AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Record number of weekend dates highlights Griffins' 2004-05 schedule

Published on August 10, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday released their schedule for the American Hockey League's 2004-05 regular season, the team's third as the primary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.

The 80-game slate begins with the home opener against the Cleveland Barons on Friday, Oct. 15, and concludes with a visit to Cincinnati on Sunday, April 17.

Of the Griffins' 40 games at Van Andel Arena, a record 32 will take place on either a Friday (15), Saturday (13) or Sunday (4), marking the most weekend dates in the franchise's nine-year history. By way of comparison, last year's schedule featured only 26 prime dates, while the previous high of 29 was enjoyed during the 2001-02 season.

"We couldn't ask for a better schedule, in terms of big games being played on popular nights in front of enthusiastic crowds," said Bob Sack, the Griffins' senior vice president of sales and marketing. "Our fans prefer games played on Friday and Saturday in particular, and we've never had more of either for them to enjoy."

In an early-season scheduling quirk, the Griffins will host an unprecedented nine consecutive games from Oct. 26 to Nov. 18, shattering the seven-game home stand that occurred from Feb. 18-28, 1999. This advantage will be counter-balanced during the schedule's final month, which will see the Griffins play just two of their last eight and five of their last 15 contests at Van Andel Arena.

The home schedule includes several traditional holiday games, including post-Thanksgiving feasts against the Chicago Wolves on Friday, Nov. 26, and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on Sunday, Nov. 28; a post-Christmas game versus Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 26; and the team's eighth New Year's Eve bash on Friday, Dec. 31, against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Other highlights include the fourth annual matinee game on Tuesday, Nov. 16 versus Cincinnati, and the first West Michigan appearance by the Edmonton Roadrunners on Friday, March 18. Edmonton's debut will be part of a unique sequence during March in which six straight home games (March 2-20) will be contested against Canadian-based teams, including Hamilton, the St. John's Maple Leafs and the Manitoba Moose.

Group tickets for all home games, as well as full season, 20-game and 10-game ticket packages, are currently available by calling the Griffins at (616) 774-4585 or (800) 2-HOCKEY. Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public in September.

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

2004-05 SCHEDULE

Fri., Oct. 15 CLEVELAND BARONS 7:30
Sat., Oct. 16 @ Chicago Wolves 8:00
Fri., Oct. 22 @ San Antonio Rampage 8:00
Sun., Oct. 24 @ San Antonio Rampage 6:00
Tue., Oct. 26 ROCHESTER AMERICANS 7:00
Fri., Oct. 29 CHICAGO WOLVES 7:30
Sat., Oct. 30 SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE 7:30
Fri., Nov. 5 HOUSTON AEROS 7:30
Sat., Nov. 6 HOUSTON AEROS 7:30
Fri., Nov. 12 HOUSTON AEROS 7:30
Sat., Nov. 13 SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE 7:30
Tue., Nov. 16 CINCINNATI MIGHTY DUCKS 12:00
Thu., Nov. 18 CHICAGO WOLVES 7:00
Fri., Nov. 19 @ Cleveland Barons 7:00
Sat., Nov. 20 CLEVELAND BARONS 7:30
Wed., Nov. 24 @ Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 7:35
Fri., Nov. 26 CHICAGO WOLVES 7:30
Sat., Nov. 27 @ Chicago Wolves 8:00
Sun., Nov. 28 CINCINNATI MIGHTY DUCKS 4:00
Fri., Dec. 3 @ Milwaukee Admirals 8:00
Sat., Dec. 4 UTAH GRIZZLIES 7:30
Tue., Dec. 7 @ St. John's Maple Leafs 6:05
Wed., Dec. 8 @ St. John's Maple Leafs 6:05
Fri., Dec. 10 @ Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 7:35
Sat., Dec. 11 CHICAGO WOLVES 7:30
Wed., Dec. 15 @ Utah Grizzlies 9:05
Fri., Dec. 17 @ Utah Grizzlies 9:05
Sat., Dec. 18 CLEVELAND BARONS 8:00
Wed., Dec. 22 @ Cleveland Barons 7:00
Thu., Dec. 23 @ Chicago Wolves 8:00
Sun., Dec. 26 CINCINNATI MIGHTY DUCKS 6:00
Tue., Dec. 28 CINCINNATI MIGHTY DUCKS 7:00
Fri., Dec. 31 HAMILTON BULLDOGS 7:30
Fri., Jan. 7 @ Hamilton Bulldogs 7:30
Sat., Jan. 8 @ Cleveland Barons 8:00
Sun., Jan. 9 @ Cleveland Barons 5:00
Fri., Jan. 14 ST. JOHN'S MAPLE LEAFS 7:30
Sat., Jan. 15 MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS 7:30
Fri., Jan. 21 CHICAGO WOLVES 7:30
Sat., Jan. 22 @ Houston Aeros 8:35
Sun., Jan. 23 @ Houston Aeros 6:05
Wed., Jan. 26 @ Edmonton Roadrunners 9:00
Thu., Jan. 27 @ Edmonton Roadrunners 9:00
Sat., Jan. 29 MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS 7:30
Mon., Jan. 31 @ Manitoba Moose 8:30
Tue., Feb. 1 @ Manitoba Moose 8:30
Fri., Feb. 4 @ Philadelphia Phantoms 7:05
Sat., Feb. 5 @ Rochester Americans 7:35
Wed., Feb. 9 HOUSTON AEROS 7:00
Fri., Feb. 11 UTAH GRIZZLIES 7:30
Fri., Feb. 18 MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS 7:30
Sat., Feb. 19 @ Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 7:35
Sun., Feb. 20 PHILADELPHIA PHANTOMS 4:00
Fri., Feb. 25 MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS 7:30
Sat., Feb. 26 SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE 7:30
Sun., Feb. 27 @ Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 5:05
Wed., Mar. 2 ST. JOHN'S MAPLE LEAFS 7:00
Sat., Mar. 5 @ Chicago Wolves 8:00
Sun., Mar. 6 @ Milwaukee Admirals 3:00
Wed., Mar. 9 MANITOBA MOOSE 7:00
Fri., Mar. 11 MANITOBA MOOSE 7:30
Sat., Mar. 12 HAMILTON BULLDOGS 7:30
Fri., Mar. 18 EDMONTON ROADRUNNERS 7:30
Sat., Mar. 19 @ Chicago Wolves 8:00
Sun., Mar. 20 EDMONTON ROADRUNNERS 4:00
Wed., Mar. 23 @ Milwaukee Admirals 8:00
Fri., Mar. 25 @ Houston Aeros 8:35
Sat., Mar. 26 @ San Antonio Rampage 8:00
Sun., Mar. 27 @ Houston Aeros 6:05
Wed., Mar. 30 CLEVELAND BARONS 7:00
Fri., Apr. 1 UTAH GRIZZLIES 7:30
Sat., Apr. 2 UTAH GRIZZLIES 7:30
Sun., Apr. 3 @ Hamilton Bulldogs 4:00
Thu., Apr. 7 @ San Antonio Rampage 8:00
Fri., Apr. 8 @ Utah Grizzlies 9:05
Sat., Apr. 9 @ Utah Grizzlies 9:05
Tue., Apr. 12 @ Milwaukee Admirals 8:00
Fri., Apr. 15 CINCINNATI MIGHTY DUCKS 7:30
Sat., Apr. 16 SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE 7:30
Sun., Apr. 17 @ Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 5:05

All Times Eastern
Dates, Opponents and Times Subject to Change
All Games on WOOD 1300 AM



Grand Rapids Griffins

2004-05 Schedule Breakdown

Season/Home Opener: Fri., Oct. 15 vs. Cleveland Barons
2005 AHL All-Star Classic: Sunday, Feb. 13 and Monday, Feb. 14 in Manchester, N.H.
Home Finale: Sat., Apr. 16 vs. San Antonio Rampage
Season Finale: Sun., Apr. 17 at Cincinnati Mighty Ducks

By Conference

Western – 78 (39 home, 39 road), Eastern – 2 (1 home, 1 road)

By Division

West – 52 (26 home, 26 road), North – 26 (13 home, 13 road), East – 2 (1 home, 1 road), Atlantic - 0

By Opponent

Chicago and Cincinnati – 10 games each (5 home, 5 road)

Cleveland, Houston, Milwaukee, San Antonio and Utah – 8 games each (4 home, 4 road)

Edmonton, Hamilton, Manitoba and St. John's – 4 games each (2 home, 2 road)

Philadelphia and Rochester – 2 games each (1 home, 1 road)

By Day (Home)

Friday – 15, Saturday – 13, Sunday and Wednesday – 4, Tuesday – 3, Thursday - 1

By Day (Road)

Saturday – 10, Friday – 9, Sunday – 8, Wednesday – 6, Tuesday and Thursday – 3, Monday - 1

By Month (Home)

November – 9, March – 7, December and February – 6, October, January and April - 4

By Month (Road)

December and January – 8, March – 7, April – 6, February – 5, October and November - 3

Longest Home Stand

9 games: Oct. 26-Nov. 18

Longest Road Trip

5 games: April 3-12

Three Games in Three Nights

11 times: Nov. 18-20 and 26-28, Jan. 7-9 and 21-23, Feb. 18-20 and 25-27, March 18-20 and 25-27, April 1-3, 7-9 and 15-17

Four Games in Five Nights

4 times: Nov. 16-20 and 24-28, March 23-27, March 30-April 3

Check out the Grand Rapids Griffins Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from August 10, 2004


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.

OurSports Central