This Week’s Games

GRIFFINS (43-9-3-1) vs. Milwaukee Admirals (22-25-4-3) // Fri., March 13 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
GRIFFINS vs. Milwaukee Admirals // Sat., March 14 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena 

Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM & 1300 AM at 6:45 p.m. on Friday and 7 p.m. on Saturday

Watch: AHLTV on FloHockey on Friday and WXSP-TV and AHLTV on FloHockey on Saturday 

Season Series: 6-0-2-0 Overall, 3-0-1-0 Home. Ninth and 10th of 12 meetings overall, fifth and sixth of six at Van Andel Arena  

All-Time Series: 123-87-7-11-8 Overall, 67-40-2-4-3 Home

NHL Affiliation: Nashville Predators

Noteworthy: Milwaukee will be the Griffins’ most frequent opponent down the stretch, as there are still five meetings between the two teams in the final 16 games.  

GRIFFINS at Chicago Wolves (28-13-6-6) // Sun., March 15 // 6 p.m. EDT // Allstate Arena

Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM & 1300 AM at 5:45 p.m. EDT (Could be joined in progress if Michigan plays in Big Ten championship game)

Watch: AHLTV on FloHockey 

Season Series: 5-1-0-1 Overall, 3-0-0-1 Away. Eighth of 10 meetings overall, fifth of five at Rocket Arena 

All-Time Series: 109-92-2-8-6 Overall, 56-51-0-2-2 Away

NHL Affiliation: Carolina Hurricanes

Noteworthy: The Wolves are led by Justin Robidas, who is tied for 10th in the AHL with 51 points (22-29—51) in 50 games. Chicago and Grand Rapids are the top two teams in the Central Division, with the Griffins’ magic number to win the division at 17. 

Are We Talking About Playoffs?: With the Hershey Bears’ 4-1 win over the Rockford IceHogs on Feb. 27, the Griffins clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Feb. 27 marked the earliest clinching date in franchise history (previously March 6) and the earliest for an AHL team since 1993, when the Binghamton Rangers clinched on Feb. 24 with 24 games remaining. Grand Rapids now has a magic number of 17 to clinch the division title, a feat not accomplished since the 2014-15 season. The Griffins have led the Central Division for the entire season and are 22 points above second-place Chicago. The Griffins also have a three-point advantage over the Providence Bruins in the race for the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, awarded to the AHL's regular-season champions. Grand Rapids is 33-5-3-1 against its division rivals and has outscored them 156-88, suffering its first regulation defeat against the division on Jan. 9 against Texas. The Griffins’ 33 wins are the most divisional victories since 2016-17 (40-20-1-3). Thirteen of the remaining 16 games for Grand Rapids will be against the Central Division (81.3%). The Griffins will see the most games against the Rockford IceHogs (4) and Milwaukee Admirals (4).

Sustained Excellence: The Griffins have lost just twice in regulation in their last 12 games since Feb. 7 (8-2-1-0). In those 12 games, Grand Rapids has averaged 3.75 goals per game while allowing 2.08 goals. The Griffins have continued their league-record campaign with a 43-9-3-1 ledger and 90 points through 56 games and possessed the second-best record in the AHL’s 90-year history through 55 games. Grand Rapids reached 90 points for the first time since 2017-18 (93 pts., 76 games). The team saw its franchise-record tying 15-game win streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27 come to an end in overtime on Dec. 31, which also tied for the sixth-longest run in AHL history. In addition, the Griffins’ 19-game point streak from Nov. 22-Jan. 7 (18-0-1-0) ended on Jan. 9, which tied for the longest run in franchise history (see table). The Griffins are 20-3-1-1 on the road and 23-6-2-0 at home. The 17-game points streak on the road from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1) set a new AHL record, eclipsing the 2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals’ 16-game run (10-0-4-2). Grand Rapids ranks first in the AHL in points (90) and has a 22-point cushion over Chicago for first place in the Central Division.

Shine On, Captain: Captain Dominik Shine scored his first NHL goal on Sunday in Detroit’s 3-0 victory at the New Jersey Devils. Shine (32 years, 324 days) became the fifth-oldest player in Red Wings history to score his first-career NHL goal. He has appeared in five games with Detroit this season after making his NHL debut last campaign on Jan. 27, 2025, against the Los Angeles Kings. Throughout his NHL career, Shine has two points (1-1—2) in 14 outings. The Detroit native has competed in 521 games with the Griffins since 2016-17, showing 221 points (96-125—221), 594 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating. With Grand Rapids this season, the AHL all-star has 37 points (21-16—37) in 38 games with 41 penalty minutes and a career-high plus-25 rating. On the all-time regular-season franchise leaderboard, Shine ranks third in games played (521), third in goals (96), seventh in assists (125), fourth in points (221), fifth in penalty minutes (594), tied for fifth in shorthanded goals (6), tied for third in game-winners (15), tied for first in unassisted goals (10), and third in shots (897).

