Two in a Row for Roest

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – For the eighth time in the last 14 years and the 10th time in the last 17 seasons, a former Grand Rapids Griffins player will have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager/director of player development Stacy Roest (roost) has earned the honor for a second straight season, by virtue of his team's 4-1 triumph over the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

Last fall, Roest became the 17th former Griffins player to win the cup and the first to do so in a non-playing role, and he has now joined Tomas Kopecky (2008 Detroit, 2010 Chicago) as the only alumni to win a pair of Stanley Cups after leaving Grand Rapids.

As a center, Roest was an integral part of a 2002-03 Griffins team that finished first in the American Hockey League’s Western Conference and eventually fell one win shy of competing in the Calder Cup Finals. He placed third on the team in scoring during the regular season with 72 points (24-48—72) in 70 games then led the Griffins with 10 goals and 16 points during their playoff run. Roest set the franchise’s single-postseason records by scoring a pair of overtime goals and five game-winning goals in all before Grand Rapids lost to eventual champion Houston in Game 7 of the conference finals.

Roest began his Tampa Bay tenure in 2013 as director of player development, a position he held for six seasons before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2019. He also serves as general manager for the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

As the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs dawned in May, 15 of the 16 teams claimed a former Griffin within their player, coaching or front office ranks, with Pittsburgh being the lone exception.

STANLEY CUP FINAL RESULT

3. Tampa Bay (assistant GM/director of player development Stacy Roest) defeated 4. Montreal (defenseman Xavier Ouellet, forward Tomas Tatar), 4-1

STANLEY CUP SEMIFINALS RESULTS

4. Montreal (defenseman Xavier Ouellet, forward Tomas Tatar) defeated 2. Vegas (forwards Mattias Janmark and Tomas Nosek, equipment manager Chris Davidson-Adams, senior manager of communications Alyssa Girardi), 4-2
3. Tampa Bay (assistant GM/director of player development Stacy Roest) defeated 4. NY Islanders (assistant coach John Gruden), 4-3

SECOND ROUND RESULTS

West Division
2. Vegas (forwards Mattias Janmark and Tomas Nosek, equipment manager Chris Davidson-Adams, senior manager of communications Alyssa Girardi) defeated 1. Colorado (defenseman Dan Renouf, head coach Jared Bednar), 4-2

North Division
4. Montreal (defenseman Xavier Ouellet, forward Tomas Tatar) defeated 3. Winnipeg (assistant athletic therapist Brad Shaw), 4-0

East Division
4. NY Islanders (assistant coach John Gruden) defeated 3. Boston (head coach Bruce Cassidy, player development coordinator Chris Kelly, public relations coordinator Laney Byler), 4-2

Central Division
3. Tampa Bay (assistant GM/director of player development Stacy Roest) defeated 1. Carolina (goaltender Petr Mrazek), 4-1

FIRST ROUND RESULTS

West Division
1. Colorado (defenseman Dan Renouf, head coach Jared Bednar) defeated 4. St. Louis (amateur scout Michel Picard), 4-0
2. Vegas (forwards Mattias Janmark and Tomas Nosek, equipment manager Chris Davidson-Adams, senior manager of communications Alyssa Girardi) defeated 3. Minnesota (pro scout Mark Mowers), 4-3

North Division
3. Winnipeg (assistant athletic therapist Brad Shaw) defeated 2. Edmonton (pro scout Chris Cichocki), 4-0
4. Montreal (defenseman Xavier Ouellet, forward Tomas Tatar) defeated 1. Toronto (forward Jason Spezza), 4-3

East Division
3. Boston (head coach Bruce Cassidy, player development coordinator Chris Kelly, public relations coordinator Laney Byler) defeated 2. Washington (defenseman Nick Jensen, forward Anthony Mantha), 4-1
4. NY Islanders (assistant coach John Gruden) defeated 1. Pittsburgh, 4-2

Central Division
1. Carolina (goaltender Petr Mrazek) defeated 4. Nashville (forward Calle Jarnkrok, chief amateur scout Tom Nolan), 4-2
3. Tampa Bay (assistant GM/director of player development Stacy Roest) defeated 2. Florida (assistant GM Brett Peterson, pro scout Patrick Eaves), 4-2