Griffins Game #18 * Home Game #10 * AHL Game #305

Season Series: 2-0-0-0 Home Series: 1-0-0-0 Road Series: 1-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 56-26-6-4 All-Time Home Series: 27-11-5-3 All-Time Road Series: 29-15-1-1

Wild at Griffins
Third of eight meetings overall, second of four at Van Andel Arena...The Griffins have won 13 of the past 18 meetings against Iowa with a plus-15 scoring margin...The previous seven meetings have been deciding by just one goal...The Griffins are 21-11-2-2 (.639) overall since the 2021-22 season against the Wild and have a minus-two scoring margin (105-103)...Grand Rapids is 10-5-2-1 (.639) at home against Iowa since the 2021-22 season with an even scoring margin (48-48)...The Griffins have points in nine of the last 10 home meetings against Iowa (6-1-2-1)...The Wild are 2-7-0-0 on the road compared to 3-6-0-1 at home...Iowa is on a four-game losing skid with a minus-12 margin (19-7)… The Wild are 2-8-0-0 in their last 10 games and Grand Rapids is 8-1-0-1...Iowa’s power play ranks 31st at 10.8% (9-for-83) and its penalty kill places 23rd at 78.9%...The Wild have been outscored 66-37 this season...Iowa ranks 30th with 1.95 goals scored per game and 27th with 3.53 goals allowed per contest...Former Griffins head coach Ben Simon (2018-23) is an assistant coach for the Wild...Former Griffin Wyatt Newpower is featured on Iowa’s roster...Former Ferris State Bulldog and Wyandotte, Michigan, native Gerry Mayhew returned to Iowa this offseason. In the AHL, Mayhew has 319 points (170-149—319) in 459 games since 2016-17. All time against the Griffins since 2017-18, Mayhew has 33 points (20-13—33) in 35 games. With Iowa against Grand Rapids, Mayhew has 27 points (18-9—27) in 25 games...Iowa’s Mark Liwiski ranks first in the AHL with 111 penalty minutes...The Wild are second in the AHL with 340 total penalty minutes for an average of 17 per game. 

This Date in Griffins History
2003: Marc Lamothe makes 35 saves to lead the Griffins to a 2-0 win at Cincinnati and become the first goalie in franchise history to record consecutive road shutouts. 

Last Time Out
With a league-leading 14th goal of the season, John Leonard scored the game-winner in the second period, as the Griffins took down the Iowa Wild 3-2 at Van Andel Arena on Friday. The Griffins improved to 15-1-0-1 on the season, which continued as their best start in franchise history with 31 points through 17 games, while their 8-1 start at home tied their best in team history (2009-10). Eduards Tralmaks extended his point streak to four games with his fourth goal in three contests, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard tallied two assists for his third-straight multi-point contest. Carter Gylander's 28-save performance marked his fourth-consecutive victory with the Griffins. Grand Rapids’ .912 points percentage remained the best in the league. 

Hungry for More 
The Griffins have continued their franchise-record start with a 15-1-0-1 ledger and 31 points through 17 games. Two of the three best starts in franchise history have come under head coach Dan Watson, as last season’s 27 points through 17 games tied for the third best (13-3-1-0). 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 Tuesday marked the largest margin of victory in franchise history. The Griffins’ 7-0-0-1 start on the road is the best in franchise history (previously 7-1 in 2004-05), and the 8-1 start at home is tied for the best in team history (2009-10). 

Stuffing the Net
The Griffins exploded for 10 goals on Tuesday against Texas, which were the most goals scored since Jan. 19, 2013. In the two games at Texas this week, 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 19 goals in its last three games (6.33 per game). The Griffins rank first in the AHL with 4.24 goals per game and have outscored their opponents 72-34. The 72 goals are the most in franchise history through the team’s first 17 games (71 in 2005-06). The Griffins have outscored their opponents 33-15 at home, while possessing a 39-19 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (28-12). In addition to ranking first in goals, the Griffins place eighth in shots per game (30.2). John Leonard leads the team with 14 goals, and Dominik Shine and Eduards Tralmaks are tied for second with 10. 

Historic Run
John Leonard has 23 points and 14 goals through his first 14 games as a Griffin. 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 and second in points. 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 194 points (97-97—194) in 263 games. 

Future is Bright 
Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall pick in 2021, is off to a 7-1-0 start this season with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage. In the AHL rankings, Cossa ranks third in GAA, third in save percentage and tied for eighth in wins. On Tuesday in Texas, Cossa recorded his 50th as a Griffin, becoming just the eighth goaltender in team history to reach that mark. He registered his first shutout of the season on Oct. 24 behind 30 saves in a 4-0 win over Manitoba. It marked his fourth AHL shutout, eighth as a pro, and the first since Oct. 11, 2024.  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 51-26-14 mark with four shutouts to go along with a 2.45 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 92 outings. 

Defense Wins Championships
The Griffins’ defense is one of the best in the AHL, as it ranks second with 2.00 goals allowed per contest. Grand Rapids has allowed more than two goals just twice in November and has averaged just 1.67 goals allowed in its last six games. The 35 goals allowed are the fewest in franchise history through the squad’s first 17 games (37 in 2024-25). In addition, the team’s penalty kill places second at 86.8% (46-for-53). Despite ranking second in goals allowed, the Griffins place 23rd with 29.4 shots allowed per game. In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 1.76 GAA with a .935 save percentage, while rookie Michal Postava possesses a 2.15 GAA and a .936 save percentage. The Griffins have three defensemen who have played at least 100 games in the NHL in 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. 

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, which includes multi-point outings in three straight from Nov. 25-28. He has 11 points (4-7—11) in 12 AHL games this season, which is tied for 19th among first-year AHL players. 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. 

On the Right Trail
Riga, Latvia, native Eduards Tralmaks tallied his first AHL hat trick on Tuesday at Texas. He now has eight points (6-2—8) in his last seven games and is tied for second on the team with 10 goals. His 10 goals are also tied for third 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. 

Angle of Attack
With three rookies making the Red Wings’ roster out of training camp, the Griffins were in need of a forward. Grand Rapids signed Tyler Angle to a one-year contract on Oct. 8, which has proven to be a quality last-second signing. The 25-year-old has five points (2-3—5) in his last seven games and is tied for second on the roster with nine assists. In addition, his 11 points (2-9—11) in 17 outings are tied for sixth on the team. Angle spent four seasons with the Cleveland Monsters from 2020-24, showing a combined 100 points (41-59—100) in 200 games. Last campaign, he totaled 27 points (7-20—27) in 47 appearances with Dusseldorfer in the DEL, Germany’s top pro league.

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 5-for-17 (29.4%) in their last seven games. Grand Rapids’ power play ranks fifth in the AHL at 26.4% (14-for-52). However, the Griffins have allowed four shorthanded goals this season, which is tied for second in the AHL. The penalty kill has allowed just three power-play goals in the last 10 games (24-for-27, 88.9%) and ranks second overall in the AHL at 86.8% (46-for-53). The 53 times shorthanded are tied for the second-fewest in the league.    

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 90 points (39-51—90) in 102 games, which accounts for 55% of the scoring for the team and 56% of the goals. Leonard ranks first among the veterans with 23 points (14-9—23) in 14 games, while Shine (10-7—17 in 14 GP) ranks second, and Dries (5-9—14 in 14 GP) places third.  

Shine On, Captain
On Oct. 9, Dominik Shine was named the 19th captain in franchise history. 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 Tuesday in Texas, and on Wednesday became just the seventh Griffin to reach 200 points with the team. He has 12 points (7-5—12) in his last nine outings, is tied for third in the AHL with 10 goals, and ranks second on the team with 17 points (10-7—17) in 14 games. On the all-time regular-season franchise leaderboard, Shine ranks third in games played (497), tied for fifth in goals (85), eighth in assists (116), tied for sixth in points (201), sixth in penalty minutes (561), 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 (834). 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for fifth in game-winners (3), tied for first among rookies in game-winners (3)
Sebastian Cossa—Third in GAA (1.76), third in save percentage (.935), tied for eighth in wins (7)
Justin Holl—Tied for fourth in plus-minus (+12), tied for second among defensemen in plus-minus (+12)
William Lagesson—Second in plus-minus (+14), first among defensemen in plus-minus (+14)
John Leonard—First in goals (14), second in points (23), tied for 11th in plus-minus (+10), tied for first in game-winners (4)
Dominik Shine—Tied for third in goals (10)
Eduards Tralmaks—Tied for third in goals (10)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for fifth among defensemen in plus-minus (+9)
Austin Watson—Tied or ninth in penalty minutes (53)

Milestones 
On Wednesday, Dominik Shine became just the seventh Griffin to reach 200 points with the team. On Tuesday in Texas, Sebastian Cossa became the eighth goaltender in franchise history to win 50 games and William Wallinder collected his 100th pro point with an assist. 
John Leonard—Three goals from 100 in the AHL, three assists from 100 in the AHL
Ian Mitchell—One point from 100 in the AHL
Dominik Shine—One unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11
Austin Watson—Four goals from 100 in the AHL

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins