
Detroit Returns Three to Griffins
January 17, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release

Grand Rapids Griffins goaltender Calvin Pickard
(Grand Rapids Griffins, Credit: Mark Newman/Griffins)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Detroit Red Wings on Monday reassigned left wing Taro Hirose and defenseman Luke Witkowski to the Grand Rapids Griffins from their taxi squad and reassigned goaltender Calvin Pickard to the Griffins.
Hirose made his NHL season debut on Dec. 18 against the New Jersey Devils, logging an even plus-minus rating and two penalty minutes. The left winger appeared in 26 outings with Detroit in 2019-20 and six last season, amassing nine points (2-7-9). The former Michigan State Spartan has 10 penalty minutes and 16 points (3-13-16) in 43 NHL games. After leading the Griffins in assists a year ago with 23, Hirose has picked off right where he left off as he has bagged 19 helpers in the opening 30 games, which is a team high and tied for ninth in the AHL. The Calgary, Alberta, native's 27 points (8-19-27) this season pace the Griffins and are tied for 14th on the circuit.
Witkowski joined the Red Wings for the first time this year on Dec. 7 and has since been sent back to the NHL club four times now. Witkowski, 31, is in search of his first NHL game since Nov. 1, 2019. From 2017-19, the blueliner spent two full seasons with Detroit, totaling six points (1-5-6) and 91 penalty minutes in 65 outings. The former Western Michigan Bronco has appeared in 131 games in the NHL and has amassed 13 points (2-11-13) and 162 penalty minutes. Witkowski has spent eight years in the AHL with Syracuse and Grand Rapids, registering 49 points (9-40-49) and 666 penalty minutes in 285 contests. Through 24 games this season with the Griffins, the Holland, Mich., native has two assists and 47 penalty minutes, which places eighth among AHL defensemen.
Pickard was the backup goaltender for Detroit in today's game against Buffalo and has appeared in 113 NHL games throughout his career, with his most recent contest coming on May 8, 2021 against Columbus. The netminder has posted a 34-53-10 record in the NHL with a 3.01 goals against average, 0.904 save percentage and four shutouts. The 10-year-pro has seen action in 25 of the 31 games this season with Grand Rapids. He set a new AHL career high for consecutive games played (14) on Dec. 10 at Manitoba and made his 12th straight start on Dec. 22, which set a new career high for the goaltender. Pickard currently places sixth in the AHL with a 2.31 goals against average while his 0.930 save percentage ranks second.
Single-game tickets are on sale through griffinshockey.com/tickets . Fans can secure their full-season , select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com for more information.
Images from this story
![]() Grand Rapids Griffins goaltender Calvin Pickard (Mark Newman/Griffins) |
American Hockey League Stories from January 17, 2022
- Reign Drop Defensive Battle to Abbotsford - Ontario Reign
- Silovs, Di Giuseppe Lead Canucks Past Reign - Abbotsford Canucks
- Wild Blanked by Admirals, 3-0 - Iowa Wild
- Ingram Backstops Admirals to Shutout Win - Milwaukee Admirals
- Reichel and Teply Net Two-Point Games in Matinee Loss to Wolves - Rockford IceHogs
- Blues Assign Nathan Walker to T-Birds - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Detroit Returns Three to Griffins - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Blue Jackets Recall Defenseman Jake Christiansen from Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Wolves Rush Past Rockford - Chicago Wolves
- Crunch Edge Senators, 2-1 - Syracuse Crunch
- Moose Sign Forward Tyler Boland - Manitoba Moose
- Weekly Report: Noel's Big Night, Daccord's Hot Streak and More - Charlotte Checkers
- Sherwood Recalled by Colorado Avalanche - Colorado Eagles
- Filip Král Named AHL's Player of the Week - Toronto Marlies
- Toronto's Filip Král Named AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Kaden Fulcher Reassigned to Grand Rapids - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Canucks Sign D-Man and Goalie to PTO's - Abbotsford Canucks
- Thunderbirds' Cross Suspended for One Game - AHL
- Wolves Tap Topatigh - Chicago Wolves
- IceHogs Celebrate MLK Day with Matinee Matchup vs. Chicago - Rockford IceHogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Grand Rapids Griffins Stories
- Golf Classic, Youth Hockey Camps Highlight Summer Events for Griffins
- Griffins Calder Cup Champ Tomas Nosek Wins Stanley Cup with Florida
- Griffins' 'Put a Lid on It' Program to Give Away 200 Bike Helmets
- Griffins Raised over $530,000 for Charity During 2024-25 Season
- Griffins Re-Sign Gabriel Seger to One-Year Deal

