Griffins Game #11 * Road Game #5 * AHL Game #163

Season Series: 1-0-0-0 Home Series: 1-0-0-0 Road Series: 0-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 111-94-2-8-6 All-Time Home Series: 55-42-2-6-4 All-Time Road Series: 56-52-0-2-2

Griffins at Wolves
Second of eight meetings overall, second of four at Allstate Arena...In the last five seasons, Grand Rapids has a 20-13-1-3 overall record (.595) against the Wolves, including a 9-8-0-1 mark (.528) at Allstate Arena...Chicago is 5-1-0-0 at home and 0-3-0-1 on the road…The Griffins are 2-1-1-0 on the road and 5-0-0-1 at home…After beginning the season 0-4, the Wolves are 5-0-0-1 in their last six games…Chicago has a minus-seven scoring margin (34-27) compared to the Griffins’ plus-14 margin (37-23)…Chicago’s power play ranks 16th at 18.9% and its penalty kill is tied for 10th at 84.1%...Grand Rapids’ power play is tied for fourth at 25.0% and its penalty kill places first at 93.5%...Chicago’s Pierre-Olivier Joseph leads the team with eight points (2-6—8) in 10 games…Chicago and Grand Rapids have met 221 time during the regular season, the second-most of any Griffins opponent…Wolves head coach Spiros Anastas was a Griffins assistant coach when they lifted the Calder Cup in 2013...Defenseman William Lagesson competed for Chicago during the 2022-23 season and posted a career-high 32 points (10-22—32) in 65 games…Former Griffin Gabriel Seger (2024-26) is featured on Chicago’s roster.

This Date in Griffins History
2002: Patrick Boileau’s goal with 1:51 remaining caps the Griffins’ largest comeback since the 2000-01 season, as Grand Rapids overcomes a 3-0 deficit to stun Chicago 4-3 at Van Andel Arena. Grand Rapids is presented with 11 power plays on the night, breaking the franchise record of 10 set six times previously. 

Sounds Like A Broken Record
With 16 points (7-1-1-1) through their first 10 games, the Griffins are off to their third-best start in the franchise’s 31 seasons. Over the first 10 games of the last three seasons under coach Dan Watson, the Griffins are a combined 22-4-2-2 (.800). The team is also currently on a six-game point streak (5-0-0-1). At home, the Griffins are 5-0-0-1 with a plus-12 margin compared to 2-1-1-0 on the road with a plus-one margin.

Shine On, Captain
Dominik Shine is in his 11th season with the Griffins and his second as captain, becoming just the second player in team history to reach 11 seasons (Brian Lashoff 14). Last Saturday, Shine collected his third-career hat trick, which included his 100th goal as a Griffin, making him the third player to hit that mark (Michel Picard 158; Francis Pare 102). His third goal last Saturday was also his 11th unassisted tally, giving him sole possession of the franchise record. Shine is now three goals away from second all time in team history. Shine has eight points (4-4—8) in his last five outings since Oct. 11. On the all-time regular-season franchise leaderboard, Shine ranks third in games played (533), third in goals (100), sixth in assists (132), fourth in points (232), fifth in penalty minutes (596), tied for fifth in shorthanded goals (6), tied for third in game-winners (15), first in unassisted goals (11), and third in shots (932).

October Recap
The Griffins finished the first month of the season with a 7-1-1-1 mark (.800), which placed them first in the Central Division, first in the Western Conference and first in the AHL. The team went 5-0-0-1 at home and 5-1-0-0 against its division rivals. Grand Rapids also outscored its opponents 37-24. The power play went 13-for-52 (25%) and the penalty kill finished 43-for-46 (93.5%). Jesse Kiiskinen led the team with 10 points (6-4—10) in 10 games, followed by Dominik Shine (4-5—9), Sheldon Dries (5-3—8) and Jacob Bryson (1-7—8). In net, Michal Postava showed a 4-0 record with a 1.25 GAA and a .954 save percentage. Rookie Trey Augustine posted a 2-1-2 ledger with a 2.92 GAA and a .901 save percentage, while Carter Gylander went 1-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and a .923 save percentage. 

Tip of the Cap
The Griffins are on a three-week streak of a player securing a hat trick. The fun began on Oct. 11 with Jesse Kiiskinen’s first pro hat trick, followed by John Leonard on Oct. 18 and Dominik Shine last Saturday. Last season, the Griffins did not receive their third hat trick until Nov. 25 and finished the campaign with five total.

BOO-YA
Third-year defenseman Shai Buium is on a career-high four-game point streak from Oct. 18-24 (1-3—4). The 23-year-old is currently tied for 10h among AHL defensemen in points (1-6—7) and tied for eighth in assists (6). Last season, Buium was limited to just 36 games due to rehabbing an upper-body injury. Throughout his AHL career, the San Diego, California, native has 46 points (6-40—46) and 34 penalty minutes in 114 appearances. Buium was the 36th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Mr. Postman
Netminder Michal Postava is off to a 4-0 start with a 1.25 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage. In the AHL rankings, Postava places second in GAA, first in save percentage and tied for fourth in wins. He was named the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 11, 2026, when he went 2-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .967 save percentage. The fifth-year pro has yet to allow more than three goals in 29 regular-season outings in the AHL. Postava made his NHL debut with the Red Wings in a relief effort on Oct. 22 at Vancouver. He then collected his first NHL win during his first start on Oct. 26 at Edmonton (4-3 SOW, 25 saves). Postava is 21-6-0 in his AHL regular-season career with a 1.65 GAA, a .939 save percentage and four shutouts.

First-Year Fun
Rookie goaltender Trey Augustine is on a three-game point streak since Oct. 17 (2-0-1), collecting his first pro win behind 27 saves on Oct. 17 at Rockford. The 21-year-old is 2-1-2 this season with a 2.92 GAA and a .901 save percentage. Augustine, the 2025-26 Richter Award winner as the NCAA's best goaltender, comes to Grand Rapids after an illustrious career at Michigan State, winning three Big Ten titles. As a Spartan from 2023-26, Augustine went 66-25-7 with nine shutouts, a 2.40 GAA and a .922 save percentage in 99 appearances. In the all-time rankings at Michigan State, Augustine places second in SV%, fifth in GAA, sixth in saves (2.838), sixth in wins and sixth in shutouts. The South Lyon, Michigan, native is also the winningest goaltender in Team USA history at the World Junior Championship, collecting a 12-1-1 record and two gold medals across three tournaments.     

Caution: Bear Attacks
Rookie Carter Bear enjoyed a team-best five-game point streak from Oct. 10-21 (2-3—5) and now has six points (2-4—6) in his last seven appearances. He made his pro debut on Oct. 9 against the Manitoba Moose and scored his first pro goal the following night at the Milwaukee Admirals. Bear was the 13th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. During his four-year junior career in the Western Hockey League with the Everett Silvertips, the 19-year-old totaled 218 points (102-116—218) and a plus-98 rating in 195 regular-season games, adding 26 points (7-19—26) in 32 playoff outings. Last season, Bear led Everett to a WHL title and was named to the WHL Second All-Star Team with 77 points (36-41—77) in 53 regular-season games. Bear also won a bronze medal with Team Canada U20 at the 2026 World Junior Championship.

Very Special
The Griffins’ special-team units are off to a solid start, as the power play is tied for fourth at 25.0% and the penalty kill places first at 93.5%. Grand Rapids has scored a power-play goal in each of its last six games, showing a 27.3% conversion rate (9-for-33). John Leonard is tied for third in the AHL with four power-play tallies. The Griffins killed 28-straight penalties from Oct. 9-21 and have allowed just two power-play goals in their last eight contests (34-for-36, 94.4%). This season, the team has allowed just three power-play goals (43-for-46).

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Trey Augustine—Tied for sixth among rookie goalies in games played (5), tied for sixth among rookie goalies in wins (2), ninth among rookie goalies in GAA (2.92), seventh among rookie goalies in save percentage (.901)
Carter Bear—Tied for 10th among rookies in plus-minus (+4)
Jacob Bryson—Tied for fifth among defensemen in assists (7), tied for fifth among defensemen in points (8)
Shai Buium—Tied for eighth among defensemen in assists (6), tied for 10th among defensemen in points (7)
Justice Christensen—Tied for 14th among defensemen in penalty minutes (20), tied for sixth among rookies in penalty minutes (20)
Jesse Kiiskinen—Tied for 11th in goals (6), first among rookies in goals (6), second among rookies in points (10), tied for 10th among rookies in plus-minus (+4)
William Lagesson—Third among defensemen in goals (4), tied for 10th among defensemen in points (7)
x John Leonard—Tied for third in power-play goals (4), tied for sixth in game-winners (2)
Michal Postava—Tied for fourth in wins (4), second in GAA (1.25), first in save percentage (.954)

Milestones
Last Saturday, Dominik Shine scored a hat trick, which included his 100th goal as a Griffin, and Sheldon Dries skated in his 400th AHL game. 
Ronnie Attard—One point from 100 as a pro
x Sheldon Dries—Three points from 300 in the AHL
Jesse Kiiskinen—Four points from 100 as a pro
Dominik Shine—Three goals from second all time in team history

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins