This Week’s Games

GRIFFINS (43-11-3-1) at Rockford IceHogs (22-32-3-2) // Fri., March 20 // 8 p.m. EDT // BMO Center
GRIFFINS at Rockford IceHogs // Sun., March 22 // 5 p.m. EDT // BMO Center 

Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM & 1300 AM at 7:45 p.m. EDT on Friday and 4:45 p.m. EDT on Sunday

Watch: AHLTV on FloHockey  

Season Series: 5-1-0-0 Overall, 2-0-0-0 Away. Seventh and eighth of 10 meetings overall, third and fourth of five at the BMO Center

All-Time Series: 79-53-11-11 Overall, 33-32-5-6 Away

NHL Affiliation: Chicago Blackhawks

Noteworthy: Twenty-nine percent of the remaining regular-season games for Grand Rapids will be against Rockford, as the two teams will meet four more times. The IceHogs trail the Admirals by six points for the last playoff spot in the Central Division. 

GRIFFINS at Milwaukee Admirals (24-25-4-3) // Sat., March 21 // 7 p.m. EDT // Panther Arena

Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM & 1300 AM at 6:45 p.m. EDT

Watch: AHLTV on FloHockey 

Season Series: 6-1-2-0 Overall, 3-0-1-0 Away. Tenth of 12 meetings overall, fifth of six at Panther Arena 

All-Time Series: 123-88-7-11-8 Overall, 56-47-5-7-5 Away

NHL Affiliation: Nashville Predators 

Noteworthy: The Admirals are one of just two teams to defeat the Griffins three times this season, although two of the three losses came in overtime.

Are We Talking About Playoffs?: With the Hershey Bears’ 4-1 win over the Rockford IceHogs on Feb. 27, the Griffins clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Feb. 27 marked the earliest clinching date in franchise history (previously March 6) and the earliest for an AHL team since 1993, when the Binghamton Rangers clinched on Feb. 24 with 24 games remaining. Grand Rapids need just two points to clinch a first-round bye and has a magic number of 13 to clinch the division title, a feat not accomplished since the 2014-15 season. The Griffins have led the Central Division for the entire season and are 20 points above second-place Chicago. The Griffins have dropped to second place in the AHL and trail the Providence Bruins by one point in the race for the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, awarded to the AHL's regular-season champions. Grand Rapids is33-7-3-1 against its division rivals and has outscored them 158-90, suffering its first regulation defeat against the division on Jan. 9 against Texas. The Griffins’ 33 wins are the most divisional victories since 2016-17 (40-20-1-3). Eleven of the remaining 14 games for Grand Rapids will be against the Central Division (78.6%). The Griffins will see the most games against the Rockford IceHogs (4).

Battling Through: The Griffins have lost three of their last four games and five of the last eight contests since Feb. 25. In those eight games, Grand Rapids has averaged 3.00 goals per game while allowing 2.63 goals. The Griffins have continued their league-record campaign with a 43-11-3-1 ledger and 90 points through 58 games and possessed the second-best record in the AHL’s 90-year history through 55 games. Grand Rapids reached 90 points (56 games) for the first time since 2017-18 (93 pts., 76 games). 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 (see table). The Griffins are 20-4-1-1 on the road and 23-7-2-0 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 second in the AHL in points (90) and has a 20-point cushion over Chicago for first place in the Central Division.  

Next Man Up: The Griffins have played their last two games without their top-five scorers, as John Leonard, Dominik Shine, Sheldon Dries and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard remain on recall to the Detroit Red Wings and Amadeus Lombardi is out with an injury. This has become a trend for Grand Rapids, as it has played with 12 forwards just three times in its last 13 games due to roster limitations. Nate Danielson, the ninth overall pick by Detroit in 2023 who has 15 points (3-12—15) in 18 AHL games this season, has also been sidelined with an injury since Feb. 20. ECHL forwards William Dufour and Jackson Jutting remain on the roster on professional tryouts. 

