GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – As part of its Best of 2013 Awards, Gameops.com this week named the Grand Rapids Griffins as a recipient of Best Team Operations honors, as well as an honorable mention for Best Team Introductions.

The Gameops.com Best of Awards have recognized professional sports teams for excellence in game operations and entertainment since 2001. The criteria for Best Team Operations include creativity, value to fans, overcoming sport and budget limitations, quality of presentation and attention to detail.

The Griffins’ game operations and introductions were produced for the 2012-13 season by former director of game operations Rich Meyers, former video coordinator Ryan Gajewski and Van Andel Arena video director Eric Nacke. Newcomers Phil Cronin and Nathan Hone now fill the first two positions, respectively, and continue to produce top-notch sports entertainment that presents Griffins fans with various themed giveaways, visual spectacles and on-ice contests and presentations.

Noted by one Gameops.com panelist, “The Grand Rapids Griffins is a team that just always seems to be producing entertaining and notable content worthy of praise. Like their award-winning team introductions (Honorable Mention 2013) which many panelists noted was fitting an NHL team, the Griffins work at an elite level with their operations and entertainment. Having an elite team is never enough to make ordinary game operations great, but this team showed that a Calder Cup-level team on the ice can help accentuate a top-level show into an award winner.”

The other recipients of honors in the Best Team Operations category include the MiLB’s Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the MLS’s Portland Timbers and the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves.