GRIFFINS FACE ADMIRALS AND BULLDOGS IN THREE-GAME HOME WEEK

This Week’s Games
Wed., Feb. 18 Milwaukee Admirals at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Fri., Feb. 20 Hamilton Bulldogs at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Sat., Feb. 21 Hamilton Bulldogs at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Fri., Feb. 13 San Antonio Rampage 5 at GRIFFINS 4 OT 25-17-5-1, 56 pts. (4th, Midwest Division)
Sat., Feb. 14 San Antonio Rampage 2 at GRIFFINS 4 26-17-5-1, 58 pts. (T3rd)
Sun., Feb. 15 GRIFFINS 5 at Chicago Wolves 1 27-17-5-1, 60 pts. (3rd)

Racking Points: The Griffins secured five of six possible points last week, beginning with a 5-4 overtime loss to the San Antonio Rampage on Friday. The Griffins fought back from a 4-2 deficit with a pair of third-period tallies to guarantee at least a point in a game in which they twice trailed by two goals. Teemu Pulkkinen’s second of the night pushed the Griffins within one, before Mark Zengerle forced overtime with less than two minutes left in regulation. But their heroics couldn’t stop San Antonio’s Rocco Grimaldi from giving the Rampage the extra point in overtime. Grand Rapids bounced back on Saturday with a 4-2 victory, courtesy of two-goal games from both captain Jeff Hoggan and Andy Miele. In their third game in as many nights, the Griffins traveled to Allstate Arena on Sunday to face Midwest Division-rival Chicago Wolves. A closely-contested game saw the score even at one until a second-period goal by Andreas Athanasiou saw the Griffins head to the intermission with a 2-1 lead. It was all Grand Rapids from there, as the team exploded for three goals by Mark Zengerle, Marek Tvrdon and an empty-netter by Anthony Mantha to give the Griffins a 5-1 victory. The win put the Griffins in third place in the Midwest Division, two points ahead of Chicago with a game in hand.

Wednesday Promotions: Every time the Griffins win at home on Wednesday, each fan in attendance will receive a free ticket to the next Wednesday game. To redeem a Winning Wednesday ticket, please visit the box office following the Winning Wednesday game, The Zone during normal business hours, or the Van Andel Arena box office prior to the next Wednesday game beginning at 5:30 p.m. Additionally, the first 300 fans to visit the Amway table in Section A will receive a gift. Fans can also enjoy a buy-one, get-one-free deal on a 16 oz. Pepsi all night long at any concession stand that sells fountain drinks.

Wednesday is Hockey Night: For all Wednesday games through March, show your Griffins ticket at participating Arena District restaurants and bars to enjoy Happy Hour specials before the game and Hockey Night specials afterward. Visit griffinshockey.com/hockeynight for a list of participating establishments.

Friday Promotions: Friday’s game gives fans the opportunity to enjoy $2 hot dogs and $2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last. Fans can also take advantage of College Night specials, where college students can purchase an upper bowl ticket for $14 (or $13 in advance at The Zone) and stop by the McFadden’s concourse table to receive a free pass to the post-game party at McFadden’s. Every Friday night is a Griffins D-Zone night, where fans can have $2 beers and $2 hot dogs served directly to their seats. D-ZONE tickets are only available by calling 616-774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinshockey.com/dzone. In addition, fans can enjoy all of the popcorn they can eat with this special offer that includes four or more upper or lower level tickets and a Griffins popcorn bucket good for unlimited popcorn refills throughout the game! Popcorn packs are only available by calling 616-774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinshockey.com/popcorn.

Star Wars Night/Saturday Promotions: The 501st Legion returns for another Star Wars Night, with proceeds benefiting the Griffins Youth Foundation. Over 50 costumed characters will be roaming the arena and interacting with fans. In addition to light sabers and Griffins Star Wars-themed pucks and t-shirts being sold on the concourse, a photo area will be set up on for fans to get their picture taken with their favorite characters for a small donation. In addition, three Griffins players will sign autographs following the game from the team’s bench, presented by Huntington Bank. Available for all Saturday games, Friends & Family 4-Packs includes four tickets and $12 in concession cash for a great low price. Visit griffinshockey.com/f4p or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2.

Callahan Out: In Friday’s game versus San Antonio, right wing Mitch Callahan took a hit from Rampage captain Greg Zanon and caught a rough patch of ice, tumbling awkwardly into the boards. He was helped off the ice and did not return to the game. On Saturday, Callahan was diagnosed with a torn right ACL and is expected to be out for the remainder of the season. Callahan is the Griffins’ third-highest scorer with 38 points (16-22—38) in 48 games. Last season, Callahan missed eight games between the end of the season and the beginning of the playoffs due to an infamous mouth injury he sustained after taking a slapshot to the face from teammate Ryan Sproul on Apr. 2 vs. Iowa. While his injury last season wasn’t as prolonged, his torn ACL will result in his second regular season in a row finished prematurely by injury. Callahan is in the final season of his entry-level contract with Detroit.

Griffins Leaders: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen leads the Griffins, and the entire league, in scoring with 57 points (30-27—57) in 44 games. Pulkkinen was recalled to Detroit on Tuesday. Center Andy Miele ranks second on the team, and fourth in the AHL, with 46 points (15-31—46) in 45 games, while Mitch Callahan has 16 goals and 22 assists in 48 games. Callahan’s output will stop, however, as the left wing suffered a season-ending injury last Friday. Pulkkinen’s 178 shots are trailed on the Griffins by Landon Ferraro, who has 167 shots. Among active skaters, defenseman Brennan Evans leads the team in plus/minus with plus-12. He’s led only by Alexey Marchenko’s plus-15 rating, but Marchenko is currently on recall with the Wings.

The Midwest: The Milwaukee Admirals (29-14-3-4, 65 pts.) rank first in the Midwest Division but not by much, as the Rockford IceHogs (29-16-4-2, 64 pts.) are just one point behind in second place. Milwaukee, however, has a game in hand to Rockford. Grand Rapids (27-17-5-1, 60 pts.) now has sole possession of third place in the division after defeating the fourth-place Chicago Wolves (26-19-5-1, 58 pts.) on Sunday at Allstate Arena, 5-1. The Lake Erie Monsters (22-19-4-3, 51 pts.) rank last in the division, despite turning out a 6-3-1-0 record in their last 10 games.

League Leader: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen ranks first in scoring in the league (57 pts.), first in goals (30), ties for second in power play goals (10), ranks second in shots (178) and ties for second in game-winning goals (6).

30 Rock: Teemu Pulkkinen notched a goal in Sunday’s 5-1 win at Chicago, which marked his league-leading 30th goal of the 2014-15 campaign. With the accomplishment, Pulkkinen became the second Griffin in franchise history to log multiple 30-goal seasons and the first to ever achieve the feat in back-to-back seasons. Michel Picard scored 46 in 1996-97, 33 in 1999-2000, and 32 in 2002-03.

Athanasiou’s Impact: After breaking his jaw in a Dec. 12 game at Oklahoma City, rookie center Andreas Athanasiou missed 20 games while recovering from his injury. Athanasiou returned to the lineup on Feb. 6, roughly a week earlier than expected. The decision proved fruitful for the Griffins, as the London, Ontario, native has scored in all five games since his return (3-4—7) and has earned a total of 23 points (10-13—23) in 30 games this season, the same number as he dons on the back of his jersey. Athanasiou capped off last week with a three-point performance (1-2—3) at Chicago, including earning the game-winning goal and first-star honors.

10/11: The Griffins have picked up points in 10 of their last 11 games (1/23/15-2/15/15) and have banked 18 of 22 possible points within that span. Grand Rapids also ran a four-game winning streak from Jan. 23-30, its longest of the season, and is currently on its longest point streak of the season (six games).

Two For You: Center Andy Miele has picked up eight points in his last six outings, with four two-point performances during that span. He picked up two assists on Feb. 4 at Toronto, Feb 6 vs. Rochester, and Feb. 13 vs San Antontio, and he scored two goals in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Rampage at Van Andel Arena.

Rookie Sharpshooter: Rookie center Mark Zengerle ranks first in the league in shooting percentage at 25.7%. Zengerle has connected on nine of the 35 shots he has taken in his debut campaign with Grand Rapids. Zengerle is currently on a four-game point streak, picking up two goals and two assists from Feb. 7-15.

Discipline: Grand Rapids has the second-fewest penalty minutes in the entire league with 576, led only by the Worcester Sharks’ 507 PIM.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye (29-10-3-2, 63 pts.) snapped their three-game losing streak, the longest of the season, with a 5-2 victory over Wheeling at the Huntington Center on Saturday. Martin Frk notched a goal and assist in the contest, including the game-winner, while Kyle Bonis scored Toledo’s last two goals. Bonis’ first goal, and the fourth of the night for the Walleye, was scored just 37 seconds after Frk’s game-winning tally. Sunday saw the Walleye fall, 3-2, to the Cincinnati Cyclones. Frk scored both goals for Toledo, but his two-goal effort wasn’t enough as the Cyclones put the game out of reach 9:17 into the third period. The Walleye have fallen back down to second place in the North Division behind the Fort Wayne Komets (33-12-1-2, 69 pts.). However, Toledo has four games in hand to its divisional rival.

Kindl Fires Up: The Detroit Red Wings on Saturday assigned defenseman Jakub Kindl to the Griffins for conditioning. Kindl, 28, has not appeared in a game with Detroit since suffering an elbow injury on Dec. 27 at Ottawa. The 6-foot-3, 199-pound defenseman has played in 28 games with the Wings this season, picking up two goals, seven assists and 14 penalty minutes. In all, the Sumperk, Czech Republic, native has collected 58 points (11-47—58), 127 PIM and a plus-nine rating in 241 career games with the Wings. Prior to his NHL promotion, Kindl amassed 237 career games with the Griffins from 2005-11, notching 89 points (13-76—89) during that span and earning a starting nod in the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic. Detroit’s first choice (19th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Kindl is the highest Wings draft pick to ever play for the Griffins. This marks the seventh different season (2005-11; 14-15) that Kindl has made an appearance as a Griffin, tying Joey MacDonald (2002-07; 10-12) for second all time. Travis Richards (1996-06) holds the record with 10 seasons of service with Grand Rapids. Kindl made his season debut with Grand Rapids in a 5-1 victory at Chicago on Sunday, registering a plus-two rating in the contest.

Transactions Abound: The Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday recalled right wing Teemu Pulkkinen from the Griffins, assigned goaltender Petr Mrazek to their AHL affiliate, and reassigned forward Martin Frk to Grand Rapids from the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. In addition, the Griffins recalled forward Kyle Bonis from Toledo. A native of Vantaa, Finland, Pulkkinen currently leads the AHL in scoring with 57 points (30-27—57) in 44 games, while also leading the league in goals (30) and tying for second in shots (178) and game-winning goals (6). In Sunday’s 5-1 victory at Chicago, Pulkkinen notched his 30th goal of the season to become the first player in Griffins history to record back-to-back 30-goal seasons (31 in 2013-14), and he is only the second Griffin to log multiple 30-goal seasons. Michel Picard scored 46 in 1996-97, 33 in 1999-2000, and 32 in 2002-03. Detroit’s fourth choice (111th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Pulkkinen appeared in six games with Detroit earlier this season and registered his first career NHL goal on Jan. 20 versus Minnesota. The 23-year-old has strung together a multitude of achievements this season, including partaking in the AHL All-Star Classic and tying the Griffins’ franchise record of eight consecutive games with a goal. Mrazek, 23, has spent a majority of his season with Detroit, accumulating a 13-5-1 record in 20 games, alongside a 2.55 goals against average, a 0.909 save percentage and one shutout. The Ostrava, Czech Republic, native has also played in six games with the Griffins, earning a 3-2-0 record, a 3.25 GAA and a 0.876 save percentage. Last season, the 6-foot-1, 187-pound goaltender ranked second in the AHL with a 2.10 GAA and, as a result, was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team. Detroit’s fifth choice (141st overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Mrazek helped Grand Rapids to its first-ever Calder Cup in 2012-13, turning out a 15-9 record with a 2.31 GAA and four shutouts in the playoffs.

Scouting Report

Wed., Feb. 18 vs. Milwaukee Admirals (29-14-3-4) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 69-51-7-5-7 Overall, 31-27-5-4-5 Road, 38-24-2-1-2 Home. Season Series: 3-2-0-0 Overall, 2-1-0-0 Road, 1-1-0-0 Home. Sixth of 10 meetings overall, third of five at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Nashville Predators. Head Coach: Dean Evason (3rd season). Notes: The Admirals rank first in the Midwest Division, second in the Western Conference and fifth in the AHL…Milwaukee and Grand Rapids traded shutouts the last two times the teams met. The Griffins earned a 3-0 decision in Milwaukee on Jan. 30, before the Admirals shut out the Griffins, 4-0, the next night at Van Andel Arena…Rookie right wing Viktor Arvidsson ranks first on the team with 40 points (16-24—40) in 50 games. Arvidsson ranks second among league rookies in scoring and ties for 11th overall…Left wing Michael Liambas posts the most penalty minutes for the Admirals with 119 in 33 games, and left wing Richard Clune is the second-most physical presence with 111 PIM in 37 games…Former Griffin and Calder Cup Champion Triston Grant is a member of the Admirals this season. In 48 games, Grant has clocked 17 points (10-7—17), 54 PIM and a minus-five rating…Goaltender Magnus Hellberg ties for second overall among goaltenders with a 1.94 GAA, alongside a 14-5-3 record and a 0.927 save percentage...The Admirals only register 27.36 shots per game (28th) but limit their opponents to 27.72 shot per game (4th).

Fri., Feb. 20 vs. Hamilton Bulldogs (25-19-6-0) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 21 vs. Hamilton Bulldogs – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. (Fri. and Sat.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 38-35-1-0-4 Overall, 20-14-1-0-3 Home. Season Series: 0-2-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Home. Third and fourth of four meetings overall, first and second of two at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Montreal Canadiens. Head Coach: Sylvain Lefebvre (3rd season). Notes: Hamilton ranks second in the North Division, ninth in the Western Conference and 17th overall...Rookie center Charles Hudon ranks first on the Bulldogs in scoring, first among league rookies and ties for fifth overall with 44 points (12-32—44) in 50 games. Center T.J. Hensick ranks second on the team with 37 points (13-24—37) and center Gabriel Dumont ranks third with 33 points (15-18—33)...Former Grand Rapids goaltender Joey MacDonald has split service between the pipes for Hamilton this season with rookie Mike Condon. MacDonald, who played for the Griffins for parts of six seasons, owns a 3.02 GAA, a 7-8-3 record and a 0.899 save percentage. Condon posts a 2.16 GAA, a 17-10-3 record and a 0.929 save percentage…The Bulldogs’ power play ranks 28th overall (11.5%) and their penalty killing record ties for fourth (87.2%).

This Week’s Games
Wed., Feb. 18 Milwaukee Admirals at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Fri., Feb. 20 Hamilton Bulldogs at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Sat., Feb. 21 Hamilton Bulldogs at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Fri., Feb. 13 San Antonio Rampage 5 at GRIFFINS 4 OT 25-17-5-1, 56 pts. (4th, Midwest Division)
Sat., Feb. 14 San Antonio Rampage 2 at GRIFFINS 4 26-17-5-1, 58 pts. (T3rd)
Sun., Feb. 15 GRIFFINS 5 at Chicago Wolves 1 27-17-5-1, 60 pts. (3rd)

Racking Points: The Griffins secured five of six possible points last week, beginning with a 5-4 overtime loss to the San Antonio Rampage on Friday. The Griffins fought back from a 4-2 deficit with a pair of third-period tallies to guarantee at least a point in a game in which they twice trailed by two goals. Teemu Pulkkinen’s second of the night pushed the Griffins within one, before Mark Zengerle forced overtime with less than two minutes left in regulation. But their heroics couldn’t stop San Antonio’s Rocco Grimaldi from giving the Rampage the extra point in overtime. Grand Rapids bounced back on Saturday with a 4-2 victory, courtesy of two-goal games from both captain Jeff Hoggan and Andy Miele. In their third game in as many nights, the Griffins traveled to Allstate Arena on Sunday to face Midwest Division-rival Chicago Wolves. A closely-contested game saw the score even at one until a second-period goal by Andreas Athanasiou saw the Griffins head to the intermission with a 2-1 lead. It was all Grand Rapids from there, as the team exploded for three goals by Mark Zengerle, Marek Tvrdon and an empty-netter by Anthony Mantha to give the Griffins a 5-1 victory. The win put the Griffins in third place in the Midwest Division, two points ahead of Chicago with a game in hand.

