MRAZEK AND ALMQUIST RETURN

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Thursday assigned defenseman Adam Almquist and goaltender Petr Mrazek to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

A native of Huskvarna, Sweden, Almquist ranks second on the Griffins in scoring with 45 points (4-41—45) and 52 PIM in 60 contests. He also ranks third among AHL defensemen in scoring and ties for third in the league in assists. The 5-foot-11, 173-pound blueliner tallied his 40th (assist) and 41st (goal) points of the 2013-14 campaign on March 7 against the Iowa Wild, marking the fifth time in Griffins franchise history that a defenseman has tallied at least 40 points in a single season.

The 23-year-old Almquist became the 135th Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he made his debut with Detroit on Nov. 4 at Winnipeg. Detroit’s seventh choice (210th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Almquist subsequently notched his first NHL goal on Nov. 7 versus Dallas.

A native of Ostrava, Czech Republic, Mrazek leads all AHL goaltenders with a 2.01 goals against average and a 0.928 save percentage (tied) and owns an 18-5-1 record in 24 appearances with Grand Rapids this season. Currently, Mrazek is on a seven-game winning streak with the Griffins. The 22-year-old netminder has earned three AHL shutouts in his efforts this season, in addition to his first NHL shutout via a 14-save performance on Nov. 2 versus the Edmonton Oilers. The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Mrazek has appeared between the pipes in eight games with Detroit, yielding a 2.01 GAA, a 0.916 save percentage and a 1-4-0 record.

The Griffins will play consecutive road games against the Iowa Wild on Friday (8:05 p.m. EDT) and Saturday (2:05 p.m. EDT) before traveling to Allstate Arena for a match against the Chicago Wolves on Sunday (4 p.m. EDT).

Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2. Single-game tickets for all home games are now available for purchase at all Star Tickets locations, including The Zone, online through griffinshockey.com, or by phone through Star Tickets at (800) 585-3737.