2018-19 SEASON ISSUE NO. 3
HARRI SATERI PATRIK RYBAR
PUCK STOPPERS O F F I C I A L
M A G A Z I N E
O F
T H E
G R A N D
R A P I D S
G R I F F I N S
Vol. 23, No. 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS STARTING LINEUP 26 LIBOR INTENSIVE Defenseman Libor Sulak is working hard to show that the Red Wings made a good decision when they plucked him out of the Czech Republic.
26
32 TERRIFIC TANDEM Finland’s Harri Sateri and Slovakia’s Patrik Rybar have proven to be a perfect pair between the posts for the Griffins this season. 42 SECOND CAREER Former Griffins goaltender Jordan Pearce is back in Grand Rapids, training to become an orthopaedic surgeon. 52 THREE LETTERS THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE Scott Matzka, who spent parts of two seasons in the AHL with the Griffins and Cleveland Barons, had dreams of playing in the NHL. Fate, however, had different plans for his life. 56 SHOOT HIGH, AIM HIGHER Wade Megan believes in making the most of every opportunity, a philosophy that has served him well this season as he splits time between the Griffins and the Red Wings.
42
ON THE BENCH 2.........Chalk Talk 50......InfoGRIFFics 4.........Scouting Report 63......Griffins Records 9.........Griffins Schedule 68...... Griffins All-Stars 12......AHL Tradition 73......Penalty Calls 15......AHL Team Directory 74......Arena Map/Ticket Info 19......Detroit Red Wings 76......It All Starts Here 21......Promotional Calendar 79......Calder City Comics 25......A Fond Farewell to 2018 80......Parting Shot 40......Meet the Griffins
COVER:
52
Harri Sateri and Patrik Rybar represent the first all-European goaltending tandem in Griffins history.
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 ©2019 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.
56
Talk
WITH GRIFFINS HEAD COACH BEN SIMON In the American Hockey League, player development is a top priority. Nearly 90 percent of the players in today’s NHL are AHL alumni, a fact that is bolstered by the junior circuit’s adoption of the “Veteran Rule,” which limits the number of more experienced players each team is allowed to dress for each game. Of the 18 skaters that teams may dress for a game (goalies do not count), at least 13 must be qualified as “development players.” Of those 13, 12 must have played in 260 or fewer professional games (including AHL, NHL and European elite leagues), and one must have played in 320 or fewer professional games. All calculations to determine status are based on regular-season totals at the start of the season. What it means is that every AHL team is allowed to dress a maximum of six veterans per game – essentially five plus one “veteran exempt” who has played more than 260 but fewer than 320 professional games. For teams like the Griffins, those veterans are incredibly important, because the Red Wings organization believes in the value of having young prospects develop their skills at the minor league level under the tutelage of more experienced players. “For long-term success, you need the right blend of skill, work ethic and character inside the room,” said Griffins head coach Ben Simon. “During my time in the organization, the Red Wings have done a great job of finding the right veterans who have been able to provide us with a nice balance of all those ingredients you need.” Simon said that Red Wings management prefers to sign veterans who are more than one-dimensional players. “It’s important to look for vets who are not just scoring machines. It’s 2 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Photo: Sam Iannamico
Chalk not enough to just put the puck into the net,” he said. “When you look at organizations who have focused solely on scoring, it doesn’t always translate into success. “When Ryan (Martin) or Kenny (Holland) sign a veteran player, there’s an understanding that part of their job in Grand Rapids is to help mentor the organization’s prospects, whether it’s helping them manage their game on the ice, helping them learn how to manage their time away from the rink, or just learning how to be a good professional.” The Griffins opened the season with a total of six veterans – Matthew Ford, Brian Lashoff, Chris Terry, Dylan McIlrath, Wade Megan and Carter Camper – plus veteran exempt Matt Puempel, giving the Griffins one more than the limit. When everyone is healthy, Simon said it becomes a challenge to figure out who doesn’t get to dress for a game. “Dylan McIlrath is one of the most steady, defensive-defensemen who also provides a physical presence. When you talk about a vocal guy on the bench who competes to the fullest every night, that’s Mac. Brian Lashoff is a defensive stalwart who’s been doing this for years, and he’s a huge presence in the locker room.” “Matt Ford led our team with 12 power play goals last year. He’s our team captain. Do I sit him? Carter Camper last season was in the Top 15 for league scoring, Top 5 for assists. Matt Puempel was a point-a-game guy last year and finished in the Top 20 in scoring. Chris Terry led the league in points last season and Wade Megan led the league in goals the year before that. Should I sit either one of them?” Having too many good players with
experience is not a bad problem. “At the beginning of the year, our message to the vets was that we would be open and communicate with them,” Simon said. “They understood there might be reasons that they may not play one night or another.” Short of drawing straws, Simon said the coaching staff looks at a number of factors to inform their decision of which veterans to play. “Every one of those guys can help us in some way,” he said. “If someone has to sit out a game, they get it. They know it won’t be long-term. So every game you have to weigh the pros and cons of sitting one player over another, and hopefully you pick the right pieces.” One option is to follow a rotation where the veterans take turns sitting out a game. Another method is to make the decision based on the team occupying the visiting dressing room. “You look at the schedule and your opponent and you figure which vet is going to be the odd man out,” he said. “If we’re playing a fast team, we might want to keep all the vets who are a little more fleet of foot,” he said. “If we’re playing a team that has been struggling defensively, we might want to make sure we keep our more offensive players in the lineup – that’s all of our forwards – so maybe we give one of our defensemen a rest.” Over the course of a season, things happen to help alleviate the situation. Megan spent an extended period with the Red Wings, which solved the numbers game for several weeks. Injuries to McIlrath and Camper provided a temporary reprieve from the hard decisions.
“The more you worry about it, the more it seems to sort itself out, whether it’s through call-ups or injuries,” Simon said. “The best thing you can do is be honest. Most vets have been in this situation before and guys can smell baloney a mile away, so it’s best to be open and communicate with them.” The Griffins are not alone in having to deal with the veteran dilemma. Some teams carry as many as eight or nine veterans on their roster. “Like the Red Wings, there are other organizations who are eager to sign veterans because they want their younger players to be around guys with experience so they can learn more quickly,” Simon said. “When veterans play in the AHL, they have to understand that they may not play every game, but they’re still a huge part of the team. Part of the expectation for our veterans is that they have a role to play. They might not be the first or second call-up to the NHL. They might not be called up at all. They might even be signed to an AHL-only deal. “The reality is the AHL is a developmental league. So decisions can be a function of an organization’s long-term plans. Other times decisions might be made based on short-term needs. Most veterans are experienced enough to understand how things work, whether they agree or not. They know it’s a matter of staying focused on the things they can control. “When everyone is healthy, it’s a challenge. But it’s never really a problem because having more talent than you can use is never a bad situation.”
2018-19 GRIFFINS HOCKEY OPERATIONS STAFF
General Manager
Ryan Martin
Video Coach
Bill LeRoy
Head Coach
Assistant Coach
Ben Simon
Matt Macdonald
Athletic Trainer
Assistant Athletic Trainer
John Bernal
Anthony Polazzo
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach
Goaltending Coach
Brad Tapper
Mike Knuble
Brian Mahoney-Wilson
Equipment Manager
Assistant Equipment Manager
Strength-Conditioning Coordinator
Brad Thompson
Charlie Kaser
Marcus Kinney
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 3
SCOUTING
REPORT MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS PRIMARY MARK
MIL) and Trevor Hamilton (Dec. 15, 2018 vs. MIL), while Dominik Shine made his pro debut against Milwaukee (March 19, 2017 at MIL).
MILWAUKEE
JAN.19
• This game serves as a lead-in to the 2019 Great Skate Winterfest, which will run for 34 consecutive hours on Sat., Jan 19 and Sun., Jan. 20 at Rosa Parks Circle. Join this celebration of winter in our city and help the Griffins Youth Foundation provide opportunities for more than 350 deserving kids – many of whom are underprivileged, underserved, at-risk or have other special needs – to participate in the great sport of hockey at no cost.
PANTONE 282 C
PANTONE 292 C
PANTONE COOL GRAY 4 C
WHITE
• Players who picked up their first AHL goal against the Admirals include Turner Elson (Oct. 11, 2013 vs. MIL), Joe Hicketts (Nov. 12, 2016 at MIL), Dylan Sadowy (Dec. 9, 2016 vs. MIL), Filip Hronek (March 29, 2017 vs. MIL), Christoffer Ehn (Nov. 3, 2018 vs. 4 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
• Eeli Tolvanen, the Nashville Predators’ first-round draft pick in 2017, represented Finland at the 2019 World Junior Championship and helped the Finns winMANITOBA the gold medal. MOOSE
2015-16
PRIMARY MARK
broke for Christmas. Grand Rapids has won eight of the last nine regular season meetings at Bell MTS Place, including a six-game winning streak from Jan. 8-Nov. 8, 2018.
• Dominic Turgeon recorded his first career hat trick at Manitoba on Feb. 17, 2018. Axel Holmstrom made his AHL debut at Manitoba on April 4, 2017 and scored his first AHL goal (overtime) on the road against the Moose on April 5, 2017.
MANITOBA
JAN. 23, FEB. 6
SAN JOSE
JAN. 25, JAN. 26 • Grand Rapids earned its 60th win against the Moose in the 98th all-time meeting between the clubs on Dec. 22 in Winnipeg. PANTONE 282 C
PANTONE 2945 C
PANTONE COOL GRAY 11
PANTONE 429 C
WHITE
2015-16
• The Griffins finished 3-1 at Manitoba this season, as the away portion of the series was concluded before the team
• Jan. 25 will mark the 12th time in the regular season that the Griffins have welcomed a California-based team to Van Andel Arena. Here is how Grand Rapids has fared in its history against Golden State clubs on home ice: 1-3 vs. Long Beach
(IHL), 1-1 vs. San Jose, 1-0-0-1 vs. Stockton, 0-1 vs. Bakersfield, 1-0 vs. San Diego, 0-1 vs. Ontario. • After facing the Pacific Division’s Barracuda on Jan. 26, the Griffins will play 23 of their next 24 games against Central Division foes. • Oakland native Roy Sommer is in his league-record 21st season as an AHL head coach and all have been in the Sharks organization. Sommer is the AHL’s all-time head coaching leader in games coached and wins. • The Barracuda have qualified for the postseason every year since debuting in the Bay Area in 2015-16.
WILKES-BARRE/ SCRANTON
Iowa and went on to skate in 45 games with the Wolves from 2013-15, picking up 16 points (1-15—16). First-year Griffin Wade Megan totaled 99 points (44-55—99), a plus-34 rating and 109 PIM in 136 games with Chicago from 2016-18. Megan paced the AHL with 33 goals during his first season with the Wolves in 2016-17 and was named to the AHL First All-Star Team. • First-year head coach Ben Simon logged 196 games with Chicago from 2001-03 and 2004-05, registering 87 points (37-50—87) and 192 PIM. Assistant coach Brad Tapper appeared in 98 games with the Wolves from 2001-04, tallying 58 points (24-34—58) and 130 PIM. Tapper also served as an assistant with the Wolves from 2014-16.
FEB. 9
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in 16 consecutive seasons, while its parent club in Pittsburgh has reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs 12 years in a row. They are the longest active streaks in their respective leagues. • This marks the 10th all-time meeting between the teams. Grand Rapids and Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton are facing off in consecutive seasons for the first time ever, after the Penguins won both matchups in 2017-18. • The Penguins are celebrating their 20th season as a franchise.
CHICAGO
FEB. 10
• Grand Rapids has won both meetings at the Van this season by a combined score of 10-5. • First-year Griffin Jake Chelios made his AHL debut with Chicago on April 11, 2014 at
SAN ANTONIO
FEB. 15, FEB. 16
• San Antonio visits Van Andel Arena during the Rampage’s annual rodeo road trip. San Antonio will play 10 consecutive away games from Feb. 8-27 as the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo overtakes the AT&T Center for 18 days. • San Antonio is one of only two teams in the AHL that shares its arena with an NBA team. The Cleveland Monsters (Quicken Loans Arena) are the other. • Heading into Feb. 15’s matchup, Grand Rapids is on a six-game winning streak against San Antonio at Van Andel Arena dating to Feb. 17, 2017 and has outscored the Rampage 30-13.
ROCKFORD
FEB. 20
• At Van Andel Arena, the Griffins have points in seven straight against Rockford (6-0-1-0) and in 11 of the last 12 (10-1-1-0). • Rockford interim head coach Derek King and Ben Simon were both assistant coaches with the Toronto Marlies for one season in 2014-15. Simon also served as an assistant with the IceHogs during the 2012-13 campaign. • Numerous Griffins’ AHL firsts came against Rockford: Givani Smith’s first goal (Dec. 7, 2018 at RFD), Colin Campbell’s first goal (March 29, 2014 vs. RFD), Jake Chelios’ first point (April 18, 2014 at RFD), Filip Hronek’s debut (March 24, 2017 vs. RFD) and Vili Saarijarvi’s debut and first point (Oct. 28, 2017 at RFD). Derek Hulak made his Griffins TEXAS on STARS debut at Rockford Dec. 7 and potted a goal. PRIMARY MARK
TEXAS
FEB. 22 • This game will close a sevengame homestand for the Griffins, their longest since a seven-game stretch from Nov. 29-Dec. 14, 2013. PANTONE 3425 C
METALLIC SILVER 877
PANTONE 877 C
PROCESS BLACK
WHITE
• The Griffins and Stars are matching up eight times this season, which is the most since Texas joined the AHL in 2009-10. • Travis Morin, originally drafted by Washington in 2004, is in his 10th season with Texas and is one of only 20 players in AHL history to notch 500 points with one club.
See the full schedule on page 9 of this issue and online at GriffinsHockey.com Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 5
2015-16
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2017
Dear Griffins Fans, They say that good things come in threes. Jeff Blashill’s three-year tenure as head coach of the Griffins began with capturing our franchise’s first Calder Cup championship in 2013 and concluded with his hiring as bench boss for the Detroit Red Wings. He was succeeded by the “original Griffin,” former defenseman Todd Nelson, who during his own three years at the Griffins’ helm captured our second Calder Cup in 2017. Over the summer he made his well-deserved return to the National Hockey League, as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars. Now, our head coaching baton passes to a man we’ve come to know very well through the years. Ben Simon, who as a player won a pair of championships at our expense before eventually lacing up his skates for us 12 years ago, embarks on his third role with our organization. He served at Nelson’s right hand as an assistant coach over the last three seasons, forging a reputation as a thorough, detail-oriented workhorse who rarely saw a sunrise; he was typically already at his desk, deep in the bowels of Van Andel Arena.
2013
The challenge for Simon, his new pair of assistant coaches, Matt Macdonald and Brad Tapper, and our returning staff is to build upon our remarkable six-year run of success while integrating more than the usual number of new players into the Griffins’ lineup and culture. While our championship memories from June 2017 remain vivid, no more than 10 players whose names are found on the Calder Cup will find a place in our lineup this season. That’s life in a developmental league, of course, but with it comes the excitement and anticipation of getting to know the next wave of Red Wings prospects who are tasked with maintaining our tradition.
LETTER FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER — DAN DEVOS GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS
10 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
And if this mix of familiar and new faces ultimately succeeds in our quest to bring a third AHL championship to Grand Rapids, Simon would join a select trio of men who’ve achieved the rare trifecta of winning a Calder Cup as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach – a feat most recently accomplished by Nelson with the 2017 Griffins. That three-of-a-kind is hard to beat. Along with these changes around the locker room this season, we’re excited about two new and improved ways that you can follow the Griffins. Be sure to check out our completely redesigned website at griffinshockey.com, and never miss a single Griffins game by subscribing to the league’s new video streaming platform, AHLTV. We look forward to everything this new season promises. Sincerely,
Dan DeVos Chief Executive Officer Grand Rapids Griffins
2018 - 2019 SEASON
Dear Fans, It is my pleasure to once again welcome you to a new American Hockey League season, the latest chapter in a tradition of excellence that dates back to our founding in 1936.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT —— DAVID A. ANDREWS PRESIDENT & CEO, AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
The AHL remains proud of its role in developing the vast majority of players, coaches, executives, trainers, broadcasters and officials who you see throughout the National Hockey League. Since 1936, our great fans have been able to cheer for blossoming NHL stars, future Stanley Cup champions, and more than 100 eventual members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. We are coming off of a record-setting year on and off the ice, capped by the Toronto Marlies’ memorable run to the Calder Cup championship. And the 2018-19 season is sure to be another exciting one, as we drop the puck in an all-time high of 31 cities across North America. Welcome to our new fans in Colorado, and thank you to all of you for your continuing support of the AHL. Sincerely,
DAVID A. ANDREWS
TheAHL.com
PRESIDENT & CEO | AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 11
BY THE NUMBERS
87%
A TRADITION OF
Percentage of all NHL players in 2017-18 who were graduates of the AHL
29
AHL graduates led their NHL team in goaltending wins
THE BEGINNINGS Marking its 83rd season of play in 2018-19, the American Hockey League is 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
12
Haven, Philadelphia,
recent championship
Pittsburgh,
was captured by
Providence,
the Toronto Marlies
Springfield and
last spring.
Syracuse. From those roots, Frank Calder, the
the American Hockey
National Hockey
League has grown into
League’s president
a 31-team league that
at the time, was
provides fans with
instrumental in the
exciting, high-level
forming of this new
professional hockey
league, and his name
while preparing
would be given to its
thousands of players,
championship
coaches, officials,
trophy. The first
executives, trainers,
Calder Cup was won
broadcasters and more
by the Syracuse Stars
for careers in the NHL
in 1937; the most
328
AHL players who also played in the NHL in 2017-18
229
Former 1st- and 2ndround NHL draft picks who skated in the AHL in 2017-18
22
AHL Graduates led their team in rookie scoring
LEFT TYLER PEKKA FFROM ROM L E F TTO T ORIGHT: R I G HBRADEN T: B R A DHOLTBY, E N H O LT B Y, TJOHNSON, Y L E R J O HJAKE N S O GUENTZEL N , J A K E G,UCLAUDE E N T Z E LGIROUX, , CLAUD E G I RRINNE OUX, PEKKA RINNE
THE PLAYERS
THE LEGENDS
THE COACHES
In today’s National
For the past eight
At the start of the 2018-19 season, the National Hockey
Hockey League
decades, the American
League featured 23 head coaches who were former
nearly 90 percent of
Hockey League has
AHL bench bosses, including 2018 Stanley Cup winner
the players are AHL
been home to some of
alumni, including 2018
the greatest players in
Hart Trophy recipient
the history of our sport.
Taylor Hall of the New
In fact, more than 100
Jersey Devils, Vezina
honored members
Trophy winner Pekka
of the Hockey Hall
John Tortorella also spent time in the AHL before
Rinne of the Nashville
of Fame have been
making the jump.
Predators and Lady
affiliated with the AHL
Byng Trophy winner
during their careers.
William Karlsson of the
All-time greats like
Vegas Golden Knights.
Johnny Bower, Toe
The 2018 Stanley Cup
Blake, Gump Worsley,
champion Washington
Terry Sawchuk, Glenn
Capitals were stocked
Hall, Brad Park, Ken
with AHL graduates,
Dryden, and Brett
including former Calder
Hull came through
Cup winners Braden
the AHL ranks and
Holtby, John Carlson
now find themselves
and Jay Beagle.
enshrined in Toronto,
Barry Trotz, two-time champion Mike Sullivan and 2016 Calder Cup winner Jared Bednar. Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper, Detroit’s Jeff Blashill, Minnesota’s Bruce Boudreau, Toronto’s Mike Babcock and Columbus’s
and the coveted Calder During the 2017-18
Cup is inscribed with
season, a total of 856
the names of legendary
AHL alumni played in
AHL alumni like Patrick
the National Hockey
Roy, Larry Robinson,
League. There were
Gerry Cheevers, Andy
328 players who skated
Bathgate, Tim Horton,
in both leagues last
Al Arbour, Emile
year alone, including
Francis, Doug Harvey,
Nashville’s Juuse Saros,
and Billy Smith.
Philadelphia’s Travis Sanheim, Toronto’s Travis Dermott and Vegas’s Shea Theodore. In addition, nearly 230 former first- and secondround NHL draft picks developed their skills in the AHL last season, including Dylan Strome, Alex Nylander,
“I WISH EVERY PLAYER COULD PLAY IN THE AHL... I WOULDN’T TRADE IT FOR THE WORLD.” -
- P. K . S U B B A N
N A S H V I L L E P R E D AT O R S
Filip Chytil, Colin White, Luke Kunin and Jack Roslovic.
ANDREAS //O2018 CUP A N D R E AJOHNSON S JOHNSS N / /CALDER 201 8 CA L D EMVP R C U P M 13 VP
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2018-19 AHL DIRECTORY EASTERN CONFERENCE
HARTFORD WOLF PACK
NHL AFFILIATION: New York Rangers HOME ICE: XL Center (15,635) GENERAL MANAGER: Chris Drury HEAD COACH: Keith McCambridge ENTERED AHL: 1997-98 CALDER CUPS: One (2000) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 15 of 21 2017-18 RECORD: 34-33-6-3, 77 pts./0.507 WEBSITE: hartfordwolfpack.com
ATLANTIC DIVISION: Bridgeport, Charlotte, Hartford, Hershey, Lehigh Valley, Providence, Springfield, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton NORTH DIVISION: Belleville, Binghamton, Cleveland, Laval, Rochester, Syracuse, Toronto, Utica
BELLEVILLE SENATORS
NHL AFFILIATION: Ottawa Senators HOME ICE: CAA Arena (4,350) GENERAL MANAGER: Pierre Dorion HEAD COACH: Troy Mann ENTERED AHL: 2017-18 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 0 of 1 2017-18 RECORD: 29-42-2-3, 63 pts./0.414 WEBSITE: bellevillesens.com
HERSHEY BEARS
NHL AFFILIATION: Washington Capitals HOME ICE: Giant Center (10,500) GENERAL MANAGER: Bryan Helmer HEAD COACH: Spencer Carbery ENTERED AHL: 1938-39 CALDER CUPS: 11 (1947, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1974, 1980, 1988, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2010) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 67 of 80 2017-18 RECORD: 30-37-4-5, 69 pts./0.454 WEBSITE: hersheybears.com
BINGHAMTON DEVILS
NHL AFFILIATION: New Jersey Devils HOME ICE: Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena (4,897) GENERAL MANAGER: Tom Fitzgerald HEAD COACH: Mark Dennehy ENTERED AHL: 2006-07 (as Lowell Devils) CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 4 of 12 2017-18 RECORD: 25-38-9-4, 63 pts./0.414 WEBSITE: binghamtondevils.com
LAVAL ROCKET
NHL AFFILIATION: Montreal Canadiens HOME ICE: Place Bell (10,062) GENERAL MANAGER: John Sedgwick HEAD COACH: Joel Bouchard ENTERED AHL: 2017-18 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 0 of 1 2017-18 RECORD: 24-42-7-3, 58 pts./0.382 WEBSITE: rocketlaval.com
BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS
NHL AFFILIATION: New York Islanders HOME ICE: Webster Bank Arena (8,412) GENERAL MANAGER: Chris Lamoriello HEAD COACH: Brent Thompson ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 8 of 17 2017-18 RECORD: 36-32-5-3, 80 pts./0.526 WEBSITE: soundtigers.com
LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS
NHL AFFILIATION: Philadelphia Flyers HOME ICE: PPL Center (8,420) GENERAL MANAGER: Bill Downey HEAD COACH: Scott Gordon ENTERED AHL: 1996-97 (as Philadelphia Phantoms) CALDER CUPS: Two (1998, 2005) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 12 of 22 2017-18 RECORD: 47-19-5-5, 104 pts./0.684 WEBSITE: phantomshockey.com
CHARLOTTE CHECKERS
NHL AFFILIATION: Carolina Hurricanes HOME ICE: Bojangles’ Coliseum (8,300) GENERAL MANAGER: Derek Wilkinson HEAD COACH: Mike Vellucci ENTERED AHL: 2010-11 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 4 of 8 2017-18 RECORD: 46-26-1-3, 96 pts./0.632 WEBSITE: gocheckers.com
PROVIDENCE BRUINS
NHL AFFILIATION: Boston Bruins HOME ICE: Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence (11,075) GENERAL MANAGER: John Ferguson CLEVELAND MONSTERS HEAD COACH: Jay Leach PRIMARY MARK ENTERED AHL: 1992-93 CALDER CUPS: One (1999) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 21 of 26 2017-18 RECORD: 45-26-3-2, 95 pts./0.625 WEBSITE: providencebruins.com
CLEVELAND MONSTERS
NHL AFFILIATION: Columbus Blue Jackets HOME ICE: Quicken Loans Arena (18,277/9,447 lower bowl) GENERAL MANAGER: Bill Zito HEAD COACH: John Madden ENTERED AHL: 2007-08 (as Lake Erie Monsters) CALDER CUPS: One (2016) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 11 2017-18 RECORD: 25-41-7-3, 60 pts./0.395 WEBSITE: clevelandmonsters.com
PANTONE 209 C
ROCHESTER AMERICANS
PANTONE 1235 C
PANTONE 1395 C
PANTONE 429 C
PANTONE 647 C
WHITE
PROCESS BLACK
NHL AFFILIATION: Buffalo Sabres HOME ICE: Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial (10,662) GENERAL MANAGER: Randy Sexton HEAD COACH: Chris Taylor ENTERED AHL: 1956-57 CALDER CUPS: Six (1965, 1966, 1968, 1983, 1987, 1996) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 45 of 62 2017-18 RECORD: 37-22-11-6, 91 pts./0.599 WEBSITE: amerks.com 2018-19
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 15
2018-19 AHL DIRECTORY SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS
UTICA COMETS
SYRACUSE CRUNCH
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS
NHL AFFILIATION: Florida Panthers HOME ICE: MassMutual Center (6,793) GENERAL MANAGER: Eric Joyce HEAD COACH: Geordie Kinnear ENTERED AHL: 2016-17 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 0 of 2 2017-18 RECORD: 32-37-5-2, 71 pts./0.467 WEBSITE: springfieldthunderbirds.com NHL AFFILIATION: Tampa Bay Lightning HOME ICE: War Memorial Arena (6,110) GENERAL MANAGER: Julien BriseBois HEAD COACH: Benoit Groulx ENTERED AHL: 1994-95 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 14 of 24 2017-18 RECORD: 46-22-3-5, 100 pts./0.658 WEBSITE: syracusecrunch.com
TORONTO MARLIES
NHL AFFILIATION: Vancouver Canucks HOME ICE: Utica Memorial Auditorium (3,917) GENERAL MANAGER: Ryan Johnson HEAD COACH: Trent Cull ENTERED AHL: 2013-14 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 5 2017-18 RECORD: 38-26-8-4, 88 pts./0.579 WEBSITE: uticacomets.com NHL AFFILIATION: Pittsburgh Penguins HOME ICE: Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza (8,050) GENERAL MANAGER: Bill Guerin HEAD COACH: Clark Donatelli ENTERED AHL: 1999-00 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 17 of 19 2017-18 RECORD: 45-22-6-3, 99 pts./0.651 WEBSITE: wbspenguins.com
NHL AFFILIATION: Toronto Maple Leafs HOME ICE: Coca-Cola Coliseum (7,851) GENERAL MANAGER: Laurence Gilman HEAD COACH: Sheldon Keefe ENTERED AHL: 2005-06 CALDER CUPS: One (2018) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 10 of 13 2017-18 RECORD: 54-18-2-2, 112 pts./0.737 WEBSITE: marlies.ca
WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION: Grand Rapids, Chicago, Iowa, Manitoba, Milwaukee, Rockford, San Antonio, Texas PACIFIC DIVISION: Bakersfield, Colorado, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose, Stockton, Tucson
COLORADO EAGLES
NHL AFFILIATION: Colorado Avalanche HOME ICE: Budweiser Events Center (5,289) GENERAL MANAGER: Craig Billington HEAD COACH: Greg Cronin ENTERED AHL: 2018-19 WEBSITE: coloradoeagles.com
BAKERSFIELD CONDORS
GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS
CHICAGO WOLVES
IOWA WILD
NHL AFFILIATION: Edmonton Oilers HOME ICE: Rabobank Arena (8,751) GENERAL MANAGER: Craig MacTavish HEAD COACH: Jay Woodcroft ENTERED AHL: 2015-16 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 0 of 3 2017-18 RECORD: 31-27-9-1, 72 pts./0.529 WEBSITE: bakersfieldcondors.com NHL AFFILIATION: Vegas Golden Knights HOME ICE: Allstate Arena (16,692) GENERAL MANAGER: Wendell Young HEAD COACH: Rocky Thompson ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: Two (2002, 2008) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 12 of 17 2017-18 RECORD: 42-23-7-4, 95 pts./0.625 WEBSITE: chicagowolves.com 16 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
NHL AFFILIATION: Detroit Red Wings HOME ICE: Van Andel Arena (10,834) GENERAL MANAGER: Ryan Martin HEAD COACH: Ben Simon ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: Two (2013, 2017) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 12 of 17 2017-18 RECORD: 42-25-2-7, 93 pts./0.612 WEBSITE: griffinshockey.com NHL AFFILIATION: Minnesota Wild HOME ICE: Wells Fargo Arena (8,356) GENERAL MANAGER: Tom Kurvers HEAD COACH: Tim Army ENTERED AHL: 2013-14 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 0 of 5 2017-18 RECORD: 33-27-10-6, 82 pts./0.539 WEBSITE: iowawild.com
2018-19 AHL DIRECTORY MANITOBA MOOSE PRIMARY MARK
MANITOBA MOOSE
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA
NHL AFFILIATION: Winnipeg Jets HOME ICE: Bell MTS Place (8,812) GENERAL MANAGER: Craig Heisinger HEAD COACH: Pascal Vincent ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 (played through 2010-11; re-entered 2015-16) CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 10 of 13 2017-18 RECORD: 42-26-4-4, 92 pts./0.605 WEBSITE: moosehockey.com
PANTONE 429 C
PANTONE COOL GRAY 11
PANTONE 2945 C
PANTONE 282 C
NHL AFFILIATION: San Jose Sharks HOME ICE: SAP Center at San Jose (6,123, curtained) GENERAL MANAGER: Joe Will HEAD COACH: Roy Sommer ENTERED AHL: 2015-16 CALDER CUPS: None MILWAUKEESEASONS ADMIRALSIN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 3 PRIMARY MARK 2017-18 RECORD: 34-26-4-4, 76 pts./0.559 WEBSITE: sjbarracuda.com
STOCKTON
2015-16
WHITE
MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS
PRIMARY MA
STOCKTON HEAT
NHL AFFILIATION: Nashville Predators HOME ICE: UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena (9,450) GENERAL MANAGER: Scott Nichol HEAD COACH: Karl Taylor ENTERED AHL: 2001-02 CALDER CUPS: One (2004) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 14 of 17 2017-18 RECORD: 38-32-4-2, 82 pts./0.539 WEBSITE: milwaukeeadmirals.com
PANTONE 282 C
PANTONE 292 C
PANTONE COOL GRAY 4 C
NHL AFFILIATION: Calgary Flames HOME ICE: Stockton Arena (6,705) GENERAL MANAGER: Brad Pascall HEAD COACH: Cail MacLean ENTERED AHL: 2015-16 CALDER CUPS: None ONTARIO REIGN IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 3 SEASONS PRIMARY MARK 2017-18 RECORD: 34-28-2-4, 74 pts./0.544 WEBSITE: stocktonheat.com 2015-16
WHITE
TEXAS STAR PRIMARY MARK
PANTONE 186 C
PANTONE 425 C
PANTONE 110 C
PANTONE 142 C
PROCESS BLACK
TEXAS STARS
ONTARIO REIGN
NHL AFFILIATION: Los Angeles Kings HOME ICE: Citizens Business Bank Arena (9,491) GENERAL MANAGER: Richard Seeley HEAD COACH: Mike Stothers ENTERED AHL: 2015-16 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 3 of 3 2017-18 RECORD: 36-25-4-3, 79 pts./0.581 WEBSITE: ontarioreign.com
NHL AFFILIATION: Dallas Stars HOME ICE: H-E-B Center at Cedar Park (6,863) GENERAL MANAGER: Scott White HEAD COACH: Derek Laxdal ENTERED AHL: 2009-10 CALDER CUPS: One (2014) SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 7 of 9 2017-18 RECORD: 38-24-8-6, 90 pts./0.592 WEBSITE: texasstars.com PANTONE 3425 C
PANTONE 429 C
PROCESS BLACK
ROCKFORD ICEHOGS
PROCESS BLACK
WHITE
NHL AFFILIATION: Arizona Coyotes HOME ICE: Tucson Arena (6,521) GENERAL MANAGER: Steve Sullivan HEAD COACH: Jay Varady ENTERED AHL: 2016-17 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 1 of 2 2017-18 RECORD: 42-20-5-1, 90 pts./0.662 WEBSITE: tucsonroadrunners.com
SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE
NHL AFFILIATION: St. Louis Blues HOME ICE: AT&T Center (6,374, lower bowl) GENERAL MANAGER: Kevin McDonald HEAD COACH: Drew Bannister ENTERED AHL: 2002-03 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 4 of 16 2017-18 RECORD: 35-31-10-0, 80 pts./0.526 WEBSITE: sarampage.com
THE ROAD TO THE CALDER CUP Eight teams in each conference will qualify for the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs. The SAN DIEGO GULLS
top four teams in each division, ranked by points percentage (points earned divided by points available), will qualify for the postseason.
PRIMARY MARK
SAN DIEGO GULLS
PANTONE 1655 C
PANTONE 877 C
TUCSON ROADRUNNERS
NHL AFFILIATION: Chicago Blackhawks HOME ICE: BMO Harris Bank Center (5,895) GENERAL MANAGER: Mark Bernard HEAD COACH: Derek King ENTERED AHL: 2007-08 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 6 of 11 2017-18 RECORD: 40-28-4-4, 88 pts./0.579 WEBSITE: icehogs.com
NHL AFFILIATION: Anaheim Ducks HOME ICE: Valley View Casino Center (12,920) GENERAL MANAGER: Bob Ferguson HEAD COACH: Dallas Eakins ENTERED AHL: 2015-16 CALDER CUPS: None SEASONS IN PLAYOFFS: 2 of 3 2017-18 RECORD: 36-28-3-1, 76 pts./0.559 WEBSITE: sandiegogulls.com
METALLIC SILVER 877
2015-16
WHITE
PANTONE MEDIUM BLUE C
PANTONE 5455 C
PROCESS BLACK
WHITE
The division semifinals will be bestof-five series, with the first-place team playing the fourth-place team and the second-place team facing the third-place team. The division finals, conference finals and Calder Cup Finals will be best-of-seven series. 2015-16
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 17
WHITE
DETROIT RED WINGS TOP AFFILIATE Grand Rapids Griffins 17th Season
ARENA
Little Caesars Arena Seating Capacity: 19,515
CONTACT
(313) 471-7000 detroitredwings.com
STANLEY CUPS
1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008
MANAGEMENT Photo: Getty Images
EXECUTIVE VP/ GENERAL MANAGER: Ken Holland ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER: Ryan Martin
COACHING STAFF
G
riffins alumni led the Red Wings in every significant statistical category in 2017-18, highlighted by Anthony Mantha’s 24 goals and nine power play goals, along with Dylan Larkin’s 47 assists and 63 points. In all, 23 former Griffins wore the Winged Wheel last season, energizing a Grand RapidsDetroit affiliation that will continue until at least 2022.
HEAD COACH: Jeff Blashill ASSISTANT COACHES: Dan Bylsma, Doug Houda, Pat Ferschweiler ASST. COACH/VIDEO: Adam Nightingale GOALTENDING COACH: Jeff Salajko STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH: Mike Kadar
GRIFFINS WHO HAVE EARNED THEIR WINGS Justin Abdelkader, 2008-09 Adam Almquist, 2013-14 Joakim Andersson, 2011-12 Andreas Athanasiou, 2015-16 Sean Avery, 2002-03 Ryan Barnes, 2003-04 Tyler Bertuzzi, 2016-17 Patrick Boileau, 2002-03 Darryl Bootland, 2003-04 Fabian Brunnstrom, 2011-12 Mitch Callahan, 2013-14 Dennis Cholowski, 2018-19 Ty Conklin, 2011-12 Chris Conner, 2011-12 Jared Coreau, 2016-17 Danny DeKeyser, 2013-14 Aaron Downey, 2008-09 Patrick Eaves, 2013-14 Christoffer Ehn, 2018-19 Matt Ellis, 2006-07 Cory Emmerton, 2010-11
Jonathan Ericsson, 2007-08 Landon Ferraro, 2013-14 Valtteri Filppula, 2005-06 Martin Frk, 2017-18 Luke Glendening, 2013-14 Mark Hartigan, 2007-08 Darren Helm, 2007-08 Joe Hicketts, 2017-18 Jimmy Howard, 2005-06 Filip Hronek, 2018-19 Jiri Hudler, 2003-04 Matt Hussey, 2006-07 Doug Janik, 2009-10 Nick Jensen, 2016-17 Tomas Jurco, 2013-14 Jakub Kindl, 2009-10 Tomas Kopecky, 2005-06 Niklas Kronwall, 2003-04 Marc Lamothe, 2003-04 Josh Langfeld, 2006-07 Dylan Larkin, 2015-16 Brian Lashoff, 2012-13
Brett Lebda, 2005-06 Ville Leino, 2008-09 Matt Lorito, 2016-17 Joey MacDonald, 2006-07 Donald MacLean, 2005-06 Anthony Mantha, 2015-16 Alexey Marchenko, 2013-14 Darren McCarty, 2007-08 Tom McCollum, 2010-11 Derek Meech, 2006-07 Wade Megan, 2018-19 Drew Miller, 2016-17 Kevin Miller, 2003-04 Mark Mowers, 2003-04 Petr Mrazek, 2012-13 Jan Mursak, 2010-11 Anders Myrvold, 2003-04 Andrej Nestrasil, 2014-15 Kris Newbury, 2009-10 Tomas Nosek, 2015-16 Gustav Nyquist, 2011-12 Xavier Ouellet, 2013-14
* not including conditioning stints for Curtis Joseph (2003-04), Chris Osgood (2005-06), Manny Legace (2005-06), Chris Chelios (2008-09), Andreas Lilja (2009-10), Jonas Gustavsson (2012-13), Carlo Colaiacovo (2012-13) and Stephen Weiss (2014-15).
Teemu Pulkkinen, 2013-14 Kyle Quincey, 2005-06 Dan Renouf, 2016-17 Mattias Ritola, 2007-08 Jamie Rivers, 2003-04 Nathan Robinson, 2003-04 Stacy Roest, 2002-03 Robbie Russo, 2016-17 Riley Sheahan, 2011-12 Brendan Smith, 2011-12 Ryan Sproul, 2013-14 Garrett Stafford, 2007-08 Ben Street, 2016-17 Libor Sulak, 2018-19 Evgeny Svechnikov, 2016-17 Eric Tangradi, 2015-16 Tomas Tatar, 2010-11 Jordin Tootoo, 2013-14 Dominic Turgeon, 2017-18 Jason Williams, 2002-03 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 19
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MARK YOUR
2018GR 19 PRO IFFI
SCHMEODTIONNASL ULE
CALENDAR Jan. 26
Jan. 19
Toy Night/Rubik’s Cube Giveaway presented by Eikenhout/ Fan-Designed Jersey Auction #1
Jan. 19-20
16th Annual Great Skate Winterfest at Rosa Parks Circle, benefiting the Griffins Youth Foundation
Jan. 25
Y2K Night presented by MedExpress Urgent Care
Joe Hicketts Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Michigan Office Solutions
Feb. 9
Superhero Night/Third Annual Comic Book Giveaway/Anthony Mantha Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 21
Feb. 15
Fan-Designed Jersey Auction #2/ Post-game college hockey: GVSU vs. Aquinas (approx. 10:30 p.m. start)
Feb. 16
Star Wars Night presented by DTE Energy
Feb. 22
Presented by BDO
Feb. 26
14th Annual Griffins & Sled Wings Sled Hockey Game, benefiting the Grand Rapids Sled Wings and the Griffins Youth Foundation
March 6
Presented by Custer
March 8
Eighth Annual Purple Community Game presented by Van Andel Institute/Purple Jersey Auction
March 12
Eighth Annual Hockey, Hops & Hope at Fox Hyundai Kia, benefiting Easterseals Michigan
March 15
‘90s Night presented by Spectrum Health Stroke Awareness
March 31
Jake Engel Memorial Dog Game presented by NestlĂŠ Purina/Specialty Jersey Auction
April 12
Season Finale presented by Huntington Bank/ Friday Night Jersey Auction
Feb. 16
Feb. 26
March 12
22 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
MARCH 31
SEASON-LONG PROMOTIONS $2 Beers and $2 Hot Dogs: Every Friday, enjoy $2 office following the Winning Wednesday game, domestic drafts and $2 hot dogs from 6-8 p.m., while The Zone during normal business hours, or the Van Andel Arena box office prior to the next Wednesday supplies last. Get in the D-ZONE: Presented by Coppercraft game beginning at 5:30 p.m. Fans who exchange Distillery, every Friday night is a Griffins D-Zone their Winning Wednesday ticket at The Zone on a night. Avoid the concession lines and get your $2 non-game day will receive 20% off the purchase of beers and $2 hot dogs served to you in your seats. one item (excluding jerseys). One discount per person Call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com/ present.
Sports Grill and available for all Saturday games, each pack includes four tickets and $12 in concession cash for a great low price. Visit griffinshockey.com/f4p or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2. Continuing this season, fans may use their concession cash to purchase healthy choice menu options at the stand located outside of section 125, including low-fat yogurt, apples, oranges, granola bars and smoothies.
dzone today to purchase a package of four or more Sunday is Fun Day: For all Sunday games, enjoy $1 Pepsi Reading Goals: Children with Griff’s Reading small Pepsi drinks and $1 small ice cream cups from Goals bookmarks who have completed the required D-Zone tickets for any Friday night game. three hours of reading can redeem their bookmark for Military Nights: Every home game, current 3-5 p.m. members of our military can purchase up to four Post-Game Parties at Peppino’s: After every two free Upper Level tickets to any of the following Upper Level Faceoff tickets for $14 each, four Upper Wednesday game, join Griffins players and staff for games: Feb. 10; March 6 and 31; April 10. Level Center Ice tickets for $17 each or four Lower Level Faceoff tickets for $20 each with a valid military ID. The offer also extends to veterans who present a VA ID or discharge papers.
College Nights: Presented by Michigan First Credit Union, college students can show their ID at every Friday game to purchase an Upper Level Faceoff ticket for $13 (or $12 in advance at The Zone) or an Upper Level Center Ice ticket for $16 (or $15 in advance at The Zone). Limit one ticket per ID. Free Ride Friday on The Rapid: Ride the Rapid to and from any Friday game and enjoy a complimentary fare by showing your ticket to that night’s game. Visit ridetherapid.org for schedule information, routes and maps.
the official post-game party at Peppino’s Sports Grille Post-Game Open Skates: Feb. 9, March 31 downtown. Huntington Bank Post-Game Autograph Big E’s Score 4 for More: If the Griffins score four Session: Feb. 16 or more goals during a home game, take your ticket MOS Corner Office: Presented by Michigan Office from that game to Big E’s Sports Grill in Grand Rapids Solutions, this section, located on the terrace level or Holland within four days to receive 50% off any above section 118, provides the best seats in the food item. Dine in only. house for groups of up to 30 people, with La-Z-Boy Library Nights: For all Wednesday and Sunday chairs and an array of unprecedented amenities. Call games, fans can present their Grand Rapids Public (616) 774-4585 ext. 4. Library card or Kent District Library card at the Van J. Gardella’s Sliders Special: Available on select Andel Arena box office on the night of the game or at tickets, take your used Griffins ticket to J. Gardella’s The Zone anytime during the store’s regular business hours to purchase either an Upper Level Faceoff ticket Tavern to buy one slider and get one of equal or lesser for $14 (regularly $16 advance and $19 day of game), price free. Refer to the back of select tickets for details. an Upper Level Center Ice ticket for $17 (regularly Wolfgang Puck Out of Play: Catch a puck that $19 advance and $22 day of game) or a Lower Level went out of play during a game? Show it to Guest Faceoff ticket for $20 (regularly $22 advance and $25 Services behind section 104 to receive a prize from day of game). Limit four tickets per card per person, The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck. subject to availability. All promotions and dates subject to change. For more
Winning Wednesdays: Presented by Farm Bureau Insurance, every time the Griffins win at home on Wednesday, each fan in attendance will receive a free ticket to the next Wednesday game. To redeem a Winning Wednesday ticket, please visit the box Friends & Family 4-Packs: Presented by Big E’s information, visit griffinshockey.com.