Night Moves: Second-year pro Gabriel Seger is currently on a career-high three-game goal streak since March 4. Prior to the start of this month, Seger had four goals in the first 52 games of his campaign. Last season, the 26-year-old logged 17 points (10-7—17) and a plus-five rating in 59 regular-season games, adding three appearances in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Prior to turning pro, Seger spent five seasons in the college ranks split between Union College (2019-22) and Cornell University (2022-24). As a fifth-year senior in 2023-24, Seger was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee when he led the Big Red with 44 points (14-30—44) in 35 games. 

On the Right Trail: Since returning from the Olympics, Eduards Tralmaks has four points (0-4—4) in five games. With the Griffins this season, the Riga, Latvia, native has 28 points (18-10—28), six penalty minutes and a plus-24 rating in 49 games. He ranks among the team leaders in points (6th), goals (4th) and plus-minus rating (T4th). Tralmaks logged four points (3-1—4) in four games during his first Olympics with Team Latvia. He paced Latvia in points and goals and finished the tournament tied for eighth in goals among all skaters. Last season with Rytiri Kladno in the top pro league in Czechia, Tralmaks ranked first on the circuit with 51 points (23-28—51) in 48 contests. 

They’re Back!: Forwards Carter Mazur and John Leonard returned to the ice last Wednesday after rehabbing injuries that kept them sidelined for an extended period of time. Mazur was out for 48 straight games from Oct. 28-Feb. 28 and posted two points (1-1—2), including the game-winner, in his return last Wednesday. He followed that performance with another goal in his second game back on Saturday. Mazur was the 70th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in 2021 and has shown 67 points (34-33—67) in 93 games with the Griffins since the spring of 2023. This season, Mazur has nine points (6-3—9) in seven appearances. Leonard bagged a goal last Wednesday in his return after being sidelined for 12 straight contests from Jan. 31-Feb. 28. The veteran leads the team in points (27-14—41) and goals (27) in 34 games this season. In the AHL rankings, Leonard is tied for third in goals despite playing at least 20 games less than his competition in the rankings.   

Record Setters: Below is a list of team and league records that the Griffins have either set or tied this season. 
- Best record in AHL history through 25 games (23-1-0-1, 47 pts.), 30 games (27-1-1-1, 56 pts.), 40 games (32-5-2-1, 67 pts.) and 50 games (40-7-2-1, 83 pts.), while tying for the best start through 35 games (29-3-2-1, 61 pts.)
- Second-best record in AHL history through 55 games (42-9-3-1, 88 pts.)
- Tied second-best record in AHL history through 45 games (35-7-2-1, 73 pts.)
- Reached the 60-point mark in just 32 games, three games faster than any team in AHL history
- AHL record 17-game road points streak from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1)
- Tied franchise-record 15-game winning streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27, which also tied for sixth-longest in AHL history
- Tied franchise-record 19-game points streak from Nov. 22-Jan. 7 (18-0-1-0)
- Franchise-record start with an 8-0 record and was the league’s last undefeated team for first time since 2000-01 IHL season
- Started 6-0 at home for first time since 2009-10 (8-0)
- Franchise record for largest margin of victory (9) on Nov. 25 at Texas (10-1 W) 
- Franchise record for fewest shots in a game (10) on Jan. 17 versus Milwaukee 
- Earliest playoff clinching date in franchise history on Feb. 27 (previously March 6)

Untouchables: Below are statistical categories in which the Griffins are undefeated in regulation.
- 20-0 when leading after the first period
- 31-0 when leading after the second period 
- 9-0 in games decided by four or more goals
- 17-0 when allowing one goal or less
- 36-0-1-1 when scoring at least three goals
- 6-0-1-0 when scoring a shorthanded goal
- 1-0-1-1 when allowing a shorthanded goal
- 1-0 when recording 10-19 shots
- 3-0 when allowing 10-19 shots 

What’s The Password?: The Griffins’ defense remains the best in the AHL, as it ranks first with 1.98 goals allowed per contest. Grand Rapids posted its eighth shutout of the season on Feb. 15 against Texas, which are the most since 2016-17 (8). The Griffins shut out their opponent in two straight games from Jan. 17-21 in addition to posting consecutive shutouts from Dec. 21-27. Prior to this season, the last time Grand Rapids logged two straight shutouts was Feb. 15-17, 2018. The Griffins have allowed more than two goals just 17 times all season (30.6%) and have averaged 2.40 goals allowed in their last five outings. In addition, the team’s penalty kill is first in the AHL at 86.4%. In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 2.02 GAA with a .926 save percentage and five shutouts, while rookie netminder Michal Postava possesses a 1.82 GAA, a .935 save percentage and two shutouts. The Griffins have four defensemen who have played at least 100 games in the NHL in Erik Gustafsson (517), Justin Holl (396), Ian Mitchell (110), and William Lagesson (107), totaling 1,130 appearances. 

Ups and Downs: Grand Rapids has posted six or more goals in two of its last four outings after being held to under three goals in three of the previous four games from Feb. 20-27. However, the Griffins have played with 12 forwards in just one of their last 10 games due to roster limitations. The Griffins rank first in the AHL with 3.50 goals per game. The team has outscored its opponents 196-111 and is 31-1 when scoring the game’s first goal. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 98-57 at home, while possessing a 98-54 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (78-35). John Leonard leads the team and is tied for third in the AHL with 27 goals, while Dominik Shine ranks second on the roster with 21 and Sheldon Dries places third with 20.

The Brick Wall: Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall pick in 2021, collected his fifth shutout of the season on Feb. 15 against Texas with 26 saves and enjoyed a seven-game point streak from Feb. 3-28 (6-0-1). His career-high five shutouts are the most by a Griffin since 2015-16 (Jared Coreau). Cossa has a 24-5-3 record with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. He enjoyed a career-high 10-game win streak from Nov. 25-Dec. 27, showing a 1.51 GAA and a .939 save percentage, and a 14-game point streak from Nov. 25-Jan. 13 (12-0-2). In the AHL rankings, Cossa places second in GAA, third in save percentage, second in shutouts, second in wins and eighth in minutes played (1900:35). Cossa won two straight AHL Goaltender of the Month awards (November and December), becoming the first netminder in franchise history to receive the honor twice in the same season. The 23-year-old also became just the third goaltender in team history to win the award twice in any fashion, joining Jared Coreau (Feb. 2018, Dec. 2015) and Jimmy Howard (Dec. 2007, March 2006). In parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids since 2022-23, Cossa has notched a 68-30-17 mark with eight shutouts to go along with a 2.38 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 116 outings, becoming just the sixth netminder to reach the century mark with the team.

Just Getting Started: Rookie netminder Michal Postava tied a franchise record by becoming the 10th netminder in team history to post back-to-back shutouts from Jan. 17-21. He collected his first AHL shutout on Jan. 17 with 10 saves in a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee and followed that performance with a 19-save blanking of Milwaukee on Jan. 21. His 10 saves on Jan. 17 set a new franchise record for fewest in a shutout. Postava logged a shutout streak of 156:20 from Jan. 9-25, which was 3:47 short of breaking the franchise record by Jared Coreau in 2014-15 (160:06). After beginning the campaign 5-0, the 23-year-old suffered his first AHL defeat on Jan. 9 against Texas. Postava is now 12-4-0 with a 1.82 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in 18 games. Last season, Postava became a Czech Extraliga champion with Kometa Brno, showing a league-best .940 save percentage with a 1.97 GAA and a 10-7 record in 17 playoff games. During the regular season with Kometa Brno, Postava ranked among the Czech Extraliga leaders in save percentage (.921, 5th), GAA (2.39, 11th), wins (23, 4th), games played (42, T2nd) and shutouts (3, T7th). As an undrafted free agent, Postava signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings last summer.    

AHL Leaderboard Tracker:  
x Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for 13th in plus-minus (+24), tied for third in game-winners (6), tied for sixth among rookies in goals (16), sixth among rookies in assists (21), fourth among rookies in points (37), tied for second among rookies in plus-minus (+24), tied for seventh among rookies in power-play goals (5), second among rookies in shots (121), first among rookies in game-winners (6)
Sebastian Cossa—Second in GAA (2.02), third in save percentage (.926), second in shutouts (5), second in wins (24), tied for 10th in games played (32), eighth in minutes played (1900:35)
Sheldon Dries—Tied for 14th in power-play goals (7)
Erik Gustafsson—Tied for 13th among defensemen in plus-minus (+20), tied for 12th among defensemen in power-play goals (2)
Alex Kannok Leipert—Tied for seventh in shorthanded assists (2), tied for third among defensemen in shorthanded assists (2)
William Lagesson—Second in plus-minus (+31), first among defensemen in plus-minus (+31)
John Leonard—Tied for third in goals (27), tied for third in shorthanded goals (3), first in game-winners (8)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for seventh in game-winners (5)
Ian Mitchell—Tied for third in plus-minus (+27), tied for second among defensemen in plus-minus (+27)
x Dominik Shine—Tied for 10th in plus-minus (+25)
Eduards Tralmaks—Tied for 13th in plus-minus (+24)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for 13th among defensemen in plus-minus (+20)
Austin Watson—Fifth in penalty minutes (137)

Milestones: In a 3-1 win at Cleveland last Saturday, Dan Watson appeared in his 200th game as head coach of the Griffins. 
Tyler Angle—Two games from 300 as a pro
William Lagesson—Two points from 100 in the AHL
x Dominik Shine—Four goals from 100 as a Griffin, one unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11
Austin Watson—One assist from 150 as a pro

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins