GRIFFINS ANNOUNCE 2018-19 SCHEDULE
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday released their schedule for the 2018-19 American Hockey League season. It will mark the franchise’s 23rd campaign overall, 18th as members of the AHL and 17th as the primary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.
Led by first-year head coach Ben Simon, the Griffins will start their 76-game schedule on the road for the 11th time in franchise history, as they take on the defending Western Conference champion Texas Stars on Fri., Oct. 5. Grand Rapids wraps up a season-opening two-game road swing with a visit to the San Antonio Rampage on Sat., Oct. 6 before beginning its home slate on Fri., Oct. 12 against the Hershey Bears with Opening Night presented by Huntington Bank.
Highlights of the 2018-19 schedule include:
- Twenty-five prime home dates (14 Fridays and 11 Saturdays) out of 38 games;
- Inaugural meetings against the Belleville Senators and Ontario Reign. Grand Rapids travels to Canada for a pair of October games (26-27) versus the Senators before welcoming the North Division foe to Van Andel Arena on Jan. 11-12. The Griffins and Pacific Division’s Reign will match up in a home-and-home set, as Grand Rapids hosts Ontario on Nov. 16 before the making the return trip to Southern California on April 3;
- The Griffins’ 22nd annual New Year’s Eve celebration versus the Rockford IceHogs on Mon., Dec. 31 (6 p.m. start), in addition to playing the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 23);
- Grand Rapids’ 18th annual Matinee Game against the Rockford IceHogs on Wed., Nov. 14 at 11 a.m.;
- For the second consecutive season, the Griffins will contest home-and-home sets against Hershey (Oct. 12 home, Jan. 5 away) and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Jan. 4 away, Feb. 9 home), both from the Atlantic Division;
- The Cleveland Monsters, whom Grand Rapids has met 92 times in the regular season since 2007-08 and who are realigning to the Eastern Conference’s North Division, will remain on the Griffins’ schedule. The two teams will play four times, as the Griffins welcome the Monsters to Van Andel Arena Dec. 19 and 29 and travel to the shores of Lake Erie on Nov. 4 and Dec. 28;
- Eight games each against Texas and San Antonio, who are joining the Central Division this season as part of the AHL’s realignment.
Group tickets for all home dates at Van Andel Arena are now on sale, along with 2018-19 season ticket packages. Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public on Sept. 14. Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com for more information.
Griffins 2018-19 schedule options: Add to Calendar Graphic PDF Web
GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 2018-19 SCHEDULE
Date | Opponent | Time |
Fri., Oct. 5 | @ Texas Stars | 8 p.m. |
Sat., Oct. 6 | @ San Antonio Rampage | 8 p.m. |
Fri., Oct. 12 | HERSHEY BEARS | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Oct. 13 | @ Chicago Wolves | 8 p.m. |
Wed., Oct. 17 | TEXAS STARS | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Oct. 20 | CHICAGO WOLVES | 7 p.m. |
Fri., Oct. 26 | @ Belleville Senators | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Oct. 27 | @ Belleville Senators | 7 p.m. |
Fri., Nov. 2 | IOWA WILD | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Nov. 3 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 7 p.m. |
Sun., Nov. 4 | @ Cleveland Monsters | 5 p.m. |
Thu., Nov. 8 | @ Manitoba Moose | 8 p.m. |
Sat., Nov. 10 | @ Manitoba Moose | 7 p.m. |
Wed., Nov. 14 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 11 a.m. |
Fri., Nov. 16 | ONTARIO REIGN | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Nov. 17 | MANITOBA MOOSE | 7 p.m. |
Fri., Nov. 23 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Nov. 24 | @ Chicago Wolves | 8 p.m. |
Mon., Nov. 26 | @ Iowa Wild | 8 p.m. |
Wed., Nov. 28 | CHICAGO WOLVES | 7 p.m. |
Fri., Nov. 30 | SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Dec. 1 | TEXAS STARS | 7 p.m. |
Wed., Dec. 5 | SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE | 7 p.m. |
Fri., Dec. 7 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 8 p.m. |
Sat., Dec. 8 | @ Iowa Wild | 8 p.m. |
Tue., Dec. 11 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 8 p.m. |
Fri., Dec. 14 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Dec. 15 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 7 p.m. |
Sun., Dec. 16 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 6 p.m. |
Wed., Dec. 19 | CLEVELAND MONSTERS | 7 p.m. |
Fri., Dec. 21 | @ Manitoba Moose | 8 p.m. |
Sat., Dec. 22 | @ Manitoba Moose | 3 p.m. |
Fri., Dec. 28 | @ Cleveland Monsters | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Dec. 29 | CLEVELAND MONSTERS | 7 p.m. |
Mon., Dec. 31 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 6 p.m. |
Fri., Jan. 4 | @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 7:05 p.m. |
Sat., Jan. 5 | @ Hershey Bears | 7 p.m. |
Wed., Jan. 9 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 8 p.m. |
Fri., Jan. 11 | BELLEVILLE SENATORS | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Jan. 12 | BELLEVILLE SENATORS | 7 p.m. |
Wed., Jan. 16 | @ Chicago Wolves | 8 p.m. |
Fri., Jan. 18 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 8 p.m. |
Sat., Jan. 19 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 7 p.m. |
Wed., Jan. 23 | MANITOBA MOOSE | 7 p.m. |
Fri., Jan. 25 | SAN JOSE BARRACUDA | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Jan. 26 | SAN JOSE BARRACUDA | 7 p.m. |
Thu., Jan. 31 | @ Texas Stars | 8 p.m. |
Fri., Feb. 1 | @ San Antonio Rampage | 8:30 p.m. |
Wed., Feb. 6 | MANITOBA MOOSE | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Feb. 9 | WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS | 7 p.m. |
Sun., Feb. 10 | CHICAGO WOLVES | 4 p.m. |
Fri., Feb. 15 | SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Feb. 16 | SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE | 7 p.m. |
Wed., Feb. 20 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 7 p.m. |
Fri., Feb. 22 | TEXAS STARS | 7 p.m. |
Sat., Feb. 23 | @ Chicago Wolves | 8 p.m. |
Sat., March 2 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 7 p.m. |
Wed., March 6 | TEXAS STARS | 7 p.m. |
Fri., March 8 | IOWA WILD | 7 p.m. |
Sat., March 9 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 8 p.m. |
Fri., March 15 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 7 p.m. |
Sat., March 16 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 7 p.m. |
Tue., March 19 | @ San Antonio Rampage | 8 p.m. |
Wed., March 20 | @ Texas Stars | 8 p.m. |
Sat., March 23 | @ Texas Stars | 8 p.m. |
Sun., March 24 | @ San Antonio Rampage | 4 p.m. |
Tue., March 26 | @ Iowa Wild | 8 p.m. |
Fri., March 29 | CHICAGO WOLVES | 7 p.m. |
Sat., March 30 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 7 p.m. |
Sun., March 31 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 4 p.m. |
Wed., April 3 | @ Ontario Reign | 10 p.m. |
Fri., April 5 | @ San Jose Barracuda | 10 p.m. |
Sat., April 6 | @ San Jose Barracuda | 4:15 p.m. |
Wed., April 10 | IOWA WILD | 7 p.m. |
Fri., April 12 | MANITOBA MOOSE | 7 p.m. |
Sat., April 13 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 7 p.m. |
All Times Eastern
Dates, Opponents and Times Subject to Change
Games Broadcast on WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM
Grand Rapids Griffins
2018-19 Schedule Breakdown
Season Opener: Fri., Oct. 5 at Texas Stars
Home Opener: Fri., Oct. 12 vs. Hershey Bears
Home Finale: Fri., April 12 vs. Manitoba Moose
Season Finale: Sat., April 13 at Milwaukee Admirals
By Conference
Western – 64 (32 home, 32 road), Eastern – 12 (6 home, 6 road)
By Division
Central – 58 (29 home, 29 road), Pacific – 6 (3 home, 3 road), North – 8 (4 home, 4 road), Atlantic – 4 (2 home, 2 road)
By Opponent
Rockford, Milwaukee – 10 games (5 home, 5 road)
Chicago, Manitoba, San Antonio, Texas – 8 games (4 home, 4 road)
Iowa – 6 games (3 home, 3 road)
Cleveland, Belleville, San Jose – 4 games (2 home, 2 road)
Hershey, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Ontario – 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
By Day (Home)
Friday – 14, Saturday – 11, Wednesday – 10, Sunday – 2, Monday – 1
By Day (Road)
Saturday – 16, Friday – 9, Wednesday – 4, Sunday and Tuesday – 3, Thursday – 2, Monday – 1
By Month (Home)
November – 8, December and February – 7, January – 6, March – 5, October – 3, April – 2
By Month (Road)
March – 9, December – 7, January – 6, October and November – 5, April – 4, February – 2
Longest Homestand
7 games: Feb. 6-22
Longest Road Trip
6 games: March 16-26
Three Games in Three Nights
Three times: Nov. 2-4, Dec. 14-16, March 29-31