Meet the Griffins

Elson displays the kind of positional versatility that enables him to play either wing or center on any line.

thousand squats every day.”

Days turned into weeks and no answers were forthcoming. Guillain–Barré syndrome, a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system, seemed a strong possibility but was quickly ruled out. “They did so many tests… some of them scary like Multiple Sclerosis and AIDS. Nothing came back,” he said.

Doctors wondered if Elson’s condition might have been similar to a condition experienced by marathon runners, but they were never able to pinpoint the cause.

“It was a scary time,” he said. “I had never felt that way or heard of anyone in hockey who had experienced something like that, so I was happy that I got out of the whole experience without any lasting effects.”

When Elson came back for the 2018-19 season, he was eager to erase any doubts about his hockey future. He proceeded to post careerbest totals for goals (18), assists (21) and points (39). As usual, he was exceeding everyone’s expectations but his own.

“I knew I had to make an impact if I wanted to stay here,” he said. “Of course, you want to make an impact every year. I was fortunate to play with [Chris] Terry and [Matt] Puempel, which meant I got the opportunity to play with the team’s top unit on the power play – guys who knew how to score.”

His totals during his third season reverted to numbers almost identical to those from his first year in Grand Rapids, but then the quality of his play has never been judged by numbers alone.

“I think my game starts in the defensive zone,” he said. “I’m that defensive forward who has a little bit of offensive upside where I can help put pucks in the net or help my linemates to score. I’m not all about offense.

“I start my play in the d-zone and then work my way up the ice. I think my role over time has developed where I am seen as defense first, offense next.”

Playing good hockey is not all about points. “It’s blocking a shot or getting the puck out of the zone at a crucial time,” said Elson, who views Grand Rapids product Luke Glendening as the type of player he aspires to be. “There are lots of things that factor into a game that the average person might not notice – it’s not all

about scoring goals,” he said. “But scoring goals gets you paid.”

So Elson doesn’t mind when his shot occasionally finds its way into the net. While he has never been considered a pure goal scorer, he knows a strong effort will produce its share of points. Just because he was undrafted doesn’t mean he must go unnoticed.

“Talent will get you noticed, but work ethic will keep your job,” he said. “You can’t just work off talent a lot of the time. That’s why a lot of first-rounders end up out of the league in three years.”

Elson realizes that his ability to adapt and to be able to play in different situations has helped cement his place on the roster.

“I’ve played on a lot of fourth lines in this league, but in recent years, I’ve also played first, second and third,” he said. “I’ve been all over the map on the lineup sheet and I like that. I like new opportunities and new challenges every time I’m on the ice. Whenever I’m on a new line, I think about the ways that I can help the line better for the team – but defensively first.”

Most of all, Elson aspires to be a good teammate.

“Guys come here to make the NHL,” he said. “I know I’m out of the conversation because I’m going to turn 30 next year. I need to help these kids learn how to become NHL players. I need to be a good leader – like [Brian] Lashoff and [Luke] Witkowski, for example – and help the younger guys get to the next level.”

Being a leader is a role that he has wholeheartedly embraced.

“I’m enjoying the role of being a veteran,” he said. “I’m a positive person, so if someone gets sent down or they’re struggling, I want to keep things upbeat. I’ve been in that place where you feel like you’re down in the dumps and you need somebody to pick you up and bring you back to the love of the game. And I love this game and I love all of my teammates. It’s a culture I always want to be a part of.”

Elson hopes the organization’s winning culture yields another championship for Grand Rapids.

“I love this place,” he said. “Everyone, from the coaches to the whole staff, is so good here. I appreciate that I feel like I’m wanted here and I want to do whatever I can to keep playing here. I want to keep putting good seasons together so I can stay around.”

Elson made his NHL debut with Calgary on April 9, 2016 at Minnesota.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

2021 -22

EST. 1996

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS ROSTER

RILEY BARBER

Forward 6-0, 205 lbs. Born: 2/7/94 Pittsburgh, Pa.

27

SETH BARTON

Defenseman 6-2, 200 lbs. Born: 8/18/90 Kelowna, B.C.

48

JONATAN BERGGREN

Forward 5-11, 195 lbs. Born: 7/16/00 Uppsala, Sweden

1

VICTOR BRATTSTROM

Goaltender 6-4, 202 lbs. Born: 3/22/97 Goteborg, Sweden

51

KYLE CRISCUOLO

Forward 5-9, 180 lbs. Born: 5/5/92 Southampton, N.J.

9

PATRICK CURRY

Forward 5-11, 190 lbs. Born: 1/9/96 Schaumburg, Ill.

15

TURNER ELSON

Forward 6-0, 194 lbs. Born: 9/13/92 Edmonton, Alta

36

KADEN FULCHER

Goaltender 6-3, 201 lbs. Born: 9/23/98 Brigden, Ont.

TARO HIROSE

Forward 5-10, 170 lbs. Born: 6/30/96 Calgary, Alta.

18

BRIAN LASHOFF

Defenseman 6-3, 215 lbs. Born: 7/16/90 Albany, N.Y.

71

JON MARTIN

Forward 6-2, 215 lbs. Born: 8/23/95 Winnipeg, Man.

3

JARED McISAAC

Defenseman 6-1, 192 lbs. Born: 3/27/00 Truro, N.S.

31 CALVIN

PICKARD

90 Joe

Veleno

RYAN MURPHY

Defenseman 5-11, 180 lbs. Born: 3/31/93 Markham, Ont.

40

WYATT NEWPOWER

Defenseman 6-3, 207 lbs Born: 12/9/97 Hugo, Minn.

22

CHASE PEARSON

Forward 6-3, 203 lbs. Born: 8/23/97 Alpharetta, Ga.

31

CALVIN PICKARD

Goaltender 6-1, 210 lbs. Born: 4/15/92 Moncton, N.B.

20

DAN RENOUF

Defenseman 6-3, 205 lbs. Born: 6/1/94 Pickering, Ont.

37

DONOVAN SEBRANGO

Defenseman 6-2, 195 lbs. Born: 1/12/02 Kingston, Ont.

65

DOMINIK SHINE

Forward 5-11, 180 lbs. Born: 4/18/93 Detroit, Mich.

32

TYLER SPEZIA

Forward 5-10, 175 lbs. Born: 6/7/93

Clinton Township, Mich.

KIRILL TYUTYAYEV

Forward 5-10, 177 lbs. Born: 8/8/00 Yekaterinburg, Russia

90

JOE VELENO

Forward 6-2, 200 lbs. Born: 1/13/00 Kirkland, Que.

38

HAYDEN VERBEEK

Forward 5-10, 183 lbs. Born: 10/17/97 Kingston, Ont.

28

LUKE WITKOWSKI

Defenseman 6-2, 220 lbs. Born: 4/14/90 Holland, Mich.

DENNIS YAN

Forward 6-2, 192 lbs. Born: 4/14/97 Portland, Ore.

NEW CHAPTER

Jimmy Howard is enjoying life after his retirement from

the Red Wings. Story and photos by Mark Newman

When Jimmy Howard looks back on his professional career, he can’t believe where it took him.

“It was 15 years and it went by in the blink of an eye,” he said recently as he contemplated his time in the Red Wings organization, which started with four seasons in Grand Rapids.

Howard officially announced his retirement on Jan. 28, 2021, closing the books on a successful career that included a 246-196-70 record with a 2.62 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and 24 shutouts in 543 games.

His games-played and win totals rank him third in franchise history behind only Terry Sawchuk and Chris Osgood. A three-time NHL All-Star, Howard also appeared in 48 playoff games for the Red Wings and led them to the second round on three occasions.

“When I went on TV with Ozzie, John Keating, Mickey [Redmond], and Ken Daniels, after retiring, I didn’t even know all that stuff,” said Howard, who was humbled to be mentioned in the same breath as Sawchuk and Osgood. “I told Ozzie, ‘I think it sounds like one of the names doesn’t belong.’”

Howard, 37, spent his entire career with the Red Wings after being selected in the second round (64th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Few players with longevity get the opportunity to play for only one organization in their career, a fact that played a part in his decision to retire a Red Wing rather than seek to extend his career somewhere else.

“One hundred percent,” Howard said. “It gave me some satisfaction that I could retire with the team that drafted me, that stuck by me and gave me the opportunity to play in the NHL. To be able to do that feels amazing because you don’t see that very often.”

Howard was still training after the 201920 season as he contemplated continuing his career. It was reported that the Edmonton Oilers, under former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, had expressed some interest in signing the veteran.

“The decision became easier as the pandemic stretched on,” Howard said. “I started thinking, ‘Was it worth it to put myself in quarantine for the five or six months and be away from my family? Was it worth it to chase the dream of hoisting the Stanley Cup?’ That may never happen.”

Howard said his epiphany came during one of his on-ice workouts.

“Honestly, one day at the beginning of December [2020], I was on the ice, working with my goalie coach, getting hit by pucks, and I thought, ‘This isn’t fun anymore.’ I was always keen on the belief that once it wasn’t fun anymore, it was probably time.”

“It was a Friday afternoon and I called him over and told him that I had to go home and talk to my wife and think about it over the weekend. That was the first time in a very long time that I was absolutely miserable out on the ice.”

His wife, Rachel, was very supportive.

“There was a lot that went into the decision,” he said. “Obviously, COVID meant that I would have to be by myself and not be able to see her or the kids for an extended period of time. But the biggest thing was that it wasn’t fun anymore.”

Howard confessed that watching the NHL the following season helped reinforce his decision.

“My first year of watching wasn’t hard because I felt bad for the players, knowing what they had to go through every single day to be able to go out on the ice – all the hoops they had to jump through, how they weren’t allowed out of their hotel rooms, how they weren’t performing before fans. It had to be lonely for a lot of the guys.”

If anything, Howard experienced the feelings of restlessness more this fall.

Howard played four full AHL seasons (2005-09) at the start of his career.

“The emotions of missing the game came back more so at the beginning of this season when I saw the buildup going to Traverse City, seeing guys sending photos of themselves golfing together and having a little bit of fun. Then came the preseason and the buildup to opening night. That is when the emotions came back and I thought, ‘Gosh, I miss it now.’

“What I miss most is being in the dressing room with the guys, going on the plane for road trips, going to dinners. I miss going out and performing in front of 20,000 people. When it comes to the mental and physical aspects of the game … not so much.”

Although he struggled statistically in his last season, Howard said he felt like he could physically still play.

“It was more mental than physical,” he said. “I had such a mental block. Just when you think you’ve turned something around, something else happens and you have another below-average game and you’re back to square one. The last year of my career was very hard mentally.

“Yes, my last year was frustrating, but everything happens for a reason. As players, we all have expiration dates, so I guess my expiration date was called.”

And so it was over, as he says, in a blink of an eye.

Howard continues to look back fondly at his time with the Griffins and what his development in the AHL meant for his career.

“Grand Rapids means the world to me,” he said. “It’s where my professional career started and the city will always have a special place in my heart.”

When Howard joined the Griffins, he was a 21-year-old prospect from the University of Maine. Highly touted at the time, he skipped his senior season to turn pro.

His rookie pro year was the memorable 2005-06 season when he went 27-6-2, splitting time in net with Joey MacDonald. The Griffins, who won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy with the AHL’s best regular-season record, were paced by Donald MacLean’s 56 goals, Jiri Hudler’s 96 points, and nine other players with goal totals in double figures.

“That was a very special team,” said Howard, who became the first Griffin named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team. “It was a close-knit

group with a lot of special players. Even though Travis Richards was in and out of the lineup a lot that year, he was huge for the young guys playing on the back end like Derek Meech and Kyle Quincey.”

Howard saw action in four games with the Red Wings that season, recording his first NHL win on Nov. 28, 2005, when he shrugged off a penalty-shot goal to stop 22 shots in his NHL debut, leading the visiting Red Wings to a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

The Detroit lineup that night included Chris Chelios, Pavel Datsyuk, Kris Draper, Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman and Henrik Zetterberg.

“I remember looking around that dressing room and being in awe of all the guys who were going on the ice,” he said. “That I was going to be part of their team was just a tremendous feeling. To get the win was just a cherry on the top of the whole experience.”

If his first NHL win felt like validation that he was on the right path, Howard might have been a little anxious the following year when he spent the entire 2006-07 season in Grand Rapids without seeing any action in the NHL.

“Looking back on it, I’m very thankful that Ken Holland, [Wings assistant GM] Jim Nill, and [Wings goaltending coach] Jim Bedard had a plan for me,” Howard said. “As a dumb hockey player in his early 20s, when you see other young guys playing in the NHL, you wonder why you’re not getting that same opportunity. Why am I not being called up?

“That was the thing about Kenny [Holland]. He was very patient with his young players and I benefitted from that. All the time [in the AHL] served a purpose. Every young kid playing in the AHL wants to get to the next step and play in the NHL. I’m very fortunate that they allowed me to stay in GR and work on my game and fine-tune my play, so when they finally called me up, I could make an impact right away.

“When I got my opportunity, I was able to take the reins and run with it. Looking back at my career, I now recognize that.”

Howard posted 37-win seasons in his first two full years in Detroit, starting in 2009-10. He finished in the top five in goals-against average and save percentage during his rookie year, when he was the runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is given to the NHL’s

Howard was runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top rookie.

Howard was a three-time NHL All-Star.

top first-year player.

“Having those successful seasons early in my career helped with my confidence and my maturity,” he said. “It reinforced that I can play in this league and I can have success, too. It doesn’t matter if you are a goalie, defenseman or forward, playing in the NHL is all about confidence.”

His third full season, 2011-12, saw him win 35 games and earn his first NHL All-Star appearance. He also was an all-star in 2015 but was injured and could not play. He was Detroit’s lone representative at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose.`

“Being named the first time was special,” he said. “Our oldest [James IV] was only four months old, but he was sitting there with my wife, my mom, and my dad behind the net. Obviously, he wouldn’t remember, so to be selected again when the boys were old enough to understand what an honor and privilege it was to be recognized by the NHL meant the world not only to me but also to my wife Rachel and family.”

The Howards’ youngest, Louis, was not born yet, but their oldest boys, James and Henry, remember the experience as more than a vacation for the family, which also includes daughter Olivia, now age 3.

“Man, did they have a blast out in San Jose,’ he said. ‘To them, I was just their dad, but they still talk about meeting Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. Just the other day James was talking about how he was playing Xbox with Henrik Lundqvist and his daughter. Those are memories that will last a lifetime for the two older boys. It’s something I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

Like most hockey parents, Howard now gets to live vicariously through his boys. He is the head coach of James’ team and helps out when he can as an assistant coach for Henry’s team. “There’s still a little bit of the urge to be out on the ice, but I get my hockey fill now with my two older boys,” he said.

“Being a youth hockey coach is a lot of fun, to be able to give back everything you’ve been taught by your coaches along the way. It makes you feel really good when the light bulb goes on and they get something that you’ve been trying to coach. It’s very gratifying.”

Both James and Henry play forward, but that is subject to change.

“James, who is 10, has zero interest in being

Howard joined the Red Wings organization after his junior season at the University of Maine.

Howard’s 94 wins rank third in Griffins franchise history.

a goalie, which I’m totally fine with,” Howard said. “Henry, our 7-year-old, is talking about it a lot more. We let him play goalie in a game this year and he said he liked it but he liked playing forward more. But now he’s asking, ‘Dad, when can I play goalie again?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. That’s up to your coach. Your team has a goalie already.’

“So Henry’s a wild card right now.”

Howard said it’s been fun to watch the boys develop their passion for hockey.

“Early in his young hockey career, James liked to retire and then make a comeback. He’s done that a couple of times,” Howard chuckles. “Henry has been on the ice since he was three. He loves the game of hockey.

“I think Louis, our youngest, is going to love hockey the most. Every morning, he wakes up and he has to play mini-sticks in his brothers’ bedrooms or as soon as he wakes up from a nap. Last night I had to put him to bed with a hockey stick in his hand. He’s been traveling around watching the boys since he was a baby, so he already loves the game of hockey.”

Howard is clearly enjoying being a dad and embracing every moment.

“For such a long time, as long as I can remember since I was 13 or 14 years old, I had a regimented schedule,” he said. “I’m still getting used to the idea of having a lot of free time. Now the kids are probably thinking, ‘Dad is around way too much.’

“I love being a dad. I enjoy going out on the road with James and helping with Henry’s team. But I can see how hockey can be very taxing on young families, especially families with multiple children, because you’re going in every direction. Hockey takes a lot of your free time and it takes a lot of sacrifice from the parents.

“My dad laughs. “He says, ‘It’s come full circle, Jim. It’s come full circle. Now you know how I felt.’”

Early in his career, Howard mentioned that he might eventually want to coach college hockey, something that remains on his radar.

“I’m not ruling anything out,” he said. “The biggest thing right now is that I have to finish my degree in order for me to be able to coach college hockey. I have one year of school left,

but COVID hit and everything online through the University of Maine got turned upside down. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get on that again soon.”

While the Howard family returns to Maine every summer, they will likely call Michigan home for a long time.

“We’ll be Michiganders, at least until the kids are off for college or universities,” he said. “The people here welcomed me and my family with open arms and I am very thankful for the fans in Michigan. It feels good when people appreciate what you did.”

Howard was always happy to return the favor when he could. He sponsored the Griffins’ Howard’s Heroes program for his entire career until he retired, buying four season tickets so families with patients at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital could attend games.

“For me to do something like that was very small but could have a big impact,” he said. “Grand Rapids was awesome and living there was a pleasure, so I was happy to give something back.”

Howard retired with the thirdmost goaltending wins in Red Wings history.

LAST STOP BEFORE DETROIT

During the 20 seasons of affiliation between the Griffins and Red Wings, a dozen goaltenders have played for Detroit after appearing in at least one game with Grand Rapids. Whether these masked men played at Van Andel Arena at the beginning of their pro careers, during conditioning stints, or under other scenarios, among them are some of the finest netminders to ever suit up for either franchise.

Between them, these 12 goalies have won four Stanley Cups, four Calder Cups and three Olympic medals (one gold, two silver) over the course of their careers, during which they’ve been selected to eight NHL All-Star Games and five AHL All-Star Classics while accumulating numerous other accolades.

All stats are through games of Dec. 2, 2021. NHL Records are W-L-T-OT. GRG Records are W-L-OT.

Chris Osgood (GRG 2005-06) GP Record GAA SO Detroit Totals 565 317-149-46-29 2.49 39 GRG Totals 3 2-1-0 3.34 0 Jonas Gustavsson (GRG 2012-13;14-15) GP Record GAA SO Detroit Totals 41 21-12-0-6 2.66 2 GRG Totals 3 2-1-0 1.68 0 Tom McCollum (GRG 2009-16;17-18) GP Record GAA SO Detroit Totals 3 1-0-0-0 2.98 0 GRG Totals 263 123-105-14 2.76 8

Curtis Joseph (GRG 2003-04) GP Record GAA SO Detroit Totals 92 50-29-9-0 2.46 7 GRG Totals 1 1-0-0 1.00 0 Jared Coreau (GRG 2013-18) GP Record GAA SO Detroit Totals 21 5-9-0-4 3.74 2 GRG Totals 148 85-48-11 2.44 13

