2011-12 Griffiti - Issue #4 by Grand Rapids Griffins

2011-12 SEASON ISSUE NO. 4

Edition Limited of Posters d nner an Chris Co Nyquist Gustav Inside!

official magazine of the grand rapids griffins

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B Grand Rapids Griffins

Vol. 16, No. 4

T able o f C O N T E N T S STARTING LINEUP

22 CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF Chris Minard has been soaring since he started his comeback from postconcussion symptoms.

30 IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE Fabian Brunnstrom is willing to pay the price to earn his place in the National Hockey League. 40 HAVE SLED, WILL TRAVEL The Grand Rapids Sled Wings continue to provide athletic avenues for kids with disabilities. 44 SPECTACULAR STREAK The Detroit Red Wings found their place in the NHL record book, thanks to key contributions from a number of former Griffins.

On the Bench

2.............. Next Opponents 5.............. Chalk Talk 6.............. Coming Attractions 9.............. Griffins Schedule 12........... AHL Team Directory 18........... AHL Tradition 20........... It Feels Good To Connect 21........... Detroit Red Wings 28........... Promotional Calendar

36........... Meet the Griffins 50........... Griffins Records 55........... Community Crease 57........... Penalty Calls 58........... Griffins History 64........... Arena Map/Ticket Info 68........... It All Starts Here 71........... Kids Page 72........... Parting Shot

COVER:

Chris Minard was the Reebok/AHL Player of the Month for February. Photo by Mark Newman

Griffiti magazine is published four times a year by the Grand Rapids Griffins, Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids, MI 49503. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. All contents ÂŠ2012 Grand Rapids Griffins. For advertising information, contact Griffins Sales & Marketing, (616) 774-4585; fax (616) 336-5464. Unsolicited manuscripts and other materials will not be returned.

Grand Rapids Griffins 1

upcoming home opponents &

Players to watch TORONTO (MARCH 16, APRIL 6) The Marlies continue to push Simon Gysbers (#24), a big (6-4, 200-pound) defenseman who is in his second full pro season after four years at Lake Superior State University. A bit of a late-bloomer, Gysbers has better-than-average offensive potential but needs to work to take advantage of his size in the defensive zone.

HAMILTON (MARCH 17) The Bulldogs are profiting from the increased point production of second-year center Gabriel Dumont (#40), a 21-year-old Quebec native who became a prolific scorer during his final year in juniors. At 5-10, 181 pounds, Dumont is on the small size for the NHL, but like many shorter players, he compensates with a strong competitive streak.

CHARLOTTE (MARCH 30) The Checkers rely on the offensive production of defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti (#6), a highly skilled 24-year-old who was a first-round pick (21st overall) of the New York Rangers in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Traded to the Carolina Hurricanes before last season for a pair of draft picks, Sanguinetti had the hardest shot for PlanetUSA in the AHLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AllStar Classic in 2009 and won the fastest skater competition in the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 event.

OKLAHOMA CITY (MARCH 31) The Barons recently welcomed the arrival of center Anton Lander (#37), a 20-yearold rookie out of Sundsvall, Sweden. A second-round pick (40th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Lander was sent to Oklahoma City for more seasoning after appearing in 56 games with the Edmonton Oilers (two goals and four assists) this year.

TEXAS (APRIL 4) The Stars like the scoring touch of Matt Fraser (#25), a 21-year-old native of Red Deer, Alberta, who ranks in the top 10 for goal scoring in the AHL. At 6-2, 207 pounds, the rookie right winger is just big enough to be a power forward capable of playing a physical brand of hockey. Fraser made his NHL debut with Dallas on Jan. 24.

CHICAGO (APRIL 13) The Wolves continue to enjoy the services of defenseman Yann Sauve (#4), a top prospect of the Vancouver Canucks, who selected the Montreal native in the second round (41st overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The 22-year-old blueliner has good size (6-3, 213 pounds) and good instincts with the puck.

2 Grand Rapids Griffins

Grand Rapids Griffins 3

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CHALK TALK w i t h G r i f f ins h ea d c oa c h Cu r t F r ase r Curt Fraser is excited about the future of the Griffins. The team recently signed a deal to extend its relationship with the Detroit Red Wings for another five seasons. Both teams believe the affiliation has been positive, and recent changes within the organization only promise more success down the road. “With the five-year extension, we believe things will only keep getting better and better,” Fraser said. “Bob McNamara did a really good job as the general manager for the organization’s first 15 years, but we’re looking forward to working even more closely with the Red Wings’ Jim Nill and Kenny Holland as we build and strengthen our team.” Fraser thinks this year’s influx of talented, first-year players bodes well, not only for the Griffins but also for the Red Wings, as they continue to strive to develop players in a winning atmosphere. “We’ve had a good push of young talent this year, plus we have a bunch of young kids coming in next year who we think are going to be terrific,” he said. “The team is getting younger and younger, which we think will translate into us being even better in the future.” He is thrilled that the Red Wings have seen fit to send a number of recently retired players to Grand Rapids to act as mentors and guides to younger players as they grow and develop. Chris Osgood, for example, is in his first season as the Red Wings’ goaltending development coach. In his new position, Osgood is assisting longtime goaltending coach Jim Bedard, not only working with the team’s netminders in Detroit, but also serving as a mentor and teacher to the goaltending prospects in Grand Rapids and Toledo. Jiri Fischer is in his fifth season as director of player development. Meanwhile, Chris Chelios, now in his second year as an advisor to hockey operations, continues to work with the Griffins’ defensive prospects. Kris Draper counsels the Griffins’ young forwards on faceoffs while serving as a special assistant to the general manager. Aaron Downey continues to serve as a parttime strength and conditioning coach for the Griffins, and Kirk Maltby is now a pro scout for the Wings. “Most of these guys didn’t retire that long ago, so it’s invaluable to have them come here and lend a hand,” Fraser said. “Kenny Holland and Jim Nill have a real good handle on developing young talent so they can grow into really good players who can fill their needs.” The Red Wings continue to subscribe to the belief that it is better to have their young talent playing a lot of

minutes in Grand Rapids than sitting on the bench or being a healthy scratch in Detroit. They prefer allowing players to become overripe rather than pushing them into the NHL while they’re still green. “If they were being forced to put young kids up there, they wouldn’t be having the success that they’ve enjoyed for 20 years,” Fraser said. “It’s no accident that Detroit has been one of the top teams in the league for so long.” The emphasis that the Red Wings place on being patient with their players cannot be overstated. “They give them plenty of time to grow and make mistakes,” Fraser said. “When it finally comes time to decide whether a player is ready to be a Detroit Red Wing, the decision is a little easier when they’ve watched them play for three or four years.” A quick glance at the Red Wings’ roster underscores the development process. Jimmy Howard, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Jiri Hudler, Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, Jakub Kindl, Jan Mursak and Cory Emmerton all had extended stays with the Griffins. “One after one, they did a great job in Grand Rapids, and now they’re doing a great job for the Wings,” Fraser said. The time spent by those players in the AHL also serves as an example to younger prospects who sometimes need to be reminded that they have to pay their dues before getting their opportunity. “Everybody wants to play in the NHL, and it’s hard for some kids to understand the process. It’s not an easy league to play in – you have to be prepared and in shape. You have to learn how to be a pro before you can become one.” Other teams may try to rush the process, but that doesn’t work in Detroit. “You’re talking about playing for the best team in the world,” Fraser said. “You’re preparing for something that’s much better than your average team, and as a result you’ve got to work that much harder.” It’s the reason why the Red Wings will continue to look to Grand Rapids for help at crucial times. “When you go to the Red Wings, you’ve got to be ready to help them win,” Fraser said. “You’re not going there to have a seat on the bench and watch a good hockey game. You’ve got to be part of the success of the team.” Grand Rapids Griffins 5

Coming Attractions Greg Amadio Bobblefists In the world of bobbleheads, sports figures of all eras and all types of notoriety have been immortalized in various resins and ceramics. Over the years, hundreds of athletes have had their mugs assigned to the annals of bobbledom by getting their heads placed on a spring to become an item that’s idolized and cherished by fans. But there have been some odd ones as well. The West Michigan Whitecaps honored the karate kick misdeeds of Grand Rapids native and former Detroit Tigers pitcher Dave Rozema with his own bobblefoot action doll in 2008. That same year, the St. Paul Saints baseball team introduced a toe-tapping Larry Craig Bobblefeet doll, complete with bathroom stall, to poke fun at the U.S. Senator who was arrested in the Twin Cities’ airport. The promotion coincided with National Tap Dance Day. On Saturday, March 31, the Griffins will enter the survey of the strange when the first 2,500 fans will go home with Greg Amadio Bobblefists, courtesy of Appletree Christian Learning Centers. Now, this is unusual on several levels, starting with the fact that Amadio was traded to Springfield in January. But the defenseman remains well-liked in Grand Rapids after having done two tours of duty here. Fans may find it humorous that the doll’s fists shake like a nervous boxer’s, but the real punchline is this: Amadio is a nice guy – as evidenced by his willingness to both interact with the community and drop the gloves in support of his teammates – but considering the sponsor, did anyone think it might have been better if the doll was able to turn the other cheek? Special Jersey Auction/Griffins Barbecue Set Giveaway On Saturday, March 17, the Griffins will wear jerseys designed by Fraser Davidson of London, England, who won the Griffins’ third annual jersey design contest held last summer. Davidson’s entry was one of two winners selected from a pool of 119. Each jersey will be signed by its respective Griffins player and auctioned off following the game inside the Fifth Third Vault, with proceeds benefiting PennyBen Mar. 31

6 Grand Rapids Griffins

Mar. 17

and the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge. The first 2,000 fans will receive a Griffins barbecue set, courtesy of Comerica Bank. Tally-ho! Love for Lokomotiv During the Griffins’ two remaining Saturday games (March 17, March 31), the wives and girlfriends of Griffins players -- a.k.a. the “Better Halves” – will be at the Griffins Booster Club table on the concourse, selling $10 “Love for Lokomotiv” silicone memory bracelets. All proceeds benefit Love for Lokomotiv, a foundation established to support the families of the victims of the tragic Sept. 7 plane crash in Russia that claimed the lives of 44 people, including the entire roster and coaching staff of the Kontinental Hockey League’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Included among the victims were three former members of the Griffins: forward Pavol Demitra, defenseman Karel Rachunek and goaltender Stefan Liv. Season Finale Huntington Bank will sponsor the closing game of the Griffins’ 16th regular season on Friday, April 13, when the first 2,500 fans will receive a “Beat Chicago” rally towel to cheer on the team to a potential spot in the playoffs. The Griffins will wear their special Friday jerseys one last time, with each hockey sweater to be signed and auctioned off following the game in the Fifth Third Vault. The night also marks the final J&H Family Stores Post-Game Open Skate of the season. Bring your skates to the rink and take to the ice after the game.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Free Ride Fridayâ&#x20AC;? with Griffins ticket before or after any Griffins Home Game. For more information visit griffinshockey.com/rapid

Wherever life takes you in the Grand Rapids metro area, The Rapid has an easy, low-cost way to get you there. For more information visit www.ridetherapid.org.