Welcome to the Team: Last Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings acquired forwards Michael Milne and Wojciech Stachowiak from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Ian Mitchell. Milne and Stachowiak were both assigned to the Griffins. Milne, a fourth-year pro, has six points (2-4—6), 34 penalty minutes and a minus-14 rating in 36 AHL games this season split between Iowa, Syracuse and Grand Rapids. Throughout his AHL career, Milne has 66 points (32-34—66) and 124 penalty minutes in 193 outings. Stachowiak is in his first AHL season after spending the previous six campaigns in Germany’s top pro league with ERC Ingolstadt. Stachowiak had 17 points (9-8—17), 28 penalty minutes and a minus-six rating in 38 games with Syracuse this season. Throughout his six-year pro career, Stachowiak has 130 points (58-72—130) and 143 penalty minutes in 290 contests.

Start Them Young: Eddie Genborg, the 44th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wing in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, was signed to an amateur tryout by the Griffins for the remainder of the season. The 18-year-old recently finished his Swedish Hockey League campaign with Timra IK, producing 25 points (9-16—25), 24 penalty minutes and a plus-eight rating in 43 outings. Genborg ranked third in points among U20 skaters in Sweden’s top pro league. He also won a gold medal with Team Sweden at this year’s World Junior Championship, logging eight points (3-5—8) in seven games. The Trollhättan, Sweden, native played his entire youth career in his home country with Linkoping from 2020-25.

Rewrite the Record Book: With the historic season the Griffins have had, several players have already itched their names into the franchise’s all-time single-season record book with 14 games remaining. John Leonard ranks among the single-season leaders in shorthanded goals (3, T5th), game-winners (8, 5th), unassisted goals (4, T5th), shootout percentage (.750, T6th) and shooting percentage (.233, 1st). Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is tied for ninth in game-winners (6), Amadeus Lombardi is tied for first in overtime goals (3), and Dominik Shine ranks second in shooting percentage (.210). In net, Sebastian Cossa is tied for seventh in GAA (2.11), tied for eighth in wins (24), tied for seventh in shutouts (5), and tied for 10th in save percentage (.922). Fellow goaltender Michal Postava ranks first in both GAA (1.78) and save percentage (.936).  

Hitting the Road: Only four of the final 15 games for the Griffins will be in Grand Rapids at Van Andel Arena. In addition, only two of the eight regular-season games in April will be played at home. Grand Rapids has fared well on the road, as it is 20-4-1-1 and has not suffered consecutive road losses all season. The Griffins, who have outscored their opponents 98-55 in foreign territory, rattled off a 17-game road points streak from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1), which set a new AHL record, eclipsing the 2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals’ 16-game run (10-0-4-2).

Busy Times: The Griffins will play three games in three nights this weekend. The team was set to play a three-in-three last weekend, but Friday’s game was postponed due to unsafe ice conditions at Van Andel Arena. That game was rescheduled for Tuesday, March 24. As a result of this rescheduling, the Griffins will play four games in five nights (March 20-24) for the first time since the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season (May 11-15, 2021), when protocols forced the rescheduling of a game from April 9 to May 11, and just the second time since the final weekend of the 2010-11 campaign (April 6-10, 2011). Grand Rapids played four games in five nights on five occasions in 2010-11 before the AHL eliminated those sequences beginning with the 2011-12 season.

Shine On, Captain: Captain Dominik Shine scored his first NHL goal on March 8 in Detroit’s 3-0 victory at the New Jersey Devils. Shine (32 years, 324 days) became the fifth-oldest player in Red Wings history to score his first-career NHL goal. He has appeared in nine games with Detroit this season after making his NHL debut last campaign on Jan. 27, 2025, against the Los Angeles Kings. Throughout his NHL career, Shine has three points (2-1—3) in 18 outings. The Detroit native has competed in 521 games with the Griffins since 2016-17, showing 221 points (96-125—221), 594 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating. With Grand Rapids this season, the AHL all-star has 37 points (21-16—37) in 38 games with 41 penalty minutes and a career-high plus-25 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). 

Putting the League on Notice: Rookie netminder Michal Postava is 12-5-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage in 19 games. If he had enough minutes played to qualify (95 short), Postava would rank among the league leaders in GAA (1st) and save percentage (T1st). He tied a franchise record by becoming the 10th netminder in team history to post back-to-back shutouts from Jan. 17-21. Postava 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. 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. 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.   

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.)
- Second-best record in AHL history through 55 games (42-9-3-1, 88 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 
- Earliest playoff clinching date in franchise history on Feb. 27 (previously March 6) 

Untouchables: Below are statistical categories in which the Griffins are undefeated in regulation.
- 20-0 when leading after the first period
- 31-0 when leading after the second period 
- 9-0 in games decided by four or more goals
- 36-0-1-1 when scoring at least three goals
- 6-0-1-0 when scoring a shorthanded goal
- 1-0-1-1 when allowing a shorthanded goal
- 3-0 when allowing 10-19 shots 

What’s The Password?: The Griffins’ defense remains the best in the AHL, as it ranks first with 2.02 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 18 times all season (31.0%) and have averaged 2.60 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 2.11 GAA with a .922 save percentage and five shutouts, while rookie netminder Michal Postava possesses a 1.78 GAA, a .936 save percentage and two shutouts.

Ups and Downs: Grand Rapids has been held to under three goals in three of its last four games and has scored more than three goals just twice in its last eight outings. However, the Griffins have played with 12 forwards just three times in their last 13 games due to roster limitations. The Griffins now rank third in the AHL with 3.41 goals per game. The team has outscored its opponents 198-117 and is 31-1 when scoring the game’s first goal. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 100-62 at home, while possessing a 98-55 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (78-36). John Leonard leads the team and is tied for third in the AHL with 27 goals, while Dominik Shine ranks second on the roster with 21 and Sheldon Dries places third with 20. 

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 and enjoyed a seven-game point streak from Feb. 3-28 (6-0-1). His career-high five shutouts are the most by a Griffin since 2015-16 (Jared Coreau). Cossa has a 24-6-3 record with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .922 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, third in save percentage, second in shutouts, second in wins and ninth in minutes played (1960:35). 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 68-31-17 mark with eight shutouts to go along with a 2.40 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 117 outings, becoming just the sixth netminder to reach the century mark with the team. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker:  
x Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for 14th in plus-minus (+24), tied for third in game-winners (6), tied for sixth among rookies in goals (16), tied for eighth among rookies in assists (21), tied for fifth among rookies in points (37), fourth among rookies in plus-minus (+24), tied for seventh among rookies in power-play goals (5), second among rookies in shots (121), first among rookies in game-winners (6)
Sebastian Cossa—Second in GAA (2.11), third in save percentage (.922), second in shutouts (5), second in wins (24), tied for 11th in games played (33), ninth in minutes played (1960:35)
x Sheldon Dries—Tied for 15th in power-play goals (7)
Erik Gustafsson—Tied for 13th among defensemen in power-play goals (2)
Alex Kannok Leipert—Tied for seventh in shorthanded assists (2), tied for third among defensemen in shorthanded assists (2)
William Lagesson—Third in plus-minus (+29), first among defensemen in plus-minus (+29)
x John Leonard—Tied for third in goals (27), tied for third in shorthanded goals (3), first in game-winners (8)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for seventh in game-winners (5)
x Dominik Shine—Tied for 11th in plus-minus (+25)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for 14th among defensemen in plus-minus (+19)
Austin Watson—Fifth in penalty minutes (144)

Milestones: Last Sunday at Chicago, Tyler Angle competed in his 300th pro game.   
William Dufour—Three points from 100 in the AHL
William Lagesson—Two points from 100 in the AHL
x Dominik Shine—Four goals from 100 as a Griffin, one unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11

Photo by Rockford IceHogs