Sports · Grand Rapids
Griffins win their Van Andel Arena home opener 2-1 over previously unbeaten Manitoba
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Griffins played their first home game of the American Hockey League season Friday night, Oct. 9, when the Manitoba Moose visited Van Andel Arena.
The Griffins, the Detroit Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, were 1-0-1-0 after their opening weekend. Manitoba was 2-0-0-0, according to the team’s schedule listing.
Grand Rapids nearly pulled off a comeback Sunday. Trailing the Monsters 4-1 after two periods, the Griffins scored three times in the third. Jesse Kiiskinen scored twice, and Sheldon Dries tied the game with eight seconds left in regulation after Grand Rapids pulled its goalie and drew a penalty for a six-on-four advantage.
Cleveland’s Tate Singleton ended it on a two-on-one with 13 seconds left in overtime for a 5-4 Monsters win, according to the Griffins’ game summary. Rookie goaltender Trey Augustine stopped 26 shots in his first professional result.
The Griffins went 3-for-8 on the power play Sunday and killed off three separate five-on-three disadvantages over the opening weekend, the team said.
Friday’s opener included a pregame introduction of the full roster, and 5,000 fans were to get a magnet schedule on the way out. Doors opened at 6 p.m. for the general public. Domestic drafts and hot dogs were $3 from 6 to 8 p.m., and fans could bring skates for a postgame open skate, the team said. Riders on The Rapid travel free to and from Friday games by showing that night’s ticket.
Grand Rapids then lost 4-1 at Milwaukee on Saturday, Oct. 10, and returned home Sunday, Oct. 11, to beat the Chicago Wolves 5-1 at the Jake Engel Memorial Dog Game, when fans could bring a leashed dog on a $5 dog ticket in designated sections.
Updated Oct. 12, 2026: The Griffins won the home opener 2-1, the team reported. Michal Postava made 36 saves, and Cameron Butler and William Lagesson scored before Manitoba’s Noah Gregor answered in the third period. Grand Rapids improved to 2-0-1-0 and is 4-0 in home openers under coach Dan Watson.
Updated Oct. 13, 2026: The headline and summary were changed to report the result of the game this story previewed.
Updated Oct. 13, 2026: The Griffins lost 4-1 at Milwaukee on Saturday, when first-round pick Carter Bear scored his first professional goal, then beat Chicago 5-1 at home Sunday as Jesse Kiiskinen had his first AHL hat trick plus an assist, according to the team. Grand Rapids went 2-1 over the three-game weekend, is 3-1-1-0 and plays next Saturday, Oct. 17, at Rockford. The weekend schedule line above was changed to the past tense.
Sources:
Grand Rapids Griffins, “Walk the Plank” (Griffins 1, Admirals 4), Oct. 10, 2026, https://griffinshockey.com/news/oct-10-2026-griffins-1-at-admirals-4
Grand Rapids Griffins, “Kiis and Tell” (Griffins 5, Wolves 1), Oct. 11, 2026, https://griffinshockey.com/news/oct-11-2026-griffins-5-vs-wolves-1
MLive, “Michal Postava leads Griffins past Moose in home-opener,” Oct. 9, 2026, https://www.mlive.com/griffins/2026/10/michal-postava-leads-griffins-past-moose-in-home-opener.html
Grand Rapids Griffins, “Stealing the Spotlight” (Griffins 2, Moose 1), Oct. 9, 2026, https://griffinshockey.com/news/oct-9-2026-griffins-2-vs-moose-1
Grand Rapids Griffins, “Griffins prepare for home-opening weekend,” Sept. 30, 2026, https://griffinshockey.com/news/griffins-prepare-for-home-opening-weekend
Grand Rapids Griffins via OurSports Central, “Griffins’ Comeback Falls Short in 5-4 Overtime Loss,” Oct. 4, 2026, https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/griffins-comeback-falls-short-in-5-4-overtime-loss/n-6419028
Photo: Michael Barera, “Grand Rapids Griffins vs. Milwaukee Admirals November 2023 22 (face-off),” Nov. 4, 2023, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped and color-corrected; derivative under the same ShareAlike license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_Rapids_Griffins_vs._Milwaukee_Admirals_November_2023_22_(face-off).jpg
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