Wednesday Promotions: Every time the Griffins win at home on Wednesday, each fan in attendance will receive a free ticket to the next Wednesday game. To redeem a Winning Wednesday ticket, please visit the box office following the Winning Wednesday game, The Zone during normal business hours, or the Van Andel Arena box office prior to the next Wednesday game beginning at 5:30 p.m. Additionally, the first 300 fans to visit the Amway table in Section A will receive a gift. Fans can also enjoy a buy-one, get-one-free deal on a 16 oz. Pepsi all night long at any concession stand that sells fountain drinks.

Wednesday is Hockey Night: For all Wednesday games through March, show your Griffins ticket at participating Arena District restaurants and bars to enjoy Happy Hour specials before the game and Hockey Night specials afterward. Visit griffinshockey.com/hockeynight for a list of participating establishments.

Friday Promotions: Friday’s game gives fans the opportunity to enjoy $2 hot dogs and $2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last. Fans can also take advantage of College Night specials, where college students can purchase an upper bowl ticket for $14 (or $13 in advance at The Zone) and stop by the McFadden’s concourse table to receive a free pass to the post-game party at McFadden’s. Every Friday night is a Griffins D-Zone night, where fans can have $2 beers and $2 hot dogs served directly to their seats. D-ZONE tickets are only available by calling 616-774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinshockey.com/dzone. In addition, fans can enjoy all of the popcorn they can eat with this special offer that includes four or more upper or lower level tickets and a Griffins popcorn bucket good for unlimited popcorn refills throughout the game! Popcorn packs are only available by calling 616-774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinshockey.com/popcorn.

Star Wars Night/Saturday Promotions: The 501st Legion returns for another Star Wars Night, with proceeds benefiting the Griffins Youth Foundation. Over 50 costumed characters will be roaming the arena and interacting with fans. In addition to light sabers and Griffins Star Wars-themed pucks and t-shirts being sold on the concourse, a photo area will be set up on for fans to get their picture taken with their favorite characters for a small donation. In addition, three Griffins players will sign autographs following the game from the team’s bench, presented by Huntington Bank. Available for all Saturday games, Friends & Family 4-Packs includes four tickets and $12 in concession cash for a great low price. Visit griffinshockey.com/f4p or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2.

Callahan Out: In Friday’s game versus San Antonio, right wing Mitch Callahan took a hit from Rampage captain Greg Zanon and caught a rough patch of ice, tumbling awkwardly into the boards. He was helped off the ice and did not return to the game. On Saturday, Callahan was diagnosed with a torn right ACL and is expected to be out for the remainder of the season. Callahan is the Griffins’ third-highest scorer with 38 points (16-22—38) in 48 games. Last season, Callahan missed eight games between the end of the season and the beginning of the playoffs due to an infamous mouth injury he sustained after taking a slapshot to the face from teammate Ryan Sproul on Apr. 2 vs. Iowa. While his injury last season wasn’t as prolonged, his torn ACL will result in his second regular season in a row finished prematurely by injury. Callahan is in the final season of his entry-level contract with Detroit.

Griffins Leaders: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen leads the Griffins, and the entire league, in scoring with 57 points (30-27—57) in 44 games. Pulkkinen was recalled to Detroit on Tuesday. Center Andy Miele ranks second on the team, and fourth in the AHL, with 46 points (15-31—46) in 45 games, while Mitch Callahan has 16 goals and 22 assists in 48 games. Callahan’s output will stop, however, as the left wing suffered a season-ending injury last Friday. Pulkkinen’s 178 shots are trailed on the Griffins by Landon Ferraro, who has 167 shots. Among active skaters, defenseman Brennan Evans leads the team in plus/minus with plus-12. He’s led only by Alexey Marchenko’s plus-15 rating, but Marchenko is currently on recall with the Wings.

The Midwest: The Milwaukee Admirals (29-14-3-4, 65 pts.) rank first in the Midwest Division but not by much, as the Rockford IceHogs (29-16-4-2, 64 pts.) are just one point behind in second place. Milwaukee, however, has a game in hand to Rockford. Grand Rapids (27-17-5-1, 60 pts.) now has sole possession of third place in the division after defeating the fourth-place Chicago Wolves (26-19-5-1, 58 pts.) on Sunday at Allstate Arena, 5-1. The Lake Erie Monsters (22-19-4-3, 51 pts.) rank last in the division, despite turning out a 6-3-1-0 record in their last 10 games.

League Leader: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen ranks first in scoring in the league (57 pts.), first in goals (30), ties for second in power play goals (10), ranks second in shots (178) and ties for second in game-winning goals (6).

30 Rock: Teemu Pulkkinen notched a goal in Sunday’s 5-1 win at Chicago, which marked his league-leading 30th goal of the 2014-15 campaign. With the accomplishment, Pulkkinen became the second Griffin in franchise history to log multiple 30-goal seasons and the first to ever achieve the feat in back-to-back seasons. Michel Picard scored 46 in 1996-97, 33 in 1999-2000, and 32 in 2002-03.

Athanasiou’s Impact: After breaking his jaw in a Dec. 12 game at Oklahoma City, rookie center Andreas Athanasiou missed 20 games while recovering from his injury. Athanasiou returned to the lineup on Feb. 6, roughly a week earlier than expected. The decision proved fruitful for the Griffins, as the London, Ontario, native has scored in all five games since his return (3-4—7) and has earned a total of 23 points (10-13—23) in 30 games this season, the same number as he dons on the back of his jersey. Athanasiou capped off last week with a three-point performance (1-2—3) at Chicago, including earning the game-winning goal and first-star honors.

10/11: The Griffins have picked up points in 10 of their last 11 games (1/23/15-2/15/15) and have banked 18 of 22 possible points within that span. Grand Rapids also ran a four-game winning streak from Jan. 23-30, its longest of the season, and is currently on its longest point streak of the season (six games).

Two For You: Center Andy Miele has picked up eight points in his last six outings, with four two-point performances during that span. He picked up two assists on Feb. 4 at Toronto, Feb 6 vs. Rochester, and Feb. 13 vs San Antontio, and he scored two goals in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Rampage at Van Andel Arena.

Rookie Sharpshooter: Rookie center Mark Zengerle ranks first in the league in shooting percentage at 25.7%. Zengerle has connected on nine of the 35 shots he has taken in his debut campaign with Grand Rapids. Zengerle is currently on a four-game point streak, picking up two goals and two assists from Feb. 7-15.

Discipline: Grand Rapids has the second-fewest penalty minutes in the entire league with 576, led only by the Worcester Sharks’ 507 PIM.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye (29-10-3-2, 63 pts.) snapped their three-game losing streak, the longest of the season, with a 5-2 victory over Wheeling at the Huntington Center on Saturday. Martin Frk notched a goal and assist in the contest, including the game-winner, while Kyle Bonis scored Toledo’s last two goals. Bonis’ first goal, and the fourth of the night for the Walleye, was scored just 37 seconds after Frk’s game-winning tally. Sunday saw the Walleye fall, 3-2, to the Cincinnati Cyclones. Frk scored both goals for Toledo, but his two-goal effort wasn’t enough as the Cyclones put the game out of reach 9:17 into the third period. The Walleye have fallen back down to second place in the North Division behind the Fort Wayne Komets (33-12-1-2, 69 pts.). However, Toledo has four games in hand to its divisional rival.

Kindl Fires Up: The Detroit Red Wings on Saturday assigned defenseman Jakub Kindl to the Griffins for conditioning. Kindl, 28, has not appeared in a game with Detroit since suffering an elbow injury on Dec. 27 at Ottawa. The 6-foot-3, 199-pound defenseman has played in 28 games with the Wings this season, picking up two goals, seven assists and 14 penalty minutes. In all, the Sumperk, Czech Republic, native has collected 58 points (11-47—58), 127 PIM and a plus-nine rating in 241 career games with the Wings. Prior to his NHL promotion, Kindl amassed 237 career games with the Griffins from 2005-11, notching 89 points (13-76—89) during that span and earning a starting nod in the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic. Detroit’s first choice (19th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Kindl is the highest Wings draft pick to ever play for the Griffins. This marks the seventh different season (2005-11; 14-15) that Kindl has made an appearance as a Griffin, tying Joey MacDonald (2002-07; 10-12) for second all time. Travis Richards (1996-06) holds the record with 10 seasons of service with Grand Rapids. Kindl made his season debut with Grand Rapids in a 5-1 victory at Chicago on Sunday, registering a plus-two rating in the contest.

Transactions Abound: The Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday recalled right wing Teemu Pulkkinen from the Griffins, assigned goaltender Petr Mrazek to their AHL affiliate, and reassigned forward Martin Frk to Grand Rapids from the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. In addition, the Griffins recalled forward Kyle Bonis from Toledo. A native of Vantaa, Finland, Pulkkinen currently leads the AHL in scoring with 57 points (30-27—57) in 44 games, while also leading the league in goals (30) and tying for second in shots (178) and game-winning goals (6). In Sunday’s 5-1 victory at Chicago, Pulkkinen notched his 30th goal of the season to become the first player in Griffins history to record back-to-back 30-goal seasons (31 in 2013-14), and he is only the second Griffin to log multiple 30-goal seasons. Michel Picard scored 46 in 1996-97, 33 in 1999-2000, and 32 in 2002-03. Detroit’s fourth choice (111th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Pulkkinen appeared in six games with Detroit earlier this season and registered his first career NHL goal on Jan. 20 versus Minnesota. The 23-year-old has strung together a multitude of achievements this season, including partaking in the AHL All-Star Classic and tying the Griffins’ franchise record of eight consecutive games with a goal. Mrazek, 23, has spent a majority of his season with Detroit, accumulating a 13-5-1 record in 20 games, alongside a 2.55 goals against average, a 0.909 save percentage and one shutout. The Ostrava, Czech Republic, native has also played in six games with the Griffins, earning a 3-2-0 record, a 3.25 GAA and a 0.876 save percentage. Last season, the 6-foot-1, 187-pound goaltender ranked second in the AHL with a 2.10 GAA and, as a result, was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team. Detroit’s fifth choice (141st overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Mrazek helped Grand Rapids to its first-ever Calder Cup in 2012-13, turning out a 15-9 record with a 2.31 GAA and four shutouts in the playoffs.

Scouting Report

Wed., Feb. 18 vs. Milwaukee Admirals (29-14-3-4) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 69-51-7-5-7 Overall, 31-27-5-4-5 Road, 38-24-2-1-2 Home. Season Series: 3-2-0-0 Overall, 2-1-0-0 Road, 1-1-0-0 Home. Sixth of 10 meetings overall, third of five at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Nashville Predators. Head Coach: Dean Evason (3rd season). Notes: The Admirals rank first in the Midwest Division, second in the Western Conference and fifth in the AHL…Milwaukee and Grand Rapids traded shutouts the last two times the teams met. The Griffins earned a 3-0 decision in Milwaukee on Jan. 30, before the Admirals shut out the Griffins, 4-0, the next night at Van Andel Arena…Rookie right wing Viktor Arvidsson ranks first on the team with 40 points (16-24—40) in 50 games. Arvidsson ranks second among league rookies in scoring and ties for 11th overall…Left wing Michael Liambas posts the most penalty minutes for the Admirals with 119 in 33 games, and left wing Richard Clune is the second-most physical presence with 111 PIM in 37 games…Former Griffin and Calder Cup Champion Triston Grant is a member of the Admirals this season. In 48 games, Grant has clocked 17 points (10-7—17), 54 PIM and a minus-five rating…Goaltender Magnus Hellberg ties for second overall among goaltenders with a 1.94 GAA, alongside a 14-5-3 record and a 0.927 save percentage...The Admirals only register 27.36 shots per game (28th) but limit their opponents to 27.72 shot per game (4th).

Fri., Feb. 20 vs. Hamilton Bulldogs (25-19-6-0) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 21 vs. Hamilton Bulldogs – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. (Fri. and Sat.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 38-35-1-0-4 Overall, 20-14-1-0-3 Home. Season Series: 0-2-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Home. Third and fourth of four meetings overall, first and second of two at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Montreal Canadiens. Head Coach: Sylvain Lefebvre (3rd season). Notes: Hamilton ranks second in the North Division, ninth in the Western Conference and 17th overall...Rookie center Charles Hudon ranks first on the Bulldogs in scoring, first among league rookies and ties for fifth overall with 44 points (12-32—44) in 50 games. Center T.J. Hensick ranks second on the team with 37 points (13-24—37) and center Gabriel Dumont ranks third with 33 points (15-18—33)...Former Grand Rapids goaltender Joey MacDonald has split service between the pipes for Hamilton this season with rookie Mike Condon. MacDonald, who played for the Griffins for parts of six seasons, owns a 3.02 GAA, a 7-8-3 record and a 0.899 save percentage. Condon posts a 2.16 GAA, a 17-10-3 record and a 0.929 save percentage…The Bulldogs’ power play ranks 28th overall (11.5%) and their penalty killing record ties for fourth (87.2%).