Griffins Game #8 * Home Game #4 * AHL Game #139

Season Series: 1-0-0-0 Home Series: 0-0-0-0 Road Series: 1-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 75-52-11-11 All-Time Home Series: 43-20-6-5 All-Time Road Series: 32-32-5-6

IceHogs at Griffins
Second of 10 meetings overall, first of five at Van Andel Arena…Tonight’s game is a clash between the top two teams in the Central Division...Grand Rapids has wins in eight of the last 11 games against Rockford...The Griffins are 23-16-2-0 (.585) since the 2021-22 season against Rockford and have a plus-seven scoring margin (117-110). At home since 2021-22, Grand Rapids is 10-8-2-0 (.550) against the IceHogs with a plus-nine scoring margin (59-50)...Rockford is Grand Rapids’ third-most frequent opponent, as tonight’s game marks the 150th meeting between the two franchises...The IceHogs are 4-2-0-0 on the road this season...Grand Rapids is 7-0 to start the season for the first time in franchise history and is also 3-0 at home for just the third time in team history...Rockford’s power play ranks 29th at 11.1% and its penalty kill ranks 15th at 81.1%...Grand Rapids’ penalty kill ranks eighth at 84.6% and its power play is tied for 21st at 17.4%...The IceHogs are tied for sixth with 3.44 goals per game while the Griffins rank first with 4.00 goals per outing...Defensively, Rockford ranks eighth with 2.56 goals allowed per game and Grand Rapids is tied for third with 2.00 goals allowed...Rockford’s rookie Nick Lardis is tied for second in the AHL with 13 points (5-8—13), while Brett Seney is tied for eighth (2-9—11). Oliver Moore is tied for fifth in the AHL with six goals...IceHogs’ rookie netminder Stanislav Berezhnoy ranks 13th among all goaltenders in GAA (1.98) and sixth in save percentage (.944). 

Last Time Out
Behind a three-point night from Dominik Shine (2-1—3), the Griffins took down the Rockford IceHogs 4-2 on Saturday at the BMO Center, and remained the only undefeated team in the AHL with their record-setting 7-0 mark. The Griffins are also 4-0 on the road for the first time since 2007-08. John Leonard continued his career-high five-game goal streak with his seventh tally as a Griffin. His seven goals through six games are tied with Anthony Mantha for the second most in team history, trailing Jiri Hudler’s 10. Sebastian Cossa backed the team between the pipes recording 24 saves, while Antti Tuomisto registered the game-winner for his first of the season. 

This Date in Griffins History
1999: Longtime Griffin Danton Cole retires from a distinguished playing career to become an assistant coach for the team.

Just Getting Started
The Griffins are 7-0 to start the season for the first time in franchise history. The Griffins are also 3-0 at home for the third time in team history and for the second straight season. On the road, Grand Rapids is 4-0 for the first time since 2007-08. On Tuesday, the Griffins trailed for the first time this season when they surrendered the game’s first goal. The special teams units have also been strong to kick off the season, as the power play is 4-for-23 (17.4%, T21st) and the penalty kill is 22-for-26 (84.6%, 8th). The Griffins have averaged four goals per game, which ranks first in the AHL, and have allowed an average of 2.00 goals, which is tied for third. 

Historic Run
John Leonard has nine points and seven goals through his first six games as a Griffin. His seven goals are tied with Anthony Mantha for the second-most through a player’s first six games in the team’s AHL history, trailing only Jiri Hudler’s 10. In addition, his nine points are tied for fourth through a player’s first six games in the team’s AHL history and are the most since 2011-12, when Chris Connor also posted nine points. 

Good Problem to Have
The Griffins’ roster features seven veterans, including forwards Sheldon Dries, John Leonard and Dominik Shine, and defensemen Erik Gustafsson, Justin Holl, William Lagesson and Ian Mitchell. With seven veterans, the Griffins are one over the playing limit and are required to scratch one of them each game due to the AHL’s development rule. Even with one of them scratched for each contest, the veterans on the team have combined for 32 points (14-18—32) in 38 games, which accounts for 44% of the scoring for the team and 52% of the goals. Leonard ranks first among the veterans with nine points (7-2—9) in six games, while Shine (5-3—8 in 6 GP) ranks second, and Gustafsson (0-4—4 in 5 GP) and Dries (1-3—4 in 5 GP) are tied for third. 

