Van Andel Arena has 36 Grand Rapids Griffins home dates this season, from the Oct. 9 opener through April 3. The arena seats about 12,000 for hockey.
Grand Rapids is 10-2-1-1 with 22 points through 14 games and leads the American Hockey League at 4.00 goals per game. Captain Dominik Shine scored four goals in a 6-2 home win over Texas on Nov. 4, a franchise first, and was named AHL Player of the Week on Nov. 10. The Griffins are 7-0-0-1 at home; their nine-game point streak ended in a 6-4 loss at Rockford on Nov. 7.
Every Grand Rapids Griffins date at Van Andel Arena
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so it stays current as shows are added. Dates, times and line-ups are the venue's
and can change.
Why it matters
Across 36 home dates in a roughly 12,000-seat arena, the Griffins shape parking, traffic, and commerce in downtown Grand Rapids all winter.
21 events
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November 2026
Shine named AHL Player of the Week
LatestAward
Shine had five goals and six points in three games, including his four-goal game against Texas. He leads the Griffins with 17 points.
Danielson, Leonard and Postava return to Griffins
Roster
Detroit assigned center Nate Danielson and reassigned goaltender Michal Postava and left wing John Leonard to Grand Rapids.
Rockford ends Griffins' point streak with 6-4 win
Game
Rockford scored five unanswered goals in the second period. The loss was Grand Rapids' first in regulation since Oct. 10 and ended a nine-game point streak.
Shine passes Richards in 4-2 win over Milwaukee
Game
Shine had a goal and an assist, moving into second on the Griffins' career points list with 240. Trey Augustine made 25 saves and Dylan James had a goal and an assist.
Shine scores four in 6-2 win over Texas
Game
Dominik Shine became the first Griffin to score four goals in a regular-season game. His second goal passed Francis Pare for second on the franchise's career goal list. Trey Augustine made 24 saves.
October 2026
Shine's hat trick beats Cleveland 5-2
Game
Captain Dominik Shine scored three times, including his 100th goal as a Griffin and an empty-netter at 16:55. Sheldon Dries had a goal and two assists in his 400th AHL game, and Carter Gylander made 24 saves in his season debut.
Cleveland wins 3-2 in a shootout
Game
Trey Augustine made 36 saves, a career high, and Sheldon Dries scored on the power play after his reassignment from Detroit. Luca Pinelli had the only goal of the shootout.
Detroit recalls Postava, reassigns Dries
Roster
The Red Wings recalled goaltender Michal Postava under emergency conditions and reassigned forward Sheldon Dries to Grand Rapids. Detroit also activated forward J.T. Compher from injured reserve.
Griffins beat Manitoba 4-3 at Van Andel Arena
Game
Shai Buium and Cameron Butler scored in the third period, and Trey Augustine made 30 saves. Grand Rapids moved to 6-1-1-0 (13 points), tied for the second-best eight-game start in franchise history.
Griffins beat Rockford 5-1 at Van Andel Arena
Game
John Leonard scored a hat trick and finished with four points. The Griffins moved to 5-1-1-0 and 11 points through seven games.
Griffins win 4-2 at Rockford
Game
Trey Augustine made 27 saves to earn his first professional win. Grand Rapids improved to 4-1-1-0.
Griffins beat Chicago 5-1 at Van Andel Arena
Game
Rookie Jesse Kiiskinen logged his first AHL hat trick (3-1-4). Dan Watson earned his 400th win as a pro head coach, and the team improved to 3-1-1-0.
Griffins lose at Milwaukee
Game
The Griffins dropped a road game at Milwaukee during a three-in-three weekend, leaving them at 2-1-1-0 before the next day's win over Chicago.
2026-27 home opener at Van Andel Arena
Schedule
First of 36 Griffins home dates. Promotions include a magnet schedule giveaway, postgame open skate, and $3 beers and hot dogs.
Griffins win home opener 2-1 over Manitoba
Game
Michal Postava made 36 saves in front of 9,371 fans. The Griffins moved to 2-0-1-0 and are a perfect 4-0 in home openers under Dan Watson.
Griffins open season with 5-2 win at Cleveland
Game
The earliest season opener in franchise history since 1999. Dan Watson's teams remain undefeated in season openers.
April 2026
Final home game of 2025-26 regular season
Game
Griffins host Rockford IceHogs in game 69, closing a home slate with a 24-8-3-0 record through 36 home games.
Western Conference regular-season title
Milestone
Third AHL-era conference title for the franchise, clinched with a 49-14-4-1 record through 68 games.
March 2026
Central Division title clinched
Milestone
First division title since 2014-15 and first Central Division crown since 2002-03. The 2025-26 record was a franchise-best 51-16-4-1.
February 2026
Griffins clinch playoff spot early
Milestone
Earliest playoff clinch in franchise history and for any AHL team since 1993.
November 2025
Griffins begin 15-game win streak
Performance
The team won 15 straight games, tying a franchise record and the sixth-longest streak in AHL history.
Scenarios
1
Griffins hoist Calder Cup, first title since 2017
Possible
Resolves by Q2 2027
Discussed by: Griffins fans and AHL observers citing the team's 2025-26 regular-season dominance
The Griffins carry last year's momentum into the playoffs. Their deep roster and NHL-caliber goaltending carry them through four playoff rounds. They would need to beat the best of the Eastern Conference in the finals, a path the 2017 squad navigated successfully.
2
Griffins repeat as regular-season kings, playoff run stalls
Likely
Resolves by Q2 2027
Discussed by: AHL observers noting the unpredictability of playoff hockey
The Griffins again post the league's best regular-season record and win the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy. But a hot goalie or an injury ends their run short of the finals. The 2005-06 team followed this path, winning the regular season but not the Cup.
3
Recall wave sinks Griffins' season
Unlikely
Resolves by Apr 15, 2027
Discussed by: Detroit Red Wings roster decisions could strip the Griffins of top players
The parent Red Wings recall multiple prospects (Brandsegg-Nygard, goaltenders, defensemen) to fill NHL injuries. The Griffins lack the depth to replace them and fall below.500, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 2
October 2016 – June 2017
2016-17 Griffins win Calder Cup
The Griffins posted a 42-28-3-3 regular-season record, finishing third in the Central Division. They swept through the playoffs, defeating the Syracuse Crunch in six games to win the franchise's second Calder Cup.
Then
The title capped a dominant playoff run led by Tomas Nosek, Matt Lorito, and goaltender Jared Coreau.
Now
It cemented Van Andel Arena as a championship-caliber venue and set the standard for the franchise's current era.
Why this matters now
The 2026-27 Griffins enter the season with a similar mix of veteran leadership and top prospects, chasing the same prize.
2 of 2
October 2005 – June 2006
2005-06 Griffins win Western Conference title
Coached by Bruce Cassidy, the Griffins finished first in the West Division with a 42-27-11-0 record. They won the Western Conference regular-season title but lost in the postseason before reaching the finals.
Then
The regular-season dominance did not translate into a Calder Cup, as the team fell in the playoffs.
Now
The season is remembered as one of the franchise's best regular campaigns despite the early playoff exit.
Why this matters now
It shows regular-season excellence alone does not guarantee playoff success, a caution for this year's Griffins.