ALL PROMOTIONS AND DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT GRIFFINSHOCKEY.COM. Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 23
Griffins “Princess Night” Fall 2018
Providing Michigan with the highest quality in character entertainment. Use the code “GRIFFINS” for $20 off your next party or corporate event booking!
@everafterandcompany @theeverafterpurplewall
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A FOND FAREWELL TO Photos by Mark Newman
Patrik Rybar
The Griffins had plenty to celebrate as the calendar turned to 2019.
Filip Hronek
Chris Terry was chosen to play in the AHL AllStar Classic for the third straight year. Teaming with Harri Sateri to form an impressive goaltending tandem, Patrik Rybar was tied for fourth in the AHL with a 2.41 goals against average as 2019 dawned. The highest Detroit draft pick to ever play in Grand Rapids, Filip Zadina logged 3 two-goal games in the season’s first three months. Filip Hronek tallied two goals and two assists in 15 games over two stints on the Red Wings’ blue line.
Chris Terry Filip Zadina
Other early-season highlights for Ben Simon’s squad included: • A remarkable surge up the Central Division standings, from seventh place and four points out of a playoff spot on Nov. 4 to a tie for second place and one point out of first place on Jan. 1; • A 12-3-1-2 record at Van Andel Arena that ranked among the league’s best home marks;
• Point streaks of nine games overall (7-0-1-1 from Nov. 17Dec. 7) and eight games at home (6-0-1-1 from Nov. 17-Dec. 15); • Finishing the calendar year with a regular season mark of 47-214-5 (.669), after closing out 2018 by earning points in 22 of 28 games (17-6-3-2, .696);
• Six additions to the Griffins’ ranks of NHL alumni – Dennis Cholowski, Libor Sulak, Hronek, Wade Megan and Christoffer Ehn with Detroit, and Eddie Pasquale with Tampa Bay – bringing the all-time total to 174.
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 25
LIBOR Intensive Story and photos by Mark Newman
Defenseman Libor Sulak is working hard to show that the Red Wings made a good decision when they plucked him out of the Czech Republic. When Libor Sulak made the Detroit Red Wings’ roster out of training camp, it was like Christmas came early. An undrafted free agent out of the Czech Republic, the 24-year-old defenseman received the news of making the NHL with the joy of a boy who got what he always wanted. It made him think of the happiness he often experienced as a kid when his family made the one-hour trip into Prague for the holiday. In fact, his NHL debut was a gift of sorts, as his first game landed on the birthday of his father, who stayed up
26 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
late – it was 1:30 a.m. back in Sulak’s hometown of Pelhrimov – to be able to watch his son play against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the season opener at Little Caesars Arena. “I think he was more nervous than me,” Sulak said. “I was nervous for the first game, but I think that’s normal. Once they threw the puck onto the ice, the nerves went away and I just play.” Sulak, who played six games with the Red Wings before he was sent to Grand Rapids, had made a favorable first impression when he recorded a Story and pair of assists in his first preseason photos by Mark Newman
Sulak made his AHL debut with the Griffins late in the 2017-18 season, appearing in two contests.
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 27
Sulak signed with Detroit as an undrafted free agent out of the Czech Republic.
game this past fall. He continued to impress Detroit head coach Jeff Blashill during the course of the exhibition schedule. “His skating is elite,” Blashill said. “His body and strength and reach are elite. I think he’s got to learn a number of things in positioning to make sure that he is on the right side of the puck so he’s not giving up easy chances. The good thing is he seems to want to learn it. He seems to have a capacity to learn it.” Sulak had first come to the Red Wings’ attention through Jiri Fischer, Detroit’s director of player evaluation, who splits his time between Europe and North America scouting potential free agent acquisitions as well as drafteligible players. Detroit inked Sulak to a two-year, entry-level contract after scouting him at the 2017 IIHF World Championship tournament in Europe. “I like that he’s 6-3. I like that he can skate. I like that he continues to improve,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said at the time of Sulak’s signing. “Obviously, Jiri Fischer knows him as a person, what makes him tick. We feel like there’s the potential for some upside that he could play in the National Hockey League.” 28 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
The Red Wings’ faith was rewarded when Sulak earned an extended look in Detroit after quickly making an impression. “I didn’t know much about him (but) I like him a lot,” Red Wings forward Thomas Vanek told the assembled media after seeing Sulak in his preseason debut. “He’s really good, the way he skates, the way he battles. He’s not afraid to take shots; he’s not afraid to jump up in the play. I wish I had a quarter of his speed.” Coincidentally, Sulak played two seasons with Orli Znojmo, a Czech team that competes in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, the top professional league in Austria, which is Vanek’s home country. Sulak was the league’s rookie of the year during the 2015-16 season when he tallied six goals and 12 assists in 51 games. His numbers were even better in year two with the team, as he recorded 10 goals and 18 assists in 54 games. “There are a lot of imports playing in the Austrian league, so it was good hockey,” he said. “There were guys from U.S. and Canada, too, so it was a little faster. It helped me with my play because I got so much time on the ice. It gave me the experience that helped me become a better player.”
The Red Wings knew that Sulak was going to play last season abroad in the Finnish Elite League, where he was a member of the Lahti Pelicans. He had nine goals and 23 assists in only 42 games, good enough for second-best in the league for points per game by a defenseman. “In Finland, it’s the same rink (like Austria), but the guys are even faster, so there’s more pressure and more skating,” he said. “It felt like a level up.” He joined the Griffins near the end of last season, but he only appeared in two games after his audition was cut short by a groin injury and a puck to the mouth that required 16 stitches to repair. “It was my first time in the U.S., but it was perfect because it was the first time I got to meet with an NHL organization,” he said. “Learning to play on the smaller ice was different for me. Everything happens quicker. You get quicker pressure, you react quicker, you have to be ready every time.” A natural defenseman – it was his father’s idea that he play on the blue line when he was young – Sulak uses his size, skating ability and hockey sense to set himself apart.
“He really likes to carry the puck and move the puck, so the efficiency of his passing and the timing of his passing is going to be an adjustment for him when he bridges to North America, where everything is smaller and there’s less room,” Fischer said. “But his skating makes him special. Plus, he really has the ability to battle and use his physical strength to bump players off the puck.” Although he didn’t make the Olympic team, Sulak has represented the Czech Republic in other world tournaments. His last appearance was at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark last May when his team lost 3-2 to the USA in the quarterfinals. It was the second year in a row that he represented his homeland. “I felt better the second time,” he said. “I played a lot and it gave me more confidence. I felt good there. It was perfect except that we didn’t make it past the quarterfinals – we lost to the U.S. – but I felt like I played well.” Sulak is thankful for any and all advice at this stage in his career. Fischer, who was general manager of the Czech national team, offered a few pointers. “He talked to me about the things I need to do,” Sulak said. “Like playing hard, using
Photo: Getty Images
Sulak opened the season with the Red Wings, playing six games with the NHL team.
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 29
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Terry was a regularSulak has the skills to be a solid with the NHL’s two-way defenseman in the NHL. Carolina Hurricanes for two seasons from 2014-16.
my legs to keep skating, being careful in the ‘D’ zone and making sure nobody gets behind you – just normal stuff.” He came into this year excited at the prospect of playing his first full season in North America. That he is now in Grand Rapids rather than Detroit does not seem to have fazed him any. “I don’t care where I play,” he said. “I just have to play.” Sulak is happy that he is now reunited with his young family. His wife, Martina, and 2-1/2-yearold son, Libor Jr., flew over from the Czech Republic and joined him in Grand Rapids after he was reassigned to the AHL team. “I still miss my parents and my brother, but my wife and son are here and they are happy. My son doesn’t care where he is. He just loves hockey. He got skates from Santa – and helmet and gloves, too. He wants pants and elbow pads, but I said this is good (for now).” While adapting to the North American rinks and style of play has been an adjustment, the biggest challenge has been learning English. “The more I talk with the guys in the locker room, the better,” said Sulak, who is also learning away from
the rink. “I watch a lot of Netflix with my son and we learn together. He’s learning Czech, Russian and English.” Sulak feels more comfortable every week, both on and off the ice, but he knows that he still has plenty of work ahead. Having gotten his first taste of the NHL, he hopes to get another look in Detroit but is going to patiently go about the business of brushing up his skills in the meantime. “I don’t want to think about whether I am going to get up there again or not. I just have to play better here,” he said. “If I improve, maybe I will get another chance. I don’t want to think about it. I’m good with this (playing in the AHL).” Things could always be better, he knows, and so he is more than willing to do whatever it takes to improve and show that he can be a solid twoway defenseman in the NHL. It took him 28 AHL games to score his first goal in North America – it was a highlightreel tally – but he hopes there will be many more to come. “So far so good, I think,” Sulak said. Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 31
TERRIFIC TANDEM Finland’s Harri Sateri and Slovakia’s Patrik Rybar have proven to be a perfect pair between the posts for the Griffins this season.
Rybar was signed by the Red Wings last summer as an undrafted free agent.
32 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Sateri was a fourth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Harri Sateri and Patrik Rybar are uniquely qualified goaltending options for Ben Simon and the Griffins’ coaching staff. Together, they represent the first all-European netminding pair in the 23-year history of the Griffins organization. At the still-young age of 29, the Finnishborn Sateri came to Grand Rapids as a 10-year veteran with experience in both Europe and North America at both the AHL and NHL levels. Rybar, 25, joined the Griffins with a goaltending pedigree and considerable potential, but this marks his first season far from his native Slovakia. Griffins head coach Ben Simon admits that he wasn’t initially sure what it would mean for his team’s prospects this season, Grand Rapids’ first since 2002-03 without at least one returning goaltender on its roster. “Both were relative unknowns at the start of the year,” he said. “Harri obviously had more experience at this level and had played some NHL games, while Patrik had only played on the bigger ice in Europe, which usually requires more time to become acclimated to the smaller surface here.” Simon learned they had one thing in common. “Both of them stop the puck,” he said. “The only difference is the manner in which they do it.
They have different styles and our goalie coach, Brian Mahoney-Wilson, has done a phenomenal job in getting to know them, learning their quirks and their personalities, so he can help them improve on a daily basis.” Indeed, Mahoney-Wilson has worked closely with the pair to bring out the best of both, building on their strengths while helping them to tackle their weaknesses with methods designed to improve their overall effectiveness in the net. There is plenty to like about both Sateri and Rybar. “Harri’s strengths are his hands, his reflexes and his quick feet,” Mahoney-Wilson said. “Like most Finns, he has really good puck handling skills. He also has good hockey sense and good overall awareness in the crease. He’s able to have good reads of the play. “Patrik, meanwhile, uses his height to his advantage. He’s 6-3, so he’s more of a blocking type goalie. He positions himself well on screens, and he’s very good in low play when there’s netfront rebounds or low-jam situations. He’s very consistent.” Each came to his line of work quite differently. Sateri was born in southern Finland, a country Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 33
well-known for its ability to produce goaltending talent. Miikka Kiprusoff, Pekka Rinne, Kari Lehtonen, Tuukka Rask and Antti Niemi are a few of the names that hockey fans may recognize from Sateri’s homeland. “As a boy, I watched hockey on TV and I always liked the goalies,” said Sateri, whose favorite was Lehtonen. “I think I started playing the position when I was five. It was clear to me from the beginning that I wanted to be a goalie.” He continued to develop his skills and began playing as a teen for Tappara Tampere in the Finnish Elite League. He was chosen by the San Jose Sharks in the fourth round (106th overall pick) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. “It’s every hockey player’s dream to get drafted, so it was a big day for me,” Sateri said. Following two full seasons in Finland he came to North America, finishing the 201011 campaign with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate in Worcester. He would play the next three full seasons in the AHL with the team but never saw any action in the NHL despite posting solid stats. “I felt like my game was stuck,” Sateri said, looking back at his first stint in the AHL. “It seemed like I wasn’t going anywhere and I felt
like I wasn’t getting better. I thought I needed a change, so I decided to go back to Europe for a few years.” From 2014 to 2017, Sateri played for Podolsk Vityaz in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The hockey club operates about 40 kilometers (25 miles) outside of Moscow. “It was a different world, but I actually liked it there,” he said. “The organization was good, the team was decent and they took care of me. Plus, it was close to home (about an hour’s flight back to Finland), so there were a lot of good things about it.” His third year with Podolsk Vityaz was the organization’s first winning season in nine years. “The team made the playoffs for the first time, so we made a little history,” he said. Even so, Sateri decided to leave while the going was good. “I always had it in my mind that I wanted to come back and play in the NHL,” he said. “When the opportunity came last year, I came over.” He signed with the Florida Panthers, who assigned him to the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL. “I eventually played a few games in the NHL, and I was really happy about it.” Most significantly, Sateri’s return to North
Sateri went 4-1-2 in December after posting a 5-1-0 record in November.
34 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Rybar allowed two or fewer goals 10 times in his first 16 starts this season, and his 2.41 GAA ranked fourth in the AHL at the start of the new year.
