THE STAGE IS SET
This Week’s Games
Fri., Oct. 10 Lake Erie Monsters at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM/ AHLLive.com
Sat., Oct 11 GRIFFINS at Lake Erie Monsters 7 p.m. WBFX 101.3 FM/ AHLLive.com
Opening Night Promotions: Friday’s game versus Lake Erie features many returning promotions along with a giveaway and jersey auction. The first 3,000 fans will receive L.E.D. glow bams, courtesy of Huntington Bank. Post-game events include the return of the popular post-game open skate and a jersey auction where fans can bid on 26 jerseys that were worn during the Griffins’ 2013 outdoor game at Comerica Park. Fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs and $2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last, and also take advantage of College Night specials. College students can purchase an upper bowl ticket for $14 (or $13 in advance at The Zone) and stop by the McFadden’s concourse table to receive a free pass to the post-game party at McFadden’s. Every Friday night is also a Griffins D-Zone night, where fans can have $2 beers and $2 hot dogs served directly to their seats. D-ZONE tickets are only available by calling 616.774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinshockey.com/dzone.
Tickets Going Fast: With only 1,500 tickets remaining for Friday’s home opener versus the Lake Erie Monsters, the Griffins are on track for their 19th consecutive home-opening sellout. With a seating capacity of 10,834, Van Andel Arena will be packed to welcome home the Griffins to Grand Rapids. Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2. Single-game tickets for all home games are now available for purchase at all Star Tickets locations, including The Zone, online through griffinshockey.com, by phone through Star Tickets at (800) 585-3737 or by downloading the new Griffins app for iPhone or Android.
App-ropos: This week, the Griffins launched a revamped mobile app for iPhone and Android that allows fans to purchase tickets to any of the Griffins’ 38 home games using both the Schedule button, which displays promotional information and special ticket offers, and the Tickets tab, which displays single-game tickets for the next five available dates. The app also gives members of Griffins Nation the opportunity to interact with players and other fans by using their Facebook or Twitter profile to connect to the Fan Wall. Top fans throughout the season will be rewarded with Griffins memorabilia. Beginning in November, fans will be able to use the app during home games to upgrade their seats or purchase Griffins experiences, such as bench visits, zamboni rides or a quad ride with Griff and Finn.
Never Just a Game: Grand Rapids enters its 19th season overall, 14th in the AHL and 13th as the primary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.
Cobwebs, Be Gone: The Griffins dropped a pair of preseason games last weekend against the Lake Erie Monsters in Windsor and Fort Wayne. On Friday, Grand Rapids fell to Lake Erie 5-2 at the WFCU Centre. On Saturday, Lake Erie’s Michael Sgarbossa scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner late in the second period, to lead the Monsters to a 6-3 victory over the Griffins at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Since the preseason concluded, Grand Rapids has received an influx of 10 players from Detroit.
Good Starts: Grand Rapids is 11-4-2-1 all time in season openers, earning points in eight straight debuts (5-0-2-1) before Rockford snapped that streak at the start of the 2011 season. Grand Rapids is 10-7-0-1 all time in home openers, including home-opening losses the past two seasons, both to the Milwaukee Admirals. Last season’s home opener and banner-raising ceremony saw the Griffins fall to the Admirals, 3-2, in front of the 18th consecutive home-opening sellout crowd in Grand Rapids.
Pups and Pucks: On Monday, Oct. 13, the Griffins will host their seventh annual “Pups and Pucks” Fall Dog Walk-A-Thon. The event will take place at Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary in Lake Odessa, Mich., and feature events ranging from live music and a BBQ dinner to hay rides and appearances by pet experts and vendors. Everyone is encouraged to join Griffins players, coaches and front office staff, who will attend and assist in raising funds and awareness for the sanctuary. The evening’s events will kick off at 5 p.m. For more information, visit PupsandPucks.com.
At the Helm: Jeff Blashill returns for his third season as head coach of the Griffins. Born in Detroit and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Blashill made coaching stops at Ferris State and Western Michigan en route to joining the Red Wings organization. Blashill earned several national coach of the year honors in his lone season as head coach of the WMU Broncos after leading the USHL’s Indiana Ice to a franchise-record 39 wins and a Clark Cup championship in his first season as a head coach in 2008-09. The 40-year-old has led Grand Rapids to two prolific seasons since taking the reins, including the franchise’s first-ever Calder Cup championship in 2012-13. Last season, he was named the AHL’s Coach of the Year after leading the Griffins to a 46-23-2-5 mark.
Right-Hand Men: Jeff Blashill is joined behind the bench this season by two brand-new faces to the organization, after former assistant coaches Jim Paek (Korean Men’s National Team) and Spiros Anastas (University of Lethbridge) departed for their own head coaching opportunities. Pat Ferschweiler, who takes the place of Paek, recently concluded his fourth season behind the bench at Western Michigan University, where he helped the team to a 19-16-5 record. The Rochester, Minn., native served as an assistant coach with the Broncos from 2010-13 before being promoted to associate head coach for the 2013-14 season. In his inaugural campaign with Western Michigan in 2010-11, Ferschweiler served under the charge Blashill and helped the team to a 19-13-10 record, more than doubling the win total from the Broncos’ previous season. Blashill and Ferschweiler’s squad finished fourth in the CCHA with a conference record of 10-9-9 and earned its first bid to the CCHA championship game since 1996 after defeating the top-seeded Michigan, 5-2, in the CCHA semifinals. Dave Noel-Bernier, who replaces Anastas, has served as the director of hockey for the Eagles Ice Center and the Grand Rapids Blades youth program since 2013. He was also an assistant coach for the Grand Rapids Christian High School varsity team last season, when he was named Total Package Hockey’s Michigan High School Division III Assistant Coach of the Year after helping lead the Eagles to a 19-7-1 record.
Puck Happier: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen, who was the Griffins’ top scorer during the 2013-14 season, returns for his second full season with Grand Rapids. Last season, Pulkkinen accumulated 59 points (31-28—59) in 71 regular season games and earned a spot on the 2013-14 AHL All-Rookie Team. His powerful top-of-the-right-circle shot electrified fans last year, coming to a head when he scored two nearly-identical goals just nine seconds apart on Feb. 26 versus the Milwaukee Admirals. He became the first Griffin since Jiri Hudler (2005-06) to lead the team in scoring during both the regular season and playoffs.
Defense Watch: Three of the Griffins’ eight defensemen made their NHL debuts with the Red Wings last season: Alexey Marchenko, Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul. In addition, two other defensemen have garnered serious attention from Detroit. Nick Jensen, who returns after an injury-affected 2013-14 season, enjoyed a notable training camp and preseason with the Wings, while Mattias Backman’s European and early North American careers have impressed. Any of the five defensemen could see full-time promotions to the Griffins’ parent club this season.
Detroit Exports: Seventeen Red Wings-contracted players are on the Griffins’ 24-man roster, including goaltenders Tom McCollum and Petr Mrazek; defensemen Mattias Backman, Nick Jensen, Alexey Marchenko, Richard Nedomlel, Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul; and forwards Andreas Athanasiou, Louis-Marc Aubry, Mitch Callahan, Colin Campbell, Landon Ferraro, Martin Frk, Tomas Nosek, Kevin Porter and Teemu Pulkkinen.
In the Show: A total of 27 former Griffins can be found among the season-opening rosters of nine NHL teams. They range from Ottawa’s Chris Neil, the longest-tenured active Griffins alum (No. 38) whose 13 seasons and 855 games in the NHL are the most ever logged by a player after leaving Grand Rapids, to Detroit’s Andrej Nestrasil, who could make his Red Wings debut tonight and become Griffins NHL graduate No. 146. Eighteen of the 24 players currently in Detroit once played for the Griffins, with the only exceptions being Daniel Cleary, Pavel Datsyuk (IR), Johan Franzen, Drew Miller, Stephen Weiss and Henrik Zetterberg. The complete list of Grand Rapids’ current NHL alumni is as follows: Boston – Chris Kelly; Calgary – Jiri Hudler; Dallas – Patrick Eaves and Jason Spezza; Detroit – Justin Abdelkader, Joakim Andersson, Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson, Luke Glendening, Jonas Gustavsson, Darren Helm, Jimmy Howard, Tomas Jurco, Jakub Kindl, Niklas Kronwall, Brian Lashoff, Andrej Nestrasil, Gustav Nyquist, Kyle Quincey, Riley Sheahan, Brendan Smith and Tomas Tatar; Florida – Tomas Kopecky; Nashville – Calle Jarnkrok; New Jersey – Jordin Tootoo; Ottawa – Chris Neil; and Tampa Bay – Valtteri Filppula.
AHL Impact: As the National Hockey League embarks on its 2014-15 season, the American Hockey League has 637 graduates on NHL opening-day rosters, making up nearly 83 percent of the NHL’s player pool to begin its campaign. Last season, 871 AHL alumni played in the National Hockey League, including 347 who skated in both leagues last year alone. Twenty AHL graduates led their NHL teams in scoring in 2013-14, and 28 AHL goaltending alumni paced their NHL clubs in victories.
How Time Flies: Nine members of the Detroit Red Wings had their names engraved on the AHL’s Calder Cup just 16 months ago as members of the Griffins’ 2013 championship team: Joakim Andersson, Danny DeKeyser, Luke Glendening, Tomas Jurco, Brian Lashoff, Andrej Nestrasil, Gustav Nyquist, Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar.
Signed and Sealed: Seven players on the current roster are under contract to the Griffins: forwards Shane Berschbach, Chris Bruton, Alden Hirschfeld, Jeff Hoggan and Mark Zengerle; and defensemen Brennan Evans and Nathan Paetsch. Evans, Hirschfeld, Hoggan and Paetsch all skated with the Griffins last year, while Berschbach and Zengerle burst on to the scene after impressive NCAA careers. Berschbach led the Western Michigan Broncos in scoring last season with 38 points (16-22—38), while Zengerle enjoyed a standout senior season with Wisconsin in the newly-formed Big Ten conference by ranking first on the team in scoring with 44 points (10-34—44) and 29 penalty minutes. In March, Zengerle scored the Badgers’ game-winning overtime goal against Ohio State to secure the Big 10 tournament title for Wisconsin. Bruton joins the team after spending last season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he tallied four points (2-2—4) and 91 PIM in 41 games.
Ready in Waiting: The Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday reassigned forward Marek Tvrdon and goaltender Jared Coreau from the Grand Rapids Griffins to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. In addition, the Griffins assigned forwards Tyler Barnes and Kyle Bonis and defenseman Scott Czarnowczan to Toledo, while releasing forwards Tyler Elbrecht, Anthony Luciani, Justin Mercier and Jerome Verrier and defensemen Kevin Clare and Joe Houk from their tryouts. Barnes, Bonis, Coreau, Czarnowczan and Tvrdon could all see playing time in Grand Rapids this season.
Fresh Faces: Five members of the Griffins’ season-opening roster skated elsewhere in 2013-14. Here’s a brief look at each of the new arrivals:
• Mark Zengerle – The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Wisconsin product enjoyed a standout senior season in the newly-formed Big Ten conference by ranking first on the Badgers in scoring with 44 points (10-34—44) and 29 penalty minutes. Among Big Ten scorers, Zengerle ranked second in points and first in assists and helped lead the Badgers to a Big Ten tournament title by defeating Ohio State in the championship game. His accolades earned him First-Team All-Big Ten honors, and he was also named the Big Ten tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Badgers the tournament title
• Kevin Porter – A University of Michigan standout and Hobey Baker Award winner in 2008, Porter comes to the Griffins with 206 games of NHL experience. Porter split the 2013-14 season between the Buffalo Sabres (0-1—1 in 12 games) and Rochester Americans (19-17—36 in 50 games). A native of Detroit, Mich., Porter ranked sixth among Rochester leaders in scoring and tied for second in goals.
• Tomas Nosek – A highly-touted Detroit prospect, Nosek makes his North American debut with the Griffins after a 129-game professional career in the Czech Republic. Last season, Nosek paced HC Pardubice of the Czech ExtraLiga with 44 points (19-25—44) in 52 regular season games and ranked first on the team in goals (19) and assists (25), in addition to owning a club-best plus-17 rating. In 2013-14, he also made his debut with the senior international Czech Republic team, tallying three goals in 11 appearances. The 22-year-old clocks in at 6-foot-2 and weighs 210 pounds.
• Shane Berschbach – Berschbach comes to the Griffins from Western Michigan University, where he appeared in all 40 games during his senior campaign last season and led the team in scoring with 38 points (16-22—38). He also led the Broncos in goals (16) and power play goals (4). Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, Berschbach made his professional debut with the ECHL’s Kalmazoo Wings on March 29 versus the Toledo Walleye. In three games with Kalamazoo, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound forward picked up a goal and assist.
• Chris Bruton – A native of Calgary, Alberta, Bruton skated in 41 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season and compiled four points (2-2—4) and 91 penalty minutes. Prior to his season with Bridgeport, Bruton spent two seasons with the Peoria Rivermen from 2011-13 and notched 15 points (6-9—15) in 107 games. The 27-year-old is 5-foot-11 and weighs 200 pounds.
Welcome Back: Nineteen players from the Griffins’ 2013-14 squad are on the season-opening roster: goaltender Tom McCollum and Petr Mrazek; defensemen Alexey Marchenko, Nathan Paetsch, Mattias Backman, Ryan Sproul, Nick Jensen, Xavier Ouellet, Richard Nedomlel and Brennan Evans; and forwards Teemu Pulkkinen, Jeff Hoggan, Mitch Callahan, Colin Campbell, Louis-Marc Aubry, Andreas Athanasiou, Martin Frk, Landon Ferraro and Alden Hirschfeld.
Melting Pot: The Griffins’ roster this year will feature players representing seven countries from all over the world. While a majority of the roster comes from North America, other countries featured are Finland (Teemu Pulkkinen), Russia (Alexey Marchenko), Sweden (Mattias Backman), France (Xavier Ouellet) and Czech Republic (Martin Frk, Richard Nedomlel and Tomas Nosek).
NHL Experience: Twelve Griffins have seen time in the NHL, combining for 509 games: Kevin Porter (206), Nathan Paetsch (167), Jeff Hoggan (107), Petr Mrazek (11), Xavier Ouellet (5), Landon Ferraro (4), Teemu Pulkkinen (3), Brennan Evans (2 playoff games), Mitch Callahan (1), Alexey Marchenko (1), Tom McCollum (1) and Ryan Sproul (1).
Veteran Roll Call: AHL clubs may dress up to five veteran skaters with more than 260 games of experience in the NHL, AHL or European Elite leagues, plus another with 320 or fewer games played. Three veterans who suited up for the Griffins in 2013-14 return this year. Brennan Evans, Jeff Hoggan and Nathan Paetsch boast a combined total of 1,714 AHL regular season games and 179 AHL playoff games. New arrival Kevin Porter has appeared in 206 regular season NHL games, four NHL playoff contests and 196 AHL games.
Newbies: The Griffins have seven players who will be considered rookies this season, including two newcomers: Mark Zengerle and Shane Berschbach. Andreas Athanasiou (two regular season games, six playoff games), Colin Campbell (13 regular season games, three playoff games) and Richard Nedomlel (three regular season games) all appeared with the Griffins last season but have not met the AHL’s 25-game threshold.
One for the Ages: The average age of the Griffins is 24 years and six months – 11 months older than the average for the 2013-14 season (23 years and seven months). This marks the second season in a row that the opening day lineup has been older than the season that preceded it, aided by the return of many familiar faces to the roster. Jeff Hoggan (36), Nathan Paetsch (31) and Brennan Evans (32) check into the over-30 club, but a majority of the 24 players on the roster (16) were born in the ‘90s. Andreas Athanasiou (20 years, two months) earns the title of the youngest player on the roster, and he’s followed by Martin Frk, whose 21st birthday was on Oct. 5.
Where Are They Now?: 11 of the players from the Griffins’ 2013-14 season-ending roster now find themselves in other locales, including Adam Almquist (Severstal Cherepovets - KHL), Cory Emmerton (HK Sochi - KHL), Tomas Jurco (Detroit Red Wings - NHL), Riley Sheahan (Detroit Red Wings - NHL), David McIntyre (SM Liiga - Finland), Jordin Tootoo (New Jersey Devils - NHL), Triston Grant (Milwaukee Admirals -AHL), Trevor Parkes (Greenville Road Warriors – ECHL), Gleason Fournier (Orlando Solar Bears – ECHL), Mattias Janmark (Frolunda – SHL) and Zach Nastasiuk (Owen Sound Attack – OHL).
Griffins’ Coaching Tree: Eight former players or coaches for the Griffins are currently involved in coaching with other AHL squads, including Oklahoma City head coach Todd Nelson (1996-98, 1999-00, 2001-02, AC 2002-03), Providence head coach Bruce Cassidy (HC 2000-02), Springfield head coach Jared Bednar (1998-99) and goaltending consultant Manny Legace (2005-06), Toronto associate coach Derek King (1999-01, P/AC 2002-04) and assistant coach Ben Simon (2006-07), Hershey assistant coach Bryan Helmer (2004-06) and Manchester head coach Mike Stothers (HC 2007-08).
Scouting Report
Fri., Oct. 10 vs. Lake Erie Monsters (0-0-0-0) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 11 at Lake Erie Monsters – Quicken Loans Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. (Fri.) and WBFX 101.3 FM at 7 p.m. (Sat.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 26-16-2-6 Overall, 16-8-0-1 Home, 10-8-2-5 Road. 2013-14 Series: 1-2-0-1 Overall, 0-2-0-0 Home, 1-0-0-1 Road. Season Series: First and second of 10 meetings overall, first of five both at home and on the road. NHL Affiliation: Colorado Avalanche. Head Coach: Dean Chynoweth (2nd season). Notes: The Griffins fell to the Monsters in both of the teams’ neutral-site preseason games in Windsor and Fort Wayne last weekend…Lake Erie is a new member of the Midwest Division after being reallocated from the North Division during the offseason…Monsters left wing Andrew Agozzino returns to the team this season after tying for the points lead on Lake Erie during 2013-14. Agozzino tallied 49 points (17-32—49) in 75 games… The Griffins and Monsters meet eight times before Christmas and will meet 10 times overall this season...The Monsters scored four goals in each of their four meetings with the Griffins last season, losing only once.
This Week’s Games
Fri., Oct. 10 Lake Erie Monsters at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM/ AHLLive.com
Sat., Oct 11 GRIFFINS at Lake Erie Monsters 7 p.m. WBFX 101.3 FM/ AHLLive.com
Opening Night Promotions: Friday’s game versus Lake Erie features many returning promotions along with a giveaway and jersey auction. The first 3,000 fans will receive L.E.D. glow bams, courtesy of Huntington Bank. Post-game events include the return of the popular post-game open skate and a jersey auction where fans can bid on 26 jerseys that were worn during the Griffins’ 2013 outdoor game at Comerica Park. Fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs and $2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last, and also take advantage of College Night specials. College students can purchase an upper bowl ticket for $14 (or $13 in advance at The Zone) and stop by the McFadden’s concourse table to receive a free pass to the post-game party at McFadden’s. Every Friday night is also a Griffins D-Zone night, where fans can have $2 beers and $2 hot dogs served directly to their seats. D-ZONE tickets are only available by calling 616.774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinshockey.com/dzone.
Tickets Going Fast: With only 1,500 tickets remaining for Friday’s home opener versus the Lake Erie Monsters, the Griffins are on track for their 19th consecutive home-opening sellout. With a seating capacity of 10,834, Van Andel Arena will be packed to welcome home the Griffins to Grand Rapids. Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2. Single-game tickets for all home games are now available for purchase at all Star Tickets locations, including The Zone, online through griffinshockey.com, by phone through Star Tickets at (800) 585-3737 or by downloading the new Griffins app for iPhone or Android.
App-ropos: This week, the Griffins launched a revamped mobile app for iPhone and Android that allows fans to purchase tickets to any of the Griffins’ 38 home games using both the Schedule button, which displays promotional information and special ticket offers, and the Tickets tab, which displays single-game tickets for the next five available dates. The app also gives members of Griffins Nation the opportunity to interact with players and other fans by using their Facebook or Twitter profile to connect to the Fan Wall. Top fans throughout the season will be rewarded with Griffins memorabilia. Beginning in November, fans will be able to use the app during home games to upgrade their seats or purchase Griffins experiences, such as bench visits, zamboni rides or a quad ride with Griff and Finn.
Never Just a Game: Grand Rapids enters its 19th season overall, 14th in the AHL and 13th as the primary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.
Cobwebs, Be Gone: The Griffins dropped a pair of preseason games last weekend against the Lake Erie Monsters in Windsor and Fort Wayne. On Friday, Grand Rapids fell to Lake Erie 5-2 at the WFCU Centre. On Saturday, Lake Erie’s Michael Sgarbossa scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner late in the second period, to lead the Monsters to a 6-3 victory over the Griffins at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Since the preseason concluded, Grand Rapids has received an influx of 10 players from Detroit.
Good Starts: Grand Rapids is 11-4-2-1 all time in season openers, earning points in eight straight debuts (5-0-2-1) before Rockford snapped that streak at the start of the 2011 season. Grand Rapids is 10-7-0-1 all time in home openers, including home-opening losses the past two seasons, both to the Milwaukee Admirals. Last season’s home opener and banner-raising ceremony saw the Griffins fall to the Admirals, 3-2, in front of the 18th consecutive home-opening sellout crowd in Grand Rapids.
Pups and Pucks: On Monday, Oct. 13, the Griffins will host their seventh annual “Pups and Pucks” Fall Dog Walk-A-Thon. The event will take place at Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary in Lake Odessa, Mich., and feature events ranging from live music and a BBQ dinner to hay rides and appearances by pet experts and vendors. Everyone is encouraged to join Griffins players, coaches and front office staff, who will attend and assist in raising funds and awareness for the sanctuary. The evening’s events will kick off at 5 p.m. For more information, visit PupsandPucks.com.
At the Helm: Jeff Blashill returns for his third season as head coach of the Griffins. Born in Detroit and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Blashill made coaching stops at Ferris State and Western Michigan en route to joining the Red Wings organization. Blashill earned several national coach of the year honors in his lone season as head coach of the WMU Broncos after leading the USHL’s Indiana Ice to a franchise-record 39 wins and a Clark Cup championship in his first season as a head coach in 2008-09. The 40-year-old has led Grand Rapids to two prolific seasons since taking the reins, including the franchise’s first-ever Calder Cup championship in 2012-13. Last season, he was named the AHL’s Coach of the Year after leading the Griffins to a 46-23-2-5 mark.
Right-Hand Men: Jeff Blashill is joined behind the bench this season by two brand-new faces to the organization, after former assistant coaches Jim Paek (Korean Men’s National Team) and Spiros Anastas (University of Lethbridge) departed for their own head coaching opportunities. Pat Ferschweiler, who takes the place of Paek, recently concluded his fourth season behind the bench at Western Michigan University, where he helped the team to a 19-16-5 record. The Rochester, Minn., native served as an assistant coach with the Broncos from 2010-13 before being promoted to associate head coach for the 2013-14 season. In his inaugural campaign with Western Michigan in 2010-11, Ferschweiler served under the charge Blashill and helped the team to a 19-13-10 record, more than doubling the win total from the Broncos’ previous season. Blashill and Ferschweiler’s squad finished fourth in the CCHA with a conference record of 10-9-9 and earned its first bid to the CCHA championship game since 1996 after defeating the top-seeded Michigan, 5-2, in the CCHA semifinals. Dave Noel-Bernier, who replaces Anastas, has served as the director of hockey for the Eagles Ice Center and the Grand Rapids Blades youth program since 2013. He was also an assistant coach for the Grand Rapids Christian High School varsity team last season, when he was named Total Package Hockey’s Michigan High School Division III Assistant Coach of the Year after helping lead the Eagles to a 19-7-1 record.
Puck Happier: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen, who was the Griffins’ top scorer during the 2013-14 season, returns for his second full season with Grand Rapids. Last season, Pulkkinen accumulated 59 points (31-28—59) in 71 regular season games and earned a spot on the 2013-14 AHL All-Rookie Team. His powerful top-of-the-right-circle shot electrified fans last year, coming to a head when he scored two nearly-identical goals just nine seconds apart on Feb. 26 versus the Milwaukee Admirals. He became the first Griffin since Jiri Hudler (2005-06) to lead the team in scoring during both the regular season and playoffs.
Defense Watch: Three of the Griffins’ eight defensemen made their NHL debuts with the Red Wings last season: Alexey Marchenko, Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul. In addition, two other defensemen have garnered serious attention from Detroit. Nick Jensen, who returns after an injury-affected 2013-14 season, enjoyed a notable training camp and preseason with the Wings, while Mattias Backman’s European and early North American careers have impressed. Any of the five defensemen could see full-time promotions to the Griffins’ parent club this season.
Detroit Exports: Seventeen Red Wings-contracted players are on the Griffins’ 24-man roster, including goaltenders Tom McCollum and Petr Mrazek; defensemen Mattias Backman, Nick Jensen, Alexey Marchenko, Richard Nedomlel, Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul; and forwards Andreas Athanasiou, Louis-Marc Aubry, Mitch Callahan, Colin Campbell, Landon Ferraro, Martin Frk, Tomas Nosek, Kevin Porter and Teemu Pulkkinen.
In the Show: A total of 27 former Griffins can be found among the season-opening rosters of nine NHL teams. They range from Ottawa’s Chris Neil, the longest-tenured active Griffins alum (No. 38) whose 13 seasons and 855 games in the NHL are the most ever logged by a player after leaving Grand Rapids, to Detroit’s Andrej Nestrasil, who could make his Red Wings debut tonight and become Griffins NHL graduate No. 146. Eighteen of the 24 players currently in Detroit once played for the Griffins, with the only exceptions being Daniel Cleary, Pavel Datsyuk (IR), Johan Franzen, Drew Miller, Stephen Weiss and Henrik Zetterberg. The complete list of Grand Rapids’ current NHL alumni is as follows: Boston – Chris Kelly; Calgary – Jiri Hudler; Dallas – Patrick Eaves and Jason Spezza; Detroit – Justin Abdelkader, Joakim Andersson, Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson, Luke Glendening, Jonas Gustavsson, Darren Helm, Jimmy Howard, Tomas Jurco, Jakub Kindl, Niklas Kronwall, Brian Lashoff, Andrej Nestrasil, Gustav Nyquist, Kyle Quincey, Riley Sheahan, Brendan Smith and Tomas Tatar; Florida – Tomas Kopecky; Nashville – Calle Jarnkrok; New Jersey – Jordin Tootoo; Ottawa – Chris Neil; and Tampa Bay – Valtteri Filppula.
AHL Impact: As the National Hockey League embarks on its 2014-15 season, the American Hockey League has 637 graduates on NHL opening-day rosters, making up nearly 83 percent of the NHL’s player pool to begin its campaign. Last season, 871 AHL alumni played in the National Hockey League, including 347 who skated in both leagues last year alone. Twenty AHL graduates led their NHL teams in scoring in 2013-14, and 28 AHL goaltending alumni paced their NHL clubs in victories.
How Time Flies: Nine members of the Detroit Red Wings had their names engraved on the AHL’s Calder Cup just 16 months ago as members of the Griffins’ 2013 championship team: Joakim Andersson, Danny DeKeyser, Luke Glendening, Tomas Jurco, Brian Lashoff, Andrej Nestrasil, Gustav Nyquist, Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar.
