December 17, 2014

by Alan Cross – griffinshockey.com
____________________________

It’s time to take 2014 to the bank. The Grand Rapids Griffins enjoyed another successful year under the charge of head coach Jeff Blashill, highlighted by record-breaking accomplishments, NHL promotions and exciting new prospects. While the Griffins were unable to secure back-to-back Calder Cups, the team enjoyed a better regular season record than its cup-winning edition and made it as far as the Western Conference Semifinals in the playoffs.

Let’s take a look back at 10 of the most memorable moments from Grand Rapids’ last 365 days on the ice, beginning with a moment from 2013 that deserves mention (and didn’t quite make the cutoff for last year’s Top 10 mid-December publication).

December 30, 2013

In the first-ever outdoor game in Griffins franchise history, Grand Rapids falls to the Toronto Marlies, 3-2 in a shootout, in front of a crowd of 20,337 at Comerica Park. Grand Rapids native Luke Glendening scores both goals for the home team before his permanent promotion to the Detroit Red Wings following the game. Glendening went on to play in the Wings’ outdoor game at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1 as part of the 2014 NHL Winter Classic, which resulted in an eerily similar 3-2 shootout decision in favor of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

January 7, 2014

Grand Rapids forward Tomas Jurco is named to the Slovakian Olympic Team that goes on to compete at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochia, Russia. Jurco became just the fifth player in franchise history to participate in the Olympics while an active Griffin, joining Sergei Kolosov (2010 Belarus), Niklas Kronwall (2006 Sweden), Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (2010 Norway) and Julien Vauclair (2002 Switzerland). In four games with Slovakia, Jurco tallied one goal and two penalty minutes.

April 2, 2014

The Iowa Wild pay a visit to Van Andel Arena, where the Griffins unleash an offensive lashing and earn a 6-1 victory. However, the win is overshadowed by a severe mouth injury suffered by forward Mitch Callahan, who took a slapshot to the face from defenseman Ryan Sproul during the first period. After teammates clamor to pick up his teeth from the ice, Callahan tweets out a now-infamous photo of his injury that goes viral across social media outlets.

April 13, 2014

Sproul makes his NHL debut with Detroit in the team’s final game of the regular season, becoming the 145th Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL. The rookie defenseman becomes the 14th Griffins alumnus to make their NHL debut during the 2013-14 season after playing for Grand Rapids.

April 19, 2014

With two assists, Teemu Pulkkinen secures 59 points on the season in a 3-4 shootout loss to the Lake Erie Monsters at Quicken Loans Arena. His 59 points surpass Gustav Nyquist’s 58 (2011-12) for the Griffins’ all-time scoring lead among rookies. Earlier in the season, on March 7 against Iowa, Pulkkinen surpassed Justin Abdelkader and Francis Pare (24 goals each, 2008-09) as the franchise’s all-time rookie goal scorer with his 25th goal of the season. Pulkkinen went on to finish the 2013-14 campaign with an impressive 30 goals and was named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team on April 9.

April 19, 2014

Heading into the final night of the 2013-14 regular season, the Griffins ranked first in the Midwest Division with 98 points, just one point ahead of the second-place Chicago Wolves. In a turn of events, the Griffins lose on the road to the Lake Erie Monsters, 4-3 in a shootout, while the Wolves trounce the Milwaukee Admirals, 6-0, to steal what would have been the second-straight Midwest Division title for Grand Rapids. Chicago ends the season with 100 points to the Griffins’ 99 points.

April 25, 2014

The Griffins kick off the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs on the road against the Abbotsford Heat with Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. After never playing in overtime during their 2013 Calder Cup-winning playoff run, the defending champions force extra minutes courtesy of a goal by newcomer defenseman Mattias Backman with 7:23 remaining in regulation. After a scoreless first overtime period, Ryan Sproul earns the game-winning tally at 19:26 of the fifth period, ending the third-longest game in franchise history and giving the Griffins a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

May 13, 2014

After falling into a 2-0 hole to begin the Western Conference Semifinals, the Griffins return to Van Andel Arena for a 5-2 victory over the Texas Stars in Game 3. Forward Tomas Jurco scores a hat trick in the contest, the sixth in Grand Rapids playoff history, which compounds on his regular-season hat trick earned on Nov. 15, 2013 versus Rockford. Goaltender Petr Mrazek also turns away an impressive 35 of 37 shots in the game.

Nov. 14, 2014

After having injured himself in an NHL prospects tournament game in September, Anthony Mantha makes his professional debut with the Griffins in a 3-2 overtime win against the Texas Stars at Van Andel Arena. The Red Wings’ most highly-touted prospect in years, Mantha was Detroit’s first choice, 20th overall, in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. While he went scoreless in his debut, Mantha picked up a goal the following night in a 2-1 overtime encore over the Stars.

Nov 14, 2014

In the Griffins’ first venture into the AHL’s new three-on-three overtime format, Teemu Pulkkinen scores with 0.8 seconds remaining in the extra minutes to propel Grand Rapids to a 3-2 victory over the defending Calder Cup champion Texas Stars. Van Andel Arena’s crowd of 8,183 erupts when Pulkkinen scores the game-winner on Texas goaltender Jack Campbell with a blast from the left circle.

December 17, 2014

by Alan Cross – griffinshockey.com
____________________________

It’s time to take 2014 to the bank. The Grand Rapids Griffins enjoyed another successful year under the charge of head coach Jeff Blashill, highlighted by record-breaking accomplishments, NHL promotions and exciting new prospects. While the Griffins were unable to secure back-to-back Calder Cups, the team enjoyed a better regular season record than its cup-winning edition and made it as far as the Western Conference Semifinals in the playoffs.

Let’s take a look back at 10 of the most memorable moments from Grand Rapids’ last 365 days on the ice, beginning with a moment from 2013 that deserves mention (and didn’t quite make the cutoff for last year’s Top 10 mid-December publication).

December 30, 2013

In the first-ever outdoor game in Griffins franchise history, Grand Rapids falls to the Toronto Marlies, 3-2 in a shootout, in front of a crowd of 20,337 at Comerica Park. Grand Rapids native Luke Glendening scores both goals for the home team before his permanent promotion to the Detroit Red Wings following the game. Glendening went on to play in the Wings’ outdoor game at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1 as part of the 2014 NHL Winter Classic, which resulted in an eerily similar 3-2 shootout decision in favor of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

January 7, 2014

Grand Rapids forward Tomas Jurco is named to the Slovakian Olympic Team that goes on to compete at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochia, Russia. Jurco became just the fifth player in franchise history to participate in the Olympics while an active Griffin, joining Sergei Kolosov (2010 Belarus), Niklas Kronwall (2006 Sweden), Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (2010 Norway) and Julien Vauclair (2002 Switzerland). In four games with Slovakia, Jurco tallied one goal and two penalty minutes.

April 2, 2014

The Iowa Wild pay a visit to Van Andel Arena, where the Griffins unleash an offensive lashing and earn a 6-1 victory. However, the win is overshadowed by a severe mouth injury suffered by forward Mitch Callahan, who took a slapshot to the face from defenseman Ryan Sproul during the first period. After teammates clamor to pick up his teeth from the ice, Callahan tweets out a now-infamous photo of his injury that goes viral across social media outlets.

April 13, 2014

Sproul makes his NHL debut with Detroit in the team’s final game of the regular season, becoming the 145th Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL. The rookie defenseman becomes the 14th Griffins alumnus to make their NHL debut during the 2013-14 season after playing for Grand Rapids.

April 19, 2014

With two assists, Teemu Pulkkinen secures 59 points on the season in a 3-4 shootout loss to the Lake Erie Monsters at Quicken Loans Arena. His 59 points surpass Gustav Nyquist’s 58 (2011-12) for the Griffins’ all-time scoring lead among rookies. Earlier in the season, on March 7 against Iowa, Pulkkinen surpassed Justin Abdelkader and Francis Pare (24 goals each, 2008-09) as the franchise’s all-time rookie goal scorer with his 25th goal of the season. Pulkkinen went on to finish the 2013-14 campaign with an impressive 30 goals and was named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team on April 9.

April 19, 2014

Heading into the final night of the 2013-14 regular season, the Griffins ranked first in the Midwest Division with 98 points, just one point ahead of the second-place Chicago Wolves. In a turn of events, the Griffins lose on the road to the Lake Erie Monsters, 4-3 in a shootout, while the Wolves trounce the Milwaukee Admirals, 6-0, to steal what would have been the second-straight Midwest Division title for Grand Rapids. Chicago ends the season with 100 points to the Griffins’ 99 points.

April 25, 2014

The Griffins kick off the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs on the road against the Abbotsford Heat with Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. After never playing in overtime during their 2013 Calder Cup-winning playoff run, the defending champions force extra minutes courtesy of a goal by newcomer defenseman Mattias Backman with 7:23 remaining in regulation. After a scoreless first overtime period, Ryan Sproul earns the game-winning tally at 19:26 of the fifth period, ending the third-longest game in franchise history and giving the Griffins a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

May 13, 2014

After falling into a 2-0 hole to begin the Western Conference Semifinals, the Griffins return to Van Andel Arena for a 5-2 victory over the Texas Stars in Game 3. Forward Tomas Jurco scores a hat trick in the contest, the sixth in Grand Rapids playoff history, which compounds on his regular-season hat trick earned on Nov. 15, 2013 versus Rockford. Goaltender Petr Mrazek also turns away an impressive 35 of 37 shots in the game.

Nov. 14, 2014

After having injured himself in an NHL prospects tournament game in September, Anthony Mantha makes his professional debut with the Griffins in a 3-2 overtime win against the Texas Stars at Van Andel Arena. The Red Wings’ most highly-touted prospect in years, Mantha was Detroit’s first choice, 20th overall, in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. While he went scoreless in his debut, Mantha picked up a goal the following night in a 2-1 overtime encore over the Stars.

Nov 14, 2014

In the Griffins’ first venture into the AHL’s new three-on-three overtime format, Teemu Pulkkinen scores with 0.8 seconds remaining in the extra minutes to propel Grand Rapids to a 3-2 victory over the defending Calder Cup champion Texas Stars. Van Andel Arena’s crowd of 8,183 erupts when Pulkkinen scores the game-winner on Texas goaltender Jack Campbell with a blast from the left circle.