This Week’s Games

GRIFFINS (5-1-1-0) vs. Manitoba Moose (5-1-0-0) // Wed., Oct. 21 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena

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

Watch: AHLTV on FloHockey 

Season Series: 1-0-0-0 Overall, 1-0-0-0 Home. Second of eight meetings overall, second of four at Van Andel Arena 

All-Time Series: 87-48-1-2-10 Overall, 46-21-1-2-7 Home

NHL Affiliation: Winnipeg Jets 

Noteworthy: The Griffins and Moose are the top two teams in the Central Division, and both are on a three-game win streak. Manitoba’s only defeat was a 2-1 setback to Grand Rapids on Oct. 9. 

GRIFFINS vs. Cleveland Monsters (4-2-0-0) // Fri., Oct. 23 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
GRIFFINS vs. Cleveland Monsters // Sat., Oct. 24 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena

Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM & 1300 AM at 6:45 p.m. on Friday and Saturday

Watch: AHLTV on FloHockey on Friday and Saturday

Season Series: 1-0-1-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Home. Third and fourth of eight meetings overall, first and second of four at Van Andel Arena 

All-Time Series: 84-44-10-14 Overall, 48-19-4-4 Home

NHL Affiliation: Columbus Blue Jackets 

Noteworthy: Cleveland is Grand Rapids’ fourth-most frequent opponent, as the duo will compete in their 153rd and 154th contests this weekend.

Johnny Bravo: Last weekend against the Rockford IceHogs, John Leonard posted six points (5-1—6) in two games. He scored two power-play goals last Friday before compiling his second hat trick as a Griffin on Saturday to go along with a four-point effort (3-1—4). Through three games this season, Leonard has six points (5-1—6), four power-play goals, two game-winners and a 33.3 shooting percentage. Last season, the 28-year-old ranked second in the AHL with 33 goals in 47 outings. Throughout parts of seven AHL campaigns since 2020-21, Leonard has a combined 231 points (121-110—231) in 299 appearances. 

Sounds Like a Broken Record: With 11 points (5-1-1-0) through their first seven games, the Griffins have tied the third-best start in the franchise’s 31 seasons, behind only Dan Watson’s last two teams (2025-26; 2024-25). The team went 7-0 (14 pts.) last season and 6-1 (12 pts.) in 2024-25. Over the first seven games of the last three seasons under coach Watson, the Griffins are a combined 18-2-1-0 (.881). 

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 fourth in GAA, fifth in save percentage and first 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 is 21-6-0 in his AHL regular-season career with a 1.65 GAA, a .939 save percentage and four shutouts. 

Home Sweet Home: The Griffins are 3-0 at home this season and have outscored their opponents 12-3. By comparison, Grand Rapids is 2-1-1 on the road with a 14-13 scoring margin. Goaltender Michal Postava has competed in all three home games, showing a 1.00 goals-against average and a .966 save percentage. The Griffins are on a two-game streak of having a player log a hat trick and four points at home, as Jesse Kiiskinen (3-1—4) did so on Oct. 11 against Chicago and John Leonard (3-1—4) on Oct. 18 against Rockford. 

Bear Attacks: Rookie Carter Bear is on a team-best four-game point streak from Oct. 10-18 (2-2—4). 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 ranks sixth at 26.3% and the penalty kill places first at 96.7%. Grand Rapids has scored a power-play goal in each of its last three games, showing a 31.6% conversion rate (6-for-19). Leonard is tied for second in the AHL with four power-play tallies. The Griffins have killed 24 straight penalties and have allowed just one power-play goal this season (29-for-30). 

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). On Oct. 11 against the Chicago Wolves, Shine collected his 100th professional goal and is three goals away from 100 as a Griffin. Only two players, Michel Picard (158) and Francis Pare (102), have reached the 100-goal mark in franchise history. Shine is currently on a three-game point streak from Oct. 11-18 (1-3—4) and has five points (1-4—5) in seven outings this season. On the all-time regular-season franchise leaderboard, Shine ranks third in games played (530), third in goals (97), sixth in assists (131), fourth in points (228), fifth in penalty minutes (596), 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 (917).

Veteran Presence: Defenseman Jacob Bryson showed two assists in back-to-back games last weekend and now has seven points (1-6—7) in seven outings. Bryson, one of five veterans on the team, last competed in a full AHL season in 2019-20 with the Rochester Americans. Throughout parts of four AHL seasons, the London, Ontario, native has 40 points (5-35—40), 42 penalty minutes and a plus-10 rating in 83 contests. The 28-year-old has played almost exclusively in the NHL since the 2020-21 campaign and has 51 points (6-45—51) and 60 penalty minutes in 304-career NHL games. Bryson, the 99th overall pick by Buffalo in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, suited up for six straight seasons with the Sabres from 2020-26 before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets in March of last season. He signed a one-year contract with Detroit this past offseason. 

Where It All Began: This Saturday will mark the 30-year anniversary of the Griffins’ first win at Van Andel Arena. The Griffins posted their first-ever victory and shutout at Van Andel Arena, blanking the rival Michigan K-Wings by a 2-0 count behind 20 saves by Pokey Reddick. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Jacob Bryson—Tied for ninth in assists (6), fourth among defensemen in assists (6), tied for fourth among defensemen in points (7)
Shai Buium—Tied for seventh among defensemen in assists (4)
Noah Dower Nilsson—Tied for ninth among rookies in assists (3)
Kienan Draper—Tied for ninth among rookies in assists (3)
Jesse Kiiskinen—Tied for seventh in goals (5), first among rookies in goals (5), first among rookies in points (7), tied for first among rookies in plus-minus (+5)
William Lagesson—Tied for second among defensemen in goals (3), tied for seventh among defensemen in points (5)
John Leonard—Tied for seventh in goals (5), tied for second in power-play goals (4), tied for second in game-winners (2) 
Michal Postava—First in wins (4), sixth in games played (4), fourth in GAA (1.25), fifth in save percentage (.954)

Milestones
Last Sunday in a 5-1 win over Rockford, John Leonard registered his second hat trick as a Griffin and Wilmer Skoog scored his first goal as a Griffin. 
Ronnie Attard—One point from 100 as a pro
x Sheldon Dries—Two games from 400 in the AHL
John Leonard—One game from 300 in the AHL
Dominik Shine—Three goals from 100 as a Griffin

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins