AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins 2022-23 Season in Review

Published on April 25, 2023 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Brian Lashoff
Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Brian Lashoff
(Grand Rapids Griffins, Credit: Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins)

Chapter 27

The 2022-23 season was the Grand Rapids Griffins' 27th overall season, the 22nd campaign as a member of the American Hockey League and their 21st as the primary affiliate of the 11-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. Grand Rapids concluded with a 28-36-4-4 record (0.444), including 12-17-4-3 at Van Andel Arena and 16-19-0-1 on foreign ice, and a seventh-place finish in the Central Division. The Griffins have competed in 2,061 regular-season games between the International Hockey League and the AHL since 1996-97 and totaled a 1,071-766-27-74-123 (0.574) ledger to go along with seven division titles, 17 playoff appearances and two Calder Cups (2017, 2013).

Follow The Leaders

Games Played: Joel L'Esperance (72)

Points: Taro Hirose (16-41-57)

Goals: L'Esperance (25)

Assists: Hirose (41)

PIM: Wyatt Newpower (68) (fewest to ever lead the Griffins)

Power-Play Goals: L'Esperance (14)

Shorthanded Goals: Austin Czarnik (3)

Game-Winning Goals: Czarnik (5)

Overtime Goals: Jared McIsaac (2)

Plus-Minus: Alex Chiasson (+6)

Wins: Alex Nedeljkovic (13)

Goals Against Average: Nedeljkovic (2.71)

Save Percentage: Nedeljkovic (0.912)

Griffins to Wings

Of the 34 players to compete for the Detroit Red Wings this season, 18 had spent time in Grand Rapids at some point during their careers. A total of 13 players appeared in games for both the Griffins and Red Wings this season (Jonatan Berggren, Alex Chiasson, Austin Czarnik, Simon Edvinsson, Adam Erne, Magnus Hellberg (conditioning), Taro Hirose, Matt Luff, Alex Nedeljkovic, Givani Smith, Elmer Soderblom, Jakub Vrana, Filip Zadina (conditioning)).

Thank You, Captain Lashoff

On April 12, captain Brian Lashoff announced that he would be retiring from professional hockey, bringing a close to a remarkable career that saw him play more seasons in Grand Rapids than any pro athlete in the city's history. Lashoff spent all of part of 14 seasons (2008-13; 2014-23) on the Griffins' blueline, including the last three as the team's captain, and seven campaigns (2012-15; 2016-20) with the Detroit Red Wings. An Albany, N.Y., native, Lashoff ranks second on the Griffins' all-time games played list with 629, behind only Travis Richards' 655. His games played rank third in league history among one-team players, trailing only Bill Needham (981, Cleveland Barons 1956-71) and Arnie Kullman (753, Hershey Bears 1948-60). Lashoff was a two-time Calder Cup champion (2017, 2013) with the Griffins, joining Nathan Paetsch and Mitch Callahan as the franchise's only two-time cup champions. Lashoff compiled 132 points (32-100-132) and 329 PIM in his 629 regular-season games in a Griffins uniform. He's one of only four defensemen and 12 skaters to record 100 career assists for Grand Rapids, and only two Griffins blueliners have tallied more than his 132 points (Richards 238, Paetsch 142). Lashoff also contributed 20 points (5-15-20) and 34 PIM in 75 playoff games for Grand Rapids, marking the second-most postseason appearances in Griffins history (Paetsch 78). He also ranks among the franchise's all-time playoff leaders with two unassisted goals (T1st) and one shorthanded goal (T1st). Including a three-game stint with the ECHL's Toledo Walleye during his first full pro season in 2010-11, Lashoff played his entire career within the Red Wings organization after making his pro debut with the Griffins in 2008-09 at the age of 18. After playing junior hockey with Kingston and Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League, the undrafted Lashoff signed with Detroit as a free agent on Sept. 29, 2008 and suited up for 768 professional regular-season games and registered 148 points (34-114-148) and 394 PIM.

Climbing Up the Leaderboard

Six Griffins have now either moved up or cracked the franchise's all-time regular-season leaderboard:

Jonatan Berggren 4 overtime goals (T1st)

Victor Brattstrom 0.810 shootout save percentage (3rd)

Taro Hirose 124 assists (6th), 165 points (10th)

Brian Lashoff 629 games played (2nd), 709 shots (7th)

Jared McIsaac 2 overtime goals (T10th)

Dominik Shine 357 games played (7th), 404 PIM (10th)

We Need More Bodies

The Griffins used a franchise-record 49 players during the 2022-23 season, which included a franchise-record eight goaltenders. Rookie Amadeus Lombardi was player No. 49 for the Griffins when he made his pro debut on April 14 against the Rockford IceHogs. The 49 players beat out the previous record of 48 set during the 2021-22 campaign.

Straight to the Pros

Amadeus Lombardi made his pro debut on April 14 versus the Rockford IceHogs and became the 22nd player to make his Griffins debut the season after he was drafted. Lombardi was selected with the 113th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Only four of the 22 players to make their debut the season after being drafted were taken later than Lombardi. Lombardi is the first player to make his debut with the Griffins the season after being drafted since Donovan Sebrango made his pro debut during the 2020-21 campaign.

Career Years

Six Griffins set personal AHL career highs this season:

Taro Hirose 71 games played, 16 goals, 41 assists, 57 points

Joel L'Esperance 72 games played, 44 PIM

Wyatt Newpower 59 games played, 68 PIM

Chase Pearson 35 PIM

Tyler Spezia 32 PIM

Jasper Weatherby 70 games played, six goals, 11 assists, 17 points, 51 PIM

On a Scale of 1-10

Five Griffins ranked among the AHL's individual leaders during the regular season:

Austin Czarnik 3 shorthanded goals (T3rd), 5 game-winners (T12th)

Simon Edvinsson 5 goals (T11th among rookie defensemen), 22 assists (T6th among rookie defensemen), 27 points (T8th among rookie defensemen), 52 PIM (T10th among rookie defensemen)

Taro Hirose 41 assists (T12th), 22 power-play assists (T6th)

Albert Johansson 5 goals (T11th among rookie defensemen)

Joel L'Esperance 14 power-play goals (3rd), 247 shots (2nd)

Jared McIsaac 2 overtime goals (T1st among defensemen)

Season for the Books

Three Griffins compiled statistics that ranked among the team's top 10 for a single season:

Austin Czarnik 3 shorthanded goals (T5th), 66.7% shootout percentage (T7th)

Joel L'Esperance 14 power-play goals (T6th), 247 shots (5th)

Jared McIsaac 2 overtime goals (T5th) (Third GR defenseman to score two OT goals in a season (Filip Hronek 2018-19, Bryan Helmer 2005-06))

Check out the Grand Rapids Griffins Statistics

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Images from this story

Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Brian Lashoff
Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Brian Lashoff
(Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins)		   



American Hockey League Stories from April 25, 2023


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