Signed and Sealed: Seven players on the current roster are under contract to the Griffins: forwards Shane Berschbach, Chris Bruton, Alden Hirschfeld, Jeff Hoggan and Mark Zengerle; and defensemen Brennan Evans and Nathan Paetsch. Evans, Hirschfeld, Hoggan and Paetsch all skated with the Griffins last year, while Berschbach and Zengerle burst on to the scene after impressive NCAA careers. Berschbach led the Western Michigan Broncos in scoring last season with 38 points (16-22—38), while Zengerle enjoyed a standout senior season with Wisconsin in the newly-formed Big Ten conference by ranking first on the team in scoring with 44 points (10-34—44) and 29 penalty minutes. In March, Zengerle scored the Badgers’ game-winning overtime goal against Ohio State to secure the Big 10 tournament title for Wisconsin. Bruton joins the team after spending last season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he tallied four points (2-2—4) and 91 PIM in 41 games.
Ready in Waiting: The Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday reassigned forward Marek Tvrdon and goaltender Jared Coreau from the Grand Rapids Griffins to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. In addition, the Griffins assigned forwards Tyler Barnes and Kyle Bonis and defenseman Scott Czarnowczan to Toledo, while releasing forwards Tyler Elbrecht, Anthony Luciani, Justin Mercier and Jerome Verrier and defensemen Kevin Clare and Joe Houk from their tryouts. Barnes, Bonis, Coreau, Czarnowczan and Tvrdon could all see playing time in Grand Rapids this season.
Fresh Faces: Five members of the Griffins’ season-opening roster skated elsewhere in 2013-14. Here’s a brief look at each of the new arrivals:
• Mark Zengerle – The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Wisconsin product enjoyed a standout senior season in the newly-formed Big Ten conference by ranking first on the Badgers in scoring with 44 points (10-34—44) and 29 penalty minutes. Among Big Ten scorers, Zengerle ranked second in points and first in assists and helped lead the Badgers to a Big Ten tournament title by defeating Ohio State in the championship game. His accolades earned him First-Team All-Big Ten honors, and he was also named the Big Ten tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Badgers the tournament title
• Kevin Porter – A University of Michigan standout and Hobey Baker Award winner in 2008, Porter comes to the Griffins with 206 games of NHL experience. Porter split the 2013-14 season between the Buffalo Sabres (0-1—1 in 12 games) and Rochester Americans (19-17—36 in 50 games). A native of Detroit, Mich., Porter ranked sixth among Rochester leaders in scoring and tied for second in goals.
• Tomas Nosek – A highly-touted Detroit prospect, Nosek makes his North American debut with the Griffins after a 129-game professional career in the Czech Republic. Last season, Nosek paced HC Pardubice of the Czech ExtraLiga with 44 points (19-25—44) in 52 regular season games and ranked first on the team in goals (19) and assists (25), in addition to owning a club-best plus-17 rating. In 2013-14, he also made his debut with the senior international Czech Republic team, tallying three goals in 11 appearances. The 22-year-old clocks in at 6-foot-2 and weighs 210 pounds.
• Shane Berschbach – Berschbach comes to the Griffins from Western Michigan University, where he appeared in all 40 games during his senior campaign last season and led the team in scoring with 38 points (16-22—38). He also led the Broncos in goals (16) and power play goals (4). Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, Berschbach made his professional debut with the ECHL’s Kalmazoo Wings on March 29 versus the Toledo Walleye. In three games with Kalamazoo, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound forward picked up a goal and assist.
• Chris Bruton – A native of Calgary, Alberta, Bruton skated in 41 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season and compiled four points (2-2—4) and 91 penalty minutes. Prior to his season with Bridgeport, Bruton spent two seasons with the Peoria Rivermen from 2011-13 and notched 15 points (6-9—15) in 107 games. The 27-year-old is 5-foot-11 and weighs 200 pounds.
Welcome Back: Nineteen players from the Griffins’ 2013-14 squad are on the season-opening roster: goaltender Tom McCollum and Petr Mrazek; defensemen Alexey Marchenko, Nathan Paetsch, Mattias Backman, Ryan Sproul, Nick Jensen, Xavier Ouellet, Richard Nedomlel and Brennan Evans; and forwards Teemu Pulkkinen, Jeff Hoggan, Mitch Callahan, Colin Campbell, Louis-Marc Aubry, Andreas Athanasiou, Martin Frk, Landon Ferraro and Alden Hirschfeld.
Melting Pot: The Griffins’ roster this year will feature players representing seven countries from all over the world. While a majority of the roster comes from North America, other countries featured are Finland (Teemu Pulkkinen), Russia (Alexey Marchenko), Sweden (Mattias Backman), France (Xavier Ouellet) and Czech Republic (Martin Frk, Richard Nedomlel and Tomas Nosek).
NHL Experience: Twelve Griffins have seen time in the NHL, combining for 509 games: Kevin Porter (206), Nathan Paetsch (167), Jeff Hoggan (107), Petr Mrazek (11), Xavier Ouellet (5), Landon Ferraro (4), Teemu Pulkkinen (3), Brennan Evans (2 playoff games), Mitch Callahan (1), Alexey Marchenko (1), Tom McCollum (1) and Ryan Sproul (1).
Veteran Roll Call: AHL clubs may dress up to five veteran skaters with more than 260 games of experience in the NHL, AHL or European Elite leagues, plus another with 320 or fewer games played. Three veterans who suited up for the Griffins in 2013-14 return this year. Brennan Evans, Jeff Hoggan and Nathan Paetsch boast a combined total of 1,714 AHL regular season games and 179 AHL playoff games. New arrival Kevin Porter has appeared in 206 regular season NHL games, four NHL playoff contests and 196 AHL games.
Newbies: The Griffins have seven players who will be considered rookies this season, including two newcomers: Mark Zengerle and Shane Berschbach. Andreas Athanasiou (two regular season games, six playoff games), Colin Campbell (13 regular season games, three playoff games) and Richard Nedomlel (three regular season games) all appeared with the Griffins last season but have not met the AHL’s 25-game threshold.
One for the Ages: The average age of the Griffins is 24 years and six months – 11 months older than the average for the 2013-14 season (23 years and seven months). This marks the second season in a row that the opening day lineup has been older than the season that preceded it, aided by the return of many familiar faces to the roster. Jeff Hoggan (36), Nathan Paetsch (31) and Brennan Evans (32) check into the over-30 club, but a majority of the 24 players on the roster (16) were born in the ‘90s. Andreas Athanasiou (20 years, two months) earns the title of the youngest player on the roster, and he’s followed by Martin Frk, whose 21st birthday was on Oct. 5.
Where Are They Now?: 11 of the players from the Griffins’ 2013-14 season-ending roster now find themselves in other locales, including Adam Almquist (Severstal Cherepovets - KHL), Cory Emmerton (HK Sochi - KHL), Tomas Jurco (Detroit Red Wings - NHL), Riley Sheahan (Detroit Red Wings - NHL), David McIntyre (SM Liiga - Finland), Jordin Tootoo (New Jersey Devils - NHL), Triston Grant (Milwaukee Admirals -AHL), Trevor Parkes (Greenville Road Warriors – ECHL), Gleason Fournier (Orlando Solar Bears – ECHL), Mattias Janmark (Frolunda – SHL) and Zach Nastasiuk (Owen Sound Attack – OHL).
Griffins’ Coaching Tree: Eight former players or coaches for the Griffins are currently involved in coaching with other AHL squads, including Oklahoma City head coach Todd Nelson (1996-98, 1999-00, 2001-02, AC 2002-03), Providence head coach Bruce Cassidy (HC 2000-02), Springfield head coach Jared Bednar (1998-99) and goaltending consultant Manny Legace (2005-06), Toronto associate coach Derek King (1999-01, P/AC 2002-04) and assistant coach Ben Simon (2006-07), Hershey assistant coach Bryan Helmer (2004-06) and Manchester head coach Mike Stothers (HC 2007-08).
Scouting Report
Fri., Oct. 10 vs. Lake Erie Monsters (0-0-0-0) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 11 at Lake Erie Monsters – Quicken Loans Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. (Fri.) and WBFX 101.3 FM at 7 p.m. (Sat.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 26-16-2-6 Overall, 16-8-0-1 Home, 10-8-2-5 Road. 2013-14 Series: 1-2-0-1 Overall, 0-2-0-0 Home, 1-0-0-1 Road. Season Series: First and second of 10 meetings overall, first of five both at home and on the road. NHL Affiliation: Colorado Avalanche. Head Coach: Dean Chynoweth (2nd season). Notes: The Griffins fell to the Monsters in both of the teams’ neutral-site preseason games in Windsor and Fort Wayne last weekend…Lake Erie is a new member of the Midwest Division after being reallocated from the North Division during the offseason…Monsters left wing Andrew Agozzino returns to the team this season after tying for the points lead on Lake Erie during 2013-14. Agozzino tallied 49 points (17-32—49) in 75 games… The Griffins and Monsters meet eight times before Christmas and will meet 10 times overall this season...The Monsters scored four goals in each of their four meetings with the Griffins last season, losing only once.
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