GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 2013 Calder Cup champion Grand Rapids Griffins will tune up for the 2013-14 AHL season by playing a pair of preseason games against the Lake Erie Monsters in the Detroit area in late September.

Grand Rapids will first battle the Monsters on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Mich., home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Plymouth Whalers. The rivals will square off again on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 7:05 p.m. at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario, home to the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.

Tickets for the Sept. 28 game in Plymouth are now on sale for $10 both online and by calling (734) 453-8400. Tickets for the following night’s contest in Windsor will go on sale next Friday, Aug. 30 for $10 through wfcu-centre.com or by calling (866) 969-9328.

The Griffins will commence their 18th regular season in October and raise their 2013 Calder Cup championship banner on Oct. 18 prior to their home opener at Van Andel Arena. Fans can secure their full-season, partial-season or group ticket packages now by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2. Single-game tickets will go on sale on Friday, Sept. 20.

After not playing any preseason games for six years, the Griffins resumed a preseason slate last season with two contests against Lake Erie at Toledo’s Huntington Center and the University of Michigan’s Yost Ice Arena. Many Griffins took part in the Detroit Red Wings’ Red-White scrimmage at Compuware Arena in January, and the team will return to the area for its inaugural outdoor game at Comerica Park on Monday, Dec. 30, part of the Hockeytown Winter Festival.