America marked his maturation as a goaltender. “I think the biggest thing is that I have grown as a person,” he said. “I think I can handle things better now than when I was younger. I don’t get upset when I give up a bad goal and things like that.” The Panthers wasted little time in helping Sateri become reacclimated to North America. “The first time I was called up was pretty early in the season. I was there a week or two and then they sent me back down,” he said. “I had kind of a rough start that year, but when I went back to the minors, I was able to pick up my game and get my confidence back.” When Panthers starting goaltender Roberto Luongo and backup James Reimer were injured, he got a second chance. He finally made his NHL debut in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 2, 2018, allowing one goal on 14 shots in a no-decision. Nearly a decade after being drafted, he earned the first NHL win of his career on Jan. 30, stopping 32 of 33 shots in a 4-1 road victory over the New York Islanders. His patience had paid off. “It was a bit of a relief,” Sateri said. “I didn’t feel any pressure because I was now there. I felt like I had finally made it. I was playing in the best
league and it was just a great feeling. It’s where I wanted to be.” Panthers coach Bob Boughner credited Sateri with saving the franchise’s season. He was eventually sent back to the minors when both Luongo and Reimer became healthy. Sateri has a four-game winning streak in the NHL that he still carries to this day. “Obviously, it wasn’t just me – it was the whole team, but it’s good to hear that he said it,” he said. “They gave me a good opportunity and I think I took advantage of it. Now I’m here, with a great team in a great city, and I hope that I get another one.” Rybar, meanwhile, was seemingly born to be a goalie, although he didn’t start playing the position until he was a bit older. His father, Pavol Rybar, represented Slovakia at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano and the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City (his 2002 teammates included former Griffins Robert Petrovicky and the late Pavol Demitra). His father is currently a goaltending coach in the Slovak Extraliga for HC Slovan Bratislava, for whom Petrovicky is an assistant coach. “I was a goalie from a young age,” Rybar said. “I Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 35
saw my father play and I tried to model my game like him. I wanted to be just like him and I hope I am like him.” Rybar admits that it wasn’t easy following in his father’s footsteps. His father played a little in Russia as well as in the top Czech league during an extended career that saw him star in the Slovak league for several seasons. “He tried to help me so much that sometimes it was hard for me,” he said. “But I think he has really helped my career and I appreciate that he has been there to help coach me. We still talk. Our goalie coach here sends him video and we talk about it.” The younger Rybar developed his own style – he’s four inches taller than his father – first in the Slovak league before playing two seasons for Hradec Kralove in the Czech league, where he continued to excel. Last season, Rybar posted a 23-13-0 record with a sparkling 1.73 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. “The game there was only a little faster [than the Slovak league], but the guys were smarter – they knew when to shoot and when to pass,” he said. “My two years in the Czech league helped me so much. I think I’m better because of my time there.”
Like his father, Rybar has represented his country at the Olympics. He was the third goalie at the 2018 games in PyeongChang, South Korea. “It felt more like I was there on holiday because I was the third goalie, but it was nice to see the opening ceremonies, experience the Olympics and see what it was all about.” Rybar was thrilled to sign a one-year contract with the Red Wings organization this past summer, although he admits that the adjustment to North America has been more challenging than he anticipated. “Everything is so different,” he said. “The lifestyle is different, the food is different, the travel is different, but I try not to think too much about it. I try to think about the Griffins and hockey and nothing else. I’m focused on my job here and what I need to do better.” Although he talks with them by phone, Rybar admits that he misses his parents and his girlfriend the most. “I am not used to being alone for so long,” he said. “When I played in the Czech league, I could see my parents and my girlfriend every couple of weeks. Now everyone is so far away.” Despite the English classes he took in high
Rybar represented Slovakia at the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2018 IIHF World Championship. 36 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Sateri and his Finland teammates defeated both Canada and the U.S. at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
school, language continues to be a challenge for Rybar. “I don’t have a problem understanding, but speaking is harder,” he said. Mahoney-Wilson, who gave Rybar a six-month subscription to Rosetta Stone, said Rybar is eager to learn. “Patrik’s English is getting better and I love that he’s trying to learn,” he said. “If I went to Slovakia, I would have no clue as to what was going on.” Mahoney-Wilson overcomes the language barrier by visually demonstrating his tips and ideas for Rybar (English is not an issue for Sateri). For his part, Rybar welcomes any and all instruction. “I appreciate that I have a good coach here like Brian. He has helped me so much,” Rybar said. “I feel like I am a better goalie than I was last season because I feel faster and stronger. I know how to play better in different situations.” All goalies, whether they’re rookies or 10-year veterans, have room for improvement. “I think both of them can improve their skating, which will help their post play, whether it’s trying to find a lane through a screen or move off a screen to find the puck or even holding their feet on a passing play,” Mahoney-Wilson said. “It’s what I call acclimated skating. When
goalies start sliding, they can lose their crease or lose their net. Any goalie in any league will begin to struggle if they don’t keep up with their skating. We try to nip it in the bud by building a consistent theme.” Instruction is typically straight-forward. “For both of them, it’s a matter of being clear and to the point,” Mahoney-Wilson said. “They know I’m very open and if they want to try something new, they can always come to me to take the pressure off them. If they make mistakes, I’ll take the blame.” He has been impressed at how well the two goalies have played this season. “If you look at their stats for bouncing back with a quality start after a poor game, they’ve been outstanding,” he said. “Both of them have the asset of having a cool and calm demeanor, plus they’re both very humble. “Both come to the rink with a smile on their face. When either of them has a bad game, we address it in video and they’re willing to learn from the mistakes they made. I think the team has benefitted from their ability to bounce back from bad games.” Sateri and Rybar have split playing time for the Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 37
Photo: Getty Images
Sateri won his last four NHL starts with the Florida Panthers last season.
first half of the season. “I think healthy competition is a great thing,” Simon said. “We’re not set in stone with one guy playing over the other. Both of them have been playing solid, and playing well with confidence is great not only for themselves in terms of pushing each other but also for the team in general.” Friendly competition makes both goalies better. “As a goalie, you always want to be the one playing in the crease, but they’re very supportive of each other and I’ve never seen a bad interaction between them,” Mahoney-Wilson said. “To have that kind of mellow tandem is terrific. Whoever is in the net, they just want to win, and if the backup is supportive of the team, then that’s all you can ask for.” Neither Sateri or Rybar has a complaint about competing for playing time. “It’s always great to have a competition,” Sateri said. “It helps both of us because it pushes us to become better. I’m trying to help Patrik as much as I can. Whatever he needs, I’m there.” “I want to push Harri and he wants to push me, so together we will be better,” Rybar said. “We are doing everything we can to win games and help the team, so it’s all good.”
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38 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Both agree that winning a Calder Cup is the goal. “I know the NHL is a long way, so I appreciate that I can have the chance to be here,” Rybar said. “I’m doing everything I can to make sure that the people who made the decision to bring me here can be satisfied with my play.” Sateri’s teams have finished out of the playoffs more often than not, so he would like nothing better than a long postseason run. “Obviously I want to help the team here as much as I can, but at the same time, I want to be ready if I get another opportunity in the NHL. Having said that, this is the best team I’ve played with. I would love to compete for the Calder Cup.” And that’s just fine with the Griffins’ coaching staff. “Both guys have done a really good job of never getting too disappointed or discouraged,” Simon said. “They’ve hunkered down and put in the time and the work, both on and off the ice, to improve on a daily basis. “When both guys are contributing, it’s fantastic. At the end of the day, both of them have done a good job of stopping the puck.”
Rybar played the last two seasons in the top Czech league.
Impact. When you become a Laker, you look outward, focusing on others instead of yourself. With professors’ caring guidance, you learn how to make a meaningful, lasting difference. Then, as you go forward into the world, you’re ready to tackle challenges and make meaningful contributions. Like West Michigan itself, your positive impact will be far reaching. That’s the Laker Effect.
gvsu.edu
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 39
2018
2019
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COLIN CAMPBELL
CARTER CAMPER
Forward 6-1, 200 lbs. Born: 4/17/91 Toronto, Ont.
CHRISTOFFER EHN Forward 6-2, 193 lbs. Born: 4/5/96 Skara, Sweden
JOE HICKETTS
Defenseman 5-8, 180 lbs. Born: 5/4/96 Kamloops, B.C. 40 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Defenseman 6-2, 200 lbs. Born: 3/8/91 Chicago, Ill.
TURNER ELSON
MATTHEW FORD
Forward 6-0, 190 lbs. Born: 9/13/92 New Westminster, B.C.
AXEL HOLMSTROM
Forward 6-1, 200 lbs. Born: 6/29/96 Arvidsjaur, Sweden
MARCUS CRAWFORD Defenseman 5-11, 196 lbs. Born: 3/21/97 Ajax, Ont.
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2
JAKE CHELIOS
Forward 5-9, 175 lbs. Born: 7/6/88 Rocky River, Ohio
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17
Forward 6-1, 205 lbs. Born: 10/9/84 West Hills, Calif.
13
TREVOR HAMILTON
Defenseman 6-0, 195 lbs. Born: 3/17/95 Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.
39 FILIP HRONEK
Defenseman 6-0, 178 lbs. Born: 11/2/97
Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
DEREK HULAK
Forward 6-0, 185 lbs. Born: 9/2/89 Saskatoon, Sask.
TURNER
griffinshockey.com
15 ELSON
DOMINIK
griffinshockey.com
65 SHINE
Proud Sponsor of Grand Rapids Griffins
18
52 BRIAN LASHOFF
DYLAN McILRATH
Defenseman 6-3, 221 lbs. Born: 7/16/90 Albany, N.Y.
12
22
MATT PUEMPEL
Forward 6-3, 205 lbs. Born: 9/27/94 Edmonton, Alta.
DYLAN SADOWY
4
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LIBOR SULAK
Pelhrimov, Czech Republic
Forward 5-10, 195 lbs. Born: 4/7/89 Brampton, Ont.
Defenseman 5-10, 180 lbs. Born: 5/15/97 Rovaniemi, Finland
54 GIVANI SMITH
Forward 5-11, 180 lbs. Born: 4/18/93 Detroit, Mich.
23 CHRIS TERRY
VILI SAARIJARVI
DOMINIK SHINE
Goaltender 6-1, 205 lbs. Born: 12/29/89 Toijala, Finland
25 Defenseman 6-2, 207 lbs. Born: 3/4/94
Goaltender 6-3, 185 lbs. Born: 11/9/93 Skalica, Slovakia
HARRI SATERI
Forward 6-1, 210 lbs. Born: 4/2/96 Brampton, Ont.
Forward 5-11, 200 lbs. Born: 5/25/94 Indian Trail, N.C.
9 PATRIK RYBAR
Forward 6-1, 205 lbs. Born: 1/24/93 Essex, Ont.
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BRYAN MOORE
Forward 6-1, 190 lbs. Born: 7/22/90 Canton, N.Y.
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WADE MEGAN
Defenseman 6-4, 235 lbs. Born: 4/20/92 Winnipeg, Man.
DAVID POPE
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DOMINIC TURGEON
Forward 6-2, 205 lbs. Born: 2/25/96 Pointe-Claire, Que.
Forward 6-2, 220 lbs. Born: 2/27/98 Toronto, Ont.
11 FILIP ZADINA
Forward 6-0, 190 lbs. Born: 11/27/99 Pardubice, Czech Republic Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 41
Story and photos by Mark Newman
SECOND CAREER
Former Griffins goaltender Jordan Pearce is back in Grand Rapids, training to become an orthopaedic surgeon. 42 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Pearce was a goaltender for the Griffins from 2009 to 2013.
Jordan Pearce spent four full seasons in the Red Wings organization, chasing his dream of becoming an NHL goaltender before deciding the time had finally come to pursue a different calling. He was ready to swap his jersey for scrubs. Today, Pearce has aspirations of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon, and this time the odds of reaching his goal are excellent. He is in his first year in the Spectrum Health/Michigan State University Orthopaedic Surgery Residency program, one of the best in the nation. Pearce, who graduated from Wake Forest School of Medicine last May, is one of only five residents in the Class of 2023, having been selected out of 600 candidates from the best medical schools in the country. “I am very proud of our residency program,” said Dr. Karl Roberts, senior partner of West Michigan Orthopaedics and director of the Spectrum Health program. “We may not have the academic prestige of other programs like Harvard, The Mayo Clinic or Duke, but our residents consistently test among the highest in the country. In addition, we have phenomenal state of the art hospital facilities in Grand Rapids, highly qualified physician faculty, and
some of the most qualified orthopaedic residents in the nation.” Indeed, Spectrum Health orthopaedic residents have scored in the top tenth percentile among all programs in the national Orthopaedic In-Training Examination the past five years, and their pass rate for their orthopaedic boards has been 100 percent. In the last two years, the residency placed in the top three in the nation among over 160 programs. The five-year program at Spectrum Health focuses on the development of strong clinical and surgical skills in young doctors like Pearce while fostering an experience that enhances their ability to provide compassionate patient care, so that they become assets to their community and profession. “It’s the equivalent of being selected to play for the Red Wings based on what you did in college, but you don’t know how to skate,” Dr. Roberts said. “A medical degree doesn’t teach one to operate as a surgeon, so our residency program is designed to teach you all of the necessary skills to excel in the operating room, as well as teaching the fundamental knowledge required to understand musculoskeletal problems and disease.” Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 43
Pearce is in the first year of his Spectrum Health residency.
Pearce made the decision to enter medical school following the 2012-13 season, essentially going out on the top after serving as the third goalie behind Petr Mrazek and Tom McCollum during the Griffins’ first successful Calder Cup run. At the time, Pearce ranked among the Griffins’ all-time Top 10 goaltending leaders in games played, minutes, saves and shootout wins. He also ranked fourth in all-time wins and third in career shutouts for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. Pearce, who had just completed his second contract with the Red Wings, said he had been contemplating his exit from hockey for some time. “I started to think about how long I wanted to play in the minors,” he said. “I had about 10 games where I was backup in Detroit, but the writing was on the wall that I was unlikely to ever become a full-time NHL starter,” he said. “You never know – I might have developed – but I was excited that I had another career option.” Pearce had been a pre-med student at the University of Notre Dame, where he had been recruited to play hockey after spending a season 44 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
with the Lincoln Stars in the USHL. He had previously spent two years in the U.S. National Team Development Program. Having gotten married a year out of college, Pearce talked with his wife Melissa about the possibility of playing in Europe. “My wife and I were starting to think about kids and we talked about going to Europe to play, but knowing the long route required to enter medicine, we felt it was time to move on,” he said. “There’s never a great time to hang up your skates – I loved playing and I still love the game – but my decision was made easier by the fact that I was excited about taking the next step in my career. “It was a bittersweet moment, giving up one dream but pursuing the next. It helped ease the transition because I was ending it on my terms.” Pearce’s mix of athletic and academic ambitions can be traced back to growing up in Anchorage, Alaska. As the middle child of David and Brenda Pearce, his love of hockey was accompanied by an appreciation for hunting, fishing and just being outdoors in the Last Frontier. His family roots trace back to the Klondike Gold Rush,
when his great-great grandfather came to the state prospecting for the shiny metal. “Later, my grandpa came up to Alaska from Washington in the 1930s and 40s,” he said. “He did a little gold mining, but he established an upholstery shop there, so my dad was born and raised there. My mom’s dad was an architect for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and he got a job offer to come to the state after the 1964 Alaska earthquake.” At a young age, Pearce played street hockey with his older brother and neighborhood friends. “I was always the youngest, so they would let me play as long as I was the goalie,” he said. “I was always stuck in the net because none of the older kids wanted to play there.” His parents stressed the importance of education. “In my family, school was always first,” said Pearce, who also has a younger sister. “We always had to make sure that our homework was done before we could go outside and play. “I never envisioned myself as a doctor, but I was always fascinated by the sciences and biology. One of my favorite things when we were fishing or hunting was cutting up the fish or pulling the organs out of the caribou or
moose. To me, it was fascinating to see their internal workings.” Pearce took a human anatomy course during his senior year of high school in Lincoln, Neb., while he was playing in the USHL. It opened his eyes to the possibility of a career in medicine. “I’m not sure that it was an ‘aha’ moment, but I found that I really enjoyed the course and started thinking about someday pursuing a career as a physician.” At Notre Dame, he double-majored in anthropology and pre-med. He chose to play in South Bend for the Fighting Irish because he felt the school offered him a great opportunity to excel both in the classroom and on the ice. “When I visited the school, I saw that the guys on the team were all great hockey players, but they all had aspirations outside of hockey,” Pearce said. “At some other schools, it seemed like guys were only there to play hockey and that was it.” Notre Dame also offered him an opportunity to become a difference-maker in what was an up-and-coming program guided by head coach Jeff Jackson, who came to the school at the same time as Pearce.
Photo: Dan Hickling
Pearce was a member of the Griffins’ 2013 Calder Cup championship team.
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 45
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“They really sold me on the idea of coming to Notre Dame to help establish a tradition of excellence for the program,” he said. “Other schools recruiting me already had great hockey programs, so this was a chance to change the program’s direction at Notre Dame.” He sat behind All-American goalie David Brown his first two seasons but became the starter his junior year when the Irish reached the 2008 Frozen Four, finishing as NCAA runnerup to national champion Boston College. He went 30-6-3 with a 1.68 goals against average and a .931 save percentage during his senior season, when the Irish were ranked No. 1 most of the year. “Every year we got better and better,” he said. “Everyone was so dedicated to the idea of this team. Whether it was our first-liners scoring goals or our fourth-liners blocking shots and killing penalties, everyone was a valuable member of the team. “The same is true in medicine. The surgeon might get a lot of the limelight but it takes everyone involved – nurses, assistants, residents and other attendants. You’re only as good as the whole.”
A two-time Academic All-American, Pearce was recognized as Notre Dame Hockey’s Most Valuable Player, Notre Dame Student-Athlete of the Year and CCHA Goaltender of the Year in addition to making the Dean’s List. When he wasn’t studying or playing hockey, he volunteered at the local emergency room and shadowed physicians. “The more I was exposed to the field of medicine, the more I was attracted to it,” Pearce said. “Getting the opportunity to be in a reallife environment allowed me to see whether it was something I would enjoy apart from the textbooks.” He applied to medical school and was accepted but put his plans on hold when he received the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play professional hockey. “It was a tough decision, but it was my chance to pursue my childhood dream,” he said. “Medical school would still be there when the time was right.” In 2009, he signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings. He alternated playing between the pipes for the Griffins and Walleye for the next four seasons. His best season was 201011 when he went 20-15-5 for the Griffins Pearce will be receiving training in hospitals, clinics and office settings during his five-year residency.
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 47
with a 2.89 goals against average and a .908 save percentage. Looking back on his hockey career, Pearce says he has no regrets. “My goal was always to play college hockey, so signing a pro contract, playing in Grand Rapids and getting time up in Detroit were all icing on the cake,” he said. “It’s very exciting to walk into an NHL locker room and see your name on a jersey. It was a dream beyond what I ever imagined for myself.” He admits that he was beginning to tire of shuttling from one league to the next. “As a goalie in the system, with all the ups and downs, there are times when you’re afraid to buy green bananas because you’re never sure if you’re going to be around long enough to eat them,” he said. “Hockey is an exciting profession and there are things I miss, but it was a good time to transition out of the sport.” Pearce moved back to Grand Rapids this summer with his family, which now includes son James, 5, and daughter Ryann, 2. “Having played here, we already knew the city, so it was one of our top choices,” he said. “Adjusting to life as a resident has been busy.” Dr. Roberts said life can be extremely hectic for a first-year intern like Pearce. Besides orthopaedic rotations in the program’s four hospitals, a resident’s schedule includes monthly anatomy dissections, journal club reviews of current literature, faculty lectures and surgical skills labs. “I could put Jordan in a room for five years with all the textbooks and he would eventually know everything about orthopaedic surgery because he’s a smart guy,” Dr. Roberts said. “But surgical training comes from assisting in the operating room, so he will perform thousands of surgeries under direct supervision before his five years are out so he can be confident that he is ready to practice.” The high-pressured world of professional hockey helped prepare Pearce for the demands of the medical field. “Like hockey, medicine requires that you always perform at the highest level,” he said. “You have to develop your individual skills while also working together as a team. It’s a very high-stakes field. There’s zero room for error in surgery, so it’s all about preparation and making plans to minimize the risks. In hockey, you can lose a game, but in medicine, you cannot lose a life.” 48 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Pearce said having a family helps keep everything in perspective as he puts in long hours. Residents can work up to 80 hours a week. Not only do the kids offer a much-needed respite from the stress of his training, but they have helped increase his level of empathy. “Now when I see moms and dads in the ED (emergency department) with their kids after a fall from a trampoline, I have a sense of how they’re feeling,” he said. “It might be the third fracture I’ve seen that night, but to those parents, it’s the biggest event of the year. Becoming a parent has allowed me to see things from their perspective and understand the emotions they’re experiencing.” Although the decision is years away, Pearce thinks he may eventually return to Alaska to practice. He returns to his home state about twice a year to visit his parents, which also affords him the chance to use his pilot’s license to fish or hunt in the wilderness. “I would like to raise my kids in the lifestyle available in Alaska,” he said. “I want to teach them how to hunt and fish like I did as a boy.” Maybe they’ll become doctors themselves. Or hockey players. Pearce split his pro career between the Griffins in the AHL and Toledo in the ECHL.
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GRIFFICS As the No. 6 overall selection by Detroit in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Filip Zadina is the highest Red Wings pick and the fourth-highest draftee overall to ever play for the Griffins. One of only 19 players to make his Grand Rapids debut in the season after he was drafted, Zadina
joins Tomas Tatar (2009-10) as the only Red Wings picks to start and play the majority of the season with the Griffins immediately following their selections. Let’s take a stroll through some other facts and figures regarding the Griffins and the NHL draft.
FIRST-ROUND GRIFFINS DRAFT PICKS (current Griffins in bold) Dylan Player Overall Year Team McIlrath Jason Spezza 2 2001 Ottawa Darrin Shannon 4 1988 Pittsburgh Stephen Weiss 4 2001 Florida Filip Zadina 6 2018 Detroit Robert Petrovicky 9 1992 Hartford Brad Ference 10 1997 Vancouver Dylan McIlrath 10 2010 NY Rangers Daniel Cleary 13 1997 Chicago Derek King 13 1985 NY Islanders Claude Boivin 14 1988 Philadelphia Brad May 14 1990 Buffalo Mathieu Chouinard 15 1998 Ottawa Matt Mark Greig 15 1990 Hartford Puempel Dylan Larkin 15 2014 Detroit Scott Allison 17 1990 Edmonton Carlo Colaiacovo 17 2001 Toronto Jody Hull 18 1987 Hartford Jakub Kindl 19 2005 Detroit Krys Kolanos 19 2000 Phoenix Francois Leroux 19 1988 Edmonton Mark Mitera 19 2006 Anaheim Evgeny Svechnikov 19 2015 Detroit Landon Wilson 19 1993 Toronto Dennis Cholowski 20 2016 Detroit Kerry Huffman 20 1986 Philadelphia Filip Anthony Mantha 20 2013 Detroit Zadina Darren Rumble 20 1987 Philadelphia Riley Sheahan 21 2010 Detroit Matt Puempel 24 2011 Ottawa Kevyn Adams 25 1993 Boston Kevin Grimes 26 1997 Colorado Brendan Smith 27 2007 Detroit Jonas Johansson 28 2002 Colorado Patrick Eaves 29 2003 Ottawa Niklas Kronwall 29 2000 Detroit Tom McCollum 30 2008 Detroit 50 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
FEELING THE DRAFT TOTAL GRIFFINS DRAFT PICKS BY FRANCHISE 82 Picks
Detroit
12 Picks
24 Picks
Ottawa
11 Picks
13 Picks
Philadelphia
10 Picks
DID YOU KNOW?
In each of the 11 drafts from 2006 to 2016, the Red Wings selected at least one player who eventually won a Calder Cup with the Griffins. Six of the Red Wings’ seven draft picks from 2009 won a Calder Cup with Grand Rapids in 2013: Landon Ferraro (No. 32), Tomas Tatar (60), Andrej Nestrasil (75), Gleason Fournier (90), Mitch Callahan (180) and Adam Almquist (210). The other pick, Nick Jensen (150), was a black ace on that team. During the Griffins’ three seasons as an independent club (1996-99), two players were drafted after playing for Grand Rapids: Maxim Spiridonov (No. 241 by Edmonton in 1998) and Mikko Kuparinen (No. 244 by Tampa Bay in 1999).
Carolina (inc. Hartford 1979-97)
9 Picks
Arizona (inc. Phoenix and Colorado (inc. Quebec Winnipeg 1979-96) 1979-95) and Edmonton
7 Picks
6 Picks
Of the 503 players to ever see action in a Griffins uniform as of Dec. 20, 272 (54.1%) were drafted. Only two current NHL franchises have never drafted a player who went on to play for the Griffins: Minnesota and Vegas.
Buffalo, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Vancouver
5 Picks
Montreal
1 Pick
Columbus
Chicago, NY Rangers and Pittsburgh
4 Picks
New Jersey and Washington
3 Picks
Anaheim, Calgary, Dallas (inc. Boston, Florida, Nashville, Minn. 1967-93), San Jose, NY Islanders and Winnipeg Tampa Bay and Toronto (inc. Atlanta 1999-2011)
That’s a total of 276 draft picks! (Four players drafted twice)
Four Griffins were drafted twice: Jim Baxter (Boston 1997, Carolina 1999), Mathieu Chouinard (Ottawa 1998 and 2000), Kent McDonell (Carolina 1997, Detroit 1999) and Nathan Paetsch (Washington 2001, Buffalo 2003). Two former Griffins head coaches were first-round selections: Bruce Cassidy (No. 18 by Chicago in 1983) and Mike Stothers (No. 21 by Philadelphia in 1980). Brian Lashoff (421 as of Dec. 20, 2nd) and Francis Pare (363, 5th) are the only undrafted players to place on the Griffins’ Top 10 list for games played, while Pare is the only undrafted player who ranks among the team’s Top 10 for goals (102, 2nd), assists (135, 3rd) or points (237, 3rd). Filip Zadina is the fifth player to be a mainstay in Grand Rapids the season after he was drafted, joining Ottawa picks Konstantin Gorovikov (1999-00), Mathieu Chouinard (2000-01) and Toni Dahlman (2001-02), as well as Detroit selection Tomas Tatar (2009-10). Dahlman, as of this writing, is the only member of that group to also make his NHL debut during his rookie season.
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 51
Story by Mark Newman
Three
Letters
His Life that changed
52 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Story by
Mark Newman Like thousands of hockey players, Scott as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rapidly progressive, Matzka saw the AHL as an opportunity, another invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks step closer to his dream of making it to the NHL. the nerves (neurons) responsible for controlling A native of Port Huron, Matzka excelled at the voluntary muscles, including the ability to speak University of Michigan, where he assisted on the and breathe. The life expectancy of ALS patients game-winning overtime goal by Josh Langfeld is three to five years from the onset of symptoms. in the 1998 NCAA title game, the last national During a TEDx talk that he delivered at championship claimed by the Wolverines. the University of Michigan in 2017, Matzka Matzka started his pro career in the ECHL remembered the fateful day that he went with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in 2001to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo and 02 and, like Langfeld, received the news. would eventually play “It was August 20, for the Griffins that 2014,” he recalled. “The season, recording one neurologist brought goal in four games with us back into his office, Grand Rapids. shut the door, and asked He returned to the us to sit down. I knew AHL the following something was wrong. season with Cleveland, I don’t remember much registering one goal about what he said over and six assists in 14 the next several minutes, games with the Barons. but I do remember It would prove to be him using three letters his last appearance in that changed my life the AHL as he opted to forever: ALS. head overseas, where “I prayed that he he spent seven seasons wouldn’t use those playing hockey in letters. I had Googled my Germany, Denmark, symptoms more times Sweden, Finland, and than I could count over Great Britain. the previous few months Matzka, who had and I knew what those studied computer letters meant. ALS is 100 Matzka made his AHL debut with the science at Michigan, percent fatal. There is no Griffins during the 2001-02 season. left professional treatment and ALS has no hockey in 2012 cure. Wow. What do you after 10 seasons to enter the business world, do with that kind of news?” working for a software developer in Kalamazoo, As a hockey player, Matzka knew he had to where he settled with his wife, Catie, and their fight, to do everything in his power to make the young family. most of the time he had remaining. As a professional athlete, Matzka had spent a “I had a choice,” he said. “I could play the lifetime paying close attention to his body and victim and blame a higher power or feel sorry the signals it sent him, so he became concerned for myself and stop living, (but) honestly, it didn’t during the spring of 2014 when he began to feel like I had much of choice at all. That’s not experience stiffening in his fingers, cramping, how I had lived my life before, so why would and eventually muscle twitches and tremors. I start now?” What followed was a seemingly endless And yet living with ALS was a sobering string of consultations and tests – MRIs of the experience. Suddenly simple tasks like buttoning brain and spine, electromyography (EMG) and a shirt weren’t so simple anymore. neuroconductivity evaluations – that led to the “ALS is paralyzing my body and taking away diagnosis he feared: ALS. my ability to speak and breathe on my own. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known More than that, ALS is stealing my future,” he Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 53
said during his TEDx talk. “I will not walk my daughter Reece down the aisle someday. I will not meet the wife of my son Owen. I will not hold a grandchild. ALS is going to kill me. I’m 38 years old… a sobering thought, I know.” Nevertheless, Matzka refused to let his disease defeat him. “We all have choices,” he said. “It’s not much different than the choices we all make after losing a loved one, a job, or as an athlete suffering a career-ending injury. I felt like I had a choice. I could lie down or I could stand up. “I chose to live life to the fullest: to love, to laugh and to soak up every moment that I had left. More importantly, I have chosen to be a difference maker. I formed My Turn, an organization dedicated to spreading awareness about ALS. It has become my guiding light, my reason to get out of bed every morning, and my legacy – my opportunity to do something bigger than myself.” Many people go through life never knowing their purpose, but Matzka believed that ALS revealed his. He became an advocate, telling his story as a means of helping his family while furthering the cause of ALS research and assisting others affected by the condition. His organization was formed to energize a network of family, friends, colleagues, and associates to rally behind the cause of creating a greater awareness of ALS and its impact on millions of lives. “It would be easy to see the world as a dark and scary place, but what we have seen is almost the exact opposite,” Matzka said. “We have seen unwavering support and compassion from our 54 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
friends and family, of course, as well as from ex-teammates and teams I’ve played for, but also from people I had never met and from places I have never visited. “The support and messages of encouragement hoisted me up and allowed me and my family to face this stressful disease head-on. It has pushed me to be a better person, a better father, a better son, a better husband and a better friend.” As long as Matzka had a voice, he vowed to continue to speak out and share his story. He held charity golf outings in Kalamazoo to raise money for his cause. He refused to go quietly even as his days were numbered. Griffins head coach Ben Simon played against Matzka in college and again in Great Britain. They played for Sheffield (43-10-0-1) and Cardiff (42-9-2-1), respectively, the top two teams in Griffins coach Ben Simon the British Elite Ice and his daughters met Hockey League during with Matzka during his battle with ALS. the 2010-11 season. “Scott was one of those guys who was considered a bit undersized (5-11), but he worked hard for every opportunity that he ever got,” Simon said. “Now as a coach, I can see he was one of those guys you can count on to be a hard, dependable worker. He was a fighter.” With Simon’s wife being from Kalamazoo, it was inevitable that they would meet again in their post-playing days. “We had a lot of mutual friends,” Simon said. “I didn’t know him that well, but something like ALS draws the hockey community closer together. “He did a tremendous job of generating awareness about ALS, not just from the standpoint of financial donations, but also by getting people to talk about it and increase the
overall awareness of ALS in the hopes of finding a cure. “It’s really unfortunate what happened, but he managed to put a happy face on it every day for his wife and his kids, and I think he touched a lot of lives… all for the better.” For his part, Matzka remained steadfast. He faced his daily challenges with unfailing courage. “I have not looked at my diagnosis as the end but rather as the beginning of a new opportunity, a beginning of a movement – My Turn,” he said during his TEDx talk, which can be viewed on YouTube. “We might only be a tiny pebble in a pond, but I can see the ripple. With enough ripples, maybe we can make a wave. With enough waves, we can create a tsunami. “Now it’s your turn to stand up, it’s your turn to look at your life differently, and it’s your turn to become a difference maker. This disease is going to silence me, but it’s not going to silence all of us. Together, we can’t be stopped.” Matzka died on Dec. 16, 2018, at the age of 40. He is survived by his wife Catie, daughter Reese, 9, and son Owen, 6.
Matzka played for the Cleveland Barons during the 2002-03 season.
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 55
SHOOT HIGH, AIM HIGHER
Wade Megan believes in making the most of every opportunity, a philosophy that has served him well this season as he splits time between the Griffins and the Red Wings. 56 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Growing up, Wade Megan had one advantage that few young hockey players enjoyed: his father knew a lot about hockey and had played the game at the professional level, having spent a couple of seasons in the IHL after starring at Bowling Green State University. Ron Megan was a defenseman for the Kalamazoo Wings during the 1982-83 season. He also played for the Peoria Prancers in 198384, tallying 73 points in 137 games over his two seasons in the IHL – numbers that suggest he had the skills to be a good, two-way player. It’s no surprise, then, that he would want the son he helped coach to follow in his footsteps, even if his boy played forward. “Defense was obviously at the front of his mind, so I think I picked up a lot from him, and I picked up his passion and love for the game as well,” he said. “My dad always wanted to get back on the ice, try new things and get better, so I think I absorbed some of that, too.” Encouraged by his parents to have fun playing the sport, Megan played two years of high school hockey in Canton, N.Y., before heading to South Kent Prep School in Connecticut, where he continued his studies while also playing golf and soccer. “Getting to the NHL was always in the back of my mind, but I just loved playing,” he said. “I never really felt any pressure from my parents or coaches. Moving away from my family at that age was a big move for me, but I loved it. I think there were 135 kids in the whole school. It was an all-boys school, which doesn’t sound like fun, but it was absolutely incredible. I’m still good friends with a lot of the guys from prep school.” The schooling served him well as he pondered college. Boston University was always his first choice, but he considered Northeastern, which he liked after visiting the school. “I decided to call them to commit, but when I tried to reach Greg Cronin, who was the coach at the time, he didn’t answer,” Megan said. Subsequently, Megan had a conversation with a family advisor who suggested that he wait to see if BU would tender an offer. When they did, he jumped at the opportunity to play for the Terriers and legendary coach Jack Parker.
“As a kid growing up, if there was a bigtime college hockey game on TV, it always seemed like BU was playing in it, so it was stuck in my head that the school was my first choice,” Megan said. Megan played four seasons at Boston U., becoming captain his senior year in 2012-13, which was Parker’s 40th and final season as head coach of the Terriers and his 47th overall at the school as a player or coach. “To go from watching the games on TV to sitting on the bench and being coached by Jack Parker was a great experience,” Megan said. “I was very glad to have found my way there because I learned a lot from him.” Megan, who had been drafted in the fifth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers, played 13 AHL games for the San Antonio Rampage in the spring of 2013 after graduating from BU with a bachelor’s degree in history. His introduction to pro hockey gave Megan his first taste of what was to come. “There’s no better teacher,” he said. “When you’re getting games under your belt, you’re going to make mistakes in those early stages of your career, so it was good to step into that situation and bank 13 games.” Megan played in the Florida organization from 2013 to 2016, including a couple of stints with the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL – the first in 2013-14 when his head coach was Ben Simon and the assistant coach was Matt Macdonald, both in the same roles now with the Griffins. He recorded 13 goals in 16 games during the regular season, then added 10 more goals in 22 games in the playoffs. Simon said he was impressed by Megan almost from day one. “The way he established trust as a responsible two-way player was almost instantaneous,” Simon said. “He competes hard every night and he’s a good pro and takes care of himself away from the rink, too.” What Simon came to discover is that Megan is extremely versatile. “He’s very capable,” Simon said. “You can use him on the wing or at center. He’s good on the top line or on the bottom, the power play or the penalty kill. He just seems to roll with the punches and adapt to whatever role he’s given. He never asks why. He just says OK and goes about his business.” Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 57
In many ways, his ability to adapt goes back to what his father first taught him and what he learned from Parker and all the other coaches who followed. Everything starts in the defensive zone. “When you focus on your play in the ‘D’ zone, the other stuff comes,” he said. “If it goes the other way and you focus on the offense and your defensive play suffers, then the whole thing can fall apart. “When you’re in that defensive mindset, you might not be creating offensive scoring chances every shift, but coaches at least know they can put you on the ice because you’re going to play well defensively.” In the summer of 2016, Megan joined the St. Louis Blues organization, which gave him his first taste of the NHL. He made his debut on Dec. 22, 2016, scoring a goal on his first shot in the first period of a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. That highlight came in the middle of what would be a career year for Megan, who spent most of the 2016-17 season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. He led the AHL in goals with
33, adding 33 assists for a total of 66 points in 73 games. Megan credits his scoring success to playing on the Wolves’ top line with either Kenny Agostino or Andrew Agozzino. Megan developed especially good chemistry with Agostino, who led the Wolves in points with 83. “I don’t know whether he adapted to my game or if I adapted to his – probably a little bit of both – but it seemed like we always knew what the other was thinking,” he said. “He was always looking for me and I just tried to put myself into good scoring areas, and he would do his thing and find me. “It’s hard to explain that chemistry, but it’s like you pick up your head and you’re always looking for that one guy. He’s your first look every time, like a quarterback looking for his favorite receiver. If he’s open, he hits him and if not, he’ll check down somewhere else.” Megan’s scoring output dropped significantly last season – his goals dropped from 33 to 11 and his total points were cut in half – but he felt those numbers were more Megan has the versatility to play a variety of roles, from penalty killer to point producer.
58 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Megan is a quiet leader who sets an example on the ice with his play.
reflective of the roles he was given under a new coach (Rocky Thompson replaced Craig Berube, who was named associate coach in St. Louis). “To be honest, I thought I was still playing good hockey but my role on the team was different,” he said. “I settled into a role where I was playing second- or third-line minutes and the coach was using me for a lot of ‘D’ zone draws and killing a lot of penalties with limited power play time. It was a different role but I felt like I was playing it well.” Megan took a bit of satisfaction from the fact that the Red Wings organization made him a priority signing last summer in spite of his reduced goal production. “I was happy to sign with Red Wings because they were interested right from the beginning,” he said. “If you’re playing in the NHL, it’s fantastic, and I knew that if I was in the AHL, I would be in Grand Rapids, which is a great city to play in, so that made it a pretty easy decision for me. “I knew I would be in a good situation regardless of the league.” His decision has paid dividends at both
ends. By the midpoint in the season, he had already played in 11 games for the Red Wings after appearing in only four NHL games in his previous five full seasons in the pro ranks. “I’m very grateful for another opportunity,” he said. “When I’m in the NHL, my game is a little different because I’m playing thirdor fourth-line minutes, whereas I’m able to generate a little more offense in the AHL. In the NHL I need to adjust my game a bit and play well defensively while providing offense where I can.” For Megan, killing a penalty can sometimes be almost as good as scoring a goal. “Obviously, the object of the game is to score more goals, but there is a lot of other stuff that goes into a game,” he said. “There are a lot of other little things that you can do to help your team win, especially if you’re doing them well and doing them consistently.” It’s that kind of attention to detail that led Megan to start a hockey school in Canton for the next generation of young hockey players. He runs the NoCo Hockey Skill Development Camp with Kyle Flanagan, a scout in the Ottawa Senators organization, and Mark Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 59
Ehn was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
COLLEGE PREP ENGINEERING PROGRAM
Phalon, an assistant coach at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. “We wanted to give back to our hometown because we all grew up there,” he said. “We wanted to provide an environment where all the kids in that area could come and work on their skills just like I had done early in my career. “I really saw a jump in my play in college from my sophomore to junior years. I went from eight goals my second season to 20 goals during my junior year by working on the same things that I’m now teaching. It hit me that this stuff really works.” Megan believes there’s room for improvement in every player’s game. “It’s all about a commitment to improvement,” he said. “That’s what this game is all about – it’s about getting better. You can always get better. As long as you’re committed to improving and committed to learning, you’ve got a chance. “Learning never stops. If anything, it needs to pick up a little more the older you get, just to keep up with the younger guys. It’s pretty incredible how quickly some of
the young players today can develop and step into professional hockey and become impact players.” Megan started this season rooming with Red Wings top prospect Filip Zadina, who didn’t turn 19 until Nov. 27. “When I was his age, I was barely ready to play in college, let alone professional hockey,” Megan said. “I think about how far my game has come from the time when I was going to college. You need to continue to learn and continue to build your game, especially when you’re 18 years old and you have so many more hockey games still ahead of you.” It’s that pursuit of never-ending improvement that continues to endear Megan to his coaches. “With Wade, it’s not about the numbers, although he can be a point producer, too,” Simon said. “He plays a lot of minutes for us because we can trust to put him on the ice in a lot of different situations because he’s so responsible. “He’s been a good fit for our room. He’s a quiet leader who leads by example on the ice every day. He’s just an all-around solid pro.” Megan has split this season between Grand Rapids and Detroit.
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 61
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GAMES PLAYED Travis Richards Brian Lashoff (2nd) 5 players tied Corey Elkins/Dylan McIlrath GOALS All-Time Michel Picard Active Leader Matthew Ford (T36th) Single-Season Donald MacLean (2005-06) 2017-18 Eric Tangradi ASSISTS All-Time Michel Picard Active Leader Brian Lashoff (T25th) Single-Season Jiri Hudler (2005-06) 2017-18 Ben Street POINTS All-Time Michel Picard Active Leader Brian Lashoff (T47th) Single-Season Michel Picard (1996-97) 2017-18 Ben Street PLUS/MINUS All-Time Travis Richards Filip Hronek (T22nd) Active Leader Single-Season Ivan Ciernik (2000-01) 2017-18 Filip Hronek PENALTY MINUTES All-Time Darryl Bootland Active Leader Brian Lashoff (32nd) Single-Season Darryl Bootland (2005-06) 2017-18 Dylan McIlrath GOALIE GAMES PLAYED All-Time Tom McCollum Active Leader Harri Sateri (22nd) Single-Season Joey MacDonald (2004-05) 2017-18 Jared Coreau GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE All-Time Martin Prusek Active Leader Patrik Rybar Single-Season Martin Prusek (2001-02) 2017-18 Jared Coreau WINS All-Time Active Leader Single-Season 2017-18
FILIP HRONEK
MIKE FOUNTAIN
All-Time Active Leader Single-Season 2017-18 All-Time Active Leader Single-Season 2017-18 All-Time Active Leader Single-Season 2017-18 All-Time Active Leader Single-Season 2017-18
Tom McCollum Harri Sateri (20th) Joey MacDonald (2004-05) Mike Fountain (2000-01) Jared Coreau SHUTOUTS Joey MacDonald N/A 6 players tied Jared Coreau SAVES Tom McCollum Harri Sateri (22nd) Joey MacDonald (2004-05) Tom McCollum SAVE PERCENTAGE Martin Prusek Patrik Rybar Joey MacDonald (2003-04) Jared Coreau
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20 N/A 6 2 6,640 479 1,785 987 0.930 0.909 0.936 0.913
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 63
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2018 AHL All-Star Matt Puempel
ALL STARS 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Jeff Nelson, Michel Picard, Pokey Reddick Ian Gordon, Kerry Huffman, Michel Picard Robert Petrovicky, Maxim Spiridonov John Gruden, Jani Hurme, Kevin Miller, Petr Schastlivy Mike Fountain, Joel Kwiatkowski, Travis Richards, Todd White, Bruce Cassidy (co-coach) Chris Bala, John Gruden, Kip Miller, Martin Prusek, Petr Schastlivy, Bruce Cassidy (head coach), Gene Reilly (asst. coach) Marc Lamothe, Mark Mowers Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Travis Richards (captain), Nathan Robinson Niklas Kronwall, Joey MacDonald Valtteri Filppula, Jiri Hudler, Donald MacLean Derek Meech, Kip Miller (captain) Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard Jakub Kindl, Daniel Larsson Patrick Rissmiller Ilari Filppula, Brendan Smith Gustav Nyquist Chad Billins, Petr Mrazek, Gustav Nyquist Alexey Marchenko, Jeff Blashill (co-coach) Xavier Ouellet, Teemu Pulkkinen Jeff Hoggan (captain), Xavier Ouellet Matt Lorito, Robbie Russo, Todd Nelson (head coach) Matt Lorito, Matt Puempel
2016 AHL All-Stars Jeff Hoggan and Xavier Ouellet Photo by Scott Thomas/AHL
2013 AHL All-Star Chad Billins
Photo by Alan Sullivan/AHL
68 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
2013 AHL All-Star Petr Mrazek
Photo by Alan Sullivan/AHL
2018 AHL All-Star Matt Lorito
2015 AHL All-Star Teemu Pulkkinen
2014 AHL All-Star Alexey Marchenko
Photo by Lindsay A. Mogle/AHL
Photo by Jeff Parsons/AHL
2013 AHL All-Star Gustav Nyquist
2012 AHL All-Star Gustav Nyquist
Photo by Paul Yacovone III/AHL
Photo by PhotoGraphics/AHL
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PENALTY CALLS
BOARDING Called for any action which causes an opponent to be thrown violently into the boards.
HIGH STICKING Making contact with an opponent while carrying the stick above shoulder hight.
MISCONDUCT 10-minute or disqualification penalty for excessive or additional misbehavior on the ice.
CHARGING Taking a run at an opposing player using more than three strides to build up speed.
HOLDING Clutching an opposing player’s body with the hands, arms or legs.
ROUGHING Called for engaging in fisticuffs or shoving.
CROSS CHECKING A check or block delivered by a player with both hands on the stick and no part of the stick on the ice.
HOOKING The use of the stick or blade to impede the progress of an opponent.
SLASHING Striking an opposing player with the stick.
DELAYED PENALTY Referee extends his arm and points to the penalized player until the penalized team regains possession of the puck.
INTERFERENCE When a player impedes the progress of an opponent who is not in possession of the puck.
SPEARING Called for using the stick like a spear.
ELBOWING Called when a player uses an elbow to impede an opponent.
KNEEING Called when a player uses a knee to impede an opponent.
TRIPPING Called for using the stick, arm or leg to cause an opponent to trip or fall.
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT Called for unsportsmanlike actions such as disputing an official’s decision, grabbing the face mask of a player, etc.
WASH-OUT When used by the referee, it means goal disallowed. When used by linesmen, it means there is no icing or no offside.
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 73
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74 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
VAN ANDEL ARENA
GRIFFINS IN THE NHL
Joe Hicketts
Dominic Turgeon
Kyle Criscuolo
IT ALL STARTS HERE
Since their inception in 1996, the Griffins have sent 174 players to the National Hockey League, 16 of whom have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. In fact, a Griffins alumnus has had his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s chalice in six of the last 11 years and in eight of the last 14 seasons. In chronological order, here are the 22 goalies and 152 skaters who have worn an NHL sweater after playing for Grand Rapids, along with the dates of their NHL debuts/returns. 1............Pavol Demitra............................3/17/97 STL at PHX 2............Kevyn Adams...........................10/1/97 TOR vs. WSH 3............Tyler Moss................................10/28/97 CGY vs. PIT 4............Michel Picard..................................1/6/98 STL at SJ 5............Jeff Nelson.............................10/10/98 NSH vs. FLA 6............Patrick Traverse.......................10/10/98 OTT at COL 7............Mark Greig...................................1/7/99 PHI vs. NYI 8............Radim Bicanek............................2/1/99 OTT at VAN 9............Robert Petrovicky........................2/15/99 TB at NYI 10..........Andrei Vasilyev...........................3/5/99 PHX vs. DET 11..........Todd Hlushko...............................4/25/99 PIT vs. NJ 12..........Patrick Lalime............................10/2/99 OTT at PHI 13..........Glen Metropolit......................10/2/99 WSH at FLA 14..........Kevin Miller.............................10/31/99 OTT at ATL 15..........Karel Rachunek.......................10/31/99 OTT at ATL 16..........Erich Goldmann....................11/11/99 OTT vs. NSH 17..........Yves Sarault...............................11/20/99 OTT at NJ 18..........John Gruden...........................11/30/99 OTT vs. CHI 19..........Mike Fountain..............................12/3/99 OTT at NJ 20..........Dave Van Drunen....................12/13/99 OTT at TOR 21..........Petr Schastlivy..............................1/3/00 OTT vs. NJ 22..........John Emmons............................1/6/00 OTT vs. PHX 23..........Slava Butsayev..........................1/28/00 OTT at BUF 24..........Aris Brimanis.............................2/13/00 NYI at NYR 25..........Dieter Kochan............................3/28/00 TB vs. DAL 26..........Jani Hurme....................................4/9/00 OTT vs. TB 27..........Shane Hnidy.............................10/5/00 OTT at BOS 28..........Donald MacLean...................10/14/00 TOR vs. OTT 29..........David Oliver...............................11/4/00 OTT vs. CBJ 30..........Jamie Rivers............................11/12/00 OTT at CAR 31..........Sean Gagnon.........................11/26/00 OTT at NYR 32..........Joel Bouchard........................11/29/00 PHX at COL 33..........Mike Crowley..........................12/8/00 ANA at MIN 34..........Ivan Ciernik.................................1/23/01 OTT at NYI 35..........Darren Rumble..............................2/6/01 STL at COL 36..........Joel Kwiatkowski......................2/19/01 OTT at BUF 37..........Todd White................................2/19/01 OTT at BUF 38..........Chris Neil....................................10/3/01 OTT at TOR 39..........Toni Dahlman..........................1/3/02 OTT vs. WSH 40..........Steve Martins............................1/11/02 OTT at FLA 41..........Kip Miller.......................................1/17/02 NYI at SJ 42..........Jody Hull.........................................2/4/02 OTT at TB 43..........Dmitry Afanasenkov.......................2/6/02 TB at FLA 44..........Simon Lajeunesse..........................3/7/02 OTT at SJ 45..........Martin Prusek...........................3/23/02 OTT vs. ATL 46..........Chris Bala....................................3/27/02 OTT at NYI 47..........Neil Little...................................3/28/02 PHI at CAR 48..........Josh Langfeld..............................3/30/02 OTT vs. TB 49..........Gaetan Royer...............................4/1/02 TB vs. NYR 50.........Jason Spezza...................10/24/02 OTT at BOS 51..........Sean Avery................................10/29/02 DET vs. SJ 52..........Jason Doig.................................12/3/02 WSH at PIT 53..........Jason Williams.........................12/5/02 DET at PHX 54..........Patrick Boileau......................12/19/02 DET vs. DAL 55..........Stacy Roest.............................2/20/03 DET vs. EDM 56..........Wade Brookbank..................10/9/03 NSH vs. ANA 57..........Julien Vauclair........................10/25/03 OTT at MTL 58........ Jiri Hudler............................10/29/03 DET vs. STL 59..........Curtis Joseph..........................10/30/03 DET at NSH 60..........Darryl Bootland......................11/8/03 DET vs. NSH
61..........Mark Mowers........................11/19/03 DET vs. CBJ 62..........Nathan Robinson..................11/28/03 DET vs. NYI 63..........Blake Sloan.................................12/4/03 DAL at LA 64.........Niklas Kronwall...............12/10/03 DET at BUF 65..........Ryan Barnes...........................12/15/03 DET vs. FLA 66........ Chris Kelly............................... 2/5/04 OTT vs. TOR 67..........Marc Lamothe.........................2/23/04 DET at EDM 68..........Anders Myrvold........................2/26/04 DET at CGY 69..........Mathieu Chouinard...................2/29/04 LA at ANA 70..........Brett Lebda..................................10/5/05 DET vs. STL 71..........Mark Eaton..................................10/5/05 NSH vs. SJ 72..........Chris Osgood.............................10/29/05 DET at CHI 73..........Kyle Quincey..........................11/25/05 DET at ANA 74.........Jimmy Howard.................11/28/05 DET at LA 75.........Valtteri Filppula................12/15/05 DET at FLA 76..........Rob Collins..............................12/17/05 NYI vs. COL 77..........Manny Legace............................1/5/06 DET vs. STL 78..........David Gove...............................1/31/06 CAR at MTL 79..........Tomas Kopecky..............................2/28/06 DET at SJ 80..........Alexandre Giroux........................3/25/06 NYR at TB 81..........Joey MacDonald........................10/19/06 DET at SJ 82..........Derek Meech...............................12/7/06 DET vs. STL 83..........Matt Ellis...................................12/18/06 DET at CBJ 84..........Matt Hussey...............................1/26/07 DET at STL 85..........Sheldon Brookbank.......................2/6/07 NSH at PIT 86..........Danny Syvret..........................2/27/07 EDM vs. PHX 87..........Mark Hartigan.........................11/29/07 DET vs. TB 88..........Drew MacIntyre........................12/13/07 VAN at SJ 89..........Peter Vandermeer..................2/10/08 PHX vs. NSH 90.........Jonathan Ericsson.............2/22/08 DET at CGY 91..........Garrett Stafford.........................2/23/08 DET at VAN 92.........Darren Helm.......................3/13/08 DET vs. DAL 93..........Mattias Ritola..........................3/15/08 DET vs. NSH 94..........Clay Wilson................................3/25/08 CBJ at NSH 95..........Darren McCarty..........................3/28/08 DET vs. STL 96..........Krys Kolanos.................................11/4/08 MIN at SJ 97..........Landon Wilson.....................11/22/08 DAL vs. ANA 98..........Bryan Helmer.....................11/28/08 WSH vs. MTL 99..........Chris Chelios ..........................12/13/08 DET at PHX 100........Aaron Downey.........................1/29/09 DET vs. DAL 101......Justin Abdelkader..........1/31/09 DET at WSH 102........Ville Leino................................1/31/09 DET at WSH 103........Aaron Gagnon......................10/16/09 DAL vs. BOS 104........Scott Parse................................10/24/09 LA at PHX 105........Doug Janik...............................11/3/09 DET vs. BOS 106.........Ryan Keller................................11/25/09 OTT at NJ 107........Jakub Kindl.............................12/3/09 DET vs. EDM 108........Kris Newbury........................12/14/09 DET vs. PHX 109.........Darren Haydar...........................2/10/10 COL vs. ATL 110........Andreas Lilja................................3/1/10 DET at COL 111.........Jeremy Williams......................10/24/10 NYR vs. NJ 112........Jan Mursak..............................12/27/10 DET at COL 113........Chris Mueller.........................12/28/10 NSH vs. DAL 114........Tomas Tatar......................12/31/10 DET vs. NYI 115........Cory Emmerton........................1/22/11 DET vs. CHI 116.........Patrick Rissmiller......................2/23/11 ATL at BUF 117 .......Tom McCollum .........................3/30/11 DET vs. STL 118 ......Gustav Nyquist ...............11/1/11 DET vs. MIN 119 ........Fabian Brunnstrom....................11/5/11 DET vs. ANA 120.......Brendan Smith..................11/17/11 DET at SJ
121......Mark Cullen.................11/29/11 FLA at CAR 122........Chris Conner..............................12/2/11 DET at BUF 123........Joakim Andersson.................12/27/11 DET vs. STL 124.......Ty Conklin ..........................3/21/12 DET at NYR 125.......Riley Sheahan......................4/7/12 DET vs. CHI 126........Brian Lashoff..............................1/21/13 DET at CBJ 127........Mike Knuble...............................1/26/13 PHI at FLA 128........Jamie Tardif.................................2/2/13 BOS at TOR 129........Petr Mrazek ...........................2/7/13 DET at STL 130........ Jonas Gustavsson...................2/19/13 DET at NSH 131........Carlo Colaiacovo.........................4/1/13 DET vs. COL 132.......Danny DeKeyser..............10/2/13 DET vs. BUF 133.......Luke Glendening...........10/12/13 DET vs. PHI 134.......Xavier Ouellet....................10/21/13 DET vs. SJ 135........Adam Almquist .....................11/4/13 DET at WPG 136........Chad Billins...............................11/5/13 CGY at MIN 137.......Patrick Eaves....................12/14/13 DET vs. PIT 138........Tomas Jurco..............................12/15/13 DET vs. TB 139........Jordin Tootoo..........................12/19/13 DET vs. CGY 140........Alexey Marchenko......................1/4/14 DET at DAL 141........Teemu Pulkkinen ..................3/14/14 DET vs. EDM 142........Landon Ferraro........................3/18/14 DET vs. TOR 143.......Calle Jarnkrok....................3/21/14 NSH at CGY 144........Mitch Callahan...........................3/25/14 DET at CBJ 145........Ryan Sproul................................4/13/14 DET at STL 146........Andrej Nestrasil.......................10/9/14 DET vs. BOS 147........Stephen Weiss.......................11/24/14 DET vs. OTT 148.....Mattias Janmark............10/8/15 DAL vs. PIT 149.......Dylan Larkin.....................10/9/15 DET vs. TOR 150...... Kevin Porter...........................10/10/15 PIT at ARI 151.......Andreas Athanasiou......11/8/15 DET vs. DAL 152.....Tomas Nosek...............12/26/15 DET at NSH 153........Eric Tangradi...............................1/25/16 DET at NYI 154.......Anthony Mantha..............3/15/16 DET at PHI 155.....Alan Quine.......................4/9/16 NYI vs. PHI 156.......Martin Frk.......................10/18/16 CAR at EDM 157.....Tyler Bertuzzi.................11/8/16 DET at PHI 158........Jared Coreau...............................12/3/16 DET at PIT 159.......Nick Jensen........................12/20/16 DET at TB 160........Drew Miller...............................2/28/17 DET at VAN 161........Robbie Russo..............................3/7/17 DET at TOR 162........Dan Renouf.............................. 3/27/17 DET at CAR 163.....Ben Street.....................3/28/17 DET at CAR 164........Evgeny Svechnikov....................4/3/17 DET vs. OTT 165........Matt Lorito.................................4/8/17 DET vs. MTL 166........Kyle Criscuolo.........................11/17/17 BUF at DET 167........Dominic Turgeon.......................1/14/18 DET at CHI 168.....Joe Hicketts.....................1/22/18 DET at NJ 169.....Dennis Cholowski..........10/4/18 DET vs. CBJ 170.....Libor Sulak.....................10/4/18 DET vs. CBJ 171.....Filip Hronek...................10/4/18 DET vs. CBJ 172.....Wade Megan..................11/1/18 DET vs. NJ 173.....Christoffer Ehn............. 11/6/18 DET vs. VAN 174.....Eddie Pasquale................12/4/18 TB at DET Bold = Has played in the NHL this season (as of Jan. 7, 2019) Italics = Had name engraved on the Stanley Cup after playing for Grand Rapids All photos by Getty Images Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 77
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78 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
Grand Rapids GRIFFINS 79
PARTING SHOT
You are holding issue No.100 of Griffiti. More than 400 players have been featured on the pages of the magazine since the first issue was published in October 1996. 80 Grand Rapids GRIFFINS
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