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8 Grand Rapids Griffins

2011-12

SEASON SCHEDULE S

OCTOBER W

NOVEMBER

1 2 9 RCH 6:05

HAM

HOU 6:05

7:30

5 12 19 26

7:00

OKC

ABB

MIL

OKC 5:00

8:00

7:00

JANUARY

8:05

CHA

RCH

8:00

7:30

7:00

7:30

3:00

7:00

PEO

MIL

7:00

6:00

HAM

7:00

ABB

HOU

TEX 7:00

RCH

PEO

7:00

10:00

7:00

8:00

10:00

7:00

8:00

MARCH T

RCH

OKC

HAM 5:00

TEX 8:30

HOU

7:00

PEO

HOU 6:05

TEX

TOR

HAM

TOR

7:00

8:00

HAM

3:00

7:00

HOU

TOR

HOU

HAM

7:00

3:00

7:35

OKC

HAM

7:00

5:00

MIL

TOR

CHI

RCH

7:30

7:00

HAM

7:00

FEBRUARY T

RFD

7:00

Noon

13 27

12 26

CHA

CHI

MIL

7:00

RFD

CHI

ABB

7:00

8:00

7:00

DECEMBER T

TOR

4 18

8:05

TOR

4:00

RFD

PRIMARY AFFILIATE OF THE DETROIT RED WINGS

8:00

7:00

5:00

OKC

TEX

RCH 7:05

7:00

5:00

APRIL T

TOR

CHI

HAM

7:00

3:00

7:00

Games broadcast live on

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

Home

8:30

8:00

Away

7:00

8:35

7:00

OKC

CHA

OKC

7:00

8:00

7:00

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

J&H Family Stores Post-Game Open Skate Huntington Bank Post-Game Autograph Session Fan 4-Pack Home Game Griff’s Reading Goals Redemption Date

ABB – Abbotsford CHA – Charlotte CHI – Chicago HAM – Hamilton HOU – Houston LE – Lake Erie MIL – Milwaukee

OKC – Oklahoma City PEO – Peoria RCH – Rochester RFD – Rockford SA – San Antonio TEX – Texas TOR – Toronto

Grand Rapids Griffins 9

Dear Grand Rapids Griffins Fans, As we enter the 16th season of Griffins hockey, one theme keeps coming to my mind: the more things change, the more they stay the same. In June, we bid farewell to Bob McNamara, the only general manager our franchise had ever known and now the president of our North Division rivals, the Hamilton Bulldogs. While we wish Bob nothing but success – except for our 10 games against his new team this season – our hockey operation will, in many ways, carry on much as it has the last several seasons. As our 10-year affiliation with the Detroit Red Wings has evolved, they have assumed greater responsibilities and a more active role in our hockey operations, to the point where they provided nearly all of our players the last several seasons. This year, for the first time, they will supply or acquire every player on the Griffins’ roster, with a steady supply of reinforcements coming through a re-emphasized affiliation with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. Detroit’s appreciation for its relationship with Grand Rapids, recently demonstrated by September’s return of the Red & White Game after an eight-year absence, should also be reflected in the caliber of veterans and rookies who will wear the Griffin this season. While we fully commit our roster to the Red Wings, they continue to entrust our coaching staff – Curt Fraser, soon to be the winningest head coach in Griffins history, and long-time assistant Jim Paek – with the crucial task of developing those prospects into future NHL players. More than ever, the success of the Griffins-Red Wings relationship will be evidenced at Joe Louis Arena. Led by rising stars such as Jimmy Howard and Niklas Kronwall, at least 10 Griffins alumni are expected to play prominent roles with Detroit this season. These players whom we’ve come to know so well at Van Andel Arena are increasingly responsible for sustaining Detroit’s unmatched tradition of excellence. Our arena is also where many retired legends of Hockeytown are staying involved in the game, as Chris Chelios, Chris Osgood, Jiri Fischer and Aaron Downey frequently come here to work with our players in their various coaching or player development capacities. Past Griffins are helping determine Detroit’s present success, and former Red Wings are preparing Grand Rapids’ current players for their NHL futures – just the way we dreamed it up back in 2002, and one more reason both teams are hopeful of extending our affiliation for years to come. On behalf of everyone in the Griffins organization, I thank you for your continued support and look forward to experiencing the 2011-12 season with you. Sincerely,

Dan DeVos President & CEO Grand Rapids Griffins

10 Grand Rapids Griffins

DAVID A. ANDREWS

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

American Hockey League

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

Dear Fans, It is my great pleasure to welcome you to another exciting season of American Hockey League action. We are proud to be entering our 76th season of continuous play, bringing a tradition of excellence and an entertaining, physical and highly skilled level of play to more than 6 million hockey fans across North America annually. Once again in 2011-12, there are 30 teams competing for the historic Calder Cup championship and all 30 National Hockey League clubs are developing their top prospects and draft picks in the AHL. Last season more than 200 first- and second-round NHL draft picks competed in the American Hockey League, and 338 players took the ice in both the AHL and the NHL. This season brings a new look to the AHL landscape as we welcome the city of St. John’s, Newfoundland, back to the league, with the St. John’s IceCaps set to take the ice at Mile One Centre for their inaugural campaign as the top affiliate of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. We continue to be proud of our tradition of developing the best hockey talent in the world, with over 87 percent of today’s NHL players, coaches and officials having honed their skills in the American Hockey League, including reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas and 2011 NHL MVP Corey Perry. Our loyal and passionate fans through the years have enjoyed cheering for more than 100 future Hockey Hall of Famers, and have rooted for more than 100 Calder Cup champions who would go on to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup as well. The Binghamton Senators enter this season as the defending Calder Cup champions after capturing the city’s first-ever AHL title last June. This year’s Senators are looking to hold off 29 other teams whose ultimate goal will also be the 2012 Calder Cup championship. We invite fans from across the league to join us at the world-famous Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., on January 29 and 30 for our annual celebration of AHL excellence, the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic -- featuring the Skills Competition, All-Star Game and AHL Hall of Fame inductions. On behalf of all of our teams, thank you again for your continuing support and I wish you the utmost enjoyment in following your club through what is sure to be another terrific season. Sincerely,

David A. Andrews President & Chief Executive Officer American Hockey League

Grand Rapids Griffins 11

2011-2012 AHL DIRECTORY

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION: Manchester, Portland, Providence, St. John’s, Worcester NORTHEAST DIVISION: Adirondack, Albany, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Springfield EAST DIVISION: Binghamton, Hershey, Norfolk, Syracuse, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

ADIRONDACK PHANTOMS

NHL AFFILIATION: Philadelphia Flyers HOME ICE: Glens Falls Civic Center (4,816) GENERAL MANAGER: Paul Holmgren HEAD COACH: Joe Paterson ENTERED AHL: 1996-97 (as Philadelphia Phantoms) CALDER CUPS: Two (1998, 2005) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 10 of 15 2010-11 RECORD: 31-39-4-6, 72 pts. WEBSITE: www.phantomshockey.com

ALBANY DEVILS

NHL AFFILIATION: New Jersey Devils HOME ICE: Times Union Center (6,691) GENERAL MANAGER: Chris Lamoriello HEAD COACH: Rick Kowalsky ENTERED AHL: 2006-07 (as Lowell Devils) CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 5 2010-11 RECORD: 32-42-1-5, 70 pts. WEBSITE: www.thealbanydevils.com

BINGHAMTON SENATORS

NHL AFFILIATION: Ottawa Senators HOME ICE: Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena (4,710) PRESIDENT: Tim Smith HEAD COACH: Kurt Kleinendorst ENTERED AHL: 2002-03 CALDER CUPS: One (2011) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 4 of 9 2010-11 RECORD: 42-30-3-5, 92 pts. WEBSITE: www.binghamtonsenators.com

BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS

NHL AFFILIATION: New York Islanders HOME ICE: Webster Bank Arena (8,412) GENERAL MANAGER: Garth Snow HEAD COACH: Brent Thompson ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 6 of 10 2010-11 RECORD: 30-39-4-7, 71 pts. WEBSITE: www.soundtigers.com

CONNECTICUT WHALE

NHL AFFILIATION: New York Rangers HOME ICE: XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum (15,635) GENERAL MANAGER: Jim Schoenfeld HEAD COACH: Ken Gernander ENTERED AHL: 1997-98 (as Hartford Wolf Pack) CALDER CUPS: One (2000) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 13 of 14 2010-11 RECORD: 40-32-2-6, 88 pts. WEBSITE: www.ctwhale.com

12 Grand Rapids Griffins

HERSHEY BEARS

NHL AFFILIATION: Washington Capitals HOME ICE: Giant Center (10,500) GENERAL MANAGER: Doug Yingst HEAD COACH: Mark French ENTERED AHL: 1938-39 CALDER CUPS: 11 (1947, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1974, 1980, 1988, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2010) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 62 of 73 2010-11 RECORD: 46-26-3-5, 100 pts. WEBSITE: www.hersheybears.com

MANCHESTER MONARCHS

NHL AFFILIATION: Los Angeles Kings HOME ICE: Verizon Wireless Arena (9,852) GENERAL MANAGER: Ron Hextall HEAD COACH: Mark Morris ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 9 of 10 2010-11 RECORD: 44-26-4-6, 98 pts. WEBSITE: www.manchestermonarchs.com

NORFOLK ADMIRALS

NHL AFFILIATION: Tampa Bay Lightning HOME ICE: Norfolk Scope (8,704) GENERAL MANAGER: Julien BriseBois HEAD COACH: Jon Cooper ENTERED AHL: 2000-01 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 8 of 11 2010-11 RECORD: 39-26-9-6, 93 pts. WEBSITE: www.norfolkadmirals.com

PORTLAND PIRATES

NHL AFFILIATION: Phoenix Coyotes HOME ICE: Cumberland County Civic Center (6,733) GENERAL MANAGER: Brad Treliving HEAD COACH: Ray Edwards ENTERED AHL: 1993-94 CALDER CUPS: One (1994) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 14 of 18 2010-11 RECORD: 47-24-7-2, 103 pts. WEBSITE: www.portlandpirates.com

PROVIDENCE BRUINS

NHL AFFILIATION: Boston Bruins HOME ICE: Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence (11,075) GENERAL MANAGER: Peter Chiarelli HEAD COACH: Bruce Cassidy ENTERED AHL: 1992-93 CALDER CUPS: One (1999) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 15 of 19 2010-11 RECORD: 38-36-3-3, 82 pts. WEBSITE: www.providencebruins.com

SPRINGFIELD FALCONS

NHL AFFILIATION: Columbus Blue Jackets HOME ICE: MassMutual Center (6,789) GENERAL MANAGER: Bruce Landon HEAD COACH: Rob Riley ENTERED AHL: 1994-95 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 6 of 17 2010-11 RECORD: 35-40-2-3, 75 pts. WEBSITE: www.falconsahl.com

2011-2012 AHL DIRECTORY ST. JOHN’S ICECAPS

NHL AFFILIATION: Winnipeg Jets HOME ICE: Mile One Centre (6,247) GENERAL MANAGER: Craig Heisinger HEAD COACH: Keith McCambridge ENTERED AHL: 2011-12 WEBSITE: www.stjohnsicecaps.com

SYRACUSE CRUNCH

NHL AFFILIATION: Anaheim Ducks HOME ICE: Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter (6,159) GENERAL MANAGER: Vance Lederman HEAD COACH: Mark Holick ENTERED AHL: 1994-95 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 9 of 17 2010-11 RECORD: 35-38-3-4, 77 pts. WEBSITE: www.syracusecrunch.com

WESTERNNORTHCONFERENCE DIVISION: Grand Rapids, Hamilton, Lake Erie, Rochester, Toronto MIDWEST DIVISION: Charlotte, Chicago, Milwaukee, Peoria, Rockford WEST DIVISION: Abbotsford, Houston, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Texas

ABBOTSFORD HEAT

NHL AFFILIATION: Calgary Flames HOME ICE: Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre (7,046) GENERAL MANAGER: Jay Feaster HEAD COACH: Troy G. Ward ENTERED AHL: 2009-10 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 2 2010-11 RECORD: 38-32-4-6, 86 pts. WEBSITE: www.abbotsfordheat.com

CHARLOTTE CHECKERS

NHL AFFILIATION: Carolina Hurricanes HOME ICE: Time Warner Cable Arena (6,800) HEAD COACH/ GENERAL MANAGER: Jeff Daniels ENTERED AHL: 2010-11 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 1 2010-11 RECORD: 44-27-2-7, 97 pts. WEBSITE: www.gocheckers.com

CHICAGO WOLVES

NHL AFFILIATION: Vancouver Canucks HOME ICE: Allstate Arena (16,692) GENERAL MANAGER: Wendell Young HEAD COACH: Craig MacTavish ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: Two (2002, 2008) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 7 of 10 2010-11 RECORD: 39-30-5-6, 89 pts. WEBSITE: www.chicagowolves.com

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS

NHL AFFILIATION: Pittsburgh Penguins HOME ICE: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza (8,050) GENERAL MANAGER: Ray Shero HEAD COACH: John Hynes ENTERED AHL: 1999-00 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 10 of 12 2010-11 RECORD: 58-21-0-1, 117 pts. WEBSITE: www.wbspenguins.com

WORCESTER SHARKS

NHL AFFILIATION: San Jose Sharks HOME ICE: DCU Center (6,800) GENERAL MANAGER: Wayne Thomas HEAD COACH: Roy Sommer ENTERED AHL: 2006-07 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 5 2010-11 RECORD: 36-31-4-9, 85 pts. WEBSITE: www.sharksahl.com

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

NHL AFFILIATION: Detroit Red Wings HOME ICE: Van Andel Arena (10,834) HEAD COACH: Curt Fraser BEGAN PLAY: 1996-97 (IHL) ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 6 of 10 2010-11 RECORD: 36-34-2-8, 82 pts. WEBSITE: www.griffinshockey.com

HAMILTON BULLDOGS

NHL AFFILIATION: Montreal Canadiens HOME ICE: Copps Coliseum (8,819) GENERAL MANAGER: Pierre Gauthier HEAD COACH: Clement Jodoin ENTERED AHL: 1996-97 CALDER CUPS: One (2007) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 12 of 15 2010-11 RECORD: 44-27-2-7, 97 pts. WEBSITE: www.hamiltonbulldogs.com

HOUSTON AEROS

NHL AFFILIATION: Minnesota Wild HOME ICE: Toyota Center (8,939) GENERAL MANAGER: Jim Mill HEAD COACH: John Torchetti ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: One (2003) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 8 of 10 2010-11 RECORD: 46-28-1-5, 98 pts. WEBSITE: www.aeros.com

LAKE ERIE MONSTERS

NHL AFFILIATION: Colorado Avalanche HOME ICE: Quicken Loans Arena (20,093) DIRECTOR OF AHL OPERATIONS: David Oliver HEAD COACH: David Quinn ENTERED AHL: 2007-08 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 4 2010-11 RECORD: 44-28-3-5, 96 pts. WEBSITE: www.lakeeriemonsters.com Grand Rapids Griffins 13

2011-2012 AHL DIRECTORY MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS

TEXAS STARS

OKLAHOMA CITY BARONS

TORONTO MARLIES

NHL AFFILIATION: Nashville Predators HOME ICE: Bradley Center (17,845) GENERAL MANAGER: Paul Fenton HEAD COACH: Kirk Muller ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: One (2004) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 9 of 10 2010-11 RECORD: 44-22-6-8, 102 pts. WEBSITE: www.milwaukeeadmirals.com NHL AFFILIATION: Edmonton Oilers HOME ICE: Cox Convention Center (7,500) GENERAL MANAGER: Bill Scott HEAD COACH: Todd Nelson ENTERED AHL: 2010-11 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 1 2010-11 RECORD: 40-29-2-9, 91 pts. WEBSITE: www.okcbarons.com

PEORIA RIVERMEN

NHL AFFILIATION: St. Louis Blues HOME ICE: Peoria Civic Center – Carver Arena (9,919) GENERAL MANAGER: Kevin McDonald HEAD COACH: Jared Bednar ENTERED AHL: 2005-06 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 6 2010-11 RECORD: 42-30-3-5, 92 pts. WEBSITE: www.rivermen.net

ROCHESTER AMERICANS

NHL AFFILIATION: Buffalo Sabres HOME ICE: Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial (10,662) GENERAL MANAGER: Darcy Regier HEAD COACH: Ron Rolston ENTERED AHL: 1956-57 CALDER CUPS: Six (1965, 1966, 1968, 1983, 1987, 1996) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 41 of 55 2010-11 RECORD: 31-39-5-5, 72 pts. WEBSITE: www.amerks.com

ROCKFORD ICEHOGS

NHL AFFILIATION: Chicago Blackhawks HOME ICE: BMO Harris Bank Center (5,767) GOVERNOR: Mark Bernard HEAD COACH: Ted Dent ENTERED AHL: 2007-08 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 4 2010-11 RECORD: 38-33-4-5, 85 pts. WEBSITE: www.icehogs.com

SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE

NHL AFFILIATION: Florida Panthers HOME ICE: AT&T Center (6,374) GENERAL MANAGER: Michael Santos HEAD COACH: Chuck Weber ENTERED AHL: 2002-03 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 9 2010-11 RECORD: 40-33-4-3, 87 pts. WEBSITE: www.sarampage.com 14 Grand Rapids Griffins

NHL AFFILIATION: Dallas Stars HOME ICE: Cedar Park Center (6,863) GENERAL MANAGER: Scott White HEAD COACH: Jeff Pyle ENTERED AHL: 2009-10 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 2 2010-11 RECORD: 41-29-4-6, 92 pts. WEBSITE: www.texasstarshockey.com NHL AFFILIATION: Toronto Maple Leafs HOME ICE: Ricoh Coliseum (7,851) GENERAL MANAGER: Dave Nonis HEAD COACH: Dallas Eakins ENTERED AHL: 2005-06 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 6 2010-11 RECORD: 37-32-1-10, 85 pts. WEBSITE: www.marlies.ca

2011-12 PLAYOFF FORMAT Eight teams in each conference will qualify for the 2012 Calder Cup Playoffs, with the three division winners earning the top three seeds and the next five best teams in order of regular-season points seeded fourth through eighth. The conference quarterfinals will be best-of-five series; the conference semifinals, conference finals and Calder Cup Finals will be best-of-seven series. Teams will be re-ordered after the first round so that the highestremaining seed plays the lowestremaining seed.

comerica.com

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Grand Rapids Griffins 17

HISTORY

he American Hockey League is enjoying its 76th season of play in 2011-12, continuing a tradition of excellence that began in 1936 when the Canadian-American Hockey League merged with the International Hockey League to form what is today known as the AHL. Eight teams hit the ice that first season, playing in Buffalo, Cleveland, New Haven, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Springfield and Syracuse. Frank Calder, the National Hockey League’s president at the time, was instrumental in the forming of the new league, and his name would be given to its championship trophy. The first Calder Cup was won by the Syracuse Stars; the 75th championship was captured by the Binghamton Senators last spring.

Terry Sawchuk Honored Member, Hockey Hall of Fame 1949 AHL Rookie of the Year 1950 Calder Cup Champion

LEGENDS

ver the past three-quarters of a century, the American Hockey League has been home to some of the greatest players in the history of our sport. In fact, more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame have been affiliated with the AHL during their careers. All-time greats like George Armstrong, Toe Blake, Gump Worsley, Terry Sawchuk, Glenn Hall, Brad Park, Ken Dryden and Brett Hull came through the AHL ranks and now find themselves enshrined in Toronto, and the coveted Calder Cup trophy 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.

he 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 sixth class of inductees, recognized in 2011, included Mitch Lamoureux, Harry Pidhirny, Maurice Podoloff and Larry Wilson. They join the likes of Johnny Bower, Fred Glover, Jody Gage, Willie Marshall, Frank Mathers, Eddie Shore, Bruce Boudreau, Tim Tookey and others as distinguished members of the American Hockey League Hall of Fame.

In today’s National Hockey League, more than 87 percent of the players are AHL alumni, including 2011 Hart Trophy recipient Corey Perry and two-time Lady Byng Award winner Martin St. Louis. Three members of the 2010 AHL All-Rookie Team -- John Carlson, P.K. Subban and Logan Couture -- duplicated the feat in the NHL in 2010-11, and former Calder Cup finalists Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne were among the members of the NHL’s postseason First and Second All-Star Teams.

Photo: Nashville Predators

The 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins were stocked with AHL graduates as well, among them Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas. Pekka Rinne 2011 Second Team NHL All-Star 2006, 2008 AHL All-Star

18 Grand Rapids Griffins

PLAYERS

During the 2010-11 season, more than 850 AHL alumni played in the

COACHES

Photo: Boston Bruins

National Hockey League, including 320 who skated in both leagues last year alone. Buffalo’s Thomas Vanek, Ottawa’s Jason Spezza and Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux were among the 16 AHL graduates who led their NHL teams in scoring, and former AHL All-Stars Jimmy Howard, Jaroslav Halak and Miikka Kiprusoff were among the 27 AHL goaltending alumni who paced their NHL clubs in victories. More than 200 former first- and second-round draft picks developed their skills in the AHL last season, including breakout rookies like Luke Adam, Zac Dalpe, Kyle Palmieri, Nazem Kadri and 2011 Calder Cup Playoffs MVP Robin Lehner.

Former AHL goaltender Tim Thomas won the Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies with the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in 2010-11.

At the start of the 2011-12 season, the NHL featured 23 head coaches who were former AHL bench

bosses, including the last seven Stanley Cup champions in Claude Julien (Boston, 2011), Joel Quenneville (Chicago, 2010), Dan Bylsma (Pittsburgh, 2009), Mike Babcock (Detroit, 2008), Randy Carlyle (Anaheim, 2007), Peter Laviolette (Carolina, 2006) and John Tortorella (Tampa Bay, 2004). New head coaches in the NHL this season include Florida’s Kevin Dineen, Dallas’s Glen Gulutzan, Minnesota’s Mike Yeo and Winnipeg’s Claude Noel, all promoted from the AHL during the offseason. “The American Hockey League has been essential in developing my potential both as a player and as a coach. Being able to hone my skills and improve at a high level of competition was key to reaching my goals of playing in the NHL, becoming a head coach and winning the Stanley Cup.” -- Dan Bylsma, Head Coach, Pittsburgh Penguins 2011 Jack Adams Award Winner, 2010 Stanley Cup Champion

The 2010-11 season saw more than 6 million fans attend AHL games for JustSports Photography

FANS

The Hershey Bears increased their attendance at Giant Center for the seventh year in a row while leading the AHL for the fifth consecutive season.

the 10th year in a row; since 2001, AHL games have been played before more than 65 million fans in arenas across North America. The Hershey Bears paced the league by averaging 9,800 fans per game last year, and on Feb. 19 the Connecticut Whale drew 21,673 fans to a celebration of hockey at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., that included the second outdoor game in AHL history.

STARS

The AHL All-Star Classic showcases the league’s top talent each year in

JustSports Photography/AHL

an All-Star Skills Competition and All-Star Game. The 2012 AHL All-Star Classic will be held at historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., on January 29-30, featuring the Eastern Conference All-Stars battling the Western Conference All-Stars in an event to be televised live across the U.S. and Canada. Of the 562 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Brad Boyes, Dan Boyle, Daniel Briere, Brian Campbell, Chris Kunitz, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Bobby Ryan, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal and Tomas Vokoun.

Bobby Butler 2011 AHL All-Star Game MVP

Grand Rapids Griffins 19

It feels good... The Griffins have numerous ways to help you stay connected with your team, both during games and when you are away from Van Andel Arena. r song You can now tweet you a tweet d Sen xx! Ma requests to DJ e to to @GriffDJMaxx – be sur name st arti , title g son the include g. hta has G GR and the #go

...to connect Download the official Griffins iPhone and Android app, featuring schedule, roster, team and arena information and more. Visit griffinshockey.com/app.

Let your friends know that you’re at the game and tha t they are missing out if they’r e not here too – check in when yo u get here on Foursquare or Faceb ook to get free stuff! We want to see your photos from the game! Share your pictures with us on our Facebook wall for the chance to win great prizes all season long.

20 Grand Rapids Griffins

use Twitter, make sure you For our fans who use ing eet tw en wh RG oG the hashtag #g tweets will be from the games. Your or screen near eri ext an to on projected l Arena. Also, de An n Va the SE corner of for and mer Griffins find a list of current dWings prospects Re oit etr and other @D witter. nT at http://bit.ly/GRGo

Most importantly, introduce yourself to your fellow fans sitting around you, have a good time, and cheer your hearts out for the Griffins!

Detroit

Red Wings

Photos: Getty Images

Griffins forwards Cory Emmerton, Tomas Tatar and Jan Mursak each scored his first NHL goal while playing for the Red Wings last season.

Since the Grand Rapids-Detroit affiliation began in 2002, Griffins fans have proudly watched 46 players move on to play for the Red Wings – including the likes of Jimmy Howard, Justin Abdelkader, Jonathan Ericsson, Valtteri Filppula, Darren Helm, Jiri Hudler and Niklas Kronwall – while also enjoying the opportunity to see some of Detroit’s brightest stars play at Van Andel Arena during conditioning stints and Red & White Games. TOP AFFILIATE

Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)

ARENA

Joe Louis Arena Seating Capacity: 20,066

INFO

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

STANLEY CUPS

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

MANAGEMENT

Ken Holland, Executive VP/General Manager Jim Nill, VP/Assistant General Manager Ryan Martin, Asst. GM/Hockey Administration

COACHING STAFF

Mike Babcock, Head Coach Jeff Blashill, Assistant Coach Bill Peters, Assistant Coach Keith McKittrick, Video Coach Jim Bedard, Goaltending Coach Chris Osgood, Goaltending Development Coach Aaron Downey, AHL Strength and Conditioning Coach

GRIFFINS WHO HAVE EARNED THEIR WINGS* Justin Abdelkader, 2008-09 Joakim Andersson, 2011-12 Sean Avery, 2002-03 Ryan Barnes, 2003-04 Patrick Boileau, 2002-03 Darryl Bootland, 2003-04 Fabian Brunnstrom, 2011-12 Chris Conner, 2011-12 Aaron Downey, 2008-09 Matt Ellis, 2006-07 Cory Emmerton, 2010-11 Jonathan Ericsson, 2007-08 Valtteri Filppula, 2005-06 Mark Hartigan, 2007-08 Darren Helm, 2007-08 Jimmy Howard, 2005-06 Jiri Hudler, 2003-04 Matt Hussey, 2006-07 Doug Janik, 2009-10 Jakub Kindl, 2009-10 Tomas Kopecky, 2005-06 Niklas Kronwall, 2003-04 Marc Lamothe, 2003-04

Josh Langfeld, 2006-07 Brett Lebda, 2005-06 Ville Leino, 2008-09 Joey MacDonald, 2006-07 Donald MacLean, 2005-06 Darren McCarty, 2007-08 Tom McCollum, 2010-11 Derek Meech, 2006-07 Kevin Miller, 2003-04 Mark Mowers, 2003-04 Jan Mursak, 2010-11 Anders Myrvold, 2003-04 Kris Newbury, 2009-10 Gustav Nyquist, 2011-12 Kyle Quincey, 2005-06 Mattias Ritola, 2007-08 Jamie Rivers, 2003-04 Nathan Robinson, 2003-04 Stacy Roest, 2002-03 Brendan Smith, 2011-12 Garrett Stafford, 2007-08 Tomas Tatar, 2010-11 Jason Williams, 2002-03

* not including conditioning stints for Curtis Joseph (2003-04), Chris Osgood (2005-06), Manny Legace (2005-06), Chris Chelios (2008-09) and Andreas Lilja (2009-10).

Grand Rapids Griffins 21

CLEARED FOR

TAKEOFF Story and photos by Mark Newman

Chris Minard has been soaring since he started his comeback from post-concussion symptoms. Since returning to the Griffins’ lineup on Jan. 15, Chris Minard’s scoring prowess has been giving opponents plenty of headaches. He can certainly relate. Minard missed the first 36 games of the season, struggling with post-concussion symptoms from a blindside hit that he suffered while playing for the AHL’s Springfield Falcons two seasons ago. He tallied 12 goals in his first 16 games this year, including two hat tricks, as he regained the scoring touch that had led the Detroit Red Wings to sign him to a two-year contract before last season. And after registering eight goals, 13 points and a plus-seven rating in 10 games during February, he was named the Griffins’ first-ever Reebok/AHL Player of the Month. Minard has rediscovered the love of the game that he shared with his older brother Mike, a former pro goaltender and current assistant coach for the Portland Pirates, while growing up in Owen Sound, Ontario. 22 Grand Rapids Griffins

“When you’re away from the game, you miss the fun of being around 25-30 guys and being able to still act like a little kid,” Minard said. “You can’t do that in the real world, and that’s what makes it fun. You just want to come to the rink and play, and you miss it when you can’t.” So it was especially frustrating for Minard when he wasn’t allowed to skate, let alone play, this fall as a result of the headaches and dizziness he had been experiencing for longer than he cares to remember. He has no trouble recalling the “gutless act” – a blow that knocked him off his feet as he was completing a slapshot – which first cost him half of the 2009-10 season. “It sits in my mind every day,” he said. “I have it on my computer and I’ve watched it numerous times. There was no penalty or suspension, but to me, it was a bad hit, one that doesn’t need to be in the game.” The hit certainly knocked him for a loop.

“There were symptoms right away, but I thought I could keep playing,” he said, recalling the immediate aftermath of the hit. “I practiced the whole week, then played the next game. But going out onto the ice, I didn’t feel right. I felt like I was getting dizzy. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew I didn’t want to get hit again. I think I was more scared than anything else.” In Springfield, he was forced to sit in the stands, a situation that was supposed to last a couple of weeks but soon stretched into months. Although he managed to eventually return to the ice later that season, the effects lingered. He signed with the Red Wings, who were his favorite team when he was growing up. He came to Grand Rapids with great expectations but never quite felt like himself last season, which he admits was easily his worst as a pro, even though he steadfastly refuses to blame his performance on the concussion. He is willing to admit that he was still experiencing some of the aftereffects of the concussion. “Obviously, I didn’t play the way I should, so I can’t put the blame on anybody else,” he said. “The symptoms never got bad enough to the point where I couldn’t play.” His condition, however, took a turn for the worse last summer. “As the workouts got harder and the time got closer to training camp, the headaches were getting stronger and stronger,” he said. Minard was all set to attend a conditioning camp near the home of his friend and teammate Jamie Johnson when Piet Van Zant, the head athletic trainer for the Red Wings, recommended that he see some specialists in the medical field.

And so began Minard’s sojourn into the surprisingly sticky situation of searching for someone who could correctly diagnose his condition. It’s hard to hide the hopelessness he felt. “I don’t know how many doctors I’ve seen,” he said. “It felt like every day I was seeing a new specialist about something. It was weird because every doctor seemed to have his own opinion. ‘It’s this, it’s that.’ Every time I saw somebody, there was a sliver of hope – I’d get excited because I thought they found something and I’d think, well, maybe this is it. “And so I would work and work, and I’d see a little bit of progress but not enough. That was part of the frustration. There were times when I was feeling better and other times where I felt like, ‘Nope, something’s still not right.’ So I’d go see someone else and they would have a totally different opinion. “People think they have the answer, but in the back of your mind you can feel them guessing. At what point do you trust them? Eventually, I was totally against a few of the doctors I was seeing. It was like there’s no way this is what’s wrong because it’s been 8-10 weeks of doing certain things and nothing. On paper you can see progress, but you just know in your head that things aren’t right. “After a while, you begin to wonder if it’s just in your head, that it’s just a mental thing. If you wake up and tell yourself that you’re not feeling well, you’re not going to feel well. So you try to stay as positive as you can, but some days it’s tough. I’m thankful for my wife, Stacey, for being supportive. It’s tough not knowing how you’re going to support your family if the symptoms kept going. It was hard on my whole family.”

Minard earned AHL Player of the Month honors for February after returning from his lengthy layoff. Grand Rapids Griffins 23

Minard has played 40 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers. But Minard never quit. He still had a passion to play. So he kept seeing doctors. He finally connected with Dr. Jeffrey S. Kutcher, a University of Michigan sports neurologist who had been recommended by the NHL Players Association. Dr. Kutcher works with athletes in the areas of concussions, migraine headaches and sleep disorders. “He finally gave me the confidence that we were on the right track,” said Minard, who at long last felt like he was turning the corner, thanks to a combination of medication, rest and exercise. Minard was still experiencing some symptoms when he began skating again. “They said, you’re not getting any better with rest, let’s try some exercise.’ It finally got to the point where it wasn’t making things worse. Sure, there were some days that were more difficult than others, but I wasn’t experiencing the extremes like I had before, so that was a positive. I kept skating, hoping that things would improve.” It was a long road to recovery and redemption for Minard. He got bored with all of the skating, and even more bored with the questions. He knew people meant well, but he grew weary of being asked about his status. “When you come to the rink every day, people ask, ‘How you feeling? Are you getting any better?’ You hear it 30 times a day, and it gets old,” he said, longing for the day that he could say, ‘I feel great. I’m ready to go.’ Throughout the ordeal, Johnson was the perfect friend. He was supportive without saying too much. “He would ask maybe once a week because he knew it was frustrating,” Minard said. “He had been through this stuff with another friend who had to 24 Grand Rapids Griffins

retire, so he was great, just being there for me.” Minard also found strength in his two-year-old son, Chace. “All he does is play hockey – it’s mini sticks, hockey helmet, hockey gloves, hockey skates, daddy has to go to work, hockey, hockey, hockey,” Minard said. “Judging from the way he acts round the house and when he’s around the rink, I would imagine he’s going to want to play. He obviously loves the game.” Being able to spend extra time with Chace was the silver lining to his ordeal. “It’s awesome when you can spend time with him every day and watch him grow and develop,” Minard said. Before he was cleared to play, Minard remembers having his doubts. He wondered whether he could still excel at the game that he had played so long, or if his career would be finished at the age of 30. “Obviously, you’re rusty and it takes time for things to come back,” he said. “There were a couple of weeks where I wasn’t sure I could even shoot. Where’d my shot go? That was the one thing I could always do. You start to worry.” Minard made his 2011-12 season debut on Jan. 15. He was held scoreless, but that wasn’t the point. “The first game back I felt a lot of emotions. Caution was one. I wanted to play the same style that I had always played, but I didn’t really know how a hit was going to affect me. It was in my mind but I tried not to think about it. I just wanted to go out and play.” In his second game, he scored two goals. Now he knew he was back. Last season, it had taken him 21 games to get his second goal. “Last year was obviously my worst year as a pro.

It was definitely frustrating,” he said. “When I scored the two goals, it was a big boost for my confidence. When you miss the amount of time that I did and you can impact a game, it really gives you a positive outlook going forward.” He started to shake off the rust. He recorded a hat trick in his 12th game and scored a second hat trick four games later. “I still feel rusty at times but every day I’m just trying to work hard and get better,” he said. Now that the goals are coming with regularity, it’s renewed not only his confidence, but also his hope of getting another opportunity in the NHL. “Getting to the NHL is the main reason you play the game,” he said. “I didn’t get a chance to get there last year, so I’d like another crack at the NHL. I always felt like I could play there. When I was there and had my confidence, I thought, ‘Man, I belong here.’ “Once you get to the NHL, it’s more of a mental challenge to stay there. You have to believe that you belong there and continue to play the same way that got you there. “If I can keep improving and get my game back to where it was a couple of years ago, that would be good. I’d like to get another shot.”

3560 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids MI 616.956.5511 | foxfordusa.com

3 THREE TIMES LUCKY

Minard’s two hat tricks in a span of five games (13 days) marked the second-fastest pair in Griffins history behind Donald MacLean, who notched tricks in consecutive games on Jan. 14-18, 2006. Minard is the sixth Griffin to log two or more hat tricks in a single season. Donald MacLean had five in 2005-06, while four others had two: Francis Lemieux (2008-09), Matt Ellis (2006-07), Kevin Miller (1999-00) and Pavol Demitra (1996-97).

Minard’s three career hat tricks tie him for second all time on the Griffins, matching Kevin Miller and standing two behind Donald MacLean.

