Training Camp Opens Thursday
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Twenty-six players with Grand Rapids Griffins playing experience will be part of the 62-player roster that will take to the ice this Thursday, Sept. 23 for six days of Detroit Red Wings training camp at Centre Ice Arena in Traverse City, Mich.
Red Wings players, prospects and tryouts will be divided into three teams that will practice and scrimmage through Saturday. Following the annual Red & White Game on Sunday, Sept. 26, the team will practice next Monday and Tuesday before beginning its preseason schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 29 when it travels to the United Center to face the Chicago Blackhawks at 8:30 p.m. EDT.
Training camp coverage will be live-streamed and documented on detroitredwings.com and across the Red Wings’ social media platforms. The opening practice on Thursday, Sept. 23 will take place at 8:30 a.m.
The players who will eventually comprise the Griffins’ roster will remain in Detroit throughout the preseason, until the Griffins return to Grand Rapids on Monday, Oct. 11 to prepare for their season opener on Friday, Oct. 15 against Rockford.
Nineteen players who appeared for the Griffins during the 2020-21 campaign are slated to participate, including defensemen Seth Barton, Brian Lashoff, Gustav Lindstrom, Jared McIsaac and Donovan Sebrango; forwards Riley Barber, Kyle Criscuolo, Patrick Curry, Turner Elson, Taro Hirose, Chase Pearson, Michael Rasmussen, Dominik Shine, Givani Smith, Tyler Spezia, Joe Veleno and Hayden Verbeek; and goaltenders Kaden Fulcher and Calvin Pickard.
Also present at camp will be seven Griffins alumni – Tyler Bertuzzi, Danny DeKeyser, Filip Hronek, Dylan Larkin, Dan Renouf, Moritz Seider and Filip Zadina - and at least nine others who could make their Grand Rapids debuts this season.
Griffins fourth-year head coach Ben Simon and his assistants will aid the Red Wings’ coaching staff, headed by former Grand Rapids bench boss Jeff Blashill, during the camp.
The complete Red Wings roster and camp schedule can be found at detroitredwings.com.
The Griffins will return to a full 76-game schedule in 2021-22 during the celebration of their 25th anniversary season. Opening Night presented by Huntington is set for Friday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. against the Rockford IceHogs at Van Andel Arena.
Single-game tickets are already available to the public. 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.
Photo by Sam Iannamico