1,785 Joey MacDonald (2003-04) .........0.9362014-15: Jared Coreau/Petr Mrazek ......... 3 Tom McCollum .........................949 Jared Coreau ................................0.927* Led League

Michel Picard

Martin Prusek

Travis Richards

Tom McCollum

Darryl Bootland

Joey MacDonald


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AHL All-Star Games are typically Wild West shootouts in which unfortunate goaltenders are barraged with more than enough shots to give them nightmares for weeks. The past

10 contests have yielded an average of more than eight goals per team.

More goals, however, do not necessarily equate to more excitement.

In a radical departure, the 2016 Toyota AHL All-Star Challenge will feature a new game format when the league’s all-stars assemble in Syracuse, N.Y., on Feb. 1 at the Onondaga County War Memorial Arena.

Abandoning the traditional 60-minute game format, the league’s all-stars will be divided into four teams, one representing each of the league’s divisions (Atlantic, North, Central, Pacific) The teams will play a round-robin tournament featuring six games, each nine minutes in duration. The fi st half of each game will be played 4-on-4, and the second half will be 3-on-3.

The two teams with the best records at the end of the round-robin portion will face off or the championship, a six-minute game played at 3-on-3.

“We have been working on developing an All-Star Challenge concept since last spring, and this tournament idea is the result of many discussions with players, coaches and general managers around the league,” said David Andrews, AHL president and chief executive offic . “We all believe that this will be an exciting showcase event for our players and fans alike as we highlight the skill, energy and excitement that has been a hallmark of the AHL for 80 years.”

Each team will be comprised of 11 skaters and two goalies. Coaches will be determined based on the best points-earned percentage in each division at the end of play on Dec. 31.

The 2016 Toyota AHL All-Star Skills Competition, which precedes the new format on Jan. 31, will keep its traditional format. All-stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions will

square off gainst the all-stars from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events.

The league’s top talent will be on display during both days. Of the 679 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including a number of current Red Wings players: Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard, Jakub Kindl, Niklas Kronwall, Alexey Marchenko, Petr Mrazek, Gustav Nyquist and Teemu Pulkkinen.

Meanwhile, the skill and intensity that have made 3-on-3 overtime a popular addition to the NHL this season will also be on display in the revamped format of the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Jan. 31.

Like the AHL, the NHL hopes the 3-on-3 component will be attractive to fans. “We are introducing a creative new format this year in Nashville not only as a way to enhance the competitiveness of the event, but also as a vehicle to highlight and emphasize the incredible skill, speed and athleticism it takes to play our game,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said.

The NHL instituted the five-minute 3-on-3 overtime for the 2015-16 season after the AHL tested a hybrid format (three minutes of 4-on-4 before another four minutes of 3-on-3, then a shootout, if necessary) last season. The change has worked.

The NHL has seen a signifi ant rise in the percentage of games that end in overtime instead of the shootout, largely because of the implementation of the 3-on-3 format. Th ough the fi st seven weeks of the season, 67.9 percent of the games that extended beyond regulation had ended in overtime (38 of 56). It was 44.4 percent last season (136 of 306), when the NHL was still using the 4-on-4 format in overtime.

NHL will continue to develop officials in AIn early November, the AHL announced a new

four-year agreement with the NHL, extending the partnership that allows the AHL to serve as the

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top development league for the NHL’s referees through 2018-19.

Under the terms of the agreement, the NHL and AHL offi ating departments will continue to work together in all aspects of recruitment, training and development of on-ice offi als. NHL-contracted referees will continue to be assigned to offi ate approximately one-half of American Hockey League games each season, with the balance of AHL games to be worked by AHL-contracted referees who have been identifi d as top offi ating prospects.

The new agreement also continues the leagues’ implementation of the two-referee system in the American Hockey League, with the ultimate goal being to have every AHL game worked by two referees by 2019. It is anticipated that 60 percent of AHL regular-season games and all Calder Cup Playoff g mes will be offi ated using the two-referee system during the current 2015-16 season.

“Our long-term relationship with the National Hockey League offi ating department has provided our players and fans with the best offi ating outside the NHL, and has established an outstanding career path for young offi als,” said Andrews. “Th s new agreement will continue to further both of those objectives.”

“There is no doubt that our young offi als

benefit greatly from time spent offi ating in the American Hockey League,” said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. “Because AHL games feature so many future NHL players and are played at a pace and skill level that most closely replicate conditions in the National Hockey League, they serve as a perfect training ground for offi als who later graduate to service in the NHL. Our arrangements and cooperative relationship with the AHL over the years have been critical to our ability to develop the best hockey offi als in the world.”

The AHL has served as the top development league for NHL on-ice offi als since its earliest days, with every current National Hockey League referee having worked in the AHL. In operation since 1936 and celebrating its 80th anniversary this season, the AHL is also the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives and broadcasters of all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 88 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame came through the AHL.


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GRIFFINS ALL-STARS1996-97 Jeff elson, Michel Picard, Pokey Reddick1997-98 Ian Gordon, Kerry Huffman, Michel Pi ard1998-99 Robert Petrovicky, Maxim Spiridonov1999-00 John Gruden, Jani Hurme, Kevin Miller, Petr Schastlivy2000-01 Mike Fountain, Joel Kwiatkowski, Travis Richards, Todd White, Bruce Cassidy (co-coach)2001-02 Chris Bala, John Gruden, Kip Miller, Martin Prusek, Petr Schastlivy, Bruce Cassidy (head coach), Gene Reilly (asst. coach)2002-03 Marc Lamothe, Mark Mowers 2003-04 Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Travis Richards, Nathan Robinson2004-05 Niklas Kronwall, Joey MacDonald2005-06 Valtteri Filppula, Jiri Hudler, Donald MacLean2006-07 Derek Meech, Kip Miller 2007-08 Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard2008-09 Jakub Kindl, Daniel Larsson2009-10 Patrick Rissmiller2010-11 Ilari Filppula, Brendan Smith2011-12 Gustav Nyquist2012-13 Chad Billins, Petr Mrazek, Gustav Nyquist2013-14 Alexey Marchenko, Jeff Blashill (head coach2014-15 Xavier Ouellet, Teemu Pulkkinen

2012 AHL All-Star Gustav NyquistPhoto by PhotoGraphics Photography/AHL

2013 AHL All-Star Petr Mrazek Photo by Alan Sullivan/AHL

2015 AHL All-Star Teemu PulkkinenPhoto by Lindsay A. Mogle/AHL

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

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

2010 AHL All-Star Patrick RissmillerPhoto by Sports Action Photography/AHL

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

2011 AHL All-Star Ilari FilppulaPhoto by JustSports Photography/AHL

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

2010 AHL All-Star Patrick RissmillerPhoto by Sports Action Photography/AHL

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

P E N A LT Y C A L L S

BOARDINGCalled for any action which causes an opponent to be thrown violently into

the boards.

CHARGINGTaking a run at an opposing player

using more than three strides to build up speed.

CROSS CHECKINGA check or block delivered by a player with both hands on the stick and no

part of the stick on the ice.

DELAYED PENALTYReferee extends his arm and points

to the penalized player until the penalized team regains possession

of the puck.

ELBOWINGCalled when a player uses an elbow

to impede an opponent.

HIGH STICKINGMaking contact with an opponent

while carrying the stick above shoulder hight.

HOLDINGClutching an opposing player’s body

with the hands, arms or legs.

HOOKINGThe use of the stick or blade to

impede the progress of an opponent.

INTERFERENCEWhen a player impedes the progress

of an opponent who is not in possession of the puck.

KNEEINGCalled when a player uses a knee to

impede an opponent

MISCONDUCT10-minute or disqualifi ation

penalty for excessive or additional misbehavior on the ice.

ROUGHINGCalled for engaging in fisti uff

or shoving.

