Game 1 Fri., April 17 GRIFFINS at Bulldogs 7:30 p.m. Game 2 Sat., April 18 GRIFFINS at Bulldogs 7 p.m. Game 3 Mon., April 20 Bulldogs at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. (season ticket Game A) Game 4 Wed., April 22 Bulldogs at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. (Game B) *Game 5 Fri., April 24 Bulldogs at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. (Game C) *Game 6 Sun., April 26 GRIFFINS at Bulldogs 6 p.m. *Game 7 Mon., April 27 GRIFFINS at Bulldogs 7:30 p.m.

* If necessary. All times Eastern and subject to change. All games on Newsradio WOOD 1300.

Let’s Get It Started: After qualifying for the playoffs for the 10th time in their 13 seasons, the third-seeded Griffins (43-25-6-6, 98 pts.) will take on the second-seeded Hamilton Bulldogs (49-27-4-0, 102 pts.) in the best-of-seven North Division Semifinals, the teams’ first-ever playoff meeting. Hamilton finished four points ahead of Grand Rapids by winning its last five regular season games, including three victories over the Griffins, who closed out the campaign on a 1-6 note. Both teams return to the postseason for the first time since 2007, when the Bulldogs won the Calder Cup and the Griffins lost to Manitoba in seven games in the North Division Semifinals.

Get Your Tickets: Tickets for Games 3 and 4 at Van Andel Arena on Monday, April 20 and Wednesday, April 22 are currently on sale through The Zone, all Star Tickets outlets (800-585-3737) and online through griffinshockey.com. Fans can purchase a “Playoff 4-Pack” that includes four lower-bowl tickets to any home game during the Hamilton series, plus a limited-edition Darren McCarty figurine, for either $48 (Nets and Corners) or $68 (center ice Club section). In addition, the “Hat Trick Pack” offers one upper-bowl ticket to each of the three home games against the Bulldogs, plus any non-Reebok hat from The Zone, for just $29, a savings of up to $33. Fans who order the “Hat Trick Pack” by this Sunday, April 19 will also receive a coupon for 50% off any one regular priced item at The Zone (excluding jerseys). To purchase either ticket package, call the Griffins at (800) 2-HOCKEY or visit griffinshockey.com.

Playoff Promotions: The first 1,500 fans at Games 3 and 4 next Monday and Wednesday will receive a poster celebrating the Griffins’ first 100 NHL alumni, courtesy of Grand Valley State University. Game 5 (if necessary) on Friday, April 24 will feature the ever-popular Dollar Beers, Dollar Dogs promotion, with $1 hot dogs and $1 domestic drafts available from 6-8 p.m. while supplies last.

For the Record: In their eight-year rivalry, the Griffins show a regular season record of 20-23-1-0-2 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL) against the Bulldogs, including marks of 11-9-1-0-2 at Van Andel Arena and 9-14-0-0-0 at Copps Coliseum.

Unfamiliar Role: After enjoying home-ice advantage as the higher seed in 10 consecutive playoff series from 2001-2006, the Griffins will play their second straight series as the underdog. In the 2007 North Division Semifinals, fourth-seeded Grand Rapids built a 3-2 lead over division champion Manitoba heading back to Games 6 and 7 at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre, but the Moose claimed a pair of home-ice wins to advance.

Points of Pride: The Griffins finished the regular season in third in the North Division, fourth in the Western Conference and eighth in the AHL. Each marked the team’s highest respective finish since Grand Rapids won the AHL’s regular season title in 2005-06…The Griffins’ 98 points were the fifth-highest total in their 13 seasons, while their 25 home wins were the fourth-most in franchise history.

Longing for a Familiar Pillow: At the conclusion of Game 2 in Hamilton this Saturday, the Griffins will have played 11 of their last 12 games on the road, a stretch unprecedented in franchise history.

Playoff Facts and Figures: Grand Rapids has won six of 12 best-of-seven playoff series in its history and seven of 16 total playoff series…In their postseason history, the Griffins are a perfect 3-0 in seven-game series when winning Game 1 and 3-6 when dropping the opener…Grand Rapids’ record in Game 1 of all series is 6-10, including 3-9 in best-of-sevens…The Griffins have lost Game 1 of their last three playoff series, a deficit they rallied from against Manitoba in seven games during the 2006 North Division Finals…The Griffins went 3-4 during the 2007 playoffs (2-1 at home, 1-3 on the road), giving them an all-time mark of 41-41 during the postseason (19-22 at home, 22-19 on the road)…None of the Griffins’ top 56 all-time playoff scorers are currently with the club. Jakub Kindl, Jan Mursak and Ryan Oulahen each show a pair of assists to tie for 57th.

Who’s Next?: The winner of this series will advance to the North Division Finals to face either AHL regular season champion Manitoba (50-23-1-6) or fourth-seeded Toronto (39-29-5-7). During the regular season, Grand Rapids went 2-2-0-0 against the Moose and 5-2-1-0 versus the Marlies, while Hamilton compiled marks of 4-3-1-0 against Manitoba and 7-3-2-0 versus Toronto.

The Coaches: Curt Fraser led the Griffins back to the playoffs during his first season behind the team’s bench, posting his seventh 40-win campaign in as many seasons as a head coach at the Triple-A level (IHL Milwaukee 1992-94 and IHL Orlando 1995-99). Fraser led the Solar Bears to the Turner Cup Finals in both 1996 – as an expansion team – and 1999, and he orchestrated a first-round playoff triumph over Grand Rapids in 1997, ending the Griffins’ inaugural season. His Orlando teams won eight of 12 playoff series and posted a 17-4 record in elimination games, while his 1998-99 club became the first team in IHL history to overcome a 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven series, defeating Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals. Fraser’s last playoff experience came as an assistant coach with the 2003-04 New York Islanders, who lost 4-1 to eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals…Hamilton’s Ron Wilson was named interim head coach of the Bulldogs on March 9 following the promotion of Don Lever to an assistant’s position with the parent Montreal Canadiens. Wilson, who guided the Bulldogs to a 10-3-2-0 record after his appointment, has won two Calder Cups as an assistant coach, with Hamilton in 2007 and Saint John in 2001.

The Stories: The clash between Grand Rapids and Hamilton presents numerous storylines:
• The Griffins (3.19 goals per game – 4th in AHL; 19.7% on the power play – 4th) and Bulldogs (3.29 gpg – 3rd; 19.0% pp – 7th) boasted two of the league’s most potent offenses during the regular season. Defensively, Grand Rapids ranked much higher in penalty killing (85.7% – 3rd to 80.9% – 26th), while Hamilton had a clear advantage in goals allowed (2.51 – 3rd to 2.83 – T14th);
• Hamilton earned the second-best road record in the AHL (25-12-3-0), while Grand Rapids’ 25-8-3-4 mark at Van Andel Arena tied for the third-best home record on the circuit;
• Grand Rapids left wing Francis Lemieux won the Calder Cup with Hamilton in 2007 and played his first three pro seasons (2005-08) with the Bulldogs before being traded by Montreal to Detroit on Feb. 8, 2008. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s Kyle Chipchura and Dan Jancevski are the only roster holders from the Bulldogs’ championship team two years ago;
• Hamilton left wing Max Pacioretty played for the University of Michigan in 2007-08, earning CCHA Rookie of the Year honors after totaling 39 points (15-24—39) in 37 games;
• Twelve Griffins players or coaches have ties to Ontario, having been born, lived or played in the province;
• The Griffins did not face a Canadian playoff foe during their first nine seasons (12 series), but Hamilton will be their fourth opponent from north of the border in five postseason series over the last four seasons;
• The Griffins and Bulldogs met three times in the final five games of the regular season, meaning they could face each other 10 times in a 12-game span should their series extend to the maximum seven games.

Regular Season Series Notes: Mattias Ritola (3-4—7) and Hamilton’s David Desharnais (5-2—7) led all players in scoring during the six-game season series, with Desharnais’ five goals also pacing the pack…In the Bulldogs’ 6-3 win on April 3, Brock Trotter lit the lamp just nine seconds into the game to set a record for the fastest goal ever scored against the Griffins at the start of a period. Also in that contest, Desharnais tied a Grand Rapids record (1998-99) by becoming the sixth opposing player to score a hat trick this season…Jimmy Howard logged all the regular-season minutes against the Bulldogs, going 2-4 with a 3.70 GAA and a 0.894 save percentage…Hamilton’s Cedrick Desjardins was 3-2 with a 2.66 GAA and a 0.904 save percentage in five games against the Griffins…Grand Rapids is 3-11 in its last 14 trips to Copps Coliseum, dating back to the 2005-06 season…The Bulldogs’ 3-2 win at Van Andel Arena on April 10 marked the only time this season that the Griffins lost in regulation when leading after two periods (32-1-3-3), and it was the only meeting of the six between Hamilton and Grand Rapids this season that was decided by one goal…The Bulldogs out-scored the Griffins 23-18 during the season series…Both teams were proficient on the power play, with Grand Rapids going 8-for-30 (26.7%) and tallying in five of the six games, and Hamilton going 6-for-28 (21.4%) with a trio of two-goal efforts…Hamilton’s 49 shots on April 3 and 40 penalty minutes on Oct. 25 were both the most by a Griffins opponent this season, while Grand Rapids’ 34 PIM on April 10 against the Bulldogs marked its season high.

2008-09 Griffins vs. Bulldogs

Griffins Records: 2-4-0-0 Overall, 1-2-0-0 in Grand Rapids, 1-2-0-0 in Hamilton
Bulldogs Records: 4-2-0-0 Overall, 2-1-0-0 in Grand Rapids, 2-1-0-0 in Hamilton

Oct. 25 – Griffins 6, Bulldogs 4 – Van Andel Arena
The Griffins scored four goals in the game’s first 8:55 en route to a victory in their home opener. Goals by Garrett Stafford, Justin Abdelkader and Mattias Ritola sent Marc Denis to an early shower, and Ritola welcomed Cedrick Desjardins with his second of the period minutes later to make it a 4-0 lead. Hamilton got back into the game with a pair of goals early in the second, as Ryan Russell one-timed a shot past Jimmy Howard from close quarters at 2:19 and Shawn Belle tallied shorthanded at 5:56. Ville Leino’s marker at 14:33 gave Grand Rapids a three-goal cushion heading into the third period, but the Bulldogs rallied on a pair of Matt D’Agostini goals before Leino slipped his second into an empty net in the final seconds. Howard made 20 saves for the win, while Desjardins suffered the hard-luck loss despite 17 stops.

Dec. 6 – Bulldogs 5, Griffins 2 – Van Andel Arena
Kyle Chipchura scored twice to pace the Bulldogs to the win, marking the Griffins’ first regulation loss of the season to a North Division rival. Grand Rapids also saw two impressive runs snapped by the loss, with a six-game point streak and eight-game home point streak coming to an end. With Chris Chelios making the final appearance of his two-game conditioning assignment, the Griffins used an early power play to net a Darren Haydar goal just 56 seconds into the contest. Jimmy Howard repeatedly denied Hamilton shooters with stellar play in the early going, until Chipchura got his Bulldogs on the board at 13:04 during a two-man advantage. Mathieu Aubin gave Hamilton the lead shortly after at 17:40. Cory Emmerton netted his first professional goal at 11:56 of the second period to tie matters, but David Desharnais and Ryan White tallied later in the contest and Chipchura scored his second for the three-goal margin. Howard finished with 28 saves, while Cedrick Desjardins made 23 stops for the win.

Jan. 14 – Griffins 3, Bulldogs 1 – Copps Coliseum
The Griffins earned the win to extend their point streak to five games (4-0-1-0). Jimmy Howard made 32 saves and was a huge cog in Grand Rapids’ penalty killing unit, which denied Hamilton on all five of its power play chances. Those five kills extended the Griffins’ penalty-killing streak to nine games, matching a franchise record. Howard’s counterpart, Cedrick Desjardins, made 35 saves on the night, and combined with Howard to stop the first 46 shots of the contest before Mattias Ritola broke the scoreless tie with a power play goal at 6:33 of the second period. Darren Haydar picked up the assist and added a helper on Evan McGrath’s tally just 2:17 later, also with the man-advantage. Howard’s shutout bid ended with 7:20 remaining in the game, when Ben Maxwell scored on Hamilton’s 30th shot. Jamie Tardif put the Griffins back up by two at 17:09 to cap off the win. With two assists, Haydar concluded a team-high five-game assist streak (Jan. 3-14).

April 3 – Bulldogs 6, Griffins 3 – Copps Coliseum
David Desharnais’ hat trick led the Bulldogs to the win in a hard-fought battle that was tied 3-3 with less than five minutes remaining, until the Bulldogs pulled away with two 5-on-3 goals and an empty-net tally. Brock Trotter scored just nine seconds into the contest, marking the fastest goal by a Griffins’ opponent to start a game and a period in franchise history. The Griffins notched the equalizer early in the second, as Darren McCarty redirected Darren Helm’s shot past Cedrick Desjardins just 35 ticks into the frame. The game remained tied until Desharnais netted his first at 15:15 and his second just 35 seconds into the third to give his Bulldogs a 3-1 advantage. While up one man, Justin Abdelkader netted his 23rd goal of the season to set a Griffins rookie goal-scoring record at 6:17, and Darren Haydar tied the game at 13:11 during another power play chance. But Hamilton was awarded two 5-on-3 opportunities in the closing minutes and capitalized on each, with Yannick Weber scoring at 15:44 and Desharnais completing his hat trick at 16:35. Alex Henry added the empty net tally after the Griffins’ net was vacated by Howard, who finished with 43 saves. Desjardins had 29 for the Bulldogs.

April 4 – Bulldogs 4, Griffins 2 – Copps Coliseum
The Griffins suffered their second loss in as many nights at Copps Coliseum, as Hamilton tied Grand Rapids in the North Division standings. Brock Trotter’s power play goal 8:50 into the opening frame was answered by P.J. Atherton’s first goal in a Griffins uniform at 1:58 of the second period. Yannick Weber put Hamilton back on top at 9:40 with another power play goal, and Ryan Russell scored shorthanded with 4:56 left in the period to give the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead at intermission. Playing in just his third professional game, defenseman Brian Lashoff netted his first goal and pulled the Griffins within one during a power play at 4:43 of the third, giving him three points in as many nights to start his pro career. But Yanick Lehoux capped off the Bulldogs’ four-goal night by throwing the puck to the front of the net while losing an edge and sliding behind the cage at 15:38. Jimmy Howard made 23 saves, while Cedrick Desjardins finished with 18.

April 10 – Bulldogs 3, Griffins 2 – Van Andel Arena
The Bulldogs rallied for the win with a pair of third-period goals before a sold-out Van Andel Arena, clinching second place in the North Division and home-ice advantage over the Griffins in their playoff series. The rivals traded goals within a span of 38 seconds in the early going. Grand Rapids took the upper hand during a 4-on-4 situation at 6:04, as Jakub Kindl darted toward the net to deflect Mattias Ritola’s wrister from the right side past Marc Denis. But a defensive lapse enabled Yanick Lehoux to send a pass across the slot to Ben Maxwell for an easy tally from the right side. Francis Lemieux burned his former mates to give the Griffins a 2-1 lead at the 5:25 mark of the second period, an advantage they would keep through the second intermission. That cushion lasted only 44 seconds into the third, as Mike Glumac redirected a shot past Jimmy Howard to knot the score. Hamilton then grabbed its only lead of the night with 4:02 remaining, when David Desharnais’ attempt trickled through Howard’s pads. Howard deserved a much better fate, stopping 40-of-43 shots, but Denis took the win with a 24-save effort. The loss marked the only time all season the Griffins fell in regulation when leading entering the final frame (32-1-3-3).

Tale of the Tape: Here’s how the two rivals stacked up in key categories during the regular season:

	Grand Rapids	Hamilton
Overall Record	43-25-6-6, 98 pts. (3rd North, 8th AHL)	49-27-4-0, 102 pts. (2nd North, 6th AHL
Home Record	25-8-3-4, 57 pts. (T3rd)	24-15-1-0, 49 pts. (T15th)
Road Record	18-17-3-2, 41 pts. (T10th)	25-12-3-0, 53 pts. (2nd)
Power Play	77-for-391, 19.7% (4th)	76-for-399, 19.0% (7th)
Penalty Killing	306-for-357, 85.7% (3rd)	304-for-376, 80.9% (26th)
Penalty Minutes	12.19 avg. (29th)	17.00 avg. (20th)
Goals For	3.19 avg. (4th)	3.29 avg. (3rd)
Goals Against	2.83 avg. (T14th)	2.51 avg. (3rd)
Shots For	31.40 avg. (6th)	29.26 avg. (20th)
Shots Against	30.48 avg. (19th)	30.70 avg. (20th)
Team Leaders
Games Played	Darrem Haydar (79)	Yanick Lehoux/Ryan White (80)
Goals	Haydar (31)	Mike Glumac (33)
Assists	Haydar (49)	Lehoux (41)
Points	Haydar (80)	Lehoux (60)
Plus/Minus	Francis Pare (+23)	Kyle Chipchura (+28)
Penalty Minutes	Aaron Downey (126)	Greg Stewart (170)
Power Play Goals	Haydar (16)	Glumac (17)
Shorthanded Goals	Darren Helm (3)	Ryan Russell (4)
Game-Winning Goals	Haydar (5)	Brock Trotter (6)
Wins	Daniel Larsson (22)	Marc Denis (27)
Shutouts	Larsson (5)	Denis (5)
Goals Against Average	Jimmy Howard (2.54)	Denis (2.46)
Save Percentage	Howard (0.916)	Denis (0.920)

Tell Me What It Takes: Twelve players and coaches for the Griffins have won major championships in North America at the pro, college or major junior level. Aaron Downey (Calder Cup – 1999 Providence), Darren Helm and Darren McCarty (first three Stanley Cups in 2002, 1998 and 1997 with Detroit) had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup as members of the 2008 Detroit Red Wings, while Justin Abdelkader (NCAA Championship – 2007 Michigan State, USHL Clark Cup – 2005 Cedar Rapids), Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard, Jakub Kindl and Mattias Ritola served as “black aces” for the team during its championship run. Meanwhile, Darren Haydar led the Chicago Wolves to the Calder Cup last spring, giving him his second AHL title (2004 Milwaukee). Other cup winners include assistant coach Jim Paek (Stanley Cup – 1991 and 1992 Pittsburgh, IHL Turner Cup – 1989 Muskegon and 1999 Houston), Francis Lemieux (Calder Cup – 2007 Hamilton) and Evan McGrath (CHL Memorial Cup – 2003 Kitchener).

Playoff Roster: Thirty two players make up the Griffins’ roster for the 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs: goaltenders Jimmy Howard, Daniel Larsson and Jordan Pearce; defensemen Jonathan Ericsson (currently with Detroit), Tom Galvin, Jason Jozsa, Jakub Kindl, Sergei Kolosov, Brian Lashoff, Brett Peterson, Logan Pyett and Garrett Stafford; and forwards Justin Abdelkader, Joakim Andersson, Dick Axelsson, Dan Charleston, Aaron Downey, Cory Emmerton, Aaron Gagnon, Darren Haydar, Darren Helm (currently with Detroit), Ville Leino (currently with Detroit), Francis Lemieux, Darren McCarty, Evan McGrath, Jan Mursak, Ryan Oulahen (season-ending injury), Francis Pare, Brent Raedeke, Mattias Ritola, Jamie Tardif and Zack Torquato.

Oh Captain, My Captain: Griffins right wing Darren Haydar captained the Chicago Wolves to the Calder Cup last season and won his first AHL championship with the Milwaukee Admirals in 2004. He is already the AHL’s all-time playoff leader with 55 goals and 124 points, and he needs just two assists to tie Willie Marshall (71 assists) for first place. In addition, Haydar’s 95 career Calder Cup Playoff games tie for 13th.

It’s Been Awhile: Only eight players from the Griffins’ playoff roster participated in the team’s last postseason series, a 4-3 loss to the Manitoba Moose in the 2007 North Division Semifinals: goaltender Jimmy Howard (3-4, 1.93 GAA, 0.927% in 7 GP); defensemen Jonathan Ericsson (0-0—0 in 7 GP) and Jakub Kindl (0-2—2 in 7 GP); and forwards Cory Emmerton (0-0—0 in 2 GP), Evan McGrath (0-0—0 in 7 GP), Jan Mursak (0-2—2 in 7 GP), Ryan Oulahen (0-2—2 in 7 GP) and Jamie Tardif (0-0—0 in 2 GP).

Experience Counts: Jimmy Howard is the Griffins’ career leader among goaltenders with 20 playoff appearances, showing an 8-11 record with a 2.91 GAA and a 0.899 save percentage. He was spectacular in his most recent postseason action, Grand Rapids’ 4-3 loss to Manitoba in the 2007 North Division Semifinals, posting a 1.93 GAA and a 0.927 save percentage.

Banner Year for Attendance: The Griffins’ capacity crowd (10,834) for their April 10 home finale gave them four consecutive sellouts (six total this season) for the first time in more than 10 years (Dec. 31, 1998-Jan. 29, 1999) and a season-ending attendance of 297,905 (7,448 avg.), their highest since drawing 328,919 during the 2000-01 season. Grand Rapids enjoyed three straight seasons of increased attendance for the first time in franchise history and finished with its largest percentage increase ever from one season to the next (8.0%, or exactly 22,000 more fans than last season). The Griffins finished third in the AHL in attendance, their highest ranking in eight seasons of league membership.

