Introductions are in Order
With as many as 10 of the Griffins' top 11 scorers from last season's record-setting squad potentially bound for the Red Wings and other NHL or AHL teams, there will be numerous new faces on the bench in 2006-07. Here's a look at some of the new players who might don a Grand Rapids sweater this fall.
The seats of Van Andel Arena are ready to be filled, the ink on the record books has finally dried, and the trophy case has been re-organized to make room for a new haul of hardware.
All that’s left to do is determine the roster that will defend the Griffins’ 2005-06 AHL regular season championship.
Grand Rapids – which along with four other AHL teams will receive up to four players from the Edmonton Oilers through a partial affiliation – will once again receive close to 20 players from the Detroit Red Wings, through an affiliation that enters its fifth season.
All that was missing from the Griffins’ 10th anniversary season was a storybook ending. (Unfortunately, a few Admirals from across the big lake spoiled things, only to go on and lose in Game 7 to the Bears from Chocolate Town.) Before reaching the conference finals, Grand Rapids joined with Detroit to become the first AHL/NHL affiliates in 29 years to claim their respective regular season championships.
Lost in any playoff disappointment was the most successful season in franchise history. In addition to capturing North Division, Western Conference and league titles during the regular season, the Griffins broke nearly 70 franchise records, produced the AHL’s Most Valuable Player and two other AHL All-Stars, and saw four different players earn Player of the Week honors.
It’s time to begin another quest for the Cup, starting with an 80-game gauntlet (see the Griffins entire schedule here). As with any successful team, the Griffins have not been immune to player turnover, with 10 of last season’s top 11 scorers potentially bound for the NHL or other AHL teams.
Still, you’d be wise to keep your calendar open during the months of May and June, as the Griffins have reloaded and are expected to be a title contender once again. Coach Greg Ireland and assistant Jim Paek are back for the next two seasons, and a strong core of players led by Matt Ellis, Kyle Quincey, Derek Meech and Jimmy Howard (above) will keep the team focused on its goal of bringing a Calder Cup to the Calder City.
Who will join them? Breathe a sign of relief as we take a look at some of the new faces who may sport a Griffins sweater this season.
Brendan Brooks: Center/Right Wing, 5’10”, 185 lbs.
Having played for Greg Ireland in 2000-01 as a member of the ECHL’s Dayton Bombers, when he led the team with a career-high 29 goals, Brooks could be reunited with his old coach after appearing in 79 games with Peoria last season. Known as one of the league’s fastest skaters, he has recorded 40 goals and 40 assists for 80 points in 204 games played in the AHL.
Jonathan Ericsson: Defense, 6’5”, 205 lbs.
Originally a center, Ericsson made a big impression when he was used as a defenseman in one game during his 2001-02 stint with Hasten’s junior team in Sweden. Drafted as a blueliner later that year with Detroit’s 10th choice, the big man spent the next four seasons bouncing around the Swedish scene, including the elite league. He is poised to make his North American debut with Grand Rapids.
Matt Hussey: Center, 6’2”, 211 lbs.
Hussey enjoyed a breakout season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2005-06, posting career highs with 21 goals and a team-leading 30 assists and 51 points. He helped the Penguins earn the East Division championship and the third-best record in the AHL. Hussey’s hot start – he totaled 19 points (9-10—19) in his first 17 games before being recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins – propelled Wilkes-Barre to an incredible 20-0-2-1 record out of the gate.
Pittsburgh’s 10th choice in the 1998 Entry Draft, he also appeared in 13 contests with the parent Pens last season, contributing an assist.
Krystofer Kolanos: Center, 6’3”, 206 lbs.
Drafted as Phoenix’s first pick, 19th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Kolanos has appeared in 115 games with the Coyotes over the last five years. His career was slowed due to a concussion suffered in March 2002, but he has bounced back and is once again a prominent scorer. Although he moved around to five different teams throughout last season, he tallied 21 points in 19 games for Lowell, before concluding the season with 18 games in Wilkes-Barre, averaging a point per game.
Josh Langfeld: Right Wing, 6’3”, 215 lbs.
Griffins fans may feel a sense of déjà vu if they see Langfeld skate onto the ice, remembering the 2001-02 season when his 37 points as a rookie Ottawa prospect ranked third on the team. The Fridley, Minn., native spent all of last season in the NHL, toiling for San Jose before being traded to Boston. Langfeld has 108 career NHL games under his belt, showing nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points.
Stefan Liv: Goaltender, 6’0”, 185 lbs.
Making his North American debut this season, Liv was born in Gdynia, Poland, but is a native of Sweden. Although tossed into a feisty goaltending battle in Grand Rapids, he is no stranger to strong competition. Liv served as the back-up goaltender for Sweden’s gold-medal winning team at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Latvia, and was on his homeland’s gold medal-winning team at the Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Evan McGrath: Center, 6’0”, 192 lbs.
McGrath comes to the Griffins following a career year in the Ontario Hockey League, where he recorded 114 points in 67 games for the Kitchener Rangers. The OHL All-Star brings skilled playmaking ability and is projected to be a top-two line player in years ahead at the NHL level. In addition to competing in the ADT Canada-Russia challenge for team OHL, McGrath was a finalist for the William Hanley trophy for most sportsmanlike player. The Oakville, Ontario, native is ranked among the top 10 Red Wings’ prospects as he enters his rookie pro season, the first of a three-year deal.
Brad Norton: Defenseman, 6’4”, 235 lbs.
Do not be fooled by this veteran’s lack of numbers in the stat column, for Norton makes a living preventing his opponents from recording their own. Last season, the native of Cambridge, Mass., was claimed by Binghamton on AHL waivers before having the chance to play for Grand Rapids, and he played seven games for the parent club in Ottawa. He will have an opportunity to make the Red Wings as either a forward or defenseman.
Dan Smith: Defenseman, 6’3”, 215 lbs.
Entering his 10th pro campaign with 561 games to his name, Smith brings veteran knowledge and leadership. A member of the 1997 Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears, the Fernie, British Columbia, native knows what it takes to win. He is expected to provide a firm foundation for the Griffins’ youthful defensive corps.
The seats of Van Andel Arena are ready to be filled, the ink on the record books has finally dried, and the trophy case has been re-organized to make room for a new haul of hardware.
All that’s left to do is determine the roster that will defend the Griffins’ 2005-06 AHL regular season championship.
Grand Rapids – which along with four other AHL teams will receive up to four players from the Edmonton Oilers through a partial affiliation – will once again receive close to 20 players from the Detroit Red Wings, through an affiliation that enters its fifth season.
All that was missing from the Griffins’ 10th anniversary season was a storybook ending. (Unfortunately, a few Admirals from across the big lake spoiled things, only to go on and lose in Game 7 to the Bears from Chocolate Town.) Before reaching the conference finals, Grand Rapids joined with Detroit to become the first AHL/NHL affiliates in 29 years to claim their respective regular season championships.
Lost in any playoff disappointment was the most successful season in franchise history. In addition to capturing North Division, Western Conference and league titles during the regular season, the Griffins broke nearly 70 franchise records, produced the AHL’s Most Valuable Player and two other AHL All-Stars, and saw four different players earn Player of the Week honors.
It’s time to begin another quest for the Cup, starting with an 80-game gauntlet (see the Griffins entire schedule here). As with any successful team, the Griffins have not been immune to player turnover, with 10 of last season’s top 11 scorers potentially bound for the NHL or other AHL teams.
Still, you’d be wise to keep your calendar open during the months of May and June, as the Griffins have reloaded and are expected to be a title contender once again. Coach Greg Ireland and assistant Jim Paek are back for the next two seasons, and a strong core of players led by Matt Ellis, Kyle Quincey, Derek Meech and Jimmy Howard (above) will keep the team focused on its goal of bringing a Calder Cup to the Calder City.
Who will join them? Breathe a sign of relief as we take a look at some of the new faces who may sport a Griffins sweater this season.
Brendan Brooks: Center/Right Wing, 5’10”, 185 lbs. Having played for Greg Ireland in 2000-01 as a member of the ECHL’s Dayton Bombers, when he led the team with a career-high 29 goals, Brooks could be reunited with his old coach after appearing in 79 games with Peoria last season. Known as one of the league’s fastest skaters, he has recorded 40 goals and 40 assists for 80 points in 204 games played in the AHL.
Jonathan Ericsson: Defense, 6’5”, 205 lbs.
Originally a center, Ericsson made a big impression when he was used as a defenseman in one game during his 2001-02 stint with Hasten’s junior team in Sweden. Drafted as a blueliner later that year with Detroit’s 10th choice, the big man spent the next four seasons bouncing around the Swedish scene, including the elite league. He is poised to make his North American debut with Grand Rapids.
Matt Hussey: Center, 6’2”, 211 lbs. Hussey enjoyed a breakout season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2005-06, posting career highs with 21 goals and a team-leading 30 assists and 51 points. He helped the Penguins earn the East Division championship and the third-best record in the AHL. Hussey’s hot start – he totaled 19 points (9-10—19) in his first 17 games before being recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins – propelled Wilkes-Barre to an incredible 20-0-2-1 record out of the gate.
Pittsburgh’s 10th choice in the 1998 Entry Draft, he also appeared in 13 contests with the parent Pens last season, contributing an assist.
Krystofer Kolanos: Center, 6’3”, 206 lbs.
Drafted as Phoenix’s first pick, 19th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Kolanos has appeared in 115 games with the Coyotes over the last five years. His career was slowed due to a concussion suffered in March 2002, but he has bounced back and is once again a prominent scorer. Although he moved around to five different teams throughout last season, he tallied 21 points in 19 games for Lowell, before concluding the season with 18 games in Wilkes-Barre, averaging a point per game.
Josh Langfeld: Right Wing, 6’3”, 215 lbs. Griffins fans may feel a sense of déjà vu if they see Langfeld skate onto the ice, remembering the 2001-02 season when his 37 points as a rookie Ottawa prospect ranked third on the team. The Fridley, Minn., native spent all of last season in the NHL, toiling for San Jose before being traded to Boston. Langfeld has 108 career NHL games under his belt, showing nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points.
Stefan Liv: Goaltender, 6’0”, 185 lbs.
Making his North American debut this season, Liv was born in Gdynia, Poland, but is a native of Sweden. Although tossed into a feisty goaltending battle in Grand Rapids, he is no stranger to strong competition. Liv served as the back-up goaltender for Sweden’s gold-medal winning team at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Latvia, and was on his homeland’s gold medal-winning team at the Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Evan McGrath: Center, 6’0”, 192 lbs. McGrath comes to the Griffins following a career year in the Ontario Hockey League, where he recorded 114 points in 67 games for the Kitchener Rangers. The OHL All-Star brings skilled playmaking ability and is projected to be a top-two line player in years ahead at the NHL level. In addition to competing in the ADT Canada-Russia challenge for team OHL, McGrath was a finalist for the William Hanley trophy for most sportsmanlike player. The Oakville, Ontario, native is ranked among the top 10 Red Wings’ prospects as he enters his rookie pro season, the first of a three-year deal.
Brad Norton: Defenseman, 6’4”, 235 lbs.
Do not be fooled by this veteran’s lack of numbers in the stat column, for Norton makes a living preventing his opponents from recording their own. Last season, the native of Cambridge, Mass., was claimed by Binghamton on AHL waivers before having the chance to play for Grand Rapids, and he played seven games for the parent club in Ottawa. He will have an opportunity to make the Red Wings as either a forward or defenseman.
Dan Smith: Defenseman, 6’3”, 215 lbs. Entering his 10th pro campaign with 561 games to his name, Smith brings veteran knowledge and leadership. A member of the 1997 Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears, the Fernie, British Columbia, native knows what it takes to win. He is expected to provide a firm foundation for the Griffins’ youthful defensive corps.
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