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GRIFFINS SIGN NATHAN PAETSCH AND TRISTON GRANT

Jul 09, 2012
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Monday signed defenseman Nathan Paetsch (PAY-tch) and left wing Triston Grant to one-year contracts.

Paetsch, 29, is a former AHL All-Star (2005-06) who brings four seasons of NHL experience to the Grand Rapids blueline, having played 167 games with the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2005-10. The LeRoy, Saskatchewan, native was fourth among NHL rookie defensemen with 24 points (2-22—24) for the Sabres in 2006-07 and has totaled 42 points (7-35—42) and 114 penalty minutes in his NHL career.

The 6-foot, 195-pound defenseman also has 249 games of AHL experience on his resumé, most recently notching 20 points (9-11—20) over 43 games with the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch in 2010-11. Paetsch had a career-best 50 points (11-39—50) with the Amerks in 2005-06, accounting for nearly half of his 103 career AHL points (29-74—103).

Paetsch spent the 2011-12 season overseas, suiting up in 52 games for Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams of Germany’s DEL and finishing second among the club’s defensemen with 25 points (7-18—25).

Grant, 28, skated in 53 contests for the Oklahoma City Barons in 2011-12, registering 15 points (11-4—15) and tying for 17th in the AHL with 163 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound winger has appeared in 435 AHL games with the Barons, Americans, Milwaukee Admirals and Philadelphia Phantoms, tallying 101 points (50-51—101) and 1,266 penalty minutes. His best AHL season came with the Admirals in 2009-10, when he set career highs with 74 games played, 12 goals, 13 assists, 25 points and 236 penalty minutes.

The Neepawa, Manitoba, native has also played in 11 NHL contests with the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators, registering one assist and 19 penalty minutes.

NATHAN PAETSCH * Defenseman

Height: 6'0" Weight: 195 Shoots: Left Born: 3/30/83 in LeRoy, Saskatchewan
Drafted: Buffalo's 8th choice, 202nd overall, in 2003 NHL Entry Draft
Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PTS PIM
1998-99 Tisdale SMHL 74 20 55 75 120 -- -- -- -- --
Moose Jaw WHL 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
1999-00 Moose Jaw WHL 68 9 35 44 49 4 0 1 1 0
2000-01 Moose Jaw WHL 70 8 54 62 118 4 1 2 3 6
2001-02 Moose Jaw WHL 59 16 36 52 86 12 0 4 4 16
2002-03 Moose Jaw WHL 59 15 39 54 81 13 3 10 13 6
2003-04 Rochester AHL 54 5 5 10 49 16 1 1 2 28
2004-05 Rochester AHL 80 4 19 23 150 9 1 1 2 16
2005-06 Rochester AHL 72 11 39 50 90 -- -- -- -- --
Buffalo NHL 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
2006-07 Buffalo NHL 63 2 22 24 50 -- -- -- -- --
2007-08 Buffalo NHL 59 2 7 9 27 -- -- -- -- --
2008-09 Buffalo NHL 23 2 4 6 25 -- -- -- -- --
2009-10 Buffalo NHL 11 1 1 2 6 -- -- -- -- --
Columbus NHL 10 0 0 0 6 -- -- -- -- --
2010-11 Rochester AHL 9 1 2 3 2 -- -- -- -- --
Syracuse AHL 34 8 9 17 12 -- -- -- -- --
2011-12 EHC Wolfsburg DEL 52 7 18 25 46 2 0 0 0 0
NHL TOTALS 167 7 35 42 114 1 0 0 0 0
AHL TOTALS 249 29 74 103 303 25 2 2 4 44
PRO TOTALS 468 43 127 170 463 28 2 2 4 44

TRISTON GRANT * Left Wing

Height: 6'2" Weight: 215 Shoots: Left Born: 2/2/84 in Neepawa, Manitoba
Drafted: Philadelphia's 10th choice, 286th overall, in 2004 NHL Entry Draft
Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PTS PIM
2000-01 Lethbridge WHL 23 2 0 2 75 5 0 0 0 11
2001-02 Lethbridge WHL 36 8 1 9 110 -- -- -- -- --
Vancouver WHL 21 2 4 6 53 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Vancouver WHL 72 10 10 20 200 4 0 0 0 10
2003-04 Vancouver WHL 69 10 8 18 267 11 1 1 2 33
2004-05 Vancouver WHL 70 20 12 32 193 6 1 0 1 8
2005-06 Philadelphia AHL 64 2 3 5 190 -- -- -- -- --
2006-07 Philadelphia AHL 61 5 6 11 199 -- -- -- -- --
Philadelphia NHL 8 0 1 1 10 -- -- -- -- --
2007-08 Philadelphia AHL 72 10 11 21 181 12 0 2 2 34
2008-09 Milwaukee AHL 55 3 8 11 153 11 1 1 2 12
2009-10 Milwaukee AHL 74 12 13 25 236 5 0 2 2 16
Nashville NHL 3 0 0 0 9 -- -- -- -- --
2010-11 Rochester AHL 56 7 6 13 144 -- -- -- -- --
2011-12 Oklahoma City AHL 53 11 4 15 163 7 0 0 0 29
NHL TOTALS 11 0 1 1 19 0 0 0 0 0
AHL TOTALS 435 50 51 101 1266 35 1 5 6 91
PRO TOTALS 446 50 52 102 1285 35 1 5 6 91