Random Fact: Four of the last five winners of the AHL’s Les Cunningham Award (regular season MVP) have ties to the Griffins: 2008-09 Hershey’s Alexandre Giroux (2001-02 Griffins), 2006-07 Chicago’s Darren Haydar, 2005-06 Grand Rapids’ Donald MacLean, and 2004-05 Binghamton’s Jason Spezza (2001-02 Griffins).

Simply the Best: Nine Griffins ranked among the AHL's individual leaders during the regular season:
Justin Abdelkader - 52 points (8th rookies), 24 goals (T3rd rookies), 28 assists (T13th rookies), 10 power play goals (T4th rookies), one shorthanded goal (T5th rookies), two shorthanded points (T5th rookies), 195 shots (7th rookies), 36 minor penalties (T4th rookies)
Cory Emmerton - Two shootout-winning goals (T2nd rookies)
Darren Haydar - 80 points (6th), 31 goals (T9th), 49 assists (T10th), 41 power play points (3rd), 16 power play goals (T7th), 25 power play assists (T7th), nine first goals (T2nd)
Darren Helm - Three shorthanded goals (T12th)
Jimmy Howard - 2.54 GAA (19th), 0.916 save percentage (T13th), four shutouts (T7th), 21 wins (T18th)
Daniel Larsson - Five shutouts (T3rd), 22 wins (T16th)
Ryan Oulahen - Three shorthanded assists (T4th)
Francis Pare - 48 points (T14th rookies), 24 goals (T3rd rookies), plus-23 rating (T12th overall, T1st rookies), 0.171 shooting percentage (T4th rookies)
Garrett Stafford - 45 points (T7th defensemen), 11 goals (T7th defensemen), 28 power play points (T5th defensemen), seven power play goals (T5th defensemen)

Take Me to Your Leaders: Following this year’s performances, many Griffins rank among the franchise’s all-time top 10 statistical leaders (regular season):
Justin Abdelkader - One overtime goal (T7th)
Darren Haydar - Nine first goals (T10th), 0.157 shooting percentage (8th)
Darren Helm - Five shorthanded goals (T5th), seven unassisted goals (T3rd)
Jimmy Howard - 186 goalie games played (1st), 10659:17 minutes played (1st), 2.67 GAA (10th), 90 wins (1st), 14 shutouts (2nd), 4,849 saves (1st), 0.911 save percentage (T8th)
Jason Jozsa - One overtime goal (T7th)
Daniel Larsson - 40 goalie games played (10th), 2152:20 minutes played (10th), 22 wins (9th), five shutouts (6th), 964 saves (10th), 0.907 save percentage (10th)
Evan McGrath - Four unassisted goals (T8th), 11 shootout goals (T2nd), 24 shootout attempts (4th)
Ryan Oulahen - 302 games played (3rd), five shorthanded goals (T5th), six unassisted goals (T5th), 504 shots (7th)
Francis Pare - 0.171 shooting percentage (4th)
Jamie Tardif - 440 shots (10th)

One for the Books: Several Griffins enjoyed seasons that ranked statistically among the best in franchise history:
Darren Haydar - 49 assists (8th), 80 points (9th), 16 power play goals (2nd), nine first goals (T2nd)
Darren Helm - Three shorthanded goals (T5th), four unassisted goals (T4th)
Jimmy Howard - 45 goalie games played (10th), 2644:25 minutes played (9th), 21 wins (T10th), four shutouts (T8th), 1,215 saves (9th), 0.916 save percentage (T9th), four shootout wins (T6th)
Daniel Larsson - 22 wins (T8th), five shutouts (T6th)
Francis Pare - 0.171 shooting percentage (T7th)

Honor Roll: Six Griffins received significant individual honors from the AHL this season:
Justin Abdelkader - AHL All-Rookie Team; Reebok Edge/AHL Rookie of the Month (October)
Darren Haydar - AHL Second All-Star Team
Jimmy Howard - Reebok/AHL Player of the Week (Jan. 25); Griffins’ American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year
Jakub Kindl - Played for PlanetUSA in the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic
Daniel Larsson - Played for PlanetUSA in the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic
Francis Pare - Reebok/AHL Player of the Week (Dec. 21)

Mr Consistency: Darren Haydar became the 11th player in Griffins history to score 31 goals, the eighth to tally 49 assists and the ninth to record 80 points through remarkably consistent performances. Haydar, whose team-high 10-game point streak from Feb. 20-March 13 tied for the seventh-longest in franchise history, registered points in 55 of his 79 appearances (70%) this season, including 19 multi-point efforts.

Youth Not Wasted on the Young: Justin Abdelkader and Francis Pare each finished with 24 goals, breaking Kevyn Adams’ 12-year-old record (22 in 1996-97) for goals by a Griffins rookie. Abdelkader’s 52 points (24-28—52) were the second-most all time by a Grand Rapids rookie (55 by Glen Metropolit in 1997-98), while Pare’s 0.171 shooting percentage was the highest ever for a first-year Griffin. Abdelkader, Pare (24-24—48) and Cory Emmerton (10-25—35) became the most prolific trio of Griffins rookies ever, ranking second, third and 10th in single-season scoring among all first-year players in franchise history.

Twice as Nice: Daniel Larsson (22 wins, five shutouts) and Jimmy Howard (21 wins, four shutouts) became the first Griffins goaltending duo to finish with either 20 victories apiece or four shutouts apiece since 2003-04 (Joey MacDonald 22/6, Marc Lamothe 21/4). Together, Larsson and Howard fell one shy of the team record of 10 shutouts set by that 2003-04 tandem.

You Can Only Hope to Contain Them: While the Griffins were technically shut out by Quad City’s Matt Keetley in a 1-0 shootout win over the Flames on Jan. 24, this marked the first regular season in franchise history that Grand Rapids never finished a game with a zero on its side of the scoreboard.

Special Improvements: The Griffins’ special teams made dramatic improvements from 2007-08 to 2008-09. Last season, both their power play (16.4%) and penalty kill (82.5%) ranked 18th out of 29 AHL teams, while this season, they rocketed to fourth on the power play (19.7%) and third in penalty killing (85.7%). Grand Rapids finished with its best power play percentage since 2005-06 (21.8%) and its best penalty killing rate since 2003-04 (87.0%).

Give Peace a Chance: The Griffins was the only team in the AHL this season with fewer than 1,000 penalty minutes (963), and their opponents also finished with the league’s lowest figure (1,031). Grand Rapids posted the fewest penalty minutes in franchise history (1,287, 2002-03), while Aaron Downey’s 126 PIM were the lowest figure ever for a Griffins penalty minute leader (149 by Kyle Quincey, 2007-08).

Low on Iron(men): Ryan Oulahen had been the only Griffin to appear in each game this season prior to suffering a dislocated hip on March 27 in Norfolk. As a result, this was the team’s first season since 2000-01 and its first AHL campaign to not have any Griffin play in every regular season game.

Will April Showers Bring May (or June) Flowers?: The Griffins finished April with a 1-4 record overall and a 1-3 mark on the road, continuing a seven-year run of difficulty during the regular season’s final weeks. Due perhaps in part to a schedule which has seen them play 29 road games to only 14 home games over the last seven Aprils, the Griffins have posted a cumulative 15-27-0-1 record (0.360) overall and an 8-21 mark (0.276) away from Van Andel Arena down the stretch.

A Downward Trend: The Griffins were remarkably injury-and-callup-free over the season’s first four months, with January being their worst month as far as man-games lost (seven players missed 31 games/2.2 per Griffins game). The attrition became much worse over the final three months, with February (13/71/5.5), March (13/78/5.6) and April (9/30/6.0) showing increasing roster devastation.

Getting Their Feet Wet: Five different players have made their AHL debuts with the Griffins since March 29: goaltender Jordan Pearce from Notre Dame (0-1-0, 5.11 GAA, 0.868%), defenseman Brian Lashoff from OHL Kingston (1-4—5 in 6 GP), and forwards Joakim Andersson from Sweden’s Frolunda (0-1—1 in 1 GP), Dan Charleston from Nebraska-Omaha (0-0—0 in 3 GP) and Brent Raedeke from WHL Edmonton (0-0—0 in 2 GP). In addition, center Zack Torquato from OHL Erie saw his first action of the season on April 5 after playing 11 games for Grand Rapids late last season.

In the Show: With the advancement of seven current or former Griffins to the NHL this season, Grand Rapids has now sent 102 players on to the NHL during its 13 seasons of play. Forty Griffins alumni logged ice time with a record 21 different NHL teams this year, combining to play 1,669 games while accumulating 211 goals, 412 assists, 623 points, 63 wins and three shutouts.