Griffins Game #22 * Home Game #12 * AHL Game #358

Season Series: 0-0-0-0 Home Series: 0-0-0-0 Road Series: 0-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 117-87-7-9-8 All-Time Home Series: 64-40-2-3-3 All-Time Road Series: 53-47-5-6-5

Admirals at Griffins
First of 12 meetings overall, first of six at Van Andel Arena…Grand Rapids is 15-19-2-0 (.444) against Milwaukee since the 2021-22 campaign with a minus-16 margin (102-86)...Also dating back to the 2021-22 season, the Griffins are 10-7-1-0 (.583) against the Admirals at Van Andel Arena with a plus-three margin (50-47)...Grand Rapids has faced Milwaukee more than any other opponent – 229th meeting tonight – and the Griffins’ 117 victories against the Admirals are the most against any foe…This is the latest meeting between the two teams by games played since Dec. 2, 2008 (23rd game for GR) and the latest calendar date since Dec. 17, 1996 (Griffins first season)...The Admirals are on a two-game losing skid and the Griffins are on an eight-game winning streak...Milwaukee is 5-5-0-0 in its last 10 games and Grand Rapids is 9-1-0-0 in its last 10...The Admirals are 4-4-1-0 on the road compared to 8-2-1-0 at home...The Griffins are 10-1-0-0 at home and 9-0-0-1 on the road...Milwaukee’s power play ranks first at 35.3%, and its penalty kill ranks eighth at 83.3%...Grand Rapids is sixth on the power play at 25.4% and first on the penalty kill at 87.5%...Milwaukee ranks 17th with 3.15 goals allowed per game and sixth in goals scored per game (2.55)...Milwaukee head coach Karl Taylor is in his seventh season as head boss and is the Admirals’ winningest AHL coach. Taylor has a 256-139-33-12 record (.633) with the Admirals that includes three regular-season division titles and four 40-plus win seasons, in addition to never finishing worse than third place in the Central Division...Austin Watson spent nine seasons within Nashville’s organization and logged 132 points (73-59—132) in 234 games with the Admirals...In 2022-23, John Leonard appeared in 67 games with Milwaukee, showing 44 points (17-27—44)...Admirals’ Andrew Gibson was a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2023 (#42nd overall)...Milwaukee’s Jake Lucchini ranks seventh in AHL in assists (16). Kyle Marino ranks ninth in penalty minutes (58). Daniel Carr ranks third in power-play goals (6) and tied for second in game-winners (4). Matthew Murray ranks 10th in GAA (2.37), tied for fourth in wins (9), tied for third in shutouts (2) and fifth in save percentage (.924). 

Last Time Out
Dominik Shine became just the third player in franchise history to skate in 500 games, and recorded a goal in the Sunday outing, as the Griffins took down the Toronto Marlies 4-2 at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. The Griffins continued their franchise-best start and improved to 19-1-0-1, recording 39 points through 21 games, while their 9-0-0-1 edge on the road remained a franchise best. Grand Rapids capped off its season series with the Marlies, sweeping them 4-0. Carson Bantle (1-1—2) recorded his first two-point game in the AHL, while Ondrej Becher extended his point streak to three games with an assist. Dustin Tokarski received the nod for his first start with the Griffins, tallying 25 saves. Nolan Moyle registered his first AHL point with an assist and Ian Mitchell bagged his 100th AHL point. 

This Date in Griffins History
2004: The Griffins got goals from three different scorers, two assists from Niklas Kronwall and 36 saves from Joey MacDonald to defeat the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (8-15-0-2) by a 3-2 score at Cincinnati Gardens.  

Any Way You Want It
The Griffins have outscored their opponents 84-39 this season but have a plus-eight scoring margin in their last five games (15-7). In fact, Grand Rapids has one-goal victories in three of its last five contests, improving its overall record in one-goal games to 8-1-0-1. Forty-two percent of the Griffins’ league-leading 19 wins have come by just a single goal. 

Record-Setting Pace
The Griffins have continued their franchise-record start with a 19-1-0-1 ledger and 39 points through 21 games. The 37 points through 20 games was the third-best start in the 90-year history of the AHL and the 18 wins tied for the second-most ever (see table). The team is currently on a season-high eight-game win streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 7. The perfect 8-0 start was the best by an AHL team in four years, and Grand Rapids was the league’s last undefeated team for the first time since the 2000-01 IHL season. The Griffins’ 10-1 victory at Texas on Nov. 25 marked the largest margin of victory in franchise history. The Griffins’ 9-0-0-1 start on the road is the best in franchise history (previously 9-1 in 2004-05), and the 10-1 start at home is also a new franchise best. Grand Rapids ranks first in the AHL in both points (39) and points percentage (.929), and has an 11-point cushion in the Central Division. 

Shine On, Captain
On Sunday at Toronto, Dominik Shine became just the third player in franchise history to reach 500 games with the team, scoring a goal in the process. He is in his 10th season with Grand Rapids, becoming just the third player in team history to reach the milestone (Brian Lashoff 14, Travis Richards 10). Shine collected his first-career hat trick on Nov. 24 in Texas, and on Nov. 25 became just the seventh Griffin to reach 200 points with the team. He has 14 points (8-6—14) in his last 12 outings, is tied for fifth in the AHL with 11 goals, and ranks second on the team with 19 points (11-8—19) in 17 games. On Oct. 9, Shine was named the 19th captain in franchise history. On the all-time regular-season franchise leaderboard, Shine ranks third in games played (500), fifth in goals (86), eighth in assists (117), tied for fifth in points (203), sixth in penalty minutes (567), tied for fifth in shorthanded goals (6), tied for fifth in game-winners (13), tied for first in unassisted goals (10), and fourth in shots (838).   

You Get an Award, and You Get an Award, and You Get an Award
The Griffins cleaned up during the AHL monthly awards for November. John Leonard was named the player of the month, and Sebastian Cossa was dubbed the goaltender of the month. It marked the first time in franchise history that the team garnered both the player and goaltender of the month awards. Leonard became only the third player in franchise history to win the award and Cossa became just the fourth goaltender. In addition, Cossa was named the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 30 when he went 3-0 with one shutout, a 1.33 GAA and a .945 save percentage. In November, Cossa posted a 5-1 record, a 1.50 GAA and a .941 save percentage. Leonard logged 16 points (9-7—16) in 10 games during November and was held scoreless in just one game. His stat line included three game-winners, two three-point outings and five multi-point games. 

Historic Run
John Leonard has 26 points and 17 goals through his first 17 games as a Griffin. Leonard was named the Fortune Tires “Expect More” AHL Player of the Month for November with 16 points (9-7—16) in 10 games. He became just the third player in franchise history to win the award, joining Riley Barber (April 2022) and Chris Minard (Feb. 2012). Leonard’s career-best 10-game point streak set a franchise record to begin both a season and a Griffins career. His career-high six-game goal streak from Oct. 11-Nov. 2 tied with teammate Austin Watson, Jiri Hudler, Kip Miller and Pavol Demitra for the third-longest run in franchise history. Leonard is first in the AHL in goals, tied for second in points, tied for 10th in plus-minus (+12), and first in points-per-game among players with at least 10 games (1.53). Last season, he ranked among the league leaders in points (61, T10th), goals (36, T2nd), power-play goals (10, T9th), short-handed goals (5, T1st) and shots (252, 2nd). Throughout his six-year AHL career since 2020-21, Leonard has 197 points (100-97—197) in 266 games. 

Future is Bright
Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall pick in 2021, is off to a 10-1-0 start this season with a 1.56 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. Cossa was named the AHL Goaltender of the Month for November with a 5-1 record, one shutout, a 1.50 GAA and a .941 save percentage. He became just the fourth netminder in franchise history to win the award, joining Jared Coreau, Jimmy Howard and Simon Lajeunesse. In the AHL rankings, Cossa ranks first in GAA, first in save percentage, tied for third in shutouts and tied for first in wins. He registered his second shutout of the season on Nov. 30 behind 26 saves in a 1-0 win over Iowa. It marked his fifth AHL shutout and ninth as a pro. Last season, Cossa was named to his first AHL All-Star Classic and ranked among the AHL regular-season leaders in games played (41, T8th), minutes played (2,424:37, 7th), GAA (2.45, 11th), save percentage (.911, T13th), and wins (21, T10th). In parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids since 2022-23, Cossa has notched a 54-26-14 mark with five shutouts to go along with a 2.41 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 95 outings. 

On the Right Trail
Riga, Latvia, native Eduards Tralmaks tallied his first AHL hat trick on Nov. 25 at Texas. He now has 10 points (8-2—10) in his last 11 games and ranks second on the team with 12 goals. His 12 goals also place fourth in the AHL. Last season, Tralmaks ranked first in the Czech Extraliga with a career-best 51 points (23-28—51) in 48 games, adding career-high totals in goals (23), assists (28) and penalty minutes (66). He also competed for Team Latvia at the last two World Championships and posted seven points (3-4—7) in seven games during the 2025 tournament. After spending the previous two campaigns in Czechia, Tralmaks returned to the AHL for the first time since 2022-23. As a free agent out of the University of Maine, Tralmaks signed with the Providence Bruins in 2021 and skated in three seasons with the franchise, compiling 41 points (22-19—41) in 87 contests. 

Just Getting Started 
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard was one of three rookies to make the Detroit Red Wings’ opening-night roster out of training camp. The 15th overall pick in 2024 showed one assist in nine games with Detroit before being assigned to the Griffins on Oct. 27. The Oslo, Norway, native has nine points (3-6—9) in his last seven appearances with Grand Rapids. Brandsegg-Nygard has posted two points in four of his last seven outings. He has 14 points (5-9—14) in 16 AHL games this season, which is tied for 16th among first-year AHL players and his nine assists are tied for 10th. Last year, Brandsegg-Nygard tied for the team lead with three points (2-1—3) in three Calder Cup Playoff games, following his SHL season with Skelleftea. The 20-year-old has also competed with Team Norway in the last two World Championships, totaling a combined nine points (3-6—9) in 12 outings. 

Pucks on Net 
The Griffins exploded for 10 goals on Nov. 25 against Texas, which were the most goals scored since Jan. 19, 2013. In the two games at Texas from Nov. 25-26, Grand Rapids totaled 16 goals over consecutive outings for the first time since Jan. 19-23, 2013 (11-6 W at RFD, 5-4 SOW vs. OKC). The team now has 31 goals in its last seven games (4.43 per game). The Griffins rank first in the AHL with 4.00 goals per game and have outscored their opponents 84-39. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 38-16 at home, while possessing a 46-23 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (33-14). In addition to ranking first in goals, the Griffins place 14th in shots per game (29.1). John Leonard leads the team and league with 17 goals, Eduards Tralmaks ranks second on the roster with 12, and Dominik Shine places third with 11. 

Special Powers
The Griffins scored on the power play in four straight games from Nov. 1-12 (6-for-16, 37.5%), and have since gone 7-for-27 (25.9%) in their last 11 games. Grand Rapids’ power play is sixth in the AHL at 25.4% (16-for-63). However, the Griffins have allowed four shorthanded goals this season, which is tied for third in the AHL. The penalty kill has allowed just four power-play goals in the last 14 games (34-for-38, 89.5%) and ranks first overall in the AHL at 87.5% (56-for-64). The 64 times shorthanded are tied for the fourth-fewest in the league.

Defense Wins Championships
The Griffins’ defense is one of the best in the AHL, as it ranks first with 1.86 goals allowed per contest. Grand Rapids has allowed more than two goals just twice in its last 15 games and has averaged just 1.50 goals allowed in its last 10 outings. In addition, the team’s penalty kill places first at 87.5% (56-for-64). Despite ranking first in goals allowed, the Griffins are tied for 21st with 29.0 shots allowed per game. In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 1.56 GAA with a .943 save percentage, while rookie Michal Postava possesses a 2.15 GAA and a .936 save percentage. The Griffins have four defensemen who have played at least 100 games in the NHL in Erik Gustafsson (516), Justin Holl (396), Ian Mitchell (110), and William Lagesson (107). Last season, the Griffins finished ninth in the AHL with 2.82 goals allowed per game but spent much of the campaign in the top five for goals allowed per contest. 

Good Problem to Have
The Griffins’ roster features eight veterans, including forwards Sheldon Dries, John Leonard, Dominik Shine and Austin Watson, and defensemen Erik Gustafsson, Justin Holl, William Lagesson and Ian Mitchell. With eight veterans, the Griffins are two over the playing limit and are required to scratch two of them each game due to the AHL’s development rule. Even with two being scratched for each contest, the veterans on the team have combined for 105 points (45-60—105) in 128 games, which accounts for 48% of the scoring for the team and 55% of the goals. Leonard ranks first among the veterans with 26 points (17-9—26) in 17 games, while Shine (11-8—19 in 17 GP) ranks second, and Dries (6-9—15 in 17 GP) places third. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for second in game-winners (4), tied for 10th among rookies in assists (9), tied for seventh among rookies in plus-minus (+8), first among rookies in game-winners (4)
Sebastian Cossa—First in GAA (1.56), first in save percentage (.943), tied for third in shutouts (2), tied for first in wins (10)
Erik Gustafsson—Tied for 12th in plus-minus (+11), tied for 14th among defensemen in points (12), tied for seventh among defensemen in assists (12), tied for fourth among defensemen in plus-minus (+11)
Justin Holl—Tied for seventh in plus-minus (+13), third among defensemen in plus-minus (+13)
William Lagesson—Tied for fifth in plus-minus (+14), second among defensemen in plus-minus (+14)
John Leonard—First in goals (17), tied for second in points (26), tied for 10th in plus-minus (+12), first in game-winners (6)
Ian Mitchell—Tied for 11th among defensemen in plus-minus (+9)
Dominik Shine—Tied for fifth in goals (11), tied for 14th in power-play goals (4) 
Eduards Tralmaks—Fourth in goals (12), tied for 14th in power-play goals (4)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for eighth among defensemen in goals (4), tied for 12th among defensemen in points (13), tied for seventh among defensemen in plus-minus (+10)
Austin Watson—Tied for 11th in penalty minutes (55) 

Milestones 
On Sunday at Toronto, Dominik Shine skated in his 500th game as a Griffin, becoming just the third player to reach the milestone. 
John Leonard—Three assists from 100 in the AHL, three points from 200 in the AHL
Dominik Shine—One unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11
William Wallinder—One game from 150 as a Griffin
Austin Watson—Three goals from 100 in the AHL 

Photo by Mark Newman/Griffins