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Grand Rapids Griffins 25

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

2011-12 Griffins PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE Mar. 17

Mar. 31

March 17: Griffins BBQ Set Giveaway presented by Comerica Bank/Jersey Auction to benefit PennyBen & American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge March 27: Griffins Booster Club Awards Banquet at Applause Event Center March 31: Greg Amadio Bobblefists Giveaway presented by Appletree Christian Learning Centers/Appearance by the Russian Bar Trio circus act featured on America’s Got Talent

Mar. 17

Mar. 31

April 13: Season Finale presented by Huntington Bank/“Beat Chicago” Rally Towel Giveaway/ Jersey Auction

S e aso n lo n g P romot i o n s

Dollar Beers and Hot Dogs: Every Friday, enjoy $1 hot dogs and $1 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last.

Get in the D-ZONE: Every Friday night is a Griffins WGRD D-Zone night. Avoid the concession lines and get your $1 beers and $1 hot dogs served to you in your seats! Call 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com/ dzone to get your tickets today! College Nights: Every Friday, college students can show their ID to purchase a lower bowl ticket for $13 (or $11 in advance at The Zone) and stop by the McFadden’s concourse table to receive a free pass to the post-game party at McFadden’s. 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 28 Grand Rapids Griffins

ridetherapid.org for schedule information, routes and maps.

Winning Wednesday presented by Amway: Every time the Griffins win at home on Wednesday, each fan in attendance will receive a free ticket to the next Wednesday game. Additionally, the first 300 fans to visit the Amway table in Section A will receive a free Amway gift bag. 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 save $7 off the price of a Lower Level Faceoff ticket (regularly $18 in advance and $20 day of game). Limit four tickets per card per person, subject to availability.

Fan 4 Packs: For select games, receive four tickets and $12 in concession cash for a great low price. Valid for games on March 17 and 31. Visit griffinshockey.com/ f4p or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2. J&H Family Stores Post-Game Skates: March 17 and 31; and April 13 Huntington Bank Post-Game Autograph Session: March 17

MOS Corner Office presented by Michigan Office Solutions: Located on the terrace level above section 118, this section provides the best seats in the house for groups of up to 30 people, with La-Z-Boy chairs and an array of amenities. Call (616) 774-4585. All promotions and dates subject to change. For more information, visit griffinshockey.com.

Sports Medicine Institute

Official Orthopaedic Physicians of the

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Grand Rapids Griffins Since Game 1.

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Excellent medicine. Personalized care.

Peter C. Theut, M.D. Michael R.F. Jabara, M.D.

Phone 616-459-7101 www.OAMichigan.com/SMI

IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE Story and photos by Mark Newman

Story and photos by Mark Newman

30 Grand Rapids Griffins

Fabian Brunnstrom is willing to pay the price to earn his place in the National Hockey League.

Fabian Brunnstrom is hot on the trail of the flawless Brunnstrom was ready for that commitment. He hockey stick. trained three or four times a day for a couple of years. He knows he may never find it, but it’s not going to “I started to get better as I learned those things,” stop him from trying. Brunnstrom said. “I got better and better all the time “I’ve been working on my sticks for my whole and I realized that maybe I had a chance to be a hockey career, and I still haven’t gotten it right,” he said player after all.” recently, taking a break from his perpetual pursuit. “I’m He had a breakout season with the second-tier looking to make the perfect one. I know how I want it, Allsvenskan club in 2006-07, when he recorded a but it’s hard to do it in reality.” league-leading 73 points in 41 games. After he was He is focused on this particular day not on the curve promoted to the Swedish Elite League the following of the blade but on how it rests on the ice. Or more season, he began garnering attention from the NHL. precisely, on how it does Undrafted by the not touch the ice. NHL, Brunnstrom was “When I’m standing suddenly in demand. on the toe, I want more Negotiations were of the blade to lay on rumored with not only the ice,” he continued, the Detroit Red Wings, positioning his body but also the Montreal as if he were ready to Canadiens, Toronto take a faceoff. “I need to Maple Leafs and straighten it out, but it Vancouver Canucks. affects the other angle.” “The NHL was always Brunnstrom admits my dream, so when I got that it may be a neverthe chance to come here, ending quest. “I guess I didn’t hesitate,” he said. so,” he said. “But I want In the end, he signed to make it as good as it with the Dallas Stars, Brunnstrom became the third player in NHL can be.” figuring his chances history to score a hat trick in his first game. In many ways, the might be better there. story of his career is not Brunnstrom was a much different. healthy scratch during the Stars’ first two games of It was not long ago that a future in the National the 2008-09 season, which only heightened the hype Hockey League was the furthest thing from his mind. surrounding his debut. He did not disappoint. And yet, through a lot of hard work and dedication, On Oct. 15, 2008, Brunnstrom became only the he went from fast food to fast ice in the relatively short third player in NHL history to score a hat trick in his span of a couple of years. first game. He might have scored a fourth goal, but the Brunnstrom is the epitome of a late bloomer. He referee ruled his whistle had blown before the puck was languishing in the lower divisions of the Swedish trickled past the goalie. hockey hierarchy when he had an epiphany to his true “I remember thinking before the game that it would potential. be nice to score a goal and then the first one came, then He decided he wanted to be as good as he could be. a second, and finally the third. It was just surreal.” “I worked at Burger King when I was 19 or 20 years In hindsight, he couldn’t have started out his career old, and I made a decision,” he said. “I asked myself in a worse way. what I wanted to do with my life. I realized I wanted to “When I think back, I think it would have helped give hockey a good chance.” if there hadn’t been so much hype about me,” he said. At the same time, he met a Russian skater who was “The hype brought me to the NHL, but at the same playing in Sweden. His name was Sergei Marchkov, a time it was very hard to live up to the expectations.” player 12 years his senior, who had developed his skills He was not the next Sidney Crosby. Of course, he in Russia before moving to Sweden. didn’t help matters with his hat trick debut. He can “When I first saw him, I was amazed,” Brunnstrom laugh about it now. “I guess I set the bar a little too recalled. “He was so fast, and watching him handle the high,” he said somewhat wistfully. puck, I was amazed at how he played the game.” Brunnstrom finished the year with a respectable Marchkov became one of Brunnstrom’s mentors. “I total of 17 goals, but he admits that he may not have wanted to be able to do all those things that he did.” been totally ready for the NHL. He was sent down to The two became inseparable. the AHL’s Texas Stars the following year, then injuries “It was just him and me on the ice, alone, in the and a coaching change in Dallas kept him there until he early mornings,” Brunnstrom said. “He showed was sent to Toronto in a midseason trade last year. me some things and I was like, ‘Wow, this is really He never saw action with the Maple Leafs, spending hard stuff.’ I realized if you want to become good at the rest of the 2010-11 season in the AHL with the something, you need to train and work hard.” Marlies. Grand Rapids Griffins 31

Ready for a fresh start, Brunnstrom signed a pro tryout contract with Detroit last August. He felt his style of play might be a good fit with the Red Wings, given their emphasis on puck possession and devotion to highly skilled players. “I’ve always liked the way they played and I wanted to be one of those guys on the team, even though I knew it is one of the hardest lineups to break into,” he said. He made the Red Wings’ roster out of camp but was a healthy scratch for all but one of Detroit’s first nine games. He was put on waivers and bounced between the Motor City and Grand Rapids while he and his wife, Sandy, awaited the birth of their first baby. “I tried to focus on the game when I was on the ice, but at the same time it was something in the back of my head because it was going to happen sooner or later,” he said. Their son, Alexander, was born on Dec. 1, and Brunnstrom was happy to settle down a bit. He admits that he felt exhausted, even emotionally, by the whole experience. “I’ve slept eight hours my whole life, and now it’s two hours at a time before you have to get up,” he said. “It’s kind of hard (but) my wife is very nice to me, so she takes care of most of the nights.” He is not complaining. “When you see that smile in the middle of the night, you don’t feel tired any more,” he said. “He’s starting to laugh and trying to talk and almost every day something new is happening. It’s just amazing to watch him develop.”

Meanwhile, Brunnstrom is doing his best to develop himself while waiting for his chance. “I want to play hockey until I’m 40,” he said. “Many players stop developing when they reach a certain age, but I’m not planning to stop until I’m done. I want to be a prospect as long as I play.” And so he is intent on improving himself in every aspect of the game, working every detail in the same way that he tweaks his hockey stick, reshaping every angle in hopes of making a more desirable model. “It’s getting closer and closer,” he said. With sandpaper, files and other tools at his disposal, he will continue working on his stick until he gets it right. “Eventually I will send the stick in and they will make 20 of them,” he declared. Of course, he’s done this before – many times. “I’ve probably had 10 different models of my stick so far,” he said. He will work on a stick for weeks, trying it on the ice, looking for something different, searching for that edge that will make him, by extension, a better player. “I know what I want, but it’s almost like I need a computer to get it 100 percent right,” he said. “As a player, I need to keep working. I’m just trying to get better every day until I’m done.”

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Grand Rapids Griffins 35

2011-2012

Roster

JOAKIM ANDERSSON Forward 6-2, 206 lbs. Born: 2/5/89 Munkedal, Sweden

LOUIS-MARC AUBRY Forward 6-4, 205 lbs. Born: 11/11/91 Arthabaska, Que.

25 WILLIE COETZEE Forward 5-10, 188 lbs. Born: 11/7/90 Johannesburg, South Africa

CHRIS CONNER Forward 5-7, 180 lbs. Born: 12/23/83 Livonia, Mich.

2 GARNET EXELBY Defenseman 6-1, 210 lbs. Born: 8/16/81 Craik, Sask. 36 Grand Rapids Griffins

LANDON FERRARO Forward 6-0, 174 lbs. Born: 8/8/91 Trail, B.C.

FABIAN BRUNNSTROM Forward 6-1, 206 lbs. Born: 2/6/85 Jonstorp, Sweden

34 Ty Conklin Goaltender 6-1, 185 lbs. Born: 3/30/76 Eagle River, Alaska

20 GLEASON FOURNIER Defenseman 6-0, 184 lbs. Born: 9/8/91 St. Fabien, Que.

MITCH CALLAHAN Forward 6-0, 190 lbs. Born: 8/17/91 Whittier, Calif.

4 TRAVIS EHRHARDT Defenseman 5-11, 205 lbs. Born: 4/12/89 Calgary, Alta.

33 DOUG JANIK Defenseman 6-1, 215 lbs. Born: 3/26/80 Agawam, Mass.

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40 Grand Rapids Griffins

32 JAMIE JOHNSON Forward 5-10, 182 lbs. Born: 1/23/82 London, Ont.

30 BRIAN LASHOFF Defenseman 6-3, 212 lbs. Born: 7/16/90 Albany, N.Y.

GUSTAV NYQUIST Forward 5-11, 185 lbs. Born: 9/1/89 Halmstad, Sweden

21 FRANCIS PARE Forward 5-10, 190 lbs. Born: 6/30/87 Lemoyne, Que.

12 LOGAN PYETT Defenseman 5-10, 195 lbs. Born: 5/26/88 Regina, Sask.

14 TOM McCOLLUM Goaltender 6-2, 215 lbs. Born: 12/7/89 Sanborn, N.Y.

1 TREVOR PARKES Forward 6-2, 188 lbs. Born: 5/13/91 Fort Erie, Ont.

44 BRENT RAEDEKE Forward 6-0, 200 lbs. Born: 5/29/90 Regina, Sask.

CHRIS MINARD Forward 6-1, 200 lbs. Born: 11/18/81 Owen Sound, Ont.

JORDAN PEARCE Goaltender 6-1, 195 lbs. Born: 10/10/86 Anchorage, Alaska

7 BRYAN RUFENACH Defenseman 6-0, 192 lbs. Born: 4/15/89 Barrie, Ont.

BRENDAN SMITH Defenseman 6-2, 198 lbs. Born: 2/8/89 Mimico, Ont.

27 TOMAS TATAR Forward 5-10, 186 lbs. Born: 12/1/90 Ilava, Slovakia Grand Rapids Griffins 37

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Have Sled, Will Travel Tyler Anderson and Susie Kluting may not appear as mobile as other young adults, but thanks to an opportunity provided in part by the Grand Rapids Griffins Youth Foundation, they’ve been to places that most people their age have never visited. Both are members of the Grand Rapids Sled Wings, a team of physically challenged athletes who travel near and far to compete on the ice against other teams in a unique version of ice hockey. Unable to walk due to being born with spina bifida, Anderson and Kluting were both introduced to the sport more than a decade ago by Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, which has sponsored the Sled Wings with the support of the Griffins Youth Foundation since the team’s founding in 2001. Neither has allowed their physical disabilities to slow them. The 21-year-old Anderson, a 2009 graduate of Jenison High School, is in his third season with the U.S. National Developmental Sled Hockey Team. He has played wheelchair basketball and tennis, competed in the Fifth Third River Bank Run’s 25K hand cycle race, and kayaked in Alaska. Kluting, 19, was recently named to the newly formed U.S. Women’s Sled Hockey Team, becoming the Sled Wings’ third national-caliber player in as many years. Zeeland resident Chris Melton was a Team USA teammate of Anderson’s last season. A 2010 graduate of Coopersville High School, Kluting has tried wheelchair tennis, rock climbing, swimming, water skiing and even downhill snow skiing. Both Anderson and Kluting have developed an unequivocal love for sled hockey. 40 Grand Rapids Griffins

Susie Kluting

The Grand Rapids Sled Wings continue to provide athletic avenues for kids with disabilities.

“I was primarily playing wheelchair basketball when I thought I would give it a try, and I’ve been enjoying the game ever since,” Anderson said. “The competition is cool, but it’s the friendships you make, the camaraderie among players, that I really enjoy.” Kluting shares the same enthusiasm. “I’ve really gotten into the game and I’m not only excited about playing but also being able to coach and teach the younger kids,” Kluting said. “I really like the thrill of watching others get their start. You remember things you did when you were their age.” Both played for the Sled Wings junior team before graduating to the adult team. They continue to practice for an hour or two every Saturday morning at Griff’s IceHouse, in addition to participating in camps and tournaments across the country. Anderson recently attended the USA training camp in Charlotte, N.C., with the goal of making the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team in time for the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. To assist in Anderson’s preparation for national team tryouts later this year, Griff’s IceHouse will be donating ice time to the Olympic hopeful each week this spring and summer. Kluting, meanwhile, has attended camps in New Jersey and Wisconsin and traveled to tournaments in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Fort Wayne, Indiana, among other destinations. Players compete on modified sleds with back supports, their blades set close enough to provide ample mobility but far enough apart to allow them to balance their weight. “Good balance is key,” Kluting said. In sled hockey, players propel themselves with two sticks, which have sharp points on one end and a shortened

Tyler Anderson hockey blade on the other. “It takes a lot of overall coordination,” Anderson said. “You have to learn to push, pass and shoot with the same stick. You have to be able to do a lot of things in the right order.” Sled hockey, which follows essentially the same rules as the traditional game, is a fast-growing, fast-paced sport ideal for individuals with lower limb-affected disabilities such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, paraplegia Graffiti 2011-2012.pdf 1 9/16/2011 10:44:35 AM or amputation.

The Sled Wings program attracts both recreational and competitive junior athletes who have good upper extremity function. Once a year, they get to test their skills with and against the able-bodied Grand Rapids Griffins in a popular sled hockey game at Griff’s IceHouse. Both Anderson and Kluting agree that the game is a ton of fun. Like the hundreds of pros who have passed through Grand Rapids, the pair are thank ful for the support of their parents. Mike and Terrie Kluting have backed Susie in all her endeavors, as Dan and Jodie Anderson have supported their son. While Anderson and Kluting intend to play as long as possible, they also see their participation as a stepping stone to bigger and

better things. Anderson attends Grand Rapids Community College and is an intern with the Griffins’ community relations department. He is interested in possibly pursuing a career in CAD design but is undecided about his career path at the present. Kluting is looking to further her education at Muskegon Community College. She enjoys photography but is contemplating a career in therapeutic recreation.

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S p e c t a c u l The Detroit Red Wings found their place in the NHL record book,

Darren Helm scored the game-winning goal in the Red Wings’ 23rd straight victory at home.

Joey MacDonald extended the Red Wings’ home winning streak to 23 with six consecutive victories.

By extension, the Grand Rapids Griffins have every reason to relish their relationship with the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings’ soon-to-be 21-season streak of making the playoffs is the longest active run of any team in the four major professional sports leagues (NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB). For the last 10 of those years, the Griffins have supplied dozens of players as Hockeytown’s primary minor league affiliate. As impressive as that streak may be, the Red Wings recently set an NHL record by stringing together 23 consecutive victories at home, smashing the old mark of 20 first established by the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and later matched by the 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers. “It’s beyond impressive,” said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock after his team finally saw its streak come to a close. “I don’t care what era. It was just a real good run for our Red Wings. We’re thrilled to have done it. It sets us up in a good situation playoffwise.” The Griffins played more than a small part in the home winning streak. A total of 15 Griffins alumni played at Joe Louis Arena during the streak, including five who played

in all 23 games (see chart). And every victory was backstopped by one of the Griffins’ top two all-time leaders in goaltending wins. After the streak ended at 23 on Feb. 23 – “You can’t win them all” was Babcock’s succinct survey of the situation – the Red Wings lost three defensemen to injury. With Nicklas Lidstrom (swollen ankle), Kyle Quincey (sore groin) and Jonathan Ericsson (fractured wrist) out of action, the Red Wings reinserted former Griffins defenseman Jakub Kindl into the lineup and recalled Brendan Smith and Doug Janik from Grand Rapids. It’s no wonder that the Red Wings are excited about extending their agreement with the Griffins for an additional five years. “The American League is critical for all NHL teams, and having a great relationship with Grand Rapids helps keep us competitive,” said Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. “We’re all thrilled with our arrangement.” Holland said the relatively close proximity between Detroit and Grand Rapids, not to mention the fan support from the faithful inside Van Andel Arena, affirmed the need to maintain ties between the two.

44 Grand Rapids Griffins

a r S t r e a K thanks to key contributions from a number of former Griffins.

Justin Abdelkader scored the only regulation goal in the Red Wings’ 2-1 shootout decision over Anaheim for No. 19.

Jonathan Ericsson is one of five former Griffins who appeared in all 23 games of the Red Wings’ record-breaking streak.

“As a former minor league player myself, it’s exciting to see 8,000 to 10,000 fans and a great atmosphere in the building each night,” Holland said. “It’s a wonderful city and there is terrific support from the community as well as the ownership. It’s a real positive environment for our young players.” Holland places great value on the role that the Griffins fill in preparing players for the NHL. “AHL teams are important to the major league clubs for two reasons: No. 1, the development of our young players; and No. 2, as a home for veteran players like Joey MacDonald, who obviously has been a big story for us.” MacDonald, the Griffins’ all-time leader with 109 wins, was recalled from Grand Rapids on Feb. 3 after Jimmy Howard, a first-time NHL All-Star this season, was sidelined with a broken finger. Not only did MacDonald seize the backup goaltender’s job from Ty Conklin, he proceeded to produce six straight victories in Joe Louis Arena, extending the Red Wings’ winning streak to 23 before Howard returned to action. “Mac’s done a really good job,” Babcock said after the organization made the Griffins’ No. 1 goalie the new No. 2 in Detroit. “It’s worked out good. He’s played great.”

By the end of his first month with the Red Wings this season, MacDonald had compiled a 7-1-1 record with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage. “I’m just living the dream, getting an opportunity to play for the best team in the league,” he said in the midst of the Red Wings’ record-setting stretch. His first appearance with Detroit this season came in Edmonton on Feb. 4, when he relieved Conklin at the start of the second period with the Red Wings trailing 3-1. MacDonald, who stopped 22 of 23 shots, helped rally his teammates to earn a point before losing a shootout. “When you get called up,” he said, “you never know how long you might sit on the bench. It could be a week or a game. You’re never sure what to expect, but you’ve got to be ready when they give you the opportunity.” Two days later, MacDonald yielded only two goals in a loss on the road to Phoenix. He was then given the unenviable task of not messing up the home winning streak that stood at 17. “I was sitting on the couch at home in Grand Rapids when Howie picked up the 17th game and Grand Rapids Griffins 45

MACDONALD’S

SIX HOME WINS

f Feb. 8—15 saves in a 4-2 win over Edmonton f Feb. 10—29 saves in a 2-1 shootout win over Anaheim (2nd Star) f Feb. 12—26 saves in a 4-3 win over Philadelphia – Tied NHL mark of 20 straight home wins in one season (Boston

I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of games,’ so when I was going to get the chance to go for 18, I think that was the most pressure,” he said. MacDonald withstood the pressure to help the Red Wings beat Edmonton 4-2 for No. 18. Two days later, he led Detroit to a 2-1 shootout decision for the 19th straight win. A 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers tied the 20-game record on Feb. 12. He held Dallas and Nashville each to a single goal to register wins 21 and 22, then helped defeat San Jose 3-2 to put 23 in the record books before Howard returned to the lineup. MacDonald was not merely minding the store. Four of the wins were by a single goal, and he was named a star in four of the six games during the streak, including the first star in the last two. “After I won that first one, the reporters were all over me about the streak, but my whole mindset was just to go out and play because when you’re not thinking too much, usually good things happen.” An even-keeled personality has served MacDonald well over the years, never allowing himself to get too high or too down on himself, taking the good with the bad, and vice versa.

“That’s exactly the way you’ve got to be in this game, especially as a goaltender,” he said. “Things can change in a hurry when you play night after night. You can have a great game one night and the next game might not be so good.” He remembers playing two periods in a 10-3 loss to St. Louis last season. “The next day I woke up and everybody was worried except for me. You just have to shrug it off. You’re a goalie – things are going to happen, pucks are going to go off skates. You can’t worry about it.” Staying positive will do wonders for a player’s confidence. “I signed last July to be here and when they sent me down, I wasn’t going to mope and cry,” he said. “You just have to work hard and be patient and wait for your chance.” His opportunity may have taken longer than he expected. An early season concussion derailed a fast start. “Things might have happened a little sooner, but unfortunately I got that concussion and it set me back almost two months before I was feeling better,” he said. “It took a while, but my game is finally where I want it.”

GRIFFINS ALUMNI:

PART OF HISTORY

A total of 15 Griffins alumni played a part in the Red Wings’ amazing 23-game winning streak at Joe Louis Arena. Every game was backstopped by one of the Griffins’ top two all-time leaders in wins. In each of the last five home games (Feb. 10-19) and in seven of the 23 overall (also Jan. 12 and Nov. 8), the majority of Red Wings who played (10 of 19 on each occasion) were Griffins alumni.

46 Grand Rapids Griffins

Games Played Games Played Player During Streak *With Griffins Jiri Hudler......................................23............................................185 Jonathan Ericsson........................23............................................176 Justin Abdelkader........................23............................................109 Niklas Kronwall............................23............................................102 Valtteri Filppula...........................23.............................................77 Darren Helm..................................22............................................122 Cory Emmerton............................19............................................217 Jakub Kindl...................................18............................................237 Jimmy Howard.............................17............................................186 Joey MacDonald............................ 6.............................................210 Jan Mursak..................................... 6.............................................190 Fabian Brunnstrom....................... 3..............................................28 Joakim Andersson........................ 2.............................................128 Chris Conner.................................. 2..............................................37 Gustav Nyquist.............................. 1..............................................55 * As of the streak’s conclusion

1929-30 and Philadelphia 1975-76) f Feb. 14—20 saves in a 3-1 win over Dallas – Broke record (3rd Star) f Feb. 17—20 saves in a 2-1 win over Nashville – Tied NHL mark of 22 straight home wins (over multiple seasons by Boston 1929-31) (1st Star) f Feb. 19—31 saves in a 3-2 win over San Jose – Broke record (1st Star) MacDonald credits his teammates for playing outstanding defense – limiting the number of shots, clearing out rebounds, and giving him a chance to see and stop the puck. “The guys have been great in front of me, battling every game,” he said. “When you see guys like Nick Lidstrom or Niklas Kronwall blocking shots, it makes you work even harder. That’s why we kept the streak going. It seemed like every night there was a new hero.” He will likely never forget the spectacular goal scored by Pavel Datsyuk with five seconds remaining to beat Nashville for the 22nd consecutive win – “I was probably the happiest guy in the rink,” MacDonald said – but he also singles out the team’s unsung third line of Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader and Drew Miller. “It takes a team effort to do something special like the streak,” Helm said. “We had different guys chipping in every night, and that’s what we need for this team to be as good as we are. “Hopefully we can continue to play the same way down the stretch with everyone contributing in different ways.”

Abdelkader agrees that teamwork often makes the difference in close games. “We’ve got the kind of guys in the locker room who rally around each other,” he said. “It’s a tight race, so we have to look for points every night, especially at home.” The Red Wings outscored opponents 92-34 during the streak, scoring five or more goals eight times while allowing their opponents more than two goals only twice. “We played really well together at home and found ways to win every night,” said defenseman Jonathan Ericsson. “Howie has played tremendously for us the whole year, and when Mac got the opportunity to play, he really stepped up. He’s done an unbelievable job for us. We’re very blessed to have him back there.” Abdelkader said MacDonald deserves a lot of credit for keeping the streak alive as the pressure mounted. “Hats off to him – he’s played really well. He knows he’s a good goalie and it was just a matter of him getting an opportunity.” For his performance, Red Wings fans showered MacDonald with praise, echoing their appreciation with chants of “Joey, Joey!” Bob Wojnowski of The

Grand Rapids Griffins 47

Detroit News suggested that things had “gotten so strange and giddy...Joe Louis Arena had become Joey Louis Arena.” “To hear my name like that is an unbelievable feeling, especially in this rink with so much history and so many great goaltenders – it sent a chill down my spine,” MacDonald said. “The atmosphere has been just like the playoffs, with the crowd always standing the last four or five minutes of the game and people cheering 20, 21 or whatever number we had going. It’s been awesome, and I had a front row seat to it.” Naysayers have long said the Red Wings are too old, but that is no longer the case, thanks to a steady influx of players from the ranks of the Griffins’ organization. “You look around our dressing room and there’s me, Kronwall, Hudler, Ericsson and Jimmy (Howard),” said MacDonald. “We all came from Grand Rapids and we all played a lot there, not just a few games or even one year. “Everybody waited their turn and when they got the opportunity, they succeeded. I think that’s a huge step. You play in the minors for a few years and when you get up here, you want to work even harder to stay. You learn that you’re not going to get to the next level if you don’t leave everything out on the ice. That’s why guys like Abby and Helm work so hard. And now you see

it with younger guys like (Jan) Mursak, (Cory) Emmerton and (Jakub) Kindl.” Nobody wanted to see the streak stopped, but all streaks eventually come to an end. Vancouver came into Detroit with the NHL’s best road record, but to lose the lead to the Canucks with only 15 seconds left on the clock was “disappointing,” according to Abdelkader. Losing in a shootout, Ericsson said, was “a tough one.” Even so, Helm declared that the team had enjoyed “a good run” and admitted that the streak had been “pretty amazing,” although he was holding out hope of reaching the mark again someday. “I know it’s pretty incredible, but I’m still young enough in my hockey career that hopefully...” Helm let his voice trail off, perhaps realizing that he’s more likely to be an old man reflecting on his accomplishments than to ever top a streak that broke a record that had stood for 82 years. “I know 23 straight wins at home is a great accomplishment,” MacDonald said. “To look at where I am now and to have gotten the opportunity to step in, play some big games and be part of history, I know is pretty special.”

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(Through March 6, 2012)

Griffins All-Time Leaders

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Games Played Travis Richards.............. 655 Michel Picard................. 364 Jamie Tardif.................... 316 Derek Meech.................. 304 Ryan Oulahen................. 302 Darryl Bootland............. 293 Matt Ellis......................... 282 Dave Van Drunen.......... 280 Francis Pare.................... 275 Logan Pyett..................... 268

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Goals Michel Picard................. 158 Jamie Tardif.......................78 Kip Miller...........................75 Francis Pare.......................74 Derek King.........................73 Darryl Bootland................72 Matt Ellis............................69 Jiri Hudler..........................65 Tomas Kopecky.................63 Donald MacLean...............62

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 10.

Assists Michel Picard................. 222 Travis Richards.............. 182 Kip Miller........................ 133 Derek King...................... 130 Jiri Hudler....................... 114 Francis Pare.......................97 Glen Metropolit................88 Jeff Nelson..........................87 Matt Ellis............................84 Cory Emmerton................77

Single Season Top Ten Points 1. Michel Picard................101......................1996-97 2. Jiri Hudler........................96......................2005-06 3. Jeff Nelson........................89......................1996-97 4. Donald MacLean.............88......................2005-06 5. Michel Picard..................84......................2002-03 6. Derek King.....................*83......................2000-01 7. Mark Mowers..................81......................2002-03 Glen Metropolit..............81......................1998-99 9. Darren Haydar................80......................2008-09 10. Eric Manlow....................73......................2005-06

Assists 1. Jiri Hudler........................60......................2005-06 2. Jeff Nelson........................55......................1996-97 Michel Picard..................55......................1996-97 4. Glen Metropolit..............53......................1998-99 5. Michel Picard..................52......................2002-03 6. Derek King.......................51......................2000-01 7. Valtteri Filppula..............50......................2005-06 8. Darren Haydar................49......................2008-09 9. Eric Manlow....................48......................2005-06 Stacy Roest.......................48......................2002-03

Goals 1. Donald MacLean...........*56......................2005-06 2. Michel Picard..................46......................1996-97 3. Jiri Hudler........................36......................2005-06 4. Mark Mowers..................34......................2002-03 Jeff Nelson........................34......................1996-97 6. Slava Butsayev.................33......................2000-01 Michel Picard..................33......................1999-00 8. Jeremy Williams..............32......................2009-10 Tomas Kopecky...............32......................2005-06 Michel Picard..................32......................2002-03 Derek King.......................32......................2000-01 *Led League

Penalty Minutes 1. Darryl Bootland............390......................2005-06 2. Matt Ruchty...................364......................1996-97 3. Chris Neil.......................354......................2000-01 4. Wade Brookbank..........337......................2001-02 5. Darryl Bootland............336......................2004-05 6. Darcy Simon..................327......................1996-97 7. Peter Vandermeer.........310......................2004-05 Bruce Ramsay................310......................1997-98 9. Bruce Ramsay................306......................1996-97 10. Chris Neil.......................301......................1999-00

Griffinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; All-Time Leaders in Goaltending wins

Joey MacDonald Jimmy Howard Mike Fountain (109) (90) (55) 50 Grand Rapids Griffins

Marc Lamothe Daniel Larsson (54) (45)

Grand Rapids Griffins 51

52 Grand Rapids Griffins

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NHL AFFILIATIONS

Ottawa Senators 1999-2002, Detroit Red Wings 2002-Present

SEASON RECORDS (IHL 1996-2001, AHL 2001- Present) YEAR 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11

GP 82 82 82 82 82 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80

W 40 38 34 51 53 42 48 44 41 55 37 31 43 34 36

L 30 31 40 22 22 27 22 28 35 20 32 41 25 39 34

T OTL SOL PTS GF - - 12 92 244 - - 13 89 225 - - 8 76 256 - - 9 111 254 - 4 3 113 279 11 0 - 95 217 8 2 - 106 240 8 0 - 96 195 - 2 2 86 200 - 1 4 115 323 - 6 5 85 226 - 2 6 70 210 - 6 6 98 255 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3 4 75 244 -- 2 8 82 227

GA 246 242 281 200 196 178 177 166 200 247 244 245 226 265 254

FINISH 10 of 19 11 of 18 15 of 16 2 of 13 1 of 11 4 of 27 2 of 27 5 of 28 17 of 28 1 of 27 17 of 27 25 of 29 8 of 29 26 of 29 23 of 30

G r i f f in s A ll - S T a r s 1996-97 Jeff Nelson, Michel Picard, Pokey Reddick 1997-98 Ian Gordon, Kerry Huffman, Michel Picard 1998-99 Robert Petrovicky, Maxim Spiridonov 1999-00 John Gruden, Jani Hurme, Kevin Miller, Petr Schastlivy 2000-01 Mike Fountain, Joel Kwiatkowski, Travis Richards, Todd White 2001-02 Chris Bala, John Gruden, Kip Miller, Martin Prusek, Petr Schastlivy 2002-03 Mark Mowers, Marc Lamothe 2003-04 Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Travis Richards, Nathan Robinson 2004-05 Niklas Kronwall, Joey MacDonald 2005-06 Valtteri Filppula, Jiri Hudler, Donald MacLean 2006-07 Kip Miller, Derek Meech 2007-08 Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard 2008-09 Jakub Kindl, Daniel Larsson 2009-10 Patrick Rissmiller 2010-11 Ilari Filppula, Brendan Smith 2011-12 Gustav Nyquist 58 Grand Rapids Griffins

Mike Fountain - 34 wins in 2000-01 Photo by John Grieshop

Joey MacDonald - 34 wins in 2004 Photo by Mark Newman

-05

SEASON LEADERS

(* = Led League)

SCORING 1996-97 . . . . . 1997-98 . . . . . 1998-99 . . . . . 1999-00 . . . . . 2000-01 . . . . . 2001-02 . . . . . 2002-03 . . . . . 2003-04 . . . . . 2004-05 . . . . . 2005-06 . . . . . 2006-07 . . . . . 2007-08 . . . . . 2008-09 . . . . . 2009-10 . . . . . 2010-11 . . . . .

Michel Picard............................101 points Michel Picard............................. 69 points Glen Metropolit......................... 81 points Michel Picard............................. 68 points Derek King...............................83 points* Kip Miller.................................. 56 points Michel Picard............................. 84 points Michel Picard............................. 54 points Niklas Kronwall.......................... 53 points Jiri Hudler................................. 96 points Kip Miller.................................. 72 points Carl Corazzini............................. 60 points Darren Haydar........................... 80 points Jeremy Williams......................... 63 points Ilari Filppula ............................. 64 points

GOALS 1996-97 . . . . . 1997-98 . . . . . 1998-99 . . . . . 1999-00 . . . . . 2000-01 . . . . . 2001-02 . . . . . 2002-03 . . . . . 2003-04 . . . . . 2004-05 . . . . . 2005-06 . . . . . 2006-07 . . . . . 2007-08 . . . . . 2008-09 . . . . . 2009-10 . . . . . 2010-11 . . . . .

Michel Picard....................................... 46 Michel Picard....................................... 28 Glen Metropolit................................... 28 Michel Picard....................................... 33 Slava Butsayev.................................... 33 Petr Schastlivy..................................... 22 Mark Mowers....................................... 34 Kevin Miller......................................... 27 Eric Manlow......................................... 21 Donald MacLean..................................56* Matt Ellis............................................. 26 Carl Corazzini....................................... 24 Darren Haydar..................................... 31 Jeremy Williams................................... 32 Jamie Tardif........................................ 27

PENALTY MINUTES 1996-97 . . . . . Matt Ruchty....................................... 364 1997-98 . . . . . Bruce Ramsay.................................... 310 1998-99 . . . . . Jared Bednar..................................... 220 1999-00 . . . . . Chris Neil........................................... 301 2000-01 . . . . . Chris Neil........................................... 354 2001-02 . . . . . Wade Brookbank................................ 337 2002-03 . . . . . Ryan Barnes...................................... 151 2003-04 . . . . . Ryan Barnes, Darryl Bootland............. 175 2004-05 . . . . . Darryl Bootland................................. 336 2005-06 . . . . . Darryl Bootland................................. 390 2006-07 . . . . . Darryl Bootland................................. 222 2007-08 . . . . . Kyle Quincey...................................... 149 2008-09 . . . . . Aaron Downey................................... 126 2009-10 . . . . . Paul Crosty........................................ 170 2010-11 . . . . . Greg Amadio...................................... 230 GOALTENDING WINS 1996-97 . . . . . Pokey Reddick.......................... (30-14-10) 1997-98 . . . . . Ian Gordon.................................(23-16-4) 1998-99 . . . . . Neil Little...................................(18-21-5) 1999-00 . . . . . Jani Hurme.................................(29-15-4) 2000-01 . . . . . Mike Fountain.......................... (34-10-6)* 2001-02 . . . . . Martin Prusek...............................(18-8-5) 2002-03 . . . . . Marc Lamothe........................... (33-18-8)* 2003-04 . . . . . Joey MacDonald..........................(22-12-3) 2004-05 . . . . . Joey MacDonald..........................(34-29-2) 2005-06 . . . . . Jimmy Howard..............................(27-6-2) 2006-07 . . . . . Jimmy Howard............................(21-21-3) 2007-08 . . . . . Jimmy Howard............................(21-28-2) 2008-09 . . . . . Daniel Larsson............................(22-12-2) 2009-10 . . . . . Daniel Larsson ............................(23-24-2) 2010-11 . . . . . Jordan Pearce.............................(20-15-5)

Michel Picard - 101 points in 1996

-97

Photo by Mark Newman

-06

Donald MacLean - 56 goals in 2005 Photo by Mark Newman

Darryl Bootland - 390 penalty minu Photo by Mark Newman

tes in 2005-06

Grand Rapids Griffins 59

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IT ALL STARTS HERE Detroit Niklas Kronwall, 2008

Since their inception in 1996, the Griffins have sent 123 players to the National Hockey League, 14 of whom have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. In fact, a Griffins alumnus has had his name engraved on the Cup each of the last four years and in six of the last seven seasons, with Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chris Kelly earning the honor last June. In chronological order, here are the 17 goalies and 106 skaters who have donned an NHL sweater after playing for Grand Rapids, along with the dates of their NHL debuts/returns. Kevyn Adams, 2006 Carolina

Tomas Kopecky, 2010 Chicago

68 Grand Rapids Griffins 68 Chris GrandKelly, Rapids2011 Griffins Boston

Mark Eaton, 2009 Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Pavol Demitra 3/17/97 STL at PHX Kevyn Adams 10/1/97 TOR vs. WSH Tyler Moss 10/28/97 CGY vs. PIT Michel Picard 1/6/98 STL at SJ Jeff Nelson 10/10/98 NSH vs. FLA Patrick Traverse 10/10/98 OTT at COL Mark Greig 1/7/99 PHI vs. NYI Radim Bicanek 2/1/99 OTT at VAN Robert Petrovicky 2/15/99 TB at NYI Andrei Vasilyev 3/5/99 PHX vs. DET Todd Hlushko 4/25/99 PIT vs. NJ Patrick Lalime 10/2/99 OTT at PHI Glen Metropolit 10/2/99 WSH at FLA Kevin Miller 10/31/99 OTT at ATL Karel Rachunek 10/31/99 OTT at ATL Erich Goldmann 11/11/99 OTT vs. NSH Yves Sarault 11/20/99 OTT at NJ John Gruden 11/30/99 OTT vs. CHI Mike Fountain 12/3/99 OTT at NJ Dave Van Drunen 12/13/99 OTT at TOR Petr Schastlivy 1/3/00 OTT vs. NJ John Emmons 1/6/00 OTT vs. PHX Slava Butsayev 1/28/00 OTT at BUF Aris Brimanis 2/13/00 NYI at NYR Dieter Kochan 3/28/00 TB vs. DAL Jani Hurme 4/9/00 OTT vs. TB Shane Hnidy 10/5/00 OTT at BOS Donald MacLean 10/14/00 TOR vs. OTT David Oliver 11/4/00 OTT vs. CBJ Jamie Rivers 11/12/00 OTT at CAR Sean Gagnon 11/26/00 OTT at NYR Joel Bouchard 11/29/00 PHX at COL

33 Mike Crowley 12/8/00 ANA at MIN 34 Ivan Ciernik 1/23/01 OTT at NYI 35 Darren Rumble 2/6/01 STL at COL 36 Joel Kwiatkowski 2/19/01 OTT at BUF 37 Todd White 2/19/01 OTT at BUF 38 Chris Neil 10/3/01 OTT at TOR 39 Toni Dahlman 1/3/02 OTT vs. WSH 40 Steve Martins 1/11/02 OTT at FLA 41 Kip Miller 1/17/02 NYI at SJ 42 Jody Hull 2/4/02 OTT at TB 43 Dmitry Afanasenkov 2/6/02 TB at FLA 44 Simon Lajeunesse 3/7/02 OTT at SJ 45 Martin Prusek 3/23/02 OTT vs. ATL 46 Chris Bala 3/27/02 OTT at NYI 47 Neil Little 3/28/02 PHI at CAR 48 Josh Langfeld 3/30/02 OTT vs. TB 49 Gaetan Royer 4/1/02 TB vs. NYR 50 Jason Spezza 10/24/02 OTT at BOS 51 Sean Avery 10/29/02 DET vs. SJ 52 Jason Doig 12/3/02 WSH at PIT 53 Jason Williams 12/5/02 DET at PHX 54 Patrick Boileau 12/19/02 DET vs. DAL 55 Stacy Roest 2/20/03 DET vs. EDM 56 Wade Brookbank 10/9/03 NSH vs. ANA 57 Julien Vauclair 10/25/03 OTT at MTL 58 Jiri Hudler 10/29/03 DET vs. STL 59 Curtis Joseph 10/30/03 DET at NSH 60 Darryl Bootland 11/8/03 DET vs. NSH 61 Mark Mowers 11/19/03 DET vs. CBJ 62 Nathan Robinson 11/28/03 DET vs. NYI 63 Blake Sloan 12/4/03 DAL at LA 64 Niklas Kronwall 12/10/03 DET at BUF

65 Ryan Barnes 12/15/03 DET vs. FLA 66 Chris Kelly 2/5/04 OTT vs. TOR 67 Marc Lamothe 2/23/04 DET at EDM 68 Anders Myrvold 2/26/04 DET at CGY 69 Mathieu Chouinard 2/29/04 LA at ANA 70 Brett Lebda 10/5/05 DET vs. STL 71 Mark Eaton 10/5/05 NSH vs. SJ 72 Chris Osgood 10/29/05 DET at CHI 73 Kyle Quincey 11/25/05 DET at ANA 74 Jimmy Howard 11/28/05 DET at LA 75 Valtteri Filppula 12/15/05 DET at FLA 76 Rob Collins 12/17/05 NYI vs. COL 77 Manny Legace 1/5/06 DET vs. STL 78 David Gove 1/31/06 CAR at MTL 79 Tomas Kopecky 2/28/06 DET at SJ 80 Alexandre Giroux 3/25/06 NYR at TB 81 Joey MacDonald 10/19/06 DET at SJ 82 Derek Meech 12/7/06 DET vs. STL 83 Matt Ellis 12/18/06 DET at CBJ 84 Matt Hussey 1/26/07 DET at STL 85 Sheldon Brookbank 2/6/07 NSH at PIT 86 Danny Syvret 2/27/07 EDM vs. PHX 87 Mark Hartigan 11/29/07 DET vs. TB 88 Drew MacIntyre 12/13/07 VAN at SJ 89 Peter Vandermeer 2/10/08 PHX vs. NSH 90 Jonathan Ericsson 2/22/08 DET at CGY 91 Garrett Stafford 2/23/08 DET at VAN 92 Darren Helm 3/13/08 DET vs. DAL 93 Mattias Ritola 3/15/08 DET vs. NSH 94 Clay Wilson 3/25/08 CBJ at NSH 95 Darren McCarty 3/28/08 DET vs. STL 96 Krys Kolanos 11/4/08 MIN at SJ

97 Landon Wilson 11/22/08 DAL vs. ANA 98 Bryan Helmer 11/28/08 WSH vs. MTL 99 Chris Chelios 12/13/08 DET at PHX 100 Aaron Downey 1/29/09 DET vs. DAL 101 Justin Abdelkader 1/31/09 DET at WSH 102 Ville Leino 1/31/09 DET at WSH 103 Aaron Gagnon 10/16/09 DAL vs. BOS 104 Scott Parse 10/24/09 LA at PHX 105 Doug Janik 11/3/09 DET vs. BOS 106 Ryan Keller 11/25/09 OTT at NJ 107 Jakub Kindl 12/3/09 DET vs. EDM 108 Kris Newbury 12/14/09 DET vs. PHX 109 Darren Haydar 2/10/10 COL vs. ATL 110 Andreas Lilja 3/1/10 DET at COL 111 Jeremy Williams 10/24/10 NYR vs. NJ 112 Jan Mursak 12/27/10 DET at COL 113 Chris Mueller 12/28/10 NSH vs. DAL 114 Tomas Tatar 12/31/10 DET vs. NYI 115 Cory Emmerton 1/22/11 DET vs. CHI 116 Patrick Rissmiller 2/23/11 ATL at BUF 117 Tom McCollum 3/30/11 DET vs. STL 118 Gustav Nyquist 11/1/11 DET vs. MIN 119 Fabian Brunnstrom 11/5/11 DET vs. ANA 120 Brendan Smith 11/17/11 DET at SJ 121 Mark Cullen 11/29/11 FLA at CAR 122 Chris Conner 12/2/11 DET at BUF 123 Joakim Andersson 12/27/11 DET vs. STL Bold = Played in the NHL this season (as of March 2) Italics = Had name engraved on the Stanley Cup after playing for Grand Rapids

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

Grand Rapids Griffins 69 Grand Rapids Griffins 69

Whether the Griffins are at Van Andel Arena or on the road, ESPN 96.1 FM will bring it home, live with Bob Kaser Brought to you by the home for Griffins Hockey:

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KIDS PAGE MEN OF STEEL STEAL

Superman can stop a bullet with his bare hands. Stretch Armstrong contorts his rubberized limbs in remarkable ways. But they’ve got nothing on Ty Conklin or any of the 37 masked men who’ve patrolled the Griffins’ crease since 1996. Some played just one period while others stayed for many seasons, but they’ve all done whatever it takes to rob opposing goal scorers. Whether staring down a sniper’s 90 mph shot or getting steamrolled by a 220-pound winger with a nasty disposition, it’s all in a day’s work for these guys. Find the last name of each Griffins goalie by searching horizontally, vertically and diagonally, both forward and backward. Have fun!

Chad ALBAN Mike AYERS Frederick BEAUBIEN Adam BERKHOEL David BROWN Mathieu CHOUINARD Ty CONKLIN Ryan CYR

Sylvain DAIGLE Mike FOUNTAIN Ian GORDON Jimmy HOWARD Jani HURME Curtis JOSEPH Dieter KOCHAN Logan KOOPMANS

Blaine LACHER Simon LAJEUNESSE Patrick LALIME Judd LAMBERT Marc LAMOTHE Daniel LARSSON Manny LEGACE Neil LITTLE

Stefan LIV Joey MACDONALD Drew MACINTYRE Pat MAZZOLI Tom MCCOLLUM Tyler MOSS Chris OSGOOD Jordan PEARCE

Martin PRUSEK Pokey REDDICK Cody RUDKOWSKY Dan TURPLE Dominic VICARI

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PARTING SHOT

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If the Griffins make the postseason by more than a whisker, Ty Conklin will likely have played a significant role. With playoff beard already in place, the veteran netminder arrived in Grand Rapids on Feb. 21 and won his first five starts, marking the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest winning streak since Nov. 2009. Photo by Mark Newman