Griffins Game #26 * Road Game #12 * AHL Game #387

Season Series: 0-0-0-0 Home Series: 0-0-0-0 Road Series: 0-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 1-1-0-0 All-Time Home Series: 1-0-0-0 All-Time Road Series: 0-1-0-0

Griffins at Gulls
First of four meetings overall, first of two at Pechanga Arena...The clubs are meeting for the first time overall since Nov. 20, 2015 at Van Andel Arena (7-4 W) and at San Diego for the first time since Oct. 10, 2015 (2-4 L)…San Diego’s 4-2 win on Oct. 10, 2015 came during its AHL debut…Grand Rapids holds a 25-11-2-0-0 all-time record (0.684) against Anaheim’s AHL affiliates, including 22-10-2-0-0 against the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, 2-0-0-0 against the Iowa Chops and 1-1-0-0 against San Diego…Eric Tangradi was selected in the second round, 42nd overall, of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by Anaheim but did not suit up for any clubs in the organization…Rookie defenseman Alec McCrea hails from San Diego...The Griffins hold a 7-11-1-3 record (0.409) against current teams in the Pacific Division, including a 2-6-1-2 (0.318) mark on the road...Grand Rapids will play eight games against the Pacific this season...Grand Rapids visits San Diego again next Tuesday and the Gulls make their trip to Van Andel Arena Jan. 24-25.

Last Time Out (Friday): IceHogs 2 at Griffins 1 SO - Recap
Grand Rapids is 2-2-0-1 in the season series…Eric Tangradi scored in his return to Grand Rapids after signing a one-year contract 90 minutes before the opening faceoff…Tangradi’s tally was the eighth unassisted of his Griffins career, tying him with Jeff Hoggan and Landon Ferraro for third place in franchise history…Grand Rapids played its third game past regulation this season and second in a shootout…Matt Puempel returned to the lineup after missing the previous seven games due to injury…The Griffins finished 0-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

Status Update
The Griffins head off to San Diego and Bakersfield this week to begin a season-high six-game road swing. Grand Rapids picked up a point in a shootout defeat against Rockford last Friday to end a six-game losing streak in regulation.

Road Trippin’

The Griffins’ 14-day, six-game road trip is the team’s longest this season in both categories. The trip that covers 4,243 miles begins tonight at San Diego, traverses to Bakersfield this weekend, heads back to San Diego next Tuesday and concludes Dec. 20-21 at Iowa. Grand Rapids has posted a 0.500 record or better during each of its last six road trips lasting six games or longer: 5-1-0-0 in 2018-19 (March 16-26), 3-2-0-2 in 2016-17 (Feb. 28-March 12), 4-2-0-1 in 2013-14 (March 13-28), 4-2-0-1 in 2012-13 (March 23-April 6), 3-3-0-0 in 2010-11 (Jan. 6-18), 4-1-0-1 in 2009-10 (March 12-25).

Rotating Roster
The Griffins have used 27 skaters already this season (not including three goalies), which is the team’s most through Dec. 10 in the last 15 seasons. Since the AHL’s regular season began on Oct. 4, the Red Wings have recalled or assigned a player from or to Grand Rapids a total of 41 times.

We’re Going Going, Back Back, to Cali Cali
Tonight marks game No. 17 all time for Grand Rapids in the Golden State, including playoffs. The Griffins are 4-9-1-2 (0.344), which includes 1-1 in the postseason.

Time to Tango
Eric Tangardi was signed by Grand Rapids to a one-year contract 90 minutes prior to the opening faceoff against Rockford last Friday. In his first Griffins appearance since Game 4 of the Central Division Semifinals against Manitoba on April 26, 2018, Tangradi tallied the team’s only goal in their shootout loss. A 2017 Calder Cup champion with the Griffins, Tangradi ranks among the team’s all-time leaders with 165 points (9th), 77 goals (6th), 21 power play goals (10th), 14 game-winning goals (4th), three overtime goals (T3rd) and eight unassisted goals (T3rd) in 201 games since 2015-16. His next goal will tie him with Jamie Tardif for fifth all time. Tangradi set a franchise record for most assists in a single postseason with 17 during the team’s Calder Cup run in 2017. His 22 playoff assists are third in the team’s record book while his 28 points tie for eighth in 30 appearances. Tangradi posted nine points (5-4—9) in 22 games for Astana Barys of the Kontinental Hockey League this season and spent the 2018-19 campaign in the New Jersey organization.

Back Up, Terr
Chris Terry ties for fourth in the AHL in points (27) while pacing the Griffins in goals (11), assists (16), multi-point games (9) and power play goals (7). In his 11th-year pro, Terry led the Griffins with 61 points last season and the most recent player to lead GR in scoring in back-to-back seasons was Andy Miele in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Blueline Scoring
Moritz Seider (1-11—12) and Joe Hicketts (0-12—12) tie for the team lead among defensemen in points. Hicketts’ 12 assists tie for 14th among all AHL blueliners while Seider ties for fourth among rookie defensemen in points. Born April 6, 2001, Seider ties Ontario’s Tobias Bjornfot for the second-youngest player in the AHL this season. Only Bridgeport’s Simon Holmstrom (May 24, 2001) is younger.

Griffins in General
Grand Rapids is in the franchise’s 24th overall season of play, 19th as a member of the American Hockey League and 18th as the primary affiliate of the 11-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings…Grand Rapids is 974-669-27-59-114 (0.583) in the regular season since 1996-97 to go along with 17 playoff appearances, seven division titles and two Calder Cups (2017, 2013)…The Griffins have earned 40 or more wins and accumulated 90 or more points in six of the last seven seasons…Grand Rapids has qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in a franchise-record seven consecutive seasons and advanced to at least the second round on five occasions…The Griffins’ 8-5 season-opening win at Chicago on Oct. 5 marked the club’s 750th win in the AHL…Grand Rapids’ 314 regular season wins since the 2012-13 campaign tie Providence for third behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s 317 and Toronto’s 334 while the Griffins’ 682 points in that span are fourth, trailing Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (687), Providence (695) and Toronto (724)…Since the affiliation began in 2002-03, 91 Griffins have gone on to play for the Red Wings.

This Date in Griffins History
2000: Head coach Bruce Cassidy is named a co-coach for the IHL squad at the 2001 IHL All-Star Game, to be held January 15 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.

Photo by Sam Iannamico/Griffins