This story has been updated to reflect the Griffins’ 4-3 win Friday against the Iowa Wild. Carter Mazur keyed the win with three points.

The Dan Watson-coached Grand Rapids Griffins take a 17-game points streak into tonight’s game home game against the Iowa Wild. This is the franchise’s longest points streak since the Jeff Blashill-coached Griffins set the team record with a 19-game streak in 2015.

Here are facts about the streak you may not know:

1.  The team hasn’t lost in regulation in 50 days. Their last regulation setback: 2-0 to Rockford on Jan. 12.
2. Red Wings 2021 first round draft pick Sebastian Cossa is 7-0-2 during the streak, boasting a .925 save percentage and 2.09 goals-against average. He has given up 18 goals in his nine outings.
3. Half of the games (eight) were decided by a shootout or overtime.  Grand Rapids lost four of those games, but earned a point to keep their streak intact. Two of those losses were to Cleveland. They lost once in OT and once in a shootout to the Monsters. They are the Columbus Blue Jackets farm team.
4. Detroit’s premium defensive prospect Simon Edvinsson (drafted sixth overall in 2021) is +9 during the streak with two goals and five assists for seven points. He was +3 in Friday’s 4-3 win against Iowa.
5. Jonatan Berggren (drafted 33rd overall in 2018) has 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points during the streak.
6. The Griffins were 14-15-3-1 before the streak, sitting in sixth place in the Central Division. Today, they are 27-15-5-3, holding second in the Central.
7. Grand Rapids has outscored opponents 57-41 during the streak. They have averaged 3.31 goals,  while giving up 2.38 goals per game.
8. During the Griffins’ streak, the Red Wings have gone 13-5-1.
9. Marco Kasper (drafted eighth overall in 2022) has six goals and four assists during the streak, while defenseman William Wallinder (drafted 32nd overall in 2020) shows only two minus performances during the streak. He is playing his first season in North America.
10. Austin Czarnik, a favorite of the Red Wings’ coaches, has six goals and six assists, during the 16 games.

The post Looking Inside the Grand Rapids Griffins 17-Game Streak appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

When the Detroit Red Wings drafted Albin Grewe in the third round in 2019, he drew comparisons to Brad Marchand. As it turned out, Grewe does Marcnn’t have Marchand’s offensive ability, but has shown Marchand’s knack for earning.

In 2022, Marchand became the most suspended NHL player when he picked up his eighth suspension. Grewe, now with Djurgardens IF earned a different distinction this season in the Allsvenskan, the second division of Swedish hockey, when he was suspended for the fourth time. The latest five-game suspension resulted from what the website Expressen called a “tackle” against Vasteras player Isac Skedung.

This suspension created more headlines because both Grewe and his team protested the suspension as unreasonable.

The post Former Red Wings Prospect Can’t Stay Out of Trouble (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

GRAND RAPIDS — Sometimes, getting noticed isn’t necessarily a good thing.

But defenseman Albert Johansson is making an impression for good reasons.

“Right now he’s getting noticed because of the way he’s moving the pucks away he’s defending,” Grand Rapids. coach Dan Watson says. “Now it’s just becoming that consistent player game in and game out and he’s done a really good job. (He’s) another guy who’s prepared, another guy who’s a pro and does things the right way. And I like where his game’s at.”

The post Johansson Making Good Impression in Grand Rapids (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Game Facts

Who: Red Wings at Boston

Where: TD Garden, Boston

When: 7 p.m.

Records: Red Wings 5-2-1, Bruins 6-0-1.

TV/Radio: Bally Sports Extra/97.1 FM

Things to Know

Ville Husso gets the start in goal, saying he knows he has to be sharper in this early-season Atlantic Division showdown.  But this is an important game for the rest of his teammates, given their recent struggles with the Bruins. …

Coach Derek Lalonde confirmed that Jeff Petry will play tonight as the Wings go with six defensemen. Olli Maatta will be.a healthy scratch. ….

Lalonde is well familiar with the Bruins. “Structure. Unbelievable team game,” he said. “They’re really committed to playing defense. Winning hockey. I know they haven’t had the hardest schedule, but that’s exactly what excellent, top-tier teams do, they always take care of business. It’s kind of all I’ve known from Boston since I’ve been in this league. They look no different. You scout a team back, it’s black and white, very clear what they’re doing. That’s a sign of a well-structured, well-coached team and everyone on the same page.”…

Alex Lyon will dress for the first time this season. Lalonde talked about getting ice time for the Red Wings’ third-string goalkeeper, “I’ve communicated with him a couple times what we’re trying to do in the big picture,” Lalonde said. “He thanked me but basically said there’s no need – I’ve been in this position, I understand it, I’m happy to be here. That’s probably a credit to him and why he’s had some success like that within his career.”

David Perron had a personal interest in the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, where he played junior hockey.

Prayers to the people of Lewiston, ME! This place is dear to my heart and I am heartbroken to hear whats going on there right now!

— David Perron (@DP_57) October 26, 2023

The suspected shooter was found dead Friday night. …

The Grand Rapids Griffins had a postgame promotion involving soft rubber pucks for Friday night’s home game with Cleveland. It backfired when angry fans littered the ice with the pucks late in the third period,  leading to a delay-of-game penalty. Cleveland scored on the play and went on to win 3-2 in overtime. Simon Edvinsson scored for the Griffins.

The post Red Wings at Bruins: What to Know appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

One of the Detroit Red Wings’ offseason objectives was to make sure their Grand Rapids Griffins American Hockey League affiliate has the goaltending necessary to create a competitive environment for their top prospects.

Veteran Michael Hutchinson showed Friday the Red Wings are on the right track.

Hutchinson made 40 saves to help the Griffins win their season opener 3-2 over the Colorado Eagles. He will share the net with Red Wings first-round pick Sebastian Cossa. Last season, inconsistency in the net was an issue for the Griffins until Alex Nedeljkovic brought stability to the position.

The Red Wings have three veteran goalies in Detroit (Ville Husso, James Reimer and Alex Lyon). Although the Red Wings never said for sure, the original plan seemed to be Lyon playing in Grand Rapids as the No. 3 goalie. But the Red Wings were concerned that Lyon would be claimed when he went through waivers. That’s why they asked Hutchinson to sign a tryout contract.

The visiting Eagles led 2-1 after two periods, but Taro Hirose tied it for the Griffins just seven seconds into the third and scored the game-winner midway through the period.

Griffins – 3 Eagles – 2
Post Game Highlights #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/K5kR0N1m2P

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) October 14, 2023

Colorado couldn’t take advantage of a slow start by the Griffins despite outshooting them 18-4 in the first period. Despite that, Austin Czarnik gave the Griffins a 1-0 lead at the 13:18 mark with assists from Hirose and Simon Edvinsson.

Griffins Rally in Third Period

Colorado took the lead on a power-play goal midway through the second period. Hirose tied it early in the third with assists from Albert Johansson and Czarnik. The Griffins then got the game-winner on the power play at 11:35 with assists from Jonatan Berggren and Elmer Soderblom.

The Griffins were outshot by the Eagles 42-25. Edvinsson had four shots to lead Grand Rapids. Hirose, Hutchinson and Czarnik were the three stars for the Griffins.

It was the first-ever meeting between the teams, who will play for the second time this season tonight in Grand Rapids. They’ll finish the season series with two games at Colorado next weekend.

This and That

Four of the five Swedish prospects (Edvinsson, Johansson, Berggren and Soderblom) got on the scoresheet for the Griffins. Only William Wallinder was held without a point. … It was Johansson’s 200th game for Grand Rapids, while Czarnik notched his 200th assist as a Griffin. … It was the first game for Grand Rapids coach Dan Watson and his coaching staff. It’s the first season in 20 years the Griffins have begun the season with an entirely new coaching staff.

The post Swedes Produce, Hutchinson Sharp to Help Griffins Win Opener appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

At the end of last season, retiring as a player was an easy decision for Brian Lashoff.

“I knew my body had gone through a lot the last couple of years, injury-wise,” he said, “and there was a lot of wear and tear from a lot of long seasons and playoff runs.”

Lashoff, a defenseman who spent 14 seasons in Grand Rapids, the last three as captain, decided to listen to his body and retired.

But the player who once was traded by the Red Wings to Tampa Bay but stayed in Grand Rapids will be with the Griffins again this winter — as an assistant coach.

Still, the decision was not an easy one. Lashoff signed with the Red Wings after his junior career ended and, for the most part, never left Grand Rapids. Every minor league team needs the wise veteran leader — someone like the catcher Crash Davis in the movie Bull Durham — who can tutor youngsters about how to be a professional athlete.

Lashoff was that veteran in Grand Rapids.

“Some of my best memories are playing with this team,” he said, “but, day to day, it got harder to play at the level I wanted to.”

When young players talk about playing in Grand Rapids, they always seem to mention Lashoff’s influence.

“I’ve talked to Lash a lot,” Red Wings prospect Jared McIsaac said. “He’s been around a long time, and he’s seen it all. I do not hesitate to ask questions of him and he’s been really good to me.”

Filip Hronek said he learned a lot from Lashoff.  “(He) helped me with my D zone coverage,” Hronek said.

A new role

And so, instead of working to get ready for another season on the ice, Lashoff is preparing for his first season behind the bench.

His job will be to help bolster a defense that was 30th in the American Hockey League in scoring last season. He  will work with Stephane Julien, who joins the Griffins after a long stint as the coach and general manager of Sherbrooke of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

“I think bringing in a guy like Stephane is going to be huge,” Lashoff said. “Not only for the guys in the room. but for me as well. I’m lucky to have a guy like him and (new head coach) Dan Watson to learn from.

“It’s a  fresh start for a lot of the guys in the room,” he added. “Everyone wants to make a good impression on the coaching staff, and I think the coaching staff is no different. I think we have a staff that is ready to tackle this head-on and put this team in a position to get back to our winning ways of the past.”

Lashoff is familiar with those winning ways, having  won two Calder Caps (2013, 2017) in Grand Rapids and playing 132 games over seven seasons in Detroit.

BetMGM Sportsbook

States: All States Where Legal

GET THE APP

SIGNUP BONUSUP TO $1,000!
Up To $1000 Paid Back in Bonus BetsBET NOW

A smooth transition

As a captain, Lashoff was a leader on and off the ice.

“I’ll be doing a lot of things I did as a player,” Lashoff said. “Teaching is going to be my main job these days, but I want to help these guys develop, even the older guys. They want to get better, too, so you want to give them the best opportunity to get better and win as a team.”

Lashoff’s summer has been spent working with his new teammates in the coaches’ office, learning how to operate the video equipment and the other tasks assistants do, and keeping his focus on what’s ahead.

“I want to do well at this, as opposed to being half-in,” he said. “I wanted to be all-in and help as much as I can.”

That includes a firm declaration that his playing days are over, despite being just 32 years old.

“If we’re going to need me to strap on the boots, we’re going to be in trouble,” he said, chuckling.

The post Lashoff Making Transition From Griffins Player to Coach appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

In the immediate aftermath of the Jeff Petry trade, it’s hard not to view the Detroit Red Wings as big winners. Certainly in the short term they are acquiring a veteran NHL defenseman, while two other NHL teams – the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins – will be paying all but 37.5% of Petry’s salary.

A proud pop

Dan Petry now gets to watch his son, Jeff Petry play with the Red Wings organization after the team acquired the defenseman from the Montreal Canadiens. #RepDetroit | @FiegerLaw pic.twitter.com/lziW8YJgX5

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) August 15, 2023

So why did this deal make sense for Montreal? The Canadiens will be getting Gustav Lindstrom, who was figuring to be Detroit’s seventh defenseman, and a conditional fourth pick. Expectations are that Lindstrom might even start out with Montreal’s AHL farm club, the Laval Rocket.

Bottom line, this is nothing more than a salary dump from Montreal’s perspective. As much as Petry would’ve helped them, it wasn’t going to be enough to make the Canadiens into a playoff team, so why climb the standings and lessen their chance of hitting the draft lottery?

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Detroit added another Michigander and a veteran NHL defenseman in Jeff Petry
• Former Red Wings defenseman Bob Baun has died
• Hockey Hall of Famer and Bally Sports Detroit analyst Larry Murphy thinks it’s realistic to to talk about Detroit making the playoffs
• Center Marco Kasper realizes the challenge he’ll be facing to crack the Red Wings roster out of training camp

Red Wings Offseason

Defenseman Charlie Curti, who played last season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins and ECHL Toledo Walleye, is taking his talents across the Atlantic Ocean.

A message from your #3 Charlie Curti, ahead of the GIANT 2023/24 season.

Read more about the latest addition to the Giants roster HERE: https://t.co/DR6fogtBVh#WeAreGiants #GiantsTogether pic.twitter.com/1CIfd6qNfR

— Belfast Giants (@BelfastGiants) August 15, 2023

He’s joining the Belfast Giants of the EIHL.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: David Krejci paid it forward by mentoring Boston Bruins teammate David Pastrnak.