SLASHINGStriking an opposing player with

the stick.

SPEARINGCalled for using the stick like a spear.

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

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

Called for unsportsmanlike actions such as disputing an offici ’s

decision, grabbing the face mask of a player, etc.

WASH-OUTWhen used by the referee, it means

goal disallowed. When used by linesmen, it means there is no icing

or no offsid .



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Tickets Van Andel Arena

VIP Glass $35 $38 Lower Level Preferred $29 $32Lower Level Center Ice $24 $27Lower Level Faceoff $20 $23VIP Edge $21 $24Upper Level Prime $19 $22(rows B-E)

Upper Level Preferred $18 $21(rows B & C)

Upper Level (rows D & up) $16 $19Suites & Hospitality Areas Call for pricing and availability

ADVANCE DAY OFGAME

startickets.com or 616.222.4000 THE ZONE Located on the west side of Van Andel ArenaONLINE griffinshockey.com/buyticketsSeats 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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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!

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

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Since their inception in 1996, the Griffin have sent 151 players to the National Hockey League, 15 of whom have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. In fact, a Griffin alumnus has had his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s chalice in five of the last eight years and in seven of the last 11 seasons. In chronological order, here are the 20 goalies and 131 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 PHX2 ...............Kevyn Adams ............................................ 10/1/97 TOR vs. WSH3 ...............Tyler Moss ...................................................10/28/97 CGY vs. PIT4 ...............Michel Picard........................................................1/6/98 STL at SJ5 ............... Jeff Nelso ............................................... 10/10/98 NSH vs. FLA6 ...............Patrick Traverse .......................................10/10/98 OTT at COL7 ...............Mark Greig ........................................................1/7/99 PHI vs. NYI8 ...............Radim Bicanek .............................................2/1/99 OTT at VAN9 ...............Robert Petrovicky ..........................................2/15/99 TB at NYI10 ............Andrei Vasilyev ............................................3/5/99 PHX vs. DET11 ............Todd Hlushko ..................................................4/25/99 PIT vs. NJ12 ............Patrick Lalime...............................................10/2/99 OTT at PHI13 ............Glen Metropolit ........................................10/2/99 WSH at FLA14 ............Kevin Miller ................................................10/31/99 OTT at ATL15 ............Karel Rachunek ........................................10/31/99 OTT at ATL16 ............Erich Goldmann ...................................11/11/99 OTT vs. NSH17 ............Yves Sarault ..................................................11/20/99 OTT at NJ18 ............ John Gruden ............................................11/30/99 OTT vs. CHI19 ............Mike Fountain ...............................................12/3/99 OTT at NJ20 ............Dave Van Drunen ..................................12/13/99 OTT at TOR21 ............Petr Schastlivy .................................................1/3/00 OTT vs. NJ22 ............ John Emmons .............................................1/6/00 OTT vs. PHX23 ............Slava Butsayev............................................1/28/00 OTT at BUF

24 ............Aris Brimanis .................................................2/13/00 NYI at NYR25 ............Dieter Kochan...............................................3/28/00 TB vs. DAL26 ............ Jani Hurme ........................................................4/9/00 OTT vs. TB27 ............Shane Hnidy ...............................................10/5/00 OTT at BOS28 ............Donald MacLean ..................................10/14/00 TOR vs. OTT29 ............David Oliver ................................................11/4/00 OTT vs. CBJ30 ............ Jamie Rivers .............................................11/12/00 OTT at CAR31 ............Sean Gagnon ...........................................11/26/00 OTT at NYR32 ............ Joel Bouchard .........................................11/29/00 PHX at COL33 ............Mike Crowley ............................................12/8/00 ANA at MIN34 ............ Ivan Ciernik ...................................................1/23/01 OTT at NYI35 ............Darren Rumble ................................................2/6/01 STL at COL36 ............ Joel Kwiatkowski ......................................2/19/01 OTT at BUF37 ............Todd White ...................................................2/19/01 OTT at BUF38 .........Chris Neil ...................................... 10/3/01 OTT at TOR39 ............Toni Dahlman .............................................1/3/02 OTT vs. WSH40 ............Steve Martins ..............................................1/11/02 OTT at FLA41 ............Kip Miller ..............................................................1/17/02 NYI at SJ42 ............ Jody Hull ..............................................................2/4/02 OTT at TB43 ............Dmitry Afanasenkov ........................................2/6/02 TB at FLA44 ............Simon Lajeunesse ...........................................3/7/02 OTT at SJ45 ............Martin Prusek.............................................3/23/02 OTT vs. ATL46 ............Chris Bala ........................................................3/27/02 OTT at NYI

GRIFFINS IN THE NHL

IT ALL STARTS HERE

KEVYN ADAMS PAVOL DEMITRA TOMAS KOPECKY JIMMY HOWARD JIRI HUDLER CHRIS KELLY

Since their inception in 1996, the Griffin have sent 151 players to the National Hockey League, 15 of whom have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. In fact, a Griffin alumnus has had his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s chalice in five of the last eight years and in seven of the last 11 seasons. In chronological order, here are the 20 goalies and 131 skaters who have worn an NHL sweater after playing for Grand Rapids, along with the dates of their NHL debuts/returns.

47 ............Neil Little .........................................................3/28/02 PHI at CAR48 ............ Josh Langfeld................................................3/30/02 OTT vs. TB49 ............Gaetan Royer ...................................................4/1/02 TB vs. NYR50 .........Jason Spezza .............................10/24/02 OTT at BOS51 ............Sean Avery ...................................................10/29/02 DET vs. SJ52 ............ Jason Doig .....................................................12/3/02 WSH at PIT53 ............ Jason Williams ...........................................12/5/02 DET at PHX54 ............Patrick Boileau .......................................12/19/02 DET vs. DAL55 ............Stacy Roest ................................................2/20/03 DET vs. EDM56 ............Wade Brookbank .................................. 10/9/03 NSH vs. ANA57 ............ Julien Vauclair .........................................10/25/03 OTT at MTL58 .........Jiri Hudler .................................... 10/29/03 DET vs. STL59 ............Curtis Joseph ..........................................10/30/03 DET at NSH60 ............Darryl Bootland .......................................11/8/03 DET vs. NSH61 ............Mark Mowers ...........................................11/19/03 DET vs. CBJ62 ............Nathan Robinson ..................................11/28/03 DET vs. NYI63 ............Blake Sloan ......................................................12/4/03 DAL at LA64 .........Niklas Kronwall .......................... 12/10/03 DET at BUF65 ............Ryan Barnes .............................................12/15/03 DET vs. FLA66 .........Chris Kelly ....................................... 2/5/04 OTT vs. TOR67 ............Marc Lamothe ..........................................2/23/04 DET at EDM68 ............Anders Myrvold .......................................2/26/04 DET at CGY69 ............Mathieu Chouinard...................................2/29/04 LA at ANA70 ............Brett Lebda .....................................................10/5/05 DET vs. STL71 ............Mark Eaton .......................................................10/5/05 NSH vs. SJ72 ............Chris Osgood ...............................................10/29/05 DET at CHI73 .........Kyle Quincey ............................11/25/05 DET at ANA74 .........Jimmy Howard ............................11/28/05 DET at LA75 .........Valtteri Filppula ...........................12/15/05 DET at FLA76 ............Rob Collins.................................................12/17/05 NYI vs. COL77 ............Manny Legace ...............................................1/5/06 DET vs. STL78 ............David Gove .................................................1/31/06 CAR at MTL79 ............Tomas Kopecky ................................................2/28/06 DET at SJ80 ............Alexandre Giroux ........................................3/25/06 NYR at TB81 ............ Joey MacDonald .........................................10/19/06 DET at SJ82 ............Derek Meech ..................................................12/7/06 DET vs. STL83 ............Matt Ellis .......................................................12/18/06 DET at CBJ84 ............Matt Hussey ..................................................1/26/07 DET at STL85 ............Sheldon Brookbank .......................................2/6/07 NSH at PIT86 ............Danny Syvret...........................................2/27/07 EDM vs. PHX87 ............Mark Hartigan ........................................... 11/29/07 DET vs. TB88 ............Drew MacIntyre ..........................................12/13/07 VAN at SJ89 ............Peter Vandermeer .................................2/10/08 PHX vs. NSH90 .........Jonathan Ericsson ...................... 2/22/08 DET at CGY91 ............Garrett Stafford .........................................2/23/08 DET at VAN92 .........Darren Helm ................................ 3/13/08 DET vs. DAL93 ............Mattias Ritola ............................................3/15/08 DET vs. NSH94 ............Clay Wilson ...................................................3/25/08 CBJ at NSH95 ............Darren McCarty ...........................................3/28/08 DET vs. STL96 ............Krys Kolanos ..................................................11/4/0x8 MIN at SJ97 ............Landon Wilson .....................................11/22/08 DAL vs. ANA98 ............Bryan Helmer .......................................11/28/08 WSH vs. MTL99 ............Chris Chelios ............................................12/13/08 DET at PHX100 .........Aaron Downey ........................................1/29/09 DET vs. DAL101 .......Justin Abdelkader ..................... 1/31/09 DET at WSH102 .........Ville Leino ....................................................1/31/09 DET at WSH

103 .........Aaron Gagnon ......................................10/16/09 DAL vs. BOS104 .........Scott Parse ....................................................10/24/09 LA at PHX105 .........Doug Janik .................................................11/3/09 DET vs. BOS106 ..........Ryan Keller ....................................................11/25/09 OTT at NJ107 .......Jakub Kindl ................................12/3/09 DET vs. EDM108 .........Kris Newbury .........................................12/14/09 DET vs. PHX109 ..........Darren Haydar ...........................................2/10/10 COL vs. ATL110 .........Andreas Lilja ..................................................3/1/10 DET at COL111 .......... Jeremy Williams ........................................10/24/10 NYR vs. NJ112 ......... Jan Mursak ................................................12/27/10 DET at COL113 .........Chris Mueller ..........................................12/28/10 NSH vs. DAL114 .......Tomas Tatar ...............................12/31/10 DET vs. NYI115 .........Cory Emmerton ........................................1/22/11 DET vs. CHI116 ..........Patrick Rissmiller ........................................2/23/11 ATL at BUF 117 ........Tom McCollum .........................................3/30/11 DET vs. STL118 ......Gustav Nyquist .........................11/1/11 DET vs. MIN119 ..........Fabian Brunnstrom .......................................11/5/11 DET vs. ANA120 .......Brendan Smith..............................11/17/11 DET at SJ121 ........Mark Cullen ................................11/29/11 FLA at CAR122 .........Chris Conner................................................12/2/11 DET at BUF123 .......Joakim Andersson ...................12/27/11 DET vs. STL124 .......Ty Conklin ....................................3/21/12 DET at NYR125.......Riley Sheahan ................................4/7/12 DET vs. CHI126 .........Brian Lashoff ................................................1/21/13 DET at CBJ127 .........Mike Knuble ..................................................1/26/13 PHI at FLA128 ......... Jamie Tardif ....................................................2/2/13 BOS at TOR129 .......Petr Mrazek ....................................2/7/13 DET at STL130....... Jonas Gustavsson ......................2/19/13 DET at NSH131.......Carlo Colaiacovo...........................4/1/13 DET vs. COL132.......Danny DeKeyser ........................10/2/13 DET vs. BUF133.......Luke Glendening ......................10/12/13 DET vs. PHI134 .........Xavier Ouellet .............................................10/21/13 DET vs. SJ135 .........Adam Almquist ......................................11/4/13 DET at WPG136 .........Chad Billins ..................................................11/5/13 CGY at MIN137.......Patrick Eaves ..............................12/14/13 DET vs. PIT138.......Tomas Jurco.................................12/15/13 DET vs. TB139.......Jordin Tootoo ...........................12/19/13 DET vs. CGY140.......Alexey Marchenko ........................1/4/14 DET at DAL141.......Teemu Pulkkinen ....................3/14/14 DET vs. EDM142.......Landon Ferraro .......................... 3/18/14 DET vs. TOR143.......Calle Jarnkrok .............................3/21/14 NSH at CGY144 .........Mitch Callahan ............................................3/25/14 DET at CBJ145 .........Ryan Sproul...................................................4/13/14 DET at STL146.......Andrej Nestrasil .........................10/9/14 DET vs. BOS147 .........Stephen Weiss ........................................11/24/14 DET vs. OTT148.......Mattias Janmark..........................10/8/15 DAL vs. PIT 149.......Dylan Larkin ............................... 10/9/15 DET vs. TOR 150.......Kevin Porter .................................10/10/15 PIT at ARI 151.......Andreas Athanasiou .................11/8/15 DET vs. DAL

Bold = Has played in the NHL this season (as of Nov. 30).

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

All photos by Getty Images.

JIRI HUDLER CHRIS KELLY VALTTERI FILPPULA NIKLAS KRONWALL CHRIS NEIL JASON SPEZZA

KIDS PAGE



KIDS PAGETHE MEN BEHIND THE MASKS

L C N M I E S G E U P E S R H E L N H N E F O N R Q L C T E V P W R U M A I C I E Q S N O A A P A M S L U J R I M A K R P B S D K G Z R R E U D E P M L B T C A M X V L E L C E S U K V M O E A E N I C L I A L M E I S K O T S A I H L R U D I Q G T G Q A E N W R N O C Y L K T O D V T A S Y O N C S G A Y J I Q H O R F E V V R U I U R K D M N O C N J W Q Z E R C I O G E T Y D P O S R Z T W F S E Z B N L P J D R K O O E N B X Y S S O M H A L Y A K W I O C P N J A F R E J N N G A M L Y L J K N H L I T T L E J A D L M H O N O S S R A L P A O X U D B D E O U O S N A H C O K D L D A I G L E R T A J W G C O K M C C O L L U M A Y B H E D H A O H P O H C H O U I N A R D E R U H T R O A Y E R S N E I B U A E B O F O B C D D K E S U R P I W E P R A C M U D W W A K V T X U H U X S Z N O J K H M F H N R L

Chad ALBANMike AYERSFrederick BEAUBIENAdam BERKHOELDavid BROWNMathieu CHOUINARDTy CONKLINJared COREAURyan CYRSylvain DAIGLEMike FOUNTAIN

Ian GORDONJonas GUSTAVSSONJimmy HOWARDJani HURMECurtis JOSEPHDieter KOCHANLogan KOOPMANSBlaine LACHERSimon LAJEUNESSEPatrick LALIMEJudd LAMBERT

Marc LAMOTHEDaniel LARSSONManny LEGACENeil LITTLEStefan LIVJoey MACDONALDDrew MACINTYREPat MAZZOLITom MCCOLLUMTyler MOSSPetr MRAZEK

Pat NAGLEChris OSGOODJordan PEARCEMartin PRUSEKPokey REDDICKCody RUDKOWSKYDan TURPLEDominic VICARI

Since the Griffi s franchise began play in 1996, a total of 41 men have stood between Grand Rapids’ pipes as the team’s last line of defense. Find the last name of each Griffi s goaltender by searching horizontally,

vertically and diagonally, both forward and backward. Have fun!


Veteran Dan Cleary joined the Griffins e lier this season after 609 games in a Red Wings jersey, a total that is second only to the 659 games played by Darren McCarty before his stint in Grand Rapids during the 2007-08 season. Photo by Mark Newman

PARTING SHOT

2015-16 Griffiti - Issue #2

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