Austin Czarnik Named AHL Player of the Week

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The American Hockey League on Monday announced that Grand Rapids Griffins forward Austin Czarnik (ZAHR-nihk) has been selected as the Howies Hockey/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 16, 2022.

Czarnik opened the season with a five-point weekend (3-2—5) for the Griffins, who split a two-game series with the San Diego Gulls at Van Andel Arena. Czarnik’s hat trick in Saturday's second game was the earliest recorded by a Griffin to start a season, and it tied for the fastest hat trick to start a Griffin’s career. Czarnik is the first Griffins forward to win the league's player of the week award since Matt Lorito on Nov. 20, 2016.

A Washington Township, Mich., native, Czarnik began his tenure in the Detroit Red Wings organization by assisting on both Grand Rapids goals in its 6-2 opening-night loss on Friday. Then in Saturday’s rematch, Czarnik powered the Griffins to an 8-5 victory over the Gulls with the fourth hat trick of his AHL career, scoring twice on the power play and once shorthanded on his first three shots on goal of the season.

An eighth-year pro, Czarnik is averaging better than a point per game over his AHL career, with 84 goals and 146 assists for 230 points in 229 contests with Grand Rapids, Bridgeport, Stockton and Providence. He was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2015-16 and was a Second Team AHL All-Star in 2017-18, when he finished third in the league in scoring. Czarnik has also played 142 games in the NHL with Boston, Calgary, the N.Y. Islanders and Seattle, totaling 15 goals and 30 assists for 45 points.

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins