GRIFFINS TO SKATE ON NHL DUCKS POND
Grand Rapids, Mich. - The Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League on Thursday announced that their Nov. 24 road game against the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, originally scheduled to be staged at the Cincinnati Gardens, will now take place at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, Calif.
The game, which will be played on the home ice of Cincinnatis NHL affiliate, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, will face off at 10:30 p.m. EST.
The Thanksgiving Eve sojourn will mark the Griffins first game in either California or the Pacific Time Zone since their 1999-2000 season in the International Hockey League. In its last visit to the Golden State, Grand Rapids defeated the Long Beach Ice Dogs 5-3 on Oct. 16, 1999 at the Long Beach Arena.
The Griffins totaled seven games in the Pacific Time Zone during their days in the IHL, showing records of 1-3-0 in Long Beach (1996-2000) and 2-1-0 in Las Vegas (1996-99) versus the Thunder.
Excluding the 40 home games of the Edmonton Road Runners, who like their NHL parent Oilers play at Rexall Place, a total of 16 AHL games this season are currently scheduled to be played at NHL arenas: six in Philadelphia, three in Anaheim, two each in Buffalo and Toronto, and one each in Los Angeles, Nashville and San Jose.