Griffins Game #52 * Home Game #29 * AHL Game #815

Season Series: 5-0-0-0 Home Series: 2-0-0-0 Road Series: 3-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 59-26-6-4 All-Time Home Series: 28-11-5-3 All-Time Road Series: 31-15-1-1

Wild at Griffins
Sixth of eight meetings overall, third of four at Van Andel Arena...The Griffins have won 16 of the past 21 meetings against Iowa with a plus-23 scoring margin...Eight of the previous 10 meetings have been deciding by just one goal...The Griffins are 24-11-2-2 (.667) overall since the 2021-22 season against the Wild and have a plus-six scoring margin (115-109)...Grand Rapids is 11-5-2-1 (.658) against Iowa at Van Andel Arena since the 2021-22 season with a plus-one scoring margin (49-48)...The Wild are 9-15-2-1 at home compared to 7-14-2-0 on the road...The Griffins are 21-5-2-0 at home compared to 19-2-1-1 on the road...The Wild are 6-4-0-0 in their last 10 games and are on a three-game win streak...Grand Rapids is 8-1-1-0 in its last 10 outings and is on a seven-game point streak (7-0-1-0)...Iowa’s power play is tied for 27th at 15.2% and its penalty kill places 20th at 81.0%...Iowa ranks 31st with 2.34 goals scored per game and is tied for 21st with 3.22 goals allowed per contest...Former Griffins head coach Ben Simon (2018-23) is an assistant coach for the Wild...Iowa’s Bradley Marek hails from Big Rapids, Michigan and played his last USHL season with Muskegon before playing two seasons at Ferris State (2021-23)...Former Ferris State Bulldog Gerry Mayhew returned to Iowa this offseason. All time against the Griffins since 2017-18, Mayhew has 36 points (20-16—36) in 38 games. With Iowa against Grand Rapids, Mayhew has 30 points (18-12—30) in 28 games...Iowa’s Mark Liwiski is tied for first in the AHL with 177 penalty minutes and Mayhew is tied for seventh with eight power-play goals.

Last Time Out
Despite extending their point streak to seven games, the Griffins fell 3-2 in overtime to the Manitoba Moose on Wednesday at Van Andel Arena. To clinch a playoff berth, the Griffins need one point, and they have earned at least a point in nine of their last 10 outings (8-1-1-0). Grand Rapids’ 40-7-3-1 (84 pts.) record remained at the top of the league, and its home record moved to 21-5-2-0. Amadeus Lombardi potted his 20th assist of the season to extend his point streak to three (3-3—6). Michael Brandsegg-Nygard tallied two goals, while Sebastian Cossa recorded 35 saves to sit at 23-4-3. 

This Date in Griffins History
2011: Logan Pyett becomes the first Griffins defenseman to ever notch a hat trick, scoring each of his goals in the second period of a 5-2 win at Hamilton. 

The Lombardi Trophy
Amadeus Lombardi posted five points (3-2—5) in two games last weekend, which included an overtime-winner in both contests. He became just the third player in Griffins history to score an overtime goal in consecutive games, joining Turner Elson and Filip Hronek. Lombardi’s three OT goals this campaign tie the Griffins’ single-season record, and his four-career OT-winners are tied for fourth in franchise history. He is currently on a three-game point streak (3-3—6) from Feb. 20-25 and has 13 points (6-7—13) in his last 11 outings. The third-year pro was sidelined for 20 straight games from Nov. 22-Jan. 9 due to rehabbing an injury. Since his return on Jan. 13, Lombardi has 15 points (6-9—15) in 18 games. Last season, the Aurora, Ontario, native, logged a career-high 40 points (19-21—40) in 44 games with the Griffins. With Grand Rapids since the spring of 2023, Lombardi has 96 points (33-63—96) in 147 outings. He was the 113th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. 

Are We Talking About Playoffs?
The Griffins enter the weekend with a magic number of one to clinch a playoff berth and can clinch tonight with a point over Iowa or any type of a Rockford loss to Hershey. The earliest clinching date in team history for Grand Rapids is March 6 (2003-04 season). The Griffins have led the Central Division for the entire season, and are 21 points above second-place Chicago and 42 points up on a playoff spot. The Griffins also have a five-point advantage over the Providence Bruins in the race for the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, awarded to the AHL's regular-season champions. Grand Rapids is 31-5-3-1 against its division rivals and has outscored them 141-80, suffering its first regulation defeat against the division on Jan. 9 against Texas. The Griffins’ 31 wins are the most divisional victories since 2018-19 (31-20-5-2). Sixteen of the remaining 21 games for Grand Rapids will be against the Central Division (76.2%). The Griffins will see the most games against the Rockford IceHogs (5) followed by the Milwaukee Admirals (4).

Back in the Groove
The Griffins dropped six of 10 games from Jan. 7-30 but have since returned to form, showing an 8-1-1-0 record with a plus-15 margin (35-20) from Jan. 31-Feb. 25. Grand Rapids has scored at least four goals in six of its last 10 contests and has allowed more than two goals just three times. The Griffins have continued their league-record start with a 40-7-3-1 ledger and 84 points through 51 games, surpassing the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers (38-6-6, 82 pts.) for the best start through 50 games in the AHL’s 90-year history. The team saw its franchise-record tying 15-game win streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27 come to an end in overtime on Dec. 31, which also tied for the sixth-longest run in AHL history. In addition, the Griffins’ 19-game point streak from Nov. 22-Jan. 7 (18-0-1-0) ended on Jan. 9, which tied for the longest run in franchise history. The Griffins are 19-2-1-1 on the road and 21-5-2-0 at home. The 17-game points streak on the road from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1) set a new AHL record, eclipsing the 2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals’ 16-game run (10-0-4-2). Grand Rapids ranks first in the AHL in points (84), has a 21-point cushion over Chicago for first place in the Central Division, and is 42 points up on a playoff spot. 

Record Setters
Below is a list of team and league records that the Griffins have either set or tied this season. 
- Best record in AHL history through 25 games (23-1-0-1, 47 pts.), 30 games (27-1-1-1, 56 pts.), 40 games (32-5-2-1, 67 pts.) and 50 games (40-7-2-1, 83 pts.), while tying for the best start through 35 games (29-3-2-1, 61 pts.)
- Tied second-best record in AHL history through 45 games (35-7-2-1, 73 pts.)
- Reached the 60-point mark in just 32 games, three games faster than any team in AHL history
- AHL record 17-game road points streak from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1)
- Tied franchise-record 15-game winning streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27, which also tied for sixth-longest in AHL history
- Tied franchise-record 19-game points streak from Nov. 22-Jan. 7 (18-0-1-0)
- Franchise-record start with an 8-0 record and was the league’s last undefeated team for first time since 2000-01 IHL season
- Started 6-0 at home for first time since 2009-10 (8-0)
- Franchise record for largest margin of victory (9) on Nov. 25 at Texas (10-1 W) 
- Franchise record for fewest shots in a game (10) on Jan. 17 versus Milwaukee 

Untouchables 
Below are statistical categories in which the Griffins are undefeated in regulation.
- 29-0 when scoring the game’s first goal
- 18-0 when leading after the first period
- 28-0 when leading after the second period 
- 7-0 in games decided by four or more goals
- 16-0 when allowing one goal or less
- 33-0-1-1 when scoring at least three goals
- 23-0-1-1 when scoring a power-play goal
- 6-0-1-0 when scoring a shorthanded goal
- 1-0-1-1 when allowing a shorthanded goal
- 1-0 when recording 10-19 shots
- 3-0 when allowing 10-19 shots 

Olympic Update
Eduards Tralmaks concluded his Olympics with Team Latvia with four points (3-1—4) in four games, pacing the team in points and goals. Tralmaks finished the tournament in a tie for eighth in goals scored. At least one active Griffin has been loaned to his country’s national team in six of the last seven Olympics. Of those seven players, Tralmaks was by far the most productive on the world stage, equaling the goal total of the other six combined. In addition, Dylan Larkin won gold with Team USA and made it three straight Olympics and four overall in which a former Griffin won gold and the sixth straight Olympics that at least one of the alumni medaled. Tralmaks, a native of Riga, Latvia, has 24 points (18-6—24), six penalty minutes and a plus-19 rating in 44 games with the Griffins this season. When he joined Team Latvia, he ranked among the Griffins leaders in goals (2nd), points (5th), and plus-minus rating (T2nd), while tying for 14th in the AHL in goals and plus-minus rating. Tralmaks has competed for Team Latvia at the two previous World Championships in 2024 and 2025, showing a combined nine points (4-5—9) in 14 games. At last year's World Championship, Tralmaks led Latvia in points (3-4—7) and assists, while ranking second in goals in seven games. Also in 2024-25, he potted one goal in three Olympic qualifying games with Latvia. 

Shine On, Captain
Captain Dominik Shine has eight points (6-2—8) in his last six games. He was named the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 15, 2026, when he logged five goals, 13 shots and a plus-six rating in two games. He also began that week competing in his first-career AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford, Illinois. In a 5-0 win against Texas on Feb. 15, Shine collected his second hat trick of the season and surpassed Mitch Callahan for the third-most goals in franchise history (95), securing his first-ever 20-goal campaign. The 32-year-old has 37 points (21-16—37) in 38 games with 41 penalty minutes and a career-high plus-25 rating, ranking second on the team in points, goals and plus-minus rating. In the AHL rankings, the Detroit native is tied for 11th in goals and tied for sixth in plus-minus rating. On the all-time regular-season franchise leaderboard, Shine ranks third in games played (521), third in goals (96), seventh in assists (125), fourth in points (221), fifth in penalty minutes (594), tied for fifth in shorthanded goals (6), tied for third in game-winners (15), tied for first in unassisted goals (10), and third in shots (897).   

What’s The Password? 
The Griffins’ defense remains the best in the AHL, as it ranks first with 1.94 goals allowed per contest. Grand Rapids posted its eighth shutout of the season on Feb. 15 against Texas, which are the most since 2016-17 (8). The Griffins shut out their opponent in two straight games from Jan. 17-21 in addition to posting consecutive shutouts from Dec. 21-27. Prior to this season, the last time Grand Rapids logged two straight shutouts was Feb. 15-17, 2018. The Griffins have allowed more than two goals just 14 times all season (27.5%) and have averaged 1.80 goals allowed in their last five outings. In addition, the team’s penalty kill is first in the AHL at 86.7%. In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 1.99 GAA with a .928 save percentage and five shutouts, while rookie netminder Michal Postava possesses a 1.70 GAA, a .939 save percentage and two shutouts. The Griffins have four defensemen who have played at least 100 games in the NHL in Erik Gustafsson (517) (currently with Detroit), Justin Holl (396), Ian Mitchell (110), and William Lagesson (107), totaling 1,130 appearances. 

Be Like Mike
Rookie forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard logged his first two-goal game in the AHL on Wednesday. He now has four goals in his last four appearances and six points (4-2—6) in his last seven games. From Jan. 3-Feb. 6, the former first-round selection had just three points (0-3—3) in 14 contests, and, prior to Feb. 18, his last goal was on Jan. 2 (17-game drought). The Oslo, Norway, native, has 30 points (12-18—30), 30 penalty minutes and a plus-18 rating in 46 games with Grand Rapids. Brandsegg-Nygard ranks among the AHL rookie leaders in game-winners (6, 1st), assists (T9th), points (T9th), and plus-minus rating (T4th). He was one of three rookies to make the Detroit Red Wings’ opening-night roster out of training camp and showed one assist in nine games before being assigned to the Griffins on Oct. 27. 

Back to Normal 
Grand Rapids was held to under three goals in seven of nine games from Jan. 9-30 but has since scored at least four goals in six of its last 10 contests since Jan. 31, averaging 3.50 goals per game. The Griffins have returned to first in the AHL with 3.45 goals per game after a slow January. The team has outscored its opponents 176-99 and is 29-0 when scoring the game’s first goal. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 83-49 at home, while possessing a 93-50 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (69-32). John Leonard leads the team and ranks second in the AHL with 26 goals, while Dominik Shine ranks second on the roster with 21 and Sheldon Dries and Eduards Tralmaks are tied for third with 18. 

The Brick Wall
Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall pick in 2021, collected his fifth shutout of the season on Feb. 15 against Texas with 26 saves. His career-high five shutouts are the most by a Griffin since 2015-16 (Jared Coreau). Cossa has a 23-4-3 record with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. He enjoyed a career-high 10-game win streak from Nov. 25-Dec. 27, showing a 1.51 GAA and a .939 save percentage, and a 14-game point streak from Nov. 25-Jan. 13 (12-0-2). In the AHL rankings, Cossa places second in GAA, second in save percentage, tied for first in shutouts, first in wins and sixth in minutes played (1781:22). Cossa won two straight AHL Goaltender of the Month awards (November and December), becoming the first netminder in franchise history to receive the honor twice in the same season. The 23-year-old also became just the third goaltender in team history to win the award twice in any fashion, joining Jared Coreau (Feb. 2018, Dec. 2015) and Jimmy Howard (Dec. 2007, March 2006). In parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids since 2022-23, Cossa has notched a 67-29-17 mark with eight shutouts to go along with a 2.38 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 114 outings, becoming just the sixth netminder to reach the century mark with the team. 
 

Just Getting Started
Rookie netminder Michal Postava tied a franchise record by becoming the 10th netminder in team history to post back-to-back shutouts from Jan. 17-21. He collected his first AHL shutout on Jan. 17 with 10 saves in a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee and followed that performance with a 19-save blanking of Milwaukee on Jan. 21. His 10 saves on Jan. 17 set a new franchise record for fewest in a shutout. Postava logged a shutout streak of 156:20 from Jan. 9-25, which was 3:47 short of breaking the franchise record by Jared Coreau in 2014-15 (160:06). After beginning the campaign 5-0, the 23-year-old suffered his first AHL defeat on Jan. 9 against Texas. Postava is now 10-3-0 with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in 15 games. Last season, Postava became a Czech Extraliga champion with Kometa Brno, showing a league-best .940 save percentage with a 1.97 GAA and a 10-7 record in 17 playoff games. During the regular season with Kometa Brno, Postava ranked among the Czech Extraliga leaders in save percentage (.921, 5th), GAA (2.39, 11th), wins (23, 4th), games played (42, T2nd) and shutouts (3, T7th). As an undrafted free agent, Postava signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings last summer.    

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for second in game-winners (6), tied for 15th among rookies in goals (12), tied for ninth among rookies in assists (18), tied for ninth among rookies in points (30), tied for fourth among rookies in plus-minus (+18), tied for fifth among rookies in shots (105), first among rookies in game-winners (6)
Sebastian Cossa—Second in GAA (1.99), second in save percentage (.928), tied for first in shutouts (5), first in wins (23), tied for eighth in games played (30), sixth in minutes played (1781:22)
Sheldon Dries—Tied for 11th in power-play goals (7)
x Erik Gustafsson—Tied for 12th among defensemen in plus-minus (+18), tied for ninth among defensemen in power-play goals (2)
Justin Holl—Tied for 12th among defensemen in plus-minus (+18)
Alex Kannok Leipert—Tied for fifth in shorthanded assists (2), tied for third among defensemen in shorthanded assists (2)
William Lagesson—Tied for third in plus-minus (+26), second among defensemen in plus-minus (+26)
John Leonard—Second in goals (26), tied for third in shorthanded goals (3), first in game-winners (8)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for 15th in game-winners (4)
Ian Mitchell—Tied for 11th in plus-minus (+23), tied for fourth among defensemen in plus-minus (+23)
Dominik Shine—Tied for 11th in goals (21), tied for sixth in plus-minus (+25)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for 15th in plus-minus (+21), tied for seventh among defensemen in plus-minus (+21)
Austin Watson—Sixth in penalty minutes (123) 

Milestones 
In a 3-2 win over Cleveland last Wednesday, Austin Watson competed in his 100th game as a Griffin. 
Amadeus Lombardi—Four points from 100 as a Griffin
Ian Mitchell—Two assists from 100 as a pro 
Dominik Shine—Four goals from 100 as a Griffin, one unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11
Austin Watson—One assist from 150 as a pro 

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins