GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. --  Despite the Grand Rapids Griffins’ 3-2 loss to the Iowa Wild on Friday at Van Andel Arena, the team claimed a spot in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs after the Rockford IceHogs fell to the Hershey Bears. This marked the earliest date in franchise history (March 6) and the earliest for an AHL team since 1992-93, when the Binghamton Rangers clinched on Feb. 24 with 24 games remaining.

Grand Rapids’ league-best record moved to 40-8-3-1 with 84 points through 52 contests, and stood at 21-6-2-0 on home ice. Amadeus Lombardi potted two assists to extend his point streak to four, while Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Shai Buium each notched a goal. In his return from the Olympics, Eduards Tralmaks bagged a helper, and Michal Postava tallied 22 saves to sit at 10-4-0. 

The Wild claimed a 1-0 lead when David Spacek centered one from the far side to Hunter Haight, who popped it past Postava from the left hashes 4:43 into the first period. While shorthanded, William Lagesson passed it from the end boards to Gabriel Seger on a breakaway, but his backhander was stopped by Cal Peterson at 10:14. With 3:26 on the clock, Iowa’s Oskar Olausson skated from the far boards with a loose puck into the bottom of the right circle, and slipped it in to grab a two-goal edge.

Tyler Angle passed one from the far boards to Lagesson at the top of the zone, but the defenseman’s one-timer bounced off Peterson’s pads at 2:45 in the second frame. Iowa tallied its third of the night with 14 seconds on the clock when a scramble at the net front allowed Caeden Bankier to knock in a loose puck.

In the final frame, the Griffins cut their deficit to two on the power play 2:17 in when Tralmaks delivered it across the slot to Brandsegg-Nygard in the left circle, and he snapped a wrister past Peterson. Postava headed to the bench with 2:35 to go for an extra attacker, and just 31 seconds later while on the power play, Antti Tuomisto fed the puck from the top of the zone to Buium in the left circle, and he ripped in a one-timer, but ultimately Grand Rapids fell 3-2.

Notes

• The Griffins’ home record moved to 21-6-2-0.
• Grand Rapids went 2-for-5 on the power play and 1-for-1 on its league-leading penalty kill.

Box Score

Iowa 2 1 0 - 3

Grand Rapids 0 0 2 - 2

1st Period-1, Iowa, Haight 11 (Špaček, Aubé-Kubel), 4:43. 2, Iowa, Olausson 10   16:34. Penalties-Tuomisto Gr (slashing), 9:13; Peart Ia (hooking), 19:23.

2nd Period-3, Iowa, Bankier 7 (Olausson, Foudy), 19:46. Penalties-No Penalties

3rd Period-4, Grand Rapids, Brandsegg-Nygård 13 (Tralmaks, Lombardi), 2:17 (PP). 5, Grand Rapids, Buium 2 (Tuomisto, Lombardi), 17:56 (PP). Penalties-Olausson Ia (slashing), 1:37; Lambos Ia (holding), 13:10; Jiříček Ia (high-sticking), 14:11; Katchouk Ia (interference), 17:50.

Shots on Goal-Iowa 10-12-3-25. Grand Rapids 11-8-15-34.

Power Play Opportunities-Iowa 0 / 1; Grand Rapids 2 / 5.

Goalies-Iowa, Petersen 8-14-0 (34 shots-32 saves). Grand Rapids, Postava 10-4-0 (25 shots-22 saves).

A-7,637

Three Stars

1. IA Olausson (goal, assist) 2. IA Peterson (W, 32 saves) 3. GR Brandsegg-Nygard (goal)

Record/Next Game

Grand Rapids: 40-8-3-1 (84 pts.) / Sat., Feb. 28 vs. Iowa 7 p.m. 

Iowa: 17-29-4-1 (39 pts.) / Sat., Feb. 28 at Grand Rapids 6 p.m. CST

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins