GRIFFINS TO BATTLE MARLIES IN ROUND TWO

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After defeating the sixth-seeded Houston Aeros three games to two in the Western Conference Quarterfinals – capped off by tonight’s 7-0 win in Game 5 at Van Andel Arena – the Midwest Division champion and third-seeded Grand Rapids Griffins will face the North Division champion and second-seeded Toronto Marlies in the best-of-seven conference semifinals.

Toronto, which authored a 3-0 sweep of Rochester in round one, will host Games 1 and 2 of the 2-3-2 format at Ricoh Coliseum on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11, before the series switches to Van Andel Arena on Wed., May 15 for the first of as many as three straight Griffins home games. The complete schedule is as follows:

* If necessary All times Eastern and subject to change. All games on Newsradio WOOD 106.9 FM & 1300 AM.

Tickets for Games 3 and 4 at Van Andel Arena will go on sale this Monday, May 6 at 10 a.m. They may be purchased in person at The Zone at Van Andel Arena and all Star Tickets locations, by phone at (800) 585-3737, or through griffinshockey.com. All home playoff games will continue to feature $2 beers and $2 hot dogs from 6-8 p.m.

This will mark the second Calder Cup Playoff meeting between Grand Rapids and Toronto, following the Griffins' 4-1 series win in the 2006 North Division Semifinals. After splitting the first two contests at Van Andel Arena, including a heart-stopping 6-5 win in triple overtime in Game 1, the Griffins won the final three games of the series at Ricoh Coliseum, capped off by Game 5's 2-1 double-overtime victory.

The Griffins and Marlies, who prior to Grand Rapids' move to the Midwest Division this season had been North Division rivals since Toronto's 2005 inception, met only four times during the 2012-13 regular season. The Marlies (2-0-0-2) earned points in all four games, including victories of 3-1 at Van Andel Arena on Dec. 29 and 5-0 at Ricoh Coliseum on Dec. 16, while the Griffins (2-2-0-0) took shootout wins of 3-2 at home on Dec. 28 and 4-3 on the road on Oct. 21.

This clash between Grand Rapids and Toronto presents numerous storylines, including:

• Two of the most accomplished postseason performers in Griffins history are now with the Marlies organization. Toronto goalie Drew MacIntyre ranks as Grand Rapids' all-time leader in both goals against average (1.62) and save percentage (0.940) by virtue of his five appearances during the 2006 playoffs, while Marlies assistant coach Derek King recorded more playoff goals (16), assists (25) points (41) and power play goals (7) than any player in Griffins history. In addition, King's 46 playoff games (from 2000-04) rank second all time on the club;

• Two Griffins coaches have long ties to the area. Assistant coach Jim Paek, who helped guide the team to that 2006 series win over Toronto during his first season with Grand Rapids, was raised in Toronto after being born in Seoul, South Korea. Analytics and advance scouting coach Spiros Anastas was born in Toronto;

• Two Grand Rapids defensemen have vivid hockey memories of Hogtown. Brennan Evans notched eight points (1-7--8) and 199 penalty minutes in 79 games with the Marlies in 2009-10, while Nathan Paetsch scored his first NHL goal in Toronto (Jean-Sebastien Aubin) on March 3, 2007 as a member of the Buffalo Sabres;

• Toronto forward Kenny Ryan is a native of the Detroit suburb of Franklin, while three Griffins hail from Ontario: forwards Trevor Parkes (Fort Erie) and Riley Sheahan (St. Catharines) and defenseman Ryan Sproul (Mississauga);

• Three Griffins -- Sproul (2010-13 Sault Ste. Marie), goalie Tom McCollum (2006-09 Guelph, 2009 Brampton) and forward Jan Mursak (2007-08 Belleville) -- played junior hockey in Canada's most populous province, while four members of the Marlies played collegiate or junior hockey in the Great Lakes State: forwards Will Acton (2007-11 Lake Superior State) and Jamie Devane (2008-12 Plymouth) and defensemen Mike Komisarek (2000-02 Michigan) and Simon Gysbers (2006-10 Lake Superior State);

• The Griffins did not face a Canadian playoff foe during their first nine seasons (12 series), but the Marlies will be their sixth opponent from north of the border in eight postseason series over the last eight years.