Oh Danny Boy
After suffering a preseason upper-body injury, Nate Danielson returned to the ice on Oct. 24 and secured two assists in his season debut. In his second game on Tuesday, Danielson bagged his first goal of the year and the shootout-winner. The ninth overall pick by Detroit in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft logged 39 points (12-27—39) in 71 regular-season games as a rookie with Grand Rapids last season, adding one goal in three playoff outings. Last campaign, the 21-year-old ranked among the team leaders in points (6th), assists (2nd) and goals (6th). Danielson also placed among the 2024-25 AHL rookie leaders in assists (T9th), points (T14th) and shorthanded assists (1st). As a pro with the Griffins since the spring of 2024, the Red Deer, Alberta, native has 42 points (13-29—42), 37 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating in 74 regular-season games. 
 

Future is Bright 
Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall pick in 2021, registered his first shutout of the season on Oct. 24 behind 30 saves in a 4-0 win over Manitoba. It marked his fourth AHL shutout, eighth as a pro, and the first since Oct. 11, 2024. Last season, Cossa was named to his first AHL All-Star Classic and ranked among the AHL regular-season leaders in games played (41, T8th), minutes played (2,424:37, 7th), GAA (2.45, 11th), save percentage (.911, T13th), and wins (21, T10th). The 6-foot-7 goaltender also made his NHL debut with Detroit on Dec. 9 at Buffalo and came away with a 6-5 shootout victory behind 12 saves and three stops in the shootout in a relief effort. Cossa is off to a 4-0 start this season with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage. In the AHL rankings, he places 11th in GAA and ninth in save percentage. In parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids since 2022-23, Cossa has notched a 48-25-14 mark with four shutouts to go along with a 2.48 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 88 outings. 

Back Like He Never Left 
On Monday, rookie forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard was assigned to Grand Rapids after making the Red Wings’ opening night roster and competing in nine games to start the season with Detroit. The 15th overall pick in 2024 by Detroit made his NHL debut on Oct. 9 against Montreal and later bagged his first NHL point with an assist on Oct. 23 at the New York Islanders. Brandsegg-Nygard, Emmitt Finnie and Axel Sandin-Pellikka all made their NHL debuts on the same night, marking just the second time in Griffins history that three alumni all made their debuts on the same night. It last occurred on Oct. 4, 2018, when defensemen Dennis Cholowski, Filip Hronek and Libor Sulak all made their NHL debuts with Detroit. Last season, the 20-year-old competed in two regular-season games with the Griffins before tying for the team lead with three points (2-1—3) in three playoff outings. Also in 2024-25, Brandsegg-Nygard skated in his first SHL season with Skelleftea and totaled 11 points (5-6—11) in 42 regular-season games, adding six points (4-2—6) in 11 postseason contests. To cap off his 2024-25 campaign, the 6-foot-1 forward registered a team-high four assists in five games with Team Norway at the World Championship. The Oslo, Norway, native has suited up for the past two World Championships with Norway, amassing nine points (3-6—9) in 12 games. 

Defense Wins Championships 
The Griffins’ defense is one of the best in the AHL, as it is tied for third with 2.00 goals allowed per contest. In addition, the team’s penalty kill places eighth at 84.6% (22-for-26). In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 1.75 GAA with a .939 save percentage, while rookie Michal Postava possesses a 2.29 GAA and a .934 save percentage. The Griffins have four defensemen that have played at least 100 games in the NHL in Erik Gustafsson (515), Justin Holl (396), Ian Mitchell (110), and William Lagesson (107). Last season, the Griffins finished ninth in the AHL with 2.82 goals allowed per game but spent much of the campaign in the top five for goals allowed per contest. 

Championship Pedigree 
Newcomer John Leonard is on a career-high five-game goal streak (7 goals) while also enjoying a career-best six-game point streak to begin his Griffins career (7-2—9). The two goals on Oct. 18 and 24 marked the first time in his career that Leonard has bagged consecutive multi-goal outings. He ranks first on the team with nine points (7-2—9) in six contests and his seven goals are tied for first in the AHL. Leonard joined the Griffins with aspirations of becoming a Calder Cup champion, as he fell just short of that accomplishment last season with the Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers reached the 2025 Calder Cup Finals before being bested 4-2 by the Abbotsford Canucks. Leonard led Charlotte during the postseason in points (8-6—14) and goals (8), while tying for eighth in points and third in goals among all AHL playoff performers. The 27-year-old was named to the 2024-25 AHL Second All-Star Team when he ranked among the league leaders in points (T10th), goals (T2nd), power-play goals (T9th), short-handed goals (T1st) and shots (2nd). Last campaign, he notched career-high totals in games played (72), goals (36), points (61), plus-minus rating (+21), power-play goals (10), short-handed goals (5), game-winners (8), shots (252), and shooting percentage (14.3%). The Amherst, Massachusetts, native was originally selected with the 182nd overall pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2018 and has amassed 180 points (90-90—180) in 255 career AHL outings since 2020-21.   

Shine On, Captain 
On Oct. 9, Dominik Shine was named the 19th captain in franchise history. He is in his 10th season with Grand Rapids, becoming just the third player in team history to reach the milestone (Brian Lashoff 14, Travis Richards 10). Shine ranks second on the team with eight points (5-3—8) in six games. During the 2024-25 AHL season, Shine posted career-high numbers in assists (32), points (46), power-play goals (5), game-winners (4), shots (149), and multi-point outings (11) to go along with 14 goals and 76 penalty minutes in 61 regular-season games. He also signed his first NHL contract on Jan. 27, 2025, and later that evening made his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings. Shine, 31 at the time, became the oldest skater to make his NHL debut since Evgeny Medvedev did so at 33 on Oct. 8, 2015, and the oldest Red Wings player to make his debut since Vaclav Nedomansky did it at 33 on Nov. 18, 1977. On the all-time regular-season franchise leaderboard, Shine ranks third in games played (489), sixth in goals (80), ninth in assists (112), eighth in points (192), sixth in penalty minutes (557), tied for fifth in shorthanded goals (6), tied for fifth in game-winners (13), tied for first in unassisted goals (10), and sixth in shots (812). 

Not Your Ordinary Rookie
Netminder Michal Postava, an undrafted free agent out of Czechia, is in his first season in North America after spending the last three campaigns in the Czech pro ranks. The 23-year-old is off to a 3-0 start with Grand Rapids with a 2.29 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage. He ranks sixth in GAA among rookie netminders and 11th in save percentage among all goaltenders. Postava became the 10th rookie netminder in franchise history to win his debut and then became the eighth rookie goalie to win his home debut, joining teammate Sebastian Cossa, Filip Larsson, Jared Coreau, Petr Mrazek, Tom McCollum, Jimmy Howard and Mathieu Chouinard. He became a Czech Extraliga champion last season with Kometa Brno and ranked among the league’s regular-season leaders in save percentage (5th), goals-against average (T11th), wins (4th) and shutouts (T7th) before placing first in the postseason with a .940 save percentage in 17 outings. Throughout Postava’s three-year pro career, the 6-foot-1 netminder has shown a 77-65-9 record with 12 shutouts and a 2.11 GAA in 147 contests. 

Loaded Ammo
Third-year pro Amadeus Lombardi is off to a fast start with a team-high seven assists in seven games, which is also tied for eighth on the circuit. Last season, Lombardi posted career-high numbers in goals (19), assists (21), and points (40) in just 44 games, as he was limited due to an upper-body injury. Lombardi was the 113th overall pick by Detroit in 2022 and has 73 points (24-49—73) in 122 games with Grand Rapids since the spring of 2023. Prior to turning pro, Lombardi spent three seasons in the OHL with Flint from 2020-23 and produced a combined 161 points (63-98—161) in 134 regular-season games, adding 22 points (12-10—22) in 26 playoff outings. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Sebastian Cossa—11th in GAA (1.75), tied for fourth in wins (4), ninth in save percentage (.939)
Justin Holl—Tied for 10th among defensemen in plus-minus (+6)

William Lagesson—Tied for 10th among defensemen in plus-minus (+6)
John Leonard—Tied for first in goals (7), tied for third in game-winners (2)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for eighth in assists (7)
Michal Postava—Sixth in GAA (2.29) among rookie goalies, tied for 12th in wins (3), 11th in save percentage (.934)

Milestones 
Last night, Amadeus Lombardi recorded his 50th assist as a pro. 
Tyler Angle—One goal from 50 as a pro
Sheldon Dries—Two points from 250 in the AHL
Justin Holl—One point from 200 as a pro, one game from 200 in the AHL
John Leonard—Three points from 200 as a pro
Dominik Shine—One unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11
William Wallinder—Two points from 100 as a pro

Photo by Rockford IceHogs