The Beacon Is a Special 2020-21 Season Publication of the Grand Rapids Griffins, 130 Rapids Griffins
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THE 2020-21 GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS DIGITAL PROGRAM ISSUE #1 2017 Calder Cup champion RAPIDS Kyle Criscuolo is back with the Griffins RETURN 1 Our reason for being? Your well-being. At Huntington, we know the business of banking is about moving money responsibly. But we also know that behind the numbers there are always people. Human lives. Our families, friends and neighbors. It’s an honor to be part of the lives that help our communities prosper. And for that privilege, we thank you. Member FDIC. ⬢®, Huntington® and ⬢ Huntington. Welcome.® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2021 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. 2 CHICAGO @ GR: Feb. 26 CLEVELAND @ CHI: Feb. 5, Feb. 11, Feb. 28 @ GR: Feb. 20 ROCKFORD •With the Milwaukee Admirals opting out of the 2020-21 season, the @ CLE: Feb. 13 @ GR: March 13, March 16 Nashville Predators have instead sent their prospects 80 miles south, • Following a two-year foray into the North Division and Eastern Conference, @ RFD: Feb. 18, March 3, March 11 where the Wolves are beginning their first season as the primary affiliate the Monsters have been reunited with the Griffins in the Central Division •One of the greatest players in Griffins franchise history, Derek King returns of the Carolina Hurricanes. The Wolves, who were affiliated with Vegas thanks to the AHL’s five-division, COVID-induced realignment. for his third season as head coach of the IceHogs. He guided Rockford to a from 2017-20, previously served as the farm team for St. Louis (2013-17), • Mike Eaves begins his second campaign behind the Monsters’ bench, after 29-30-2-2 mark and a fifth-place finish in the Central Division in 2019-20. Vancouver (2011-13) and Atlanta (2001-11). piloting them to a 24-31-5-2 record and an eighth-place finish in the North King’s 203 regular season points rank fifth all time on the Griffins while his •Rocky Thompson, who led the franchise to the 2019 Calder Cup Finals as head Division last season. 41 playoff points are unmatched. coach, has been replaced by Ryan Warsofsky, who served as head coach of • The Monsters welcome back their top two netminders from a season ago. •Grand Rapids has not posted a winning record at the BMO Harris Bank the Charlotte Checkers and many of the Wolves’ current players in 2019-20. Veini Vehvilainen appeared in a team-high 33 games in 2019-20, posting a Center in any season since 2016-17, going 3-7-2-3 in their 15 visits to Warsofsky, who was an assistant coach for the Checkers when they beat 10-18-4 record, a 2.76 goals against average, a 0.901 save percentage and Rockford over the last three seasons. Chicago for the cup two seasons ago, steered Charlotte to a 34-22-5-0 mark three shutouts. Understudy Matiss Kivlenieks went 9-8-3 with a 2.96 GAA, •The IceHogs’ special teams units struggled mightily during the 2019-20 and a third-place finish in the Atlantic Division last year. a 0.904 save percentage and one shutout in 20 games. campaign, finishing last out of 31 teams in penalty killing (76.2%) and •Chicago is one of three AHL teams that is serving two NHL clubs this season, • Cleveland’s offensive attack features center Ryan MacInnis, whose 30 ranking 29th on the power play (11.4%). joining Syracuse (Tampa Bay and Florida) and Utica (Vancouver and St. Louis). points (7-23—30) in 45 games ranked second on the club last season, •Defenseman Madison Bowey, who tallied an assist in his one-game debut •The Wolves have a temporary home this season, forgoing Allstate Arena in and right wing Trey Fix-Wolansky, who tied for the Monsters’ lead in with the Griffins last season and played 70 games with the Red Wings over favor of their training facility, the Triphahn Ice Arena in Hoffman Estates, which 2019-20 by scoring 12 goals as a rookie while contributing 14 assists to the last two years, signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks is located about a 25-minute drive northwest of their regular den. tie for fourth in team scoring. on Jan. 28 and was subsequently assigned to Rockford. THE BEACON IS A SPECIAL 2020-21 SEASON PUBLICATION OF THE GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS, 130 RAPIDS GRIFFINS. EDITED BY RANDY CLEVES. WRITTEN BY MARK NEWMAN AND RANDY CLEVES. W. FULTON ST., SUITE 111, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49503. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION PHOTOS BY MARK NEWMAN, SAM IANNAMICO, DETROIT RED WINGS AND GETTY IMAGES. IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. ALL CONTENTS ©2021 GRAND GRAPHIC DESIGN BY JONATHAN GUINN. 3 INTRODUCING YOUR 2020-21 GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS A 11 33 44 51 45 16 20 RILEY BARBER KEVIN BOYLE DENNIS CHOLOWSKI KYLE CRISCUOLO PATRICK CURRY CHARLE-EDOUARD D’ASTOUS TORY DELLO Forward Goaltender Defenseman Forward Forward Defenseman Defenseman 6-0, 194 lbs. 6-1, 195 lbs. 6-1, 195 lbs. 5-9, 175 lbs. 5-11, 187 lbs. 6-2, 200 lbs. 6-0, 200 lbs. Born: 2/7/94 Born: 5/30/92 Born: 2/15/98 Born: 5/5/92 Born: 1/9/96 Born: 4/21/98 Born: 2/14/97 Pittsburgh, Pa. Manalapan, N.J. Langley, B.C. Southamptom, N.J. Schaumburg, Ill. Rimouski, Que. Lakewood, Ill. A C 15 36 2 17 21 18 5 TURNER ELSON KADEN FULCHER JOE HICKETTS TARO HIROSE MAX HUMITZ BRIAN LASHOFF GUSTAV LINDSTROM Forward Goaltender Defenseman Forward Forward Defenseman Defenseman 6-0, 190 lbs. 6-3, 182 lbs. 5-8, 175 lbs. 5-10, 162 lbs. 5-9, 175 lbs. 6-3, 215 lbs. 6-2, 187 lbs. Born: 9/13/92 Born: 9/23/98 Born: 5/4/96 Born: 6/30/96 Born: 7/8/95 Born: 7/16/90 Born: 10/20/98 Edmonton, Alta. Brigden, Ont. Kamloops, B.C. Calgary, Alta. Livonia, Mich. Albany, N.Y. Ostervala, Sweden A 8 14 10 52 41 35 22 TROY LOGGINS JARID LUKOSEVICIUS GREGOR MacLEOD DYLAN McILRATH JARED McISAAC PAT NAGLE CHASE PEARSON Forward Forward Forward Defenseman Defenseman Goaltender Forward 5-10, 170 lbs. 5-10, 191 lbs. 6-0, 182 lbs. 6-4, 235 lbs. 6-1, 195 lbs. 6-2, 200 lbs. 6-3, 205 lbs. Born: 7/21/95 Born: 2/5/95 Born: 6/7/98 Born: 4/20/92 Born: 3/27/00 Born: 9/21/87 Born: 8/23/97 Huntington Beach, Calif. Squamish, B.C. Dartmouth, N.S. Winnipeg, Man. Truro, N.S. Rochester, Mich. Alpharetta, Ga. A 31 27 55 65 32 37 23 CALVIN PICKARD MICHAEL RASMUSSEN DONOVAN SEBRANGO DOMINIK SHINE TYLER SPEZIA EVGENY SVECHNIKOV DOMINIC TURGEON Goaltender Forward Defenseman Forward Forward Forward Forward 6-1, 210 lbs. 6-6, 203 lbs. 6-1, 190 lbs. 5-11, 180 lbs. 5-10, 175 lbs. 6-3, 205 lbs. 6-2, 203 lbs. Born: 4/15/92 Born: 4/17/99 Born: 1/12/02 Born: 4/18/93 Born: 6/7/93 Born: 10/31/96 Born: 2/25/96 Moncton, N.B. Surrey, B.C. Ottawa, Ont. Detroit, Mich. Clinton Township, Mich. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia Pointe-Claire, Que. GRIFFINS HOCKEY OPERATIONS STAFF RYAN MARTIN BEN SIMON MATT MACDONALD TODD KRYGIER MIKE KNUBLE BRIAN MAHONEY-WILSON JOSH CHAPMAN ANTHONY POLAZZO BRAD THOMPSON CHARLIE KASER MARCUS KINNEY GENERAL MANAGER HEAD COACH ASST. COACH ASST. COACH ASST. COACH GOALTENDING ATHLETIC TRAINER ASST. ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT ASST. EQUIPMENT STRENGTH/COND. DEVELOPMENT COACH TRAINER MANAGER MGR. COORDINATOR 4 Story by Mark Newman Much has changed since Kyle Criscuolo “We had a really special team that was a rookie center for the Griffins in year,” Criscuolo said. “We had a lot of the fall of 2016. good veteran players who carried the Criscuolo load but also helped bring along the celebrated a Long before the world had been turned younger guys. We had a good rookie Calder Cup upside down by a pandemic, the South group as well. A lot of us played good Jersey native was turning himself into a minutes and filled important roles on championship pro and building the kind of curriculum the team. as a Griffins vitae that would serve him well during rookie. his hockey career. “You couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to guide you and help you along The Harvard graduate is wiser, that first year.” if not smarter, for all that he has hit a dry spell, but we’ll keep playing “I wanted to play in the NHL and experienced since he left Grand Criscuolo will never forget the you, so just stick with it.’ there were a lot of good prospects Rapids to burnish his credentials as thrill of scoring the game-winning in Detroit, so I felt like I wanted to an aspiring NHL player. overtime goal to eliminate cross- “I felt like I was still playing well at the go somewhere where I had a better lake rival Milwaukee in the opening end of the season, but I couldn’t score. I chance to play in the NHL,” he said. Now 28, Criscuolo may no longer be round of the playoffs. Not only did don’t know if it was the long season or “As I saw it, Buffalo presented that considered a prospect but he still the goal clinch a hard-fought sweep, what it was. It was one of those things opportunity.” envisions a future in the NHL, which it also broke a personal 13-game where I felt the chemistry with my is precisely the reason that he is back streak without a goal.