Griffins Game #2 * Road Game #2 * AHL Game #24

Season Series: 0-1-0-0 Home Series: 0-0-0-0 Road Series: 0-1-0-0
All-Time Series: 87-65-2-6-3 All-Time Home Series: 42-29-2-4-2 All-Time Road Series: 45-36-0-2-1

Griffins at Wolves

Second of 10 meetings overall, second of five at the Triphahn Center Ice Arena…Three of the first four meetings are taking place in Hoffman Estates, with the Wolves also paying a visit to Van Andel Arena on Feb. 26...The Griffins’ four-game road stretch to kick off the 2020-21 campaign is their second-longest ever to start a season (five straight in 2009-10)…Prior to last Friday, the home team had won only one of the previous seven matchups between the Griffins and Wolves, dating to the final meeting of the 2018-19 season. Last year, the Griffins went 0-2 against the Wolves at Van Andel Arena and 3-1 at Allstate Arena to earn a series split...Grand Rapids has faced Chicago 163 times in the regular season dating back to their IHL days, the second-most of any Griffins opponent (Milwaukee, 192)…As part of his 11-year pro career, Griffins coach Ben Simon registered 87 points (37-50—87) in 196 games with the Wolves from 2001-03 and 2004-05 and was a part of their first Calder Cup title in 2002.

Last Week’s Notes

Friday at Chicago (1-3 L) – Kyle Criscuolo provided an early spark in his first game with the Griffins since hoisting the Calder Cup in 2017, but the Wolves responded with a goal in each period to take a 3-1 win in the 2020-21 season opener for both teams. Criscuolo opened the scoring 7:38 into the game, cashing in assists from newcomer Riley Barber and Michael Rasmussen for a power play tally. Pat Nagle made 11 saves in the first period and 26 for the game, as the Griffins fell in a road opener for just the third time in the last eight years.

It’s Been Such a Long Time

Last Friday in Chicago, the Griffins took to the ice against an opponent for the first time in 331 days, dating to their 4-1 home win over Iowa on March 11, 2020. Their home opener on Saturday, Feb. 20 against Cleveland will mark 346 days since they played a game at Van Andel Arena.

Changing of the Guard

The Griffins last week named Brian Lashoff as the 17th captain in franchise history, while Kyle Criscuolo, Turner Elson, Dylan McIlrath (currently on Detroit’s taxi squad) and Dominic Turgeon were selected as alternate captains. Lashoff, 30, begins his 12th season in a Griffins uniform, having made his debut as 18-year-old on March 29, 2009 at Philadelphia. One of three players to be a part of Grand Rapids’ 2017 and 2013 Calder Cup championship teams, he played his 500th regular season game with the Griffins on March 11, 2020 against Iowa, joining Travis Richards (655) as the only players to hit that milestone out of the 526 who suited up for Grand Rapids over its first 24 seasons. Lashoff’s 501 games rank first among active AHL players who have spent their entire AHL career with the same club and rank ninth in league history among one-team players. Of the eight 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). Next for Lashoff to eclipse are the 513 games that Stan Smrke played for the Rochester Americans from 1957-67. Over those 501 games, Lashoff has contributed 106 points (25-81—106) and 263 penalty minutes, to go with 20 points (5-15—20) and 34 PIM in 75 Calder Cup Playoff games, the second-most in Griffins history behind former captain Nathan Paetsch’s 78. Lashoff’s resume also includes 136 games and 15 points scored (2-13—15) over parts of seven seasons (2012-15; 2016-20) with the Detroit Red Wings, along with a gold medal at the 2010 World Junior Championship earned by helping the United States defeat host Canada for just its second tournament championship ever. The Albany, N.Y., native had previously served the Griffins as an alternate captain for six seasons (2012-13; 2015-20), and now he wears the “C” for the first time since his final junior season with Kingston in the Ontario Hockey League.

At the Helm

Ben Simon begins his sixth season with Grand Rapids and his third as head coach. He served the first three seasons as an assistant under Todd Nelson, now an assistant coach with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. The 42-year-old Simon guided the Griffins to a 29-27-3-4 record in 2019-20, putting the team in position for what would have been an eighth straight postseason berth before the final 13 games and playoffs were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His club achieved that franchise-record seventh consecutive playoff appearance during the 2018-19 season by posting a 38-27-7-4 mark (0.572), and he played an integral role in helping the club win its second Calder Cup in 2017. During Simon’s first six seasons as a coach in Grand Rapids, the Griffins have compiled cumulative records of 200-133-14-21 (0.591) in the regular season and 24-14 (0.632) in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Are You Experienced?

Seventeen members of the Griffins’ current 23-man roster saw action in at least one game with the club last season — from Notre Dame product Tory Dello, who made his pro debut in the final game before the shutdown, to Dominic Turgeon, who appeared in each of the team’s 63 contests — while Kyle Criscuolo has returned to Grand Rapids after having helped the Griffins win the Calder Cup as a rookie in 2016-17. Brand new to the team are goaltender Kevin Boyle (AHL San Diego), defenseman Donovan Sebrango (OHL Kitchener), and forwards Riley Barber (AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton), Max Humitz (WCHA Lake Superior State), Patrick Curry (H-East Boston U.). Barber was the only newcomer to make his Griffins debut during the season opener, while Boyle dressed and served as Pat Nagle’s backup.

It Is So, Joe!

Defenseman Joe Hicketts is the Griffins’ top returning scorer from a season ago, when his 27 points (2-25—27) tied for third on the squad with current Red Wing Taro Hirose (5-22—27) and free agent Matthew Ford (10-17—27). Only Chris Terry (21-30—51), now with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL), and Matt Puempel (17-22—39), who has reunited with 2019-20 Griffin Joe Veleno in Sweden with Malmo, tallied more points.

Pick Up Where You Left Off

Pat Nagle finished 2019-20 by going 6-3 with a 2.33 GAA and a 0.925 save percentage in his last 10 appearances, and he allowed two goals or less in five of his last nine starts. The former Ferris State Bulldog appeared in 20 games for Grand Rapids last season after totaling only eight games in the AHL – including three with the Griffins – during his first eight pro seasons. If Nagle had enough minutes to qualify (about 64 shy), his 2.32 overall season GAA would have ranked eighth in the AHL.

Fruitful Februarys

February has historically been very kind to the Griffins, as they’ve posted a winning record for the month 10 years running, going a combined 68-32-5-6 (0.662) from 2011 to 2020. They are 0-1-0-0 so far this February.

Milestones Within Reach

Riley Barber – Four games played for 300 as a pro
Dennis Cholowski – One point for 50 as a pro
Kyle Criscuolo – Three goals from 50 for his AHL/pro career
Turner Elson – Two points for 150 in the AHL
Brian Lashoff – Five assists for 100 as a pro
Dominik Shine – Six points from 50 for his Griffins/AHL/pro career
Evgeny Svechnikov – One point for 100 as a Griffin
Dominic Turgeon – Seven points from 100 for his Griffins/AHL/pro career

Griffins in General

Grand Rapids is in the franchise’s 25th overall season of play, 20th as a member of the American Hockey League and 19th as the primary affiliate of the 11-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings…Grand Rapids is 994-684-27-61-116 (0.582) in the regular season since 1996-97 to go along with 17 playoff appearances, seven division titles and two Calder Cups (2017, 2013)…Grand Rapids has qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs a franchise-record seven consecutive times — and was in position to do so for an eighth straight season when the COVID shutdown hit in last March — and advanced to at least the second round in five of those postseasons.

This Date in Griffins History

2000: Karel Rachunek ties a franchise mark with four assists in a 6-3 rout of defending IHL champion Houston.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Wolves