Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Back when the Grand Rapids Griffins chose their moniker in 1995, it proved to be a fitting choice.
A name found in ancient mythology, the griffin represents strength and protection. That’s an easy fit for a hockey team both on the ice and on the merchandise front.
Thirty years later, the Griffins continue to live up to their name. They came to the AHL in 2001, affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002, and won the Calder Cup in 2013 and again in 2017. They’ve sent players on to Detroit year after year and have become a cornerstone franchise both on and off the ice.
Now, their 8-0-0-0 start leaves them as the AHL’s last undefeated team and on top of the always-competitive Central Division. They put their perfect mark on the line with a visit to Chicago this afternoon.
The AHL record for consecutive wins to begin a season is 13, set by Utica in 2021. But coaching staffs will not concern themselves much with the record book. What they do want this time of the year is simple: practice time. And lots of it. With new faces, lighter schedules early in the season allow teams to get organized and put their systems firmly into place before the game calendar starts to intensify.
Today’s game is the Griffins’ first since last Sunday. The week ahead features only two games – Wednesday morning and Friday evening – both at home against Toronto. It’s a nice pace that features ample practice time yet enough game action to keep players engaged.
Early numbers reveal that head coach Dan Watson and his staff are taking full advantage of the early schedule. Grand Rapids leads the league in both offense (4.25 goals scored per game) and defense (2.00 goals allowed per game, tied with Providence and Colorado). John Leonard, coming off a 36-goal season with Charlotte, has nine goals in seven outings this year for the Griffins. Dominik Shine (six goals, three assists) is off to the quickest offensive pace of his nine-year career. Carter Mazur has four goals in five games after missing most of last season due to injury, and Nate Danielson earned a recall to Detroit to make his NHL debut this weekend.
Veteran defensemen Justin Holl and Erik Gustafsson add more than 900 games of NHL experience to the Griffins blue line. And the combination of top prospect Sebastian Cossa and rookie Michal Postava – who won a Czech league championship last season – has provided dominant performances in net, alternating starts so far.
It’s difficult to find weaknesses in this lineup. It has something for everyone: proven performers along with a host of top picks and intriguing young signings to keep prospect-watchers from Detroit and afar fully interested.
Come Sunday, the Griffins’ ninth contest, they will be one-eighth of their way through their schedule. There are months and months, games and games, still to go. Detroit has started 9-5-0-0, which is good news for the Griffins as well. Winning at the NHL level allows for that much more patience in keeping prospects in the AHL to develop.
But this is a Griffins team banking early points and looking very much like a team to watch closely as this season plays out.