KNOW THINE ENEMIES

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Each of the American Hockey League’s three new teams will visit Van Andel Arena at least twice during the 2007-08 season, per the league’s schedule format that was announced on Wednesday.

Under the AHL’s new 29-team divisional alignment, the Lake Erie Monsters will join Grand Rapids, Hamilton, Manitoba, Rochester, Syracuse and Toronto in the North Division, while the Quad City Flames and Rockford IceHogs will compete with Chicago, Houston, Iowa, Milwaukee, Peoria and San Antonio in the West Division.

The Griffins’ 2007-08 schedule will consist solely of games versus 14 Western Conference foes, with 46 of their 80 regular season games to be contested within the North Division. Grand Rapids’ frequency of games against each AHL opponent is as follows: 10 games (five home, five road) versus Lake Erie; eight games (four home, four road) versus Hamilton, Manitoba, Milwaukee, Rochester and Toronto; six games (three home, three road) versus Peoria; four games (two home, two road) versus Chicago, Iowa, Quad City, Rockford and Syracuse; and two games (one home, one road) versus Houston and San Antonio.

For the first time in seven years as members of the AHL, the Griffins will not play any teams from the Eastern Conference this coming season. Those divisions remain unchanged for 2007-08, with Hartford, Lowell, Manchester, Portland, Providence, Springfield and Worcester comprising the Atlantic Division, and Albany, Binghamton, Bridgeport, Hershey, Norfolk, Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre filling out the East Division.

The schedule for the AHL’s 72nd season is expected to be announced in late July. Meanwhile, the 71st campaign will conclude with a clash between Hamilton and Hershey in the Calder Cup Finals, which commence this Friday in Hershey.

Griffins 2007-08 full-season ticket packages, which feature substantially lower prices and an array of new benefits, are now on sale. Fans who purchase a full-season ticket will save an average of 33 percent off the single-game ticket price and an average of more than $160 off the cost of last year’s full-season packages. For more information, please click here or call the Griffins office at (616) 774-4585.