GRIFFINS RELEASE 2017-18 SCHEDULE
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The defending Calder Cup champion Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday released their schedule for the 2017-18 American Hockey League season. It will mark the franchise’s 22nd campaign overall, 17th as members of the AHL and 16th as the primary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.
The Griffins and third-year head coach Todd Nelson will open their 76-game slate at Van Andel Arena with a pair of games against the Manitoba Moose on Friday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7, marking the 12th time Grand Rapids’ season opener has been at home. The Griffins’ road opener will occur a week later when the team heads to San Jose on Friday, Oct. 13 for a rematch of the 2017 Western Conference Finals.
Highlights of the 2017-18 schedule include:
- The 2017 Calder Cup championship banner raising ceremony on Opening Night presented by Huntington Bank on Oct. 6 versus Manitoba;
- Twenty-five prime home dates (14 Fridays and 11 Saturdays) out of 38 games;
- Oct. 21, when the Hershey Bears will visit West Michigan for the first time in nearly 12 years (Dec. 22, 2005). Grand Rapids will make the return trip to Hershey on March 11. The Griffins are 6-0 all time against Hershey, which began play in the AHL in 1938-39 and is the oldest franchise on the circuit;
- March 2, when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, whose parent club in Pittsburgh has won the last two Stanley Cups, will visit Van Andel Arena for the first time since Nov. 21, 2008. Grand Rapids will travel to northeast Pennsylvania on March 10;
- The Griffins’ inaugural games against the Tucson Roadrunners. Grand Rapids hosts its Pacific Division counterpart on Oct. 25 and Feb. 28 and will make its first visit to Arizona in more than 21 years on April 6 and 7, when the Tucson Convention Center Arena will become the 61st road venue the Griffins have competed in. Grand Rapids last played in the Cactus State on March 5, 1997 against the IHL’s Phoenix Roadrunners;
- Western Conference Finals rematches against the San Jose Barracuda on Oct. 13 (away) and March 30 (home);
- The Griffins’ 21st annual New Year’s Eve celebration versus the Milwaukee Admirals on Sun., Dec. 31, plus holiday games the Friday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 24) and on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17);
- Grand Rapids’ 17th annual Matinee Game presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield against the San Antonio Rampage on Wed., Nov. 8 at 11 a.m. The Matinee Game is returning to its original November slot after a two-year hiatus.
Group tickets for all home dates at Van Andel Arena are now on sale, along with 2017-18 season ticket packages. Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public on Sept. 8. 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.
Griffins 2017-18 schedule options: Add to Calendar Graphic List Web
GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 2017-18 SCHEDULE
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| Fri., Oct. 6 | MANITOBA MOOSE | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 7 | MANITOBA MOOSE | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 13 | @ San Jose Barracuda | 10 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 14 | @ Stockton Heat | 9 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 20 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 21 | HERSHEY BEARS | 7 p.m. |
| Wed., Oct. 25 | TUCSON ROADRUNNERS | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 27 | CHICAGO WOLVES | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 28 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 7 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 1 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 8 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 3 | CHICAGO WOLVES | 7 p.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 5 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 4 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 8 | SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE | 11 a.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 10 | @ Texas Stars | 8:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 11 | @ Texas Stars | 8 p.m. |
| Tue., Nov. 14 | @ San Antonio Rampage | 11:30 a.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 17 | @ Iowa Wild | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 18 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 24 | MANITOBA MOOSE | 7 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 29 | TEXAS STARS | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 1 | TEXAS STARS | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 2 | @ Chicago Wolves | 8 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 8 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 9 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 7 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 10 | @ Iowa Wild | 6 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 13 | IOWA WILD | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 15 | CHICAGO WOLVES | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 16 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 7 p.m. |
| Thu., Dec. 21 | @ Chicago Wolves | Noon |
| Fri., Dec. 22 | @ Iowa Wild | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 23 | @ Rockford IceHogs | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 29 | CLEVELAND MONSTERS | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 30 | @ Cleveland Monsters | 7 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 31 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 6 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 3 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 8 p.m. |
| Fri., Jan. 5 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Jan. 6 | @ Chicago Wolves | 8 p.m. |
| Mon., Jan. 8 | @ Manitoba Moose | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 10 | @ Manitoba Moose | 8 p.m. |
| Fri., Jan. 12 | CLEVELAND MONSTERS | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Jan. 13 | CLEVELAND MONSTERS | 7 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 17 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Jan. 19 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Jan. 20 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Jan. 27 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 7 p.m. |
| Thu., Feb. 1 | @ Cleveland Monsters | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Feb. 2 | @ Cleveland Monsters | 7 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 4 | @ Cleveland Monsters | 1 p.m. |
| Wed., Feb. 7 | MANITOBA MOOSE | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Feb. 9 | SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Feb. 10 | STOCKTON HEAT | 7 p.m. |
| Thu., Feb. 15 | @ Manitoba Moose | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Feb. 17 | @ Manitoba Moose | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Feb. 21 | CHICAGO WOLVES | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Feb. 24 | IOWA WILD | 7 p.m. |
| Sun., Feb. 25 | IOWA WILD | 4 p.m. |
| Wed., Feb. 28 | TUCSON ROADRUNNERS | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., March 2 | WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., March 3 | MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., March 10 | @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 7:05 p.m. |
| Sun., March 11 | @ Hershey Bears | 5 p.m. |
| Wed., March 14 | IOWA WILD | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., March 16 | ROCKFORD ICEHOGS | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., March 17 | IOWA WILD | 7 p.m. |
| Tue., March 20 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 8 p.m. |
| Fri., March 23 | @ Iowa Wild | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., March 24 | @ Iowa Wild | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., March 25 | @ Chicago Wolves | 6 p.m. |
| Wed., March 28 | TEXAS STARS | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., March 30 | SAN JOSE BARRACUDA | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., March 31 | @ Milwaukee Admirals | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., April 6 | @ Tucson Roadrunners | 10:05 p.m. |
| Sat., April 7 | @ Tucson Roadrunners | 10:05 p.m. |
| Wed., April 11 | @ Texas Stars | 8:30 p.m. |
| Thu., April 12 | @ San Antonio Rampage | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., April 14 | CLEVELAND MONSTERS | 7 p.m. |
All Times Eastern
Dates, Opponents and Times Subject to Change
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Grand Rapids Griffins
2017-18 Schedule Breakdown
Season Opener: Fri., Oct. 6 vs. Manitoba Moose
Road Opener: Fri., Oct. 13 at San Jose Barracuda
Season Finale: Sat., April 14 vs. Cleveland Monsters
By Conference
Western – 72 (36 home, 36 road), Eastern – 4 (2 home, 2 road)
By Division
Central – 54 (27 home, 27 road), Pacific – 18 (9 home, 9 road), Atlantic – 4 (2 home, 2 road), North – 0
By Opponent
Iowa, Milwaukee, Rockford – 10 games (5 home, 5 road)
Chicago, Cleveland, Manitoba – 8 games (4 home, 4 road)
Texas – 6 games (3 home, 3 road)
San Antonio, Tucson – 4 games (2 home, 2 road)
Hershey, San Jose, Stockton, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton – 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
By Day (Home)
Friday – 14, Saturday – 11, Wednesday – 10, Sunday – 3
By Day (Road)
Saturday – 15, Friday – 8, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday – 4, Tuesday – 2, Monday – 1
By Month (Home)
December, February and March – 7, January – 6, October and November – 5, April – 1
By Month (Road)
December and March – 7, November – 6, January and February – 5, October and April – 4
Longest Homestand
6 games: Feb. 21-March 3
Longest Road Trip
5 games: Nov. 10-18 and March 31-April 12
Three Games in Three Nights
Four times: Dec. 8-10, Dec. 21-23, Dec. 29-31, March 23-25