MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Darren McCarty’s tenure as a Grand Rapids Griffin officially came to a conclusion on Friday when he was recalled from his conditioning loan by the Detroit Red Wings.

McCarty, who signed a pro tryout with Grand Rapids on Feb. 4 and was assigned by the Red Wings upon signing a one-year contract on Feb. 25, made an indelible impression on Griffins hockey during his five-week stint. The right wing tallied five goals, 10 points and 21 penalty minutes in 13 games with the AHL club, earning Grand Rapids’ nomination for the CCM/AHL Player of the Month award for February.

McCarty provided one of the most memorable performances in franchise history during his Van Andel Arena debut on Feb. 15, when he tallied his second career hat trick in a 6-3 win over the Lake Erie Monsters. After scoring 5:53 into the first period, 2:17 into the second and 2:45 into the third, he capped off his four-point evening – the first of his 16-year career – with an assist on Grand Rapids’ final goal.

Other highlights of his stay included his unforgettable brawl with Milwaukee’s Alex Henry on Feb. 16 and his final appearance in a Griffins uniform on Wednesday, when he assisted on Ryan Oulahen’s game-winning goal in a 5-3 triumph over the North Division-leading Toronto Marlies.

Grand Rapids bid farewell to two other players today, assigning left wing Josef Fojtik to the IHL’s Flint Generals and announcing that goaltender Dan Turple has been reassigned by the Atlanta Thrashers to the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators.

The Griffins will continue their push for a playoff berth on Saturday when they visit Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland for a 7:30 p.m. tilt against Lake Erie.