Grand Rapids Griffins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grand Rapids Griffins |
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| City | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 1996 (IHL) |
| Home arena | Van Andel Arena |
| Colors | Black, red, silver, white, gold |
| Owner(s) | Dan DeVos |
| General manager | Shawn Horcoff |
| Head coach | Dan Watson |
| Captain | Josiah Didier |
| Media | Bally Sports Detroit NewsRadio WOOD 1300 AM/ 106.9 FM AHL.TV (Internet) |
| Affiliate(s) | Detroit Red Wings (NHL) Toledo Walleye (ECHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1996–present | Grand Rapids Griffins |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1 IHL (2000–01) 1 AHL (2005–06) |
| Division Championships | 2 IHL (1999–00, 2000–01) 5 AHL (2001–02, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2012–13, 2014–15) |
| Conference Championships | 1 IHL (1999–00) 2 AHL (2012–13, 2016–17) |
| Calder Cups | 2 (2012–13, 2016–17) |
 Current season |
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The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional ice hockey team. They are based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The team plays in the American Hockey League (AHL). Their home games are held at Van Andel Arena.
The Griffins are connected to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). This means they help develop players for the Red Wings. The Griffins have won the Calder Cup twice. They won it in 2013 and again in 2017.
The team started in 1996 in a league called the International Hockey League (IHL). In 2001, they joined the AHL. Since then, three players have had their jersey numbers retired by the team.
Contents
Team History
How Hockey Returned to Grand Rapids
The Grand Rapids Griffins are the third professional hockey team in Grand Rapids. Before them were the Grand Rapids Rockets and the Grand Rapids Owls. The Griffins team was created because a new arena was built downtown. This arena could hold over 10,000 fans.
In 1995, some business leaders decided to bring hockey back. They talked with different hockey leagues. The city showed a lot of support for a new team. Over 8,000 people asked for season tickets. This helped convince the IHL to allow a new team in Grand Rapids.
In June 1995, a contest was held to name the team. The name "Grand Rapids Griffins" was chosen. The team's logo and colors were shown in November. The logo was designed by a company that also created logos for other sports teams. The team chose traditional colors like navy blue and gold. They also added hunter green, red, and silver.
In January 1996, Bob McNamara became the team's general manager. He hired Dave Allison as the first head coach. Some of the first players to join were Todd Nelson, Travis Richards, and Pokey Reddick. These players had experience in the NHL. The Griffins also made deals to have their games broadcast on radio and TV.
Early Years (1996–1999)
The Griffins played their first game in 1996. They won against the Indianapolis Ice. Their first home game was against the Orlando Solar Bears. The team got better after players like Pavol Demitra joined. Demitra later became a star in the NHL.
The Griffins finished their first season with a good record. They made it to the playoffs but lost in the first round. The IHL held its All-Star Game in Grand Rapids. Most home games were sold out. The team set a league record for season ticket sales.
In the 1997–98 season, many players returned. Patrick Lalime joined as a new goaltender. The team started strong but faced challenges. The general manager, Bob McNamara, took over as coach for the end of the season. The Griffins lost in the first round of the playoffs.
In 1998, Guy Charron became the new head coach. The team had many new players. They struggled with injuries and had a losing streak. Despite this, players like Glen Metropolit and Robert Petrovicky played very well. The Griffins did not make the playoffs that season.
Joining the AHL (1999–2002)
In 1999, the Griffins made a deal with the Ottawa Senators. This agreement meant that the Senators would send some of their young players to play for the Griffins. This helped the Griffins get better players and aim for a championship.
In June 2001, the IHL league stopped operating. The Griffins were one of six IHL teams that joined the American Hockey League (AHL). Because of AHL rules, the DeVos family, who owned the Griffins, had to close their other IHL teams.
Detroit Red Wings Connection (2002–Present)
On January 24, 2002, the Griffins announced a five-year agreement with the Detroit Red Wings. This made the Griffins the official AHL team for the Red Wings. The Red Wings agreed to send at least thirteen players to the Griffins each season. Most of the Griffins' players are now young players drafted by the Red Wings.
Having the Griffins in Grand Rapids is great for the Red Wings. It's only a two-hour drive from Detroit. This makes it easy to move players between the two teams. The Red Wings also have a team in Toledo, Ohio, called the Walleye. The Walleye send players to the Griffins, and some of those players even make it to the NHL.
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The Griffins quickly found success in the AHL. They won their division in 2002 and 2003. In 2008, nine former Griffins players won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings.
