Griffins Game #9 * Road Game #5 * AHL Game #129

Season Series: 1-0-0-0 Home Series: 1-0-0-0 Road Series: 0-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 53-3-9-11 All-Time Home Series: 34-11-5-5 All-Time Road Series: 19-25-4-6

Griffins vs. IceHogs
Second of eight meetings overall, first of four at BMO Harris Bank Center…Dating back to the final meeting of the 2019-20 season, Grand Rapids now has points in nine of the last 10 meetings (6-1-2-1) against the IceHogs after defeating Rockford 6-1 in the season opener on Oct. 15...The Griffins are 17-10-6-6 in the last five seasons against Rockford...Prior to their 9-4 win at Rockford on March 3 last season, the Griffins’ last nine-goal outing was a 9-1 win at Rockford on Feb. 5, 2016. They came within two goals of matching of their team record, set in an 11-6 victory at – you guessed it – Rockford on Jan. 19, 2013…Rockford is Grand Rapids’ fourth-most frequent opponent as tonight’s game marks the 110th meeting between the two franchises (Cleveland 110, Chicago 174, Milwaukee 194)...Griffins head coach Ben Simon served as an assistant in Rockford for two seasons (2011-13)…Rockford head coach Derek King played in Grand Rapids from 1999-01 and 2002-04. He is the franchise’s all-time leading playoff scorer (16-25—41) and ranks fifth in regular season points (73-130—203).

Last Time Out
The Griffins won their first road game of the year when Jonatan Berggren tallied the overtime winner to propel Grand Rapids over Iowa on Friday. It was a back-and-forth affair that featured 11 total goals. Taro Hirose (1-2—3) and Chase Pearson (0-3—3) each totaled three points while Riley Barber (1-1—2), Turner Elson (1-1—2) and Hayden Verbeek (1-1—2) all recorded multi-point outings. Goaltender Calvin Pickard earned his second consecutive victory and Max Humitz made his season debut for Grand Rapids, registering an assist.

New Arrivals
The Griffins on Wednesday signed left wing Max Humitz and defenseman D.J. King to professional tryouts. Humitz is a second-year professional who spent eight games with Grand Rapids a season ago, totaling five points (3-2—5) and two penalty minutes. The Livonia, Mich., native began this season in the ECHL with Kalamazoo and has registered two goals in three outings. King is a first-year pro and has spent the previous three seasons in the OHL with Hamilton and Saginaw. The defenseman bagged 24 points (7-17—24) and 140 penalty minutes in 104 appearances at the junior level. King made his professional debut on Oct. 23 with Fort Wayne in the ECHL.

Like Father, Like Son
D.J. King is the son of former Griffins player Derek King (1999-01; 02-04) and when D.J. makes his AHL debut, they will join Chris (2008-09) and Jake (2018-19) Chelios as the second father-son duo to have played for Grand Rapids. Derek King is currently the Rockford IceHogs head coach and played in Grand Rapids from 1999-01 and 2002-04. He is the Griffins’ all-time leading playoff scorer (16-25—41) and ranks fifth in regular season points (73-130—203). Family ties have been a common theme throughout the franchise history, as four sets of brothers have suited up for the Griffins: Sheldon (2001-03) and Wade (2001-02) Brookbank; Valtteri (2005-07) and Ilari (2010-11) Filppula; Kevin (1999-00; 03-04), Kelly (1999-00) and Kip (2000-02; 04-05; 06-07) Miller, along with cousin Drew (2016-17); Todd (1996-98; 99-00; 01-02) and Jeff (1996-97; 03-04; 05-06) Nelson.

Mo Appreciation
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for October after recording eight assists in nine games. The 187th Grand Rapids alumnus to play in the NHL, he became the fourth former Griffin to earn the honor, joining Detroit’s Dylan Larkin (November 2015) and Jimmy Howard (March 2010) and Ottawa’s Karel Rechunek (January 2001).

This Date in Griffins History
2013: A 6-2 win over Rockford on the sixth of November gives the Griffins their sixth straight victory and improves Tom McCollum’s record to 6-0. McCollum joins teammate Petr Mrazek as the only two netminders in Griffins history to start a season with six straight wins.

Rarified Air
Brian Lashoff’s 521 games played for the Griffins ranks first among active AHL players who have spent their entire AHL career with the same club and seventh in league history among one-team players. Of the players ahead of him on that list, the most recent – and, coincidentally, the record-holder – last played during the 1970-71 season (Bill Needham of the Cleveland Barons, 981 games played). Lashoff overtook Pete Kapusta (Providence Reds 1946-55) for the No. 7 spot on Oct. 27 against Chicago and is now 10 games behind No. 6 Roger DeJordy (Hershey Bears 1962-70). Lashoff is still 134 games away from breaking the Griffins’ all-time games played record, held by Travis Richards with 655 games (1995-2006).

Hometown Hero
Holland, Mich., native Luke Witkowski became the fourth West Michigander to play with the Griffins on Oct. 15, 2021 against Rockford. Witkowski joined East Grand Rapids native Luke Glendening, Kentwood local Mike Knuble and Muskegon legend Justin Abdelkader. Witkowski spent two years with Detroit from 2017-19 but never saw action in the AHL.

Powerful Play
Following a 2019-20 campaign in which they finished sixth in the AHL’s power play rankings at 20.9%, the Griffins exceeded that mark in 2020-21 with a power play conversion rate of 21.5%, the fifth best on the circuit. Grand Rapids’ home power play ranked third-to-last in the AHL, converting 13.1% of its chances. However, the road power play was deadly at 30%, which was the second-highest percentage in the league a year ago. This season has been no different through six games as the power play is converting on 24.2% of its opportunities, which is tied for eighth in the AHL.

Calvin’s University
Goaltender Calvin Pickard is off to a fast start as he has allowed just one goal in three of his five appearances. The 10-year pro currently ranks 27th in the AHL with a 2.19 goals against average while his 0.933 save percentage is ranked 18th. Six goals allowed through his first four games is Pickard’s best start ever in the AHL, beating out his seven goals against to start the 2012-13 season with Lake Erie. Pickard played in just nine games in North America a season ago due to being assigned to Detroit’s taxi squad for much of the year. The Moncton, New Brunswick, native also spent some time with Vienna in the ICEHL last season, logging six games and a 1.96 goals against average.

Return of Riley
Riley Barber led the Griffins in goals (20), points (34) and points per game (1.06) a season ago. His scoring pace equaled a 48-goal, 81-point clip in a regular 76-game AHL season. Barber also ranked second in the league for goals, just one shy of Cooper Marody (who played seven more games), and was named a Central Division AHL All-Star. Six game-winning goals tied a career best while his four-game goal streak from Feb. 26 through March 11 also matched a career high. The forward added seven multi-point outings out of 32, including a career-high four points (2-2—4) on May 7 against Chicago. Barber posted a nine-game point streak (8-5—13) from Feb. 5-March 11 that was the longest ever to start a player's Griffins career as well as the longest from the start of a Griffins season. Although it was a slow start to the year, Barber now has six points (3-3—6) in his last three games, which gives him eight tallies (4-4—8) on the year.

High-Flying Hirose
After leading the Griffins in assists a year ago with 23, Taro Hirose is off to a great start as he has bagged nine helpers in eight games, which is a team high and tied for third in the league. Seven assists have come on the power play, which is tied for first in the AHL.

Not Your Average Joe
Center Joe Veleno was recalled to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, Oct. 30 and skated for the Wings later that day against Toronto. Veleno made the most of his season debut in the NHL as he totaled two points (1-1—2) and a plus-two rating, while being awarded the third star of the game. The former first-round draft choice has now appeared in eight games with Detroit, totaling three points (2-1—3) and six penalty minutes.

Hello From The Other Side
The Griffins will faced off against some familiar faces on Friday against Iowa as the Wild’s roster featured four former Griffins. 2017 Calder Cup champions with the Griffins, Joe Hicketts (2016-21) and Dominic Turgeon (2016-21) signed deals with the Minnesota Wild during the offseason. Both made their mark in Griffins history as Hicketts ranks 10th all time with 102 assists while Turgeon is 10th all time with 306 games played. Ryan Kuffner (2019-20) joins the pair on the ice while Nate DiCasmirro (2005-06) is behind the bench for Iowa as an assistant coach.

Blank You Very Much
The Griffins have been shut out in two of their first six games (1-0 at Manitoba on Oct. 22 and 3-0 by Chicago on Wednesday). After falling 7-0 to the Wolves in last season’s final meeting on May 12 at Van Andel Arena, it marked only the second time that an opponent has posted shutouts in consecutive visits to Grand Rapids – Rochester and Tom Askey turned the trick March 1-30, 2002 – and just the seventh time that a team has blanked the Griffins in consecutive meetings overall. Askey’s Amerks stifled Grand Rapids in a record three straight clashes late in that 2001-02 campaign, when the Griffins claimed the AHL’s West Division title with a 42-27-11-0 slate.

Consecutive Shutout Losses to One Opponent
3 – Rochester – March 1, 2002 vs. RCH (1-0, Tom Askey 21 saves); March 27, 2002 at RCH (3-0, Askey 26 saves); March 30, 2002 vs. RCH (3-0, Askey 36 saves)
2 – Chicago – May 12, 2021 vs. CHI (7-0, Beck Warm 35 saves); Oct. 27, 2021 vs. CHI (3-0, Eetu Makiniemi 25 saves)
2 – Milwaukee – Nov. 23, 2019 at MIL (5-0, Troy Grosenick 20 saves); Dec. 27, 2019 vs. MIL (3-0, Grosenick 21 saves)
2 – San Antonio – Oct. 17, 2015 vs. SA (4-0, Calvin Pickard 35 saves); March 20, 2016 at SA (2-0, Spencer Martin 31 saves)
2 – Abbotsford – April 2, 2011 at ABB (1-0, Leland Irving 22 saves); April 8, 2011 vs. ABB (6-0, Irving 27 saves)
2 – Houston – Feb. 13, 2010 at HOU (1-0 OTL, Barry Brust 22 saves); Nov. 19, 2010 vs. HOU (5-0, Anton Khudobin 28 saves)
2 – Michigan – Feb. 18, 2000 at MICH (1-0, Mike O’Neill 34 saves); Feb. 25, 2000 vs. MICH (2-0, Marty Turco 34 saves)

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Taro Hirose—Tied for third with nine assists, seven power-play assists are tied for first
Ryan Murphy—Six points (2-4—6) are tied for eighth among defensemen
Joe Veleno—Two power play goals are tied for ninth

Upcoming Milestones
Brian Lashoff—Three assists from 100 as a pro
Luke Witkowski—Three points from 50 in the AHL, one game from 400 as a pro, one assist from 50 as a pro
Tyler Spezia—Three assists from 50 as a pro
Jonatan Berggren—Two assists from 50 as a pro
Jon Martin—Two assists from 50 as a pro

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins