MLive’s Tyler Kuehl posted a very lengthy Grand Rapids Griffins preview today, and he reports that the Griffins want to be defined by their work ethic:
The Griffins had a sluggish start to the 2023-24 season but turned things around in the second half, going from near the bottom of the Central Division to challenging for first place. Under first-year head coach Dan Watson, the team’s efforts led them to finish second in the Central, clinching the team’s first Calder Cup Playoffs spot for the first time in five years. A run all the way to the division final left a bittersweet taste in the team’s mouth, but Grand Rapids is coming back hungry this time around.
“The expectation is that our younger guys take that next step,” Watson said earlier this week. “Whether it’s point production, whether it’s better defensively…it looks like they all had good summers, they all good camps with Detroit, so it’s important that they take the next step here.”
Captain Josiah Didier admits there is a lot of buzz heading into 2024-25 after last year’s run, with the goal of even going further this season.
“The boys are excited,” Didier said. “There’s a lot of excitement in the air…We want more. It was great to make the playoffs last year, but we want to win a championship at the end of the day. That’s what we’re working toward every single day.”
While many are looking at the Griffins as a contender for a division title, Watson is focused on how the team plays in the first few months of the season.
“My expectation early on is that we’re one of the hardest-working teams in the [AHL],” Watson said. “And we start where we left off, and try to build from there with this group.”
Continued at length…