Calvin Pickard (GRG 2019-22) GP Record GAA SO Detroit Totals 9 2-3-0-1 3.97 0 GRG Totals 50 25-17-5 2.78 4 Joey MacDonald (GRG 2002-07;10-12) GP Record GAA SO Detroit Totals 37 14-15-0-5 2.62 1 GRG Totals 210 109-77-11 2.44 20

ROAD TO ‘RENO’

The Red Wings found their way back to Dan Renouf, thanks to his development as a dependable defenseman.

Story and photos by Mark Newman

In March 2016, the Detroit Red Wings signed Dan Renouf to a two-year, entry-level contract. The Pickering, Ontario, native was an undrafted free agent who had just finished his junior season at the University of Maine, where he had been the leading scorer among defensemen.

Five years later, Renouf returned to the Red Wings, a recognition of his rise as a dependable defender who is already a two-time Calder Cup champion at age 27. It also didn’t hurt that “Reno” had proven himself a capable call-up, having spent a good chunk of the 2020-21 campaign in the NHL with a team that many considered to be among the league’s strongest during the regular season.

His first championship ring came courtesy of the Griffins, whom he helped capture the 2017 Calder Cup to cap off his rookie pro season.

“Coming out of college, it was important to see what it takes to win in this league, during the regular season and then through the playoffs,” Renouf said. “It’s a long schedule, a long year, and I benefitted from having that experience right away.”

Renouf played all 19 games of Grand Rapids’ playoff run. His two goals in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals led the Griffins to a 3-2 win over the Syracuse Crunch and brought the team to within one victory of securing the title.

“Getting to play in the Calder Cup Finals and playing for a team with a chance to win it all was a cool experience for us rookies who were thrown to the fire,” he said. “It was especially cool because it was my first year as a pro.”

After Grand Rapids dropped Game 5 in Syracuse, the Griffins rallied for a 4-3 comefrom-behind victory at home to collect their second Calder Cup in five seasons. It was a thrill that Renouf will always remember.

“Winning is the best,” Renouf said. “You make lifelong friendships from winning. I still talk to most of the people on that roster. [Editor’s note: Brian Lashoff and Dominik Shine are the only other players from the 2017 team still with Grand Rapids.] It was awesome to win here. And now I’m back, so clearly I loved it. I think the winning culture is evident.”

Renouf made his NHL debut with Detroit on March 27, 2017, which proved to be his only game in a Red Wings jersey during his first stint with the organization. During his second

Renouf returned to Grand Rapids this fall after playing in two other organizations.

pro season, he appeared in 73 games, all in Grand Rapids.

He opted to leave the organization in hopes of getting another look at his talents.

“I felt they valued my game here, but I could see that the numbers weren’t going to work out in my favor,” he said. “It’s all about time and place. I thought it would be a good experience to go to a new team where I could have new eyes on me.”

Renouf signed a oneyear, two-way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, the team against which he had made his lone NHL appearance.

In retrospect, Renouf deemed it a “great decision.”

“My third year as a pro was probably my biggest,” he said. “There were no hard feelings (with Detroit), but I had the drive that I still needed to prove myself in this league. I think the move was beneficial for my career.”

After attending the Hurricanes’ training camp, he was assigned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, where he would spend the entirety of the 2018-19 season. He doubled his point total from the previous year, totaling two goals and 22 assists during 74 games in a top-four role on the blue line.

“It’s crazy how different my role was in two years,” he said. “I went from being a rookie watching what Brian Lashoff and Nathan Paetsch were doing to being considered one of the veterans in Charlotte because we had such a young team.

“It was a cool experience to go from being a follower to a leader in just two years.”

The Checkers finished with the AHL’s best record (51-17-7-1) and positioned themselves as the favorite to capture the Calder Cup.

“Our team was very different from the GR team,” he said. “In GR, we had four lines that fit perfectly in their roles. In Charlotte, we just out-skilled every team and everything just came together at the perfect time. It was fun to see how you can win in different ways.

“I don’t think I would have helped as much if I hadn’t had my experience in Grand Rapids.” Renouf tore his hamstring in the conference finals against the Toronto Marlies. He was trying to defend a 2-on-1 breakaway when he kicked out his leg and heard his hamstring “pop.” “It was a tough pill to swallow,” he said. “Fortunately, we had great depth on the team. I tried not to skip a beat, so I still tried to provide support where I could. You can’t win in this league without a

“In GR, we had four tight-knit group.” His teammates included lines that fit perfectly in two fellow former Griffins: Tomas Jurco, a deadlinetheir roles. In Charlotte, deal acquisition who was a member of the we just out-skilled every 2013 Calder Cup team, team and everything and Zach Nastasiak, a depth player from the just came together at the 2017 championship club. Both played key roles. perfect time. It was fun Jurco tied for second in playoff scoring while to see how you can win Nastasiak appeared in all 19 in different ways.” playoff games. The Checkers claimed the title by winning three straight games in Chicago to oust the Wolves in five games. Charlotte leaned heavily on goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, who currently shares the Red Wings’ net with Thomas Greiss. “He was our best player from start to finish,” Renouf said. “I’m not surprised at the success that he had last season in Carolina and now in Detroit. He was someone who I would have bet my bottom dollar on becoming an NHL starter.” Of course, winning two Cups in three years will get people’s attention. On July 1, 2019, the Colorado Avalanche signed Renouf to a twoyear, two-way contract. “When you’re in the AHL, you’re trying to build your resume, so getting a second Calder Cup was big,” he said. “I could have stayed, but the Avs looked like they had holes on their left side and I saw a good opportunity in Colorado that I couldn’t pass up.” Spending the 2019-20 season with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles enabled Renouf to refine his game. He credits Eagles head coach Greg Cronin, a longtime NHL assistant coach

Renouf was a rookie on the Griffins’ 2017 Calder Cup championship team.

with the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Greg Cronin helped me a ton,” he said. “When you play so many games you can sometimes lose focus, and he helped with those little details of the game that you can lose sight of. I’m thankful that I had him as my coach.”

Renouf appeared in all but two of the Eagles’ 56 games, recording two goals and 14 assists. His plus-minus was second-best among Colorado defensemen, who were mentored by assistant coach Aaron Schneekloth, who had played for the Griffins from 2002-04.

“It wasn’t my best year, but it was a very important year,” Renouf said. “I stripped down my game to make sure that I improved all those little things. My first year with the Eagles set me up to push for a spot with the Avs the following season.”

Renouf appeared ticketed for another season with the Eagles, but injuries on the Avalanche blue line created the NHL opportunity that he had wanted so badly for so long.

“When you’re in the AHL and you feel like you’re playing well, it can get frustrating at times, wondering if you’re going to get another look,” he said. “I got to play one game with Detroit, but I didn’t see any action in the NHL for a few years, so getting a second opportunity was big for my confidence. It was good to know that I was going to get another chance.”

With the Avalanche, Renouf got the chance to play for head coach Jared Bednar, another former Griffins defenseman. Like Renouf, Bednar was known for his gritty play, as attested by his team-leading 220 penalty minutes for the 1998-99 Griffins.

“Bedsy was great with me,” Renouf said. “He said I had a good camp and he wanted to give me a look, so I shouldn’t look at it as ‘do or die,’ so I didn’t feel like I had too much pressure on myself. I ended up just going in and playing my game.”

Renouf was joining an Avalanche roster that included some of the best and brightest young talents in the NHL, with Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen only age 21, 25 and 23, respectively.

“Those guys have world-class talent, and just to be able to practice with them every day

Renouf won his second Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers in 2019.

Photo Credit: Manitoba Moose