GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Propelled by a John Leonard hat trick and four points from Carter Bear, the Grand Rapids Griffins toppled the Rockford IceHogs 6-3 in a Wednesday matinee at Van Andel Arena to extend their point streak at home to nine games (8-0-0-1).

In his first game back with the Griffins after a stint with the Detroit Red Wings, Leonard potted a goal in each period on the way to his second hat trick in just seven games played with Grand Rapids this campaign. Leonard also collected an assist, and in three contests against the IceHogs this season, the New Jersey native has 10 points (8-2–10). Bear scored two goals and recorded two assists to extend his point streak to six games (3-10–13), Axel Sandin-Pellikka grabbed two points (1-1–2) and Jesse Kiiskinen tallied two assists. In his Griffins season debut, Nate Danielson recorded three helpers, and Michal Postava made 25 saves to complete his sixth win of the year. 

Despite getting outshot 7-3 over the first 13 minutes of play, Rockford scored the first goal of the contest at 13:11 on a two-man advantage. Dominic Toninato recorded the tally by netting the rebound off a shot from Derrick Pouliot that bounced off the left post.

Grand Rapids fired back less than three minutes later, also on a power play. After securing a pass from Bear, Sandin-Pellikka launched the puck past Stanislav Berezhnoy from the high slot to tie the game at 15:22.

Leonard found the twine on another man-advantage with two seconds remaining in the first period from the left faceoff dot to give Grand Rapids a 2-1 lead heading into the second.

Bear opened the scoring in the middle stanza with a power-play tally at 5:11. Following a no-look pass from Leonard, the rookie sniped the top right corner of the net from the right circle for a 3-1 advantage.

Grand Rapids extended its lead 2:44 later when Kiiskinen sent a leading pass up the ice to Leonard and the seventh year pro backhanded the puck past the netminder to make it 4-1 at 7:55.

Toninato capped off the second period by flicking a shot past an outstretched Postava at 18:38 to halve the deficit for the IceHogs.

Leonard finalized the hat trick with a goal 3:41 into the final period off a shot from the left circle that found the right corner of the cage and increased the lead to 5-2.

Martin Misiak concluded Rockford’s scoring at 6:34 from the right circle. With 5:12 remaining, the IceHogs pulled their goaltender, and Bear found the empty net with 3:34 left to cement the 6-3 win.   

Notes

• The Griffins have won their last four School Day Games and are 16-7-1-1(.680) since 2001, when they began the tradition by hosting the first non-holiday weekday matinee in AHL history.
• The Griffins now have five hat tricks this season, and all have come at Van Andel Arena in just nine games. Grand Rapids has already tied its franchise record for home hat tricks in a season, set in 2005-06. That year, the team’s fifth home hat trick came in its 33rd game at Van Andel Arena.
• Those five hat tricks already tie for the Griffins second-most ever in a season, equaling 2025-26, 2015-16 and 2001-02, and stand four shy of their team-record nine hat tricks from 2005-06 (with 57 games remaining).

Box Score
Rockford 1 1 1 - 3
Grand Rapids 2 2 2 - 6

1st Period-1, Rockford, Toninato 2 (Pouliot, Felcman), 13:11 (PP). 2, Grand Rapids, Sandin-Pellikka 2 (Bear, Danielson), 15:22 (PP). 3, Grand Rapids, Leonard 6 (Bear, Sandin-Pellikka), 19:58 (PP). Penalties-Mylymok Rfd (fighting), 2:18; Butler Gr (fighting), 2:18; Kannok Leipert Gr (slashing), 6:45; Hayes Rfd (hooking), 10:19; Bryson Gr (slashing), 12:01; Lagesson Gr (slashing), 12:48; Seney Rfd (interference), 15:08; Berezhnoy Rfd (delay of game), 17:18; Engelbert Rfd (slashing), 18:22.

2nd Period-4, Grand Rapids, Bear 4 (Leonard, Shine), 5:11 (PP). 5, Grand Rapids, Leonard 7 (Kiiskinen, Danielson), 7:55. 6, Rockford, Toninato 3 (Misiak, Slaggert), 18:38. Penalties-served by Dower Nilsson Gr (too many men - bench minor), 1:44; Toninato Rfd (slashing), 3:07; Fitzgerald Rfd (slashing), 4:14; Misiak Rfd (slashing), 11:34; Hayes Rfd (delay of game - faceoff violation (batting puck with hand)), 13:31.

3rd Period-7, Grand Rapids, Leonard 8 (Danielson, Kiiskinen), 3:41. 8, Rockford, Misiak 2   6:34. 9, Grand Rapids, Bear 5 (Skoog), 16:26 (EN). Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Rockford 6-5-17-28. Grand Rapids 13-14-4-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Rockford 1 / 4; Grand Rapids 3 / 8.
Goalies-Rockford, Berezhnoy 3-4-0 (30 shots-25 saves). Grand Rapids, Postava 6-0-0 (28 shots-25 saves).
A-8,110

Three Stars
1. GR Leonard (hat-trick, assist); 2. GR Bear (two goals, two assists); 3. GR Danielson (three assists)

Record / Next Game
Grand Rapids: 11-2-1-1 (24 pts.) / Fri., Nov. 13 at Iowa 8 p.m. EST
Rockford: 5-8-0-1 (11 pts.) / Fri., Nov. 13 vs. Milwaukee 7 p.m. CST

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins