GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday signed goaltender Jan Bednar to a two-year contract for the remainder of this season and the 2023-24 campaign. The Griffins subsequently assigned the 2020 Detroit Red Wings draft pick to the Toledo Walleye (ECHL).

Bednar was the 107th overall pick by the Red Wings in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-4, 201-pound netminder has appeared in 10 games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titans in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season, compiling a 4-5-1 record, a 4.46 goals against average and a 0.874 save percentage. In 2021-22, Bednar was named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team when he ranked among the league leaders in GAA (2.72, 10th), save percentage (0.912, T5th), shutouts (2, T6th) and wins (28, T2nd). The 20-year-old was part of Team Czechia at the 2021-22 World Junior Championship and showed a 1-2-0 mark. Prior to coming to North America in 2021, the Karlovy, Czechia, native competed in parts of three seasons in the top professional league in his home country and notched a 7-19-0 ledger in 28 games to go along with a 3.72 GAA and a 0.893 save percentage. Bednar was named the 2019 Czech Extraliga Rookie of the Year when he amassed a 2.73 GAA and a 0.917 save percentage in 10 regular-season games.

Single-game tickets are on sale through griffinshockey.com/tickets. Fans can secure their season tickets by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com for more information.