BERTUZZI AND LASHOFF ASSIGNED

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday assigned forward Tyler Bertuzzi and defenseman Brian Lashoff to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Lashoff, 26, has skated in five games with the Red Wings this season and averaged 12:30 of ice time. In his career, the 6-foot-3, 221-pound blueliner has played in 122 regular season games with the Wings over parts of four seasons (2012-15, 2016-17), totaling 13 points (2-11—13) and 57 penalty minutes, while also appearing in eight Stanley Cup Playoff contests. Lashoff became the 126th Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he made his debut with the Red Wings on Jan. 21, 2013 at Columbus.

An alternate captain with the Griffins, Lashoff has three points (1-2—3) and eight PIM in 18 games this year. He is coming off a 2015-16 season in which he posted a career-best 15 assists.

In his eighth year as a professional, Lashoff has skated in 286 regular season games with the Griffins since 2008-09, compiling 61 points (14-47—61) and 141 PIM. A 2013 Calder Cup champion with Grand Rapids, Lashoff has 12 points (3-9—12) in 51 postseason games, making him one of five players in franchise history to play in 50 or more playoff contests.

A native of Albany, N.Y., Lashoff earned a gold medal representing Team USA at the 2010 World Junior Championships.

Bertuzzi, 21, has averaged 9:06 of ice time in seven games with Detroit this season. The second-year pro became the 157th Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he debuted on Nov. 8 at Philadelphia. Bertuzzi has not played since sustaining an injury on Nov. 26 versus Montreal.

He has six points (3-3—6), 6 PIM and a plus-four rating in 10 games with the Griffins this season.

Detroit’s third choice, 58th overall, in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Bertuzzi joined the Griffins for a pair of games at the end of the 2014-15 season and has amassed 37 points (16-21—37) in 83 career AHL games. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound winger has played in 23 Calder Cup Playoff games with Grand Rapids and is the franchise’s all-time postseason leader with six game-winning goals. Additionally, Bertuzzi is the active leader and ties for fourth overall on the club’s all-time playoff list with 14 goals.

A Sudbury, Ontario, native, Bertuzzi appeared in 201 games and totaled 172 points (71-101—172) with the OHL’s Guelph Storm from 2011-14 prior to turning professional. He ranked 10th among OHL scorers with 98 points (43-55—98) in 2014-15 and helped the Storm win the J. Ross Robertson Cup during the 2013-14 season.

The Western Conference-leading Griffins play at Cleveland tonight and Friday, with both games starting at 7 p.m. Grand Rapids is back home on Saturday for a 6 p.m. faceoff against the Rockford IceHogs in its 20th annual New Year’s Eve game.

Single-game tickets are currently on sale. 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.