Grand Rapids Endures Three Roster Changes

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Friday recalled center Gemel Smith from the Grand Rapids Griffins and recalled defenseman Luke Witkowski from the Griffins to their taxi squad. In addition, the Griffins released Gordi Myer from his professional tryout, returning him to the Toledo Walleye (ECHL).

Smith made his Grand Rapids debut on Jan. 22 against Milwaukee and recorded his first point as a Griffin a game later versus Toronto. The center was claimed off waivers by the Red Wings on Jan. 19 from the Tampa Bay Lightning and was assigned to Grand Rapids on Jan. 22 on a conditioning loan. Smith totaled three games with the Griffins, registering one assist, eight penalty minutes and a plus-one rating. The 27-year-old spent the past three seasons with the Lightning organization, splitting time between Tampa Bay and the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch during Tampa Bay’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championship runs. Smith has accumulated 24 points (12-12—24) in 88 NHL games with Boston, Dallas and Tampa Bay. In the AHL, the Toronto, native has registered 173 points (76-97—173) and 203 penalty minutes in 289 contests in six seasons. Originally drafted 104th overall by Dallas in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Smith made his pro debut on Oct. 17, 2014 with the Texas Stars against Oklahoma City.

Witkowski joined the Red Wings for the first time this year on Dec. 7 and has since been sent back to the NHL club six 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 spent eight years in the AHL with Syracuse and Grand Rapids, registering 50 points (9-41—50) and 668 penalty minutes in 288 contests. Through 27 games this season with the Griffins, the Holland, Mich., native has three assists, 49 penalty minutes and a plus-one rating.

Myer joined the Griffins for the first time in his career on Dec. 14, then rejoined the team on Dec. 27. The defenseman made his AHL debut on Dec. 31 against Milwaukee and recorded his first AHL point on an assist versus Iowa on Jan. 7. The Ohio State University product logged two assists and a plus-one rating in seven games with Grand Rapids from Dec. 31-Jan. 26. Myer, a second-year pro, spent his rookie campaign with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits in 2020-21, logging 10 points (4-6—10) and two penalty minutes in 36 contests. Myer will return to the Toledo Walleye (ECHL), where has recorded 10 points (1-9—10) in 21 games this season.

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.

Photo by Mark Newman/Griffins