During his first season in the Red Wings organization, goaltender Calvin Pickard led the Griffins in wins and games played while also appearing in three contests for Detroit.

33 GP, 17-12-4 record, 2.86 GAA, 0.903 save percentage, 3 shutouts with GRG
3 GP, 0-2-0 record, 5.46 GAA, 0.797 save percentage with DRW

Entering second year of two-year contract

2 – Pickard logged two separate four-game winning streaks. During his first from Nov. 8-20, he posted a 2.00 GAA and stopped 115 of 123 shots (0.935). His second run came Jan. 8-24, when he tallied a 1.74 GAA, a 0.943 save percentage (115 of 122 shots) and one shutout.

3 – Pickard backstopped all three of Grand Rapids’ shutouts this season and each one came at Van Andel Arena. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound netminder recorded 26 saves in a 3-0 win on Oct. 23 vs. Milwaukee, 23 in a 1-0 decision on Jan. 10 vs. Manitoba, and 35 in a 3-0 victory on March 7 vs. Rockford. See the video below for Pickard’s incredible buzzer-beating save he made to preserve the clean sheet on Jan. 10. His three shutouts tied for seventh in the AHL and were his most in the AHL since registering three with the Lake Erie Monsters in 2014-15.

2.10 – Prior to joining the Griffins, Pickard had compiled a 3-2-0 record, a 1.80 GAA, a 0.948 save percentage and two shutouts at Van Andel Arena when suiting up for the visitors. Now a member Grand Rapids, his comfort at the Van continued as he assembled a 10-6-3 record, a 2.10 GAA, a 0.925 save mark and three shutouts on home ice.

8 – 2019-20 marked Pickard’s eighth season as a professional. The Griffins and Red Wings marked the ninth and 10th different teams, respectively, he has suited up for. Originally drafted in the second round by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Pickard has dressed for the Griffins, Tucson Roadrunners, Toronto Marlies, San Antonio Rampage and Lake Erie Monsters in the AHL, and the Red Wings, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Avalanche in the NHL.

12 – Pickard was named the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 12 after he compiled a 1.33 GAA, a 0.953 save percentage (82 of 86 shots) and one shutout during three victories. This marked Pickard’s first weekly AHL honor and he was the Griffins player to garner Player of the Week accolades since netminder Jared Coreau on Feb. 18, 2018.

36 – Between Grand Rapids (33) and Detroit (3), Pickard played in 36 games this season, his most since appearing in 50 with the Avalanche in 2016-17. He carried the bulk of the load for the Griffins, as his 33 games were his most AHL contests since 2017-18 when he skated in 33 with the Marlies. Pickard shuttled back and forth between Grand Rapids and Detroit a total of 10 times this season.

65 – Before the AHL season was abruptly paused and then eventually cancelled, Pickard was on a bit of a roll, stopping 65 of 66 shots (0.985) in his last two outings. He blanked the IceHogs with 35 saves on March 7 and then allowed one goal on 21 shots against Iowa on March 11.

110 – Pickard shows a 110-83-31 career AHL record to go along with a 2.64 GAA, a 0.913 save mark and 15 shutouts. On Nov. 20 at Van Andel Arena, he blocked 27 of 30 shots to pick up his 100th AHL victory and it came against one of his former teams in the San Antonio Rampage. Of Pickard’s 110 AHL triumphs, 60 have come with the Monsters, nine with the Rampage, 21 with the Marlies, three with the Roadrunners and 17 with Grand Rapids. He picked up his first AHL win on April 1, 2012 at Texas as a member of Lake Erie.

181 – Pickard became the 181st Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he made 29 saves in his Red Wings debut on Nov. 29 at Philadelphia. He also recorded 16 saves at Toronto on Dec. 21 and stopped 14 shots on Jan. 14 at the New York Islanders. In his NHL career, Pickard has totaled a 32-52-9 mark, a 3.00 GAA, a 0.905 save percentage and four shutouts in 107 appearances.

Griffiti Magazine Issue No. 1 – One game at a time

MLive – Griffins goalies: one out to erase past, other aims to become future

MLive – Griffins’ hot-and-cold goalie picks right time to heat up – again

ESPN 96.1 – Big Drew & Jim Podcast

All Griffins photos by Sam Iannamico/Griffins