In 2011, Bob McNamara, the team's only general manager, retired. Later, Ryan Martin from the Red Wings became the Griffins' general manager.
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On June 13, 2013, the Griffins won their first Calder Cup. They beat the Syracuse Crunch in six games. In 2015, Todd Nelson became the head coach. On June 13, 2017, the Griffins won their second Calder Cup. They again defeated the Syracuse Crunch in six games. This time, they won the championship at home in front of their fans. Tyler Bertuzzi was named the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.
The Griffins and Red Wings have continued their partnership. Their agreement was extended in 2017 and again in 2022. The current agreement lasts until the 2026–27 season. In 2023, Dan Watson became the new head coach of the Griffins.
Season Results
This table shows the Griffins' results for their last five seasons.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | SOL | Points | PCT | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing | Year | Prelims | 1st round |
2nd round |
3rd round |
Finals |
| 2020–21 | 32 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 36 | .563 | 96 | 97 | 3rd, Central | 2021 | No playoffs were held | ||||
| 2021–22 | 76 | 33 | 35 | 6 | 2 | 74 | .487 | 209 | 240 | 7th, Central | 2022 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2022–23 | 72 | 28 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 64 | .444 | 194 | 255 | 7th, Central | 2023 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2023–24 | 72 | 37 | 23 | 8 | 4 | 86 | .597 | 208 | 202 | 2nd, Central | 2024 | BYE | W, 3–1, RCK | L, 2–3, MIL | — | — |
| 2024–25 | 72 | 37 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 80 | .556 | 202 | 203 | 3rd, Central | 2024 | BYE | L, 0–3, TEX | — | — | — |
Team Players
You can find a full list of players who have played for the Griffins at List of Grand Rapids Griffins players.
Current Roster
Updated July 19 2025.
| # | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – |  |
Nicklas Andrews | D | L | 24 | 2025 | Canton, Michigan | Griffins |
| 42 | |
Carson Bantle | LW | L | 23 | 2024 | Onalaska, Wisconsin | Griffins |
| – |  |
Alex Kannok-Leipert | D | R | 25 | 2025 | Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand | Griffins |
| 11 |  |
Gabriel Seger | C | L | 25 | 2024 | Uppsala, Sweden | Griffins |
| – | |
Jacob Truscott | D | L | 23 | 2025 | Fort Gratiot, Michigan | Griffins |
Team Captains
The team captain is a leader on the ice. Here are the players who have been captains for the Griffins:
- Don McSween, 1996–97
- Kerry Huffman, 1997–98
- Danton Cole, 1998–99
- Ed Patterson, 1999–2001
- Travis Richards, 2001–04
- Blake Sloan, 2004–05
- Matt Ellis, 2005–07
- Garrett Stafford, Mark Cullen, Ryan Oulahen, 2007–08
- Darren Haydar, 2008–09
- Jamie Tardif, 2009–11
- Garnet Exelby, 2011–12
- Jeff Hoggan, 2012–16
- Nathan Paetsch, 2016–17
- Matthew Ford, 2017–20
- Brian Lashoff, 2020–23
- Josiah Didier, 2023–present
Retired Jersey Numbers
When a jersey number is retired, no other player on the team can wear it. This honors players who were very important to the team.
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Michel Picard | LW | 1996–2000, 2002–2004 |
February 19, 2022 |
| 10 | Jeff Hoggan | LW | 2012–2016 | April 2, 2022 |
| 24 | Travis Richards | D | 1996–2006 | November 24, 2006 |
Team Records
These are some of the best records set by Griffins players.
- Single Season Records
- Most goals in one season: Donald MacLean, 56 goals in 2005–06
- Most assists in one season: Jiri Hudler, 60 assists in 2005–06
- Most points in one season: Michel Picard, 101 points in 1996–97
- Most penalty minutes in one season: Darryl Bootland, 390 minutes in 2005–06
- Most wins by a goalie in one season: Mike Fountain (2000–01) and Joey MacDonald (2004–05), both with 34 wins
- Best goals against average (GAA) by a goalie: Martin Prusek, 1.83 in 2001–02
- Best save percentage by a goalie: Joey MacDonald, .936 in 2003–04
- Career Records
- Most career goals: Michel Picard, 158
- Most career assists: Michel Picard, 222
- Most career points: Michel Picard, 380
- Most career penalty minutes: Darryl Bootland, 1,164
- Most career wins by a goalie: Tom McCollum, 123
- Most career shutouts by a goalie: Joey MacDonald, 20
- Most career games played: Travis Richards, 655