Buffalo: Assessing Buffalo Sabres prospect Aaron Huglen.

Florida: Tampa Bay, Nashville and Carolina will be joining the host Florida Panthers this fall in the Southeast Rookie Showcase.

Carolina: The Carolina Hurricanes and Centennial Authority agreed to a 20-year lease extension, making PNC Arena home to the Hurricanes through the 2043-2044 campaign.

Islanders: Ashton Calder and Trevor Cosgrove are signing contracts with the New York Islanders Bridgeport AHL farm club.

Philadelphia: Three bold predictions for the 2023-24 edition of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Pittsburgh: Will former Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic prove to be an Achilles heel for the Pittsburgh Penguins?

BetMGM Sportsbook

States: All States Where Legal

GET THE APP

SIGNUP BONUSUP TO $1,000!
Up To $1000 Paid Back in Bonus BetsBET NOW

Chicago: Would unsigned Red Wings draft pick Robert Mastrosimone be a fit for the Chicago Blackhawks?

Colorado: Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now plays where are they now with some former Colorado Avalanche players.

Nashville: Revisiting the draft classes of former Nashville Predators GM David Poile.

Los Angeles: Where do Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala of the Los Angeles Kings fit among the NHL’s top-20 wingers?

Vegas: Looking at some betting propositions involving the Vegas Golden Knights.

San Jose: Will Smith, 2023 top draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, is drawing rave reviews from his performance at the recent World Junior Summer Showcase.

The post The Daily: Looking at Red Wings Trade For Petry From Canadiens Perspective; Nedeljkovic an Achilles Heel For Penguins? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

One reason why the Detroit Red Wings feel good about hiring Dan Watson as coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins is that it’s impossible to draw a line of distinction between who is as a coach or a person.

If you listen to those who know him, one reason why he won 69.1% of his games for the Toledo Walleye is that he connects with players on a  personal level.

“One thing with Dan (is) just the type of person he is,” Red Wings assistant general manager Shawn Horcoff said. “You talk to the players and people who work for him, he’s just an outstanding human being. Players want to go through the wall for him. That’s something that I think is very important — something we hold high in terms of things that we look for in a head coach.”

Dan Watson was there when the @ToledoWalleye started.

14 years later—with 272 reg. season wins, 51 playoff wins and 2 trips to the Kelly Cup Finals—Watson moves on to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

From the front office to the ice, the overwhelming feeling in Toledo is gratitude. pic.twitter.com/xQQhesuJYu

— Joel Sebastianelli (@JJSebastianelli) June 15, 2023

Watson won three division titles, reached the Kelly Cup Finals twice and never missed the playoffs in his six seasons as the Toledo Walleye coach.  He reached 100 career wins faster than any coach in ECHL history.

Transporting Winning Culture

“I think the culture inside that lockerroom in Toledo is something we are going to try to bring to Grand Rapids,” Watson said.

He’s coming to a Griffins team that has a strong history, but no playoff appearances over the past two seasons. The Red Wings need the Griffins to regain their winning ways because over the next few seasons several top prospects will be coming through there.

For example, next season, Sebastian Cossa will be there, along with William Wallinder, maybe Carter Mazur and even Marco Kasper. 

“I am players coach I want to build relationships with all of these guys,” Watson said. “I want them to know that I care about them personally, it’s not just their hockey career, it’s about them as individuals, as people, whether it is their family, themselves. That’s what I care about. As long as you do this, that’s when you bring out the best in everybody.”

Watson was an assistant coach in Toledo when Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde was there. Watson had plenty of fans within in the Detroit organization. He seemed like the Grand Rapids favorite as soon as it was announced that Ben Simon’s contract with the Griffins was not being renewed.

“The winning culture that we want to get back to here,” said Horcoff who also serves the Griffins’ GM. “It’s important because Grand Rapids has always been a team and organization that has always challenged for championships and that’s something we look forward to getting back to.”

Cossa Blossomed Under Watson

Coaching in the ECHL is challenging because rosters constantly are in a state of flux. If you can coach with consistency there, you can do it anywhere. The Red Wings also appreciated the fact that Cossa made significant strides under Watson’s command. During the ECHL playoffs, Watson had a few Detroit prospects.

“On top of it is his track record of winning,” Horcoff said. “He’s done an outstanding job with the organization, it’s not an easy place, there’s lots of turnover, players coming in and out, but the one thing that has been consistent is his ability to develop players quickly, make them feel comfortable and put a good winning product on the ice.”

Watson said his first order of business is to hire assistant coaches. He said his goal is to develop the culture in the dressing room that “bleed out on the ice.”

“The expectation inside the locker room is be yourself, and be yourself well,” Watson said. “That’s what we are looking for and I can’t wait to get started.”

The post Red Wings Look to Watson To Bring Winning Culture to GR appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Goalie Dylan St. Cyr, the son of women’s hockey legend Manon Rheaume, only had a short stay with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The Griffins signed the former Michigan State goalie last Friday to amateur tryout and released him Tuesday morning. He never played in a game.

Detroit Red Wings goalie Ville Husso suffered and injury and it had a trickle down impact on the Griffins. The Red Wings called up Alex Nedeljkovic who had been Grand Rapids’ No. 1 goalie. Plus, Grand Rapids backup Viktor Brattstrom was injured.  That left John Lethemon as the only healthy goalie in Grand Rapids. The Red Wings recently signed former Spartans goalie Lethemon. That opened the door for St. Cyr to get an amateur tryout.

Rheaume made pro hockey history on Sept. 23, 1992 by playing one period of an NHL preseason game for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the St. Louis Blues. Today, Rheaume  is the Hockey Operations/Prospect Adviser for the Los Angeles Kings. Last season, Rheaume was an analyst on Red Wings’ games for Bally Sports.

Rheaume also won a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics while playing for Canada.

St. Cyr, 23, joined the Griffins after finishing his final collegiate season with the Michigan State Spartans. He posted a 17-18-2 record, a 2.77 goals against average and a 0.915 save percentage. In 2021-22,  St. Cyn recorded a NCAA-best 1.16 GAA in 13 games at Quinnipiac University,  St. Cyr also spent four seasons Notre Dame and showed a combined 16-12-2 mark.

In 2017, the 5-foot-8 netminder was named to the World Junior Championship All-Star Team when he went 7-0 and paced the tournament with a 1.96 GAA for Team USA. His team won the gold medal.

The post Griffins Release Manon Rheaume Son From Amateur Tryout appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

With injured forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Filip Zadina inching closer to being ready to play, the Detroit Red Wings sent Elmer Soderblom, 21, to the Grand Rapids Griffins Sunday.

That could mean Bertuzzi will be ready to play Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets. Coach Derek Lalonde said last Wednesday Zadina (leg) might take slightly longer than Bertuzzi (hand).

This is Soderblom’s second trip to Grand Rapids. The 6-foot-8-inch, 246-pound Swedish forward played two games on Dec. 9-10 without registering a point. Soderblom has eight points in 21 games for the Red Wings this season.

Soderblom has been creating some good chances out front tonight #LGRW pic.twitter.com/mZerZ03Tjx

— Red Wings Rant (@Red_Wings_Rant) January 5, 2023

Red Wings Still Need Another Move

Last week, the Red Wings sent Jakub Vrana to Grand Rapids to make room for Robby Fabbri. If Bertuzzi does come back Tuesday, then the Red Wings must move one more player off the roster for Zadina’s return.

One possibility is that the Red Wings would reduce from three to two goaltenders. Alex Nedeljkovic has played impressively since he went to Grand Rapids on a conditioning stay. But he’s still technically on Detroit’s roster. To stay beyond five games in Grand Rapids, Nedeljkovic would still need to be put on waivers.

BetMGM Sportsbook

States: All States Where Legal

GET THE APP

SIGNUP BONUSUP TO $1,000!
Up To $1000 Paid Back in Bonus BetsBET NOW

Magnus Hellberg would also require waivers to be sent to Grand Rapids. He has been claimed on waivers three different times (by Ottawa, Seattle and Detroit) this season. Hellberg boasts a 2.67 goals-against average in six games for the Red Wings this season. Nedeljkovic’s Red Wings’ GAA is 4.09.

It’s also not unthinkable that the Red Wings could suffer another injury before Zadina is ready to play. He could also agree to go to Grand Rapids on a conditioning assignment. As long as Zadina agrees, that would not require waivers. He could play up to five games. That could buy the Red Wings some time. But Zadina would have to activated before going to Grand Rapids, meaning the cut would still have to be made.

The post Red Wings Send Soderblom to AHL to Open Roster Space appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.