| 1997 Training Camp Notes |
|---|
| The Griffins kicked off their inaugural training camp with 36 players invited including 13 players under contract. The IHL postponed the expansion draft until 1997, so the Griffins as an independent franchise with no established players from previous seasons, were hoping to find some diamonds in the rough. They got quite a boost midway through camp when they signed veteran Michel Picard who was unhappy playing in Sweden, and he would end the season as the team's leading scorer with 101 points. Also joining the team midway through camp was offensive defenseman Sean McCann who slotted in to the lineup and earned a contract after being cut by Hartford. The Griffins biggest strength was the backend, where all-stars Todd Nelson and Travis Richards formed an impressive blue line corp with truculent Darcy Simon and NHL vet Don McSween. Stanley Cup winner Eldon'Pokey' Reddick was acquired in a trade during the offseason, and tended the net with flair, picking up 30 wins.
|
| # | Pos | Player | HT | WT | Shts | DOB | POB | 1995-96 Club | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | 1997-98 Status | Notes |
|---|
| 8 | C | Scott Blair | 5'11 | 170 | R | 11/1/78 | Detroit, MI | Utica (CohL)
Madison (CoHL) | 40
24 | 13
8 | 27
8 | 40
16 | 76
52 | Released from Camp 9/19/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 19 | C | Greg Clancy | 6'1 | 196 | R | 11/15/72 | Kingston, ONT | Acadia University (AUAA) | 27 | 25 | 33 | 58 | 34 | 0 | Signed 1 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 7/9/97 |
| 16 | C/RW | Danton Cole | 5'11 | 185 | R | 1/10/67 | Lansing, MI | Krefeld (DEL)
Grand Rapids (IHL) | 28
35 | 7
8 | 12
16 | 19
24 | 14
24 | 0 | Signed 2 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 2/13/97 |
| 23 | RW | Derek Crimin | 6'0 | 185 | R | 4/3/73 | Sault Ste Marie, ONT | Pensacola (ECHL)
Wheeling (ECHL)
Charlotte (ECHL) | 16
29
16 | 5
8
2 | 10
8
8 | 15
16
10 | 4
8
8 | Released from Camp 9/123/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 17 | RW | Mark Greig | 5'11 | 190 | R | 1/25/70 | High River, ALB | Quebec (IHL)
Houston (IHL) | 5
59 | 1
12 | 2
30 | 3
42 | 0
59 | 0 | Signed 1 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/7/97 |
| 29 | RW | Dean Hulett | 6'6 | 210 | R | 7/25/71 | San Juan, PR | San Antonio (CHL) | 41 | 20 | 34 | 54 | 154 | Released from Camp 9/123/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 10 | LW | Cory Johnson | 6'2 | 203 | L | 9/15/73 | Antigonish, NS | Muskegon (CoHL)
Grand Rapids (IHL) | 65
12 | 20
1 | 25
2 | 45
3 | 26
4 | 0 | Camp Tryout |
| 22 | C | Blair Manning | 5'10 | 185 | R | 5/27/75 | Vancouver, BC | Saint John (AHL)
Baton Rouge (ECHL)
Grand Rapids (IHL) | 2
60
8 | 0
13
1 | 0
33
1 | 0
46
2 | 9
77
4 | 0 | Camp Tryout |
| 33 | RW | Roger Maxwell | 6'3 | 237 | R | 11/21/75 | Brampton, ONT | Hershey (AHL)
Mississippi (ECHL)
Utah(IHL)
Phoenix (IHL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Signed 1 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 8/15/97 |
| 15 | C/RW | Glen Metropolit | 6'0 | 185 | R | 6/25/74 | Toronto, ONT | Quebec (IHL)
Pensacola (ECHL) | 22
54 | 5
35 | 4
47 | 9
82 | 14
45 | 0 | Signed 1 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 7/18/97 |
| 28 | C/RW | Ed Patterson | 6'2 | 218 | R | 11/14/72 | Calgary, ALB | Cleveland (IHL)
Pittsburgh (NHL) | 40
6 | 6
0 | 12
0 | 18
0 | 75
8 | Signed 25 GTO 9/15/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 7 | LW | Michel Picard | 5'11 | 190 | L | 11/7/69 | Beauport, PQ | Grand Rapids (IHL) | 82 | 46 | 55 | 101 | 58 | 0 | Signed 3 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/7/97 |
| 11 | LW | Matt Ruchty | 6'1 | 225 | L | 11/27/69 | Kitchener, ONT | Utica (CohL)
Grand Rapids (IHL) | 10
63 | 2
14 | 3
20 | 5
34 | 45
364 | 0 | Signed 2 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 8/5/97 |
| 34 | RW | Gairin Smith | 6'0 | 195 | L | 4/15/72 | Tillsonburg, ONT | Carolina (AHL)
Port Huron (CoHL) | 6
19 | 0
16 | 0
9 | 0
25 | 30
101 | Released from Camp 9/123/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 12 | RW | Brian Sullivan | 6'4 | 210 | R | 4/23/69 | S. Windsor, CT | San Antonio (IHL) | 77 | 22 | 24 | 46 | 115 | 0 | Signed 1 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 8/22/97 |
| 9 | RW | Sean Talliare | 5'10 | 190 | R | 10/3/73 | Steinbach, MB | Manitoba (IHL) | 74 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 67 | 0 | Signed 3 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 7/17/97 |
| 25 | LW | Jason Weaver | 6'3 | 215 | L | 9/22/72 | Mississauga, ONT | Acadia University (AUAA) | 24 | 22 | 29 | 51 | 99 | 0 | Signed 1 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 7/9/97 |
| 27 | D | Tom Ashe | 5'9 | 185 | L | 4/6/74 | Springfield, MA | Baton Rouge (ECHL) | 30 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 26 | Signed 25 GTO 10/4/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 21 | D | Shane Hnidy | 6'1 | 200 | R | 11/8/75 | Neepawa, MB | Baton Rouge (ECHL)
Saint John (AHL) | 21
44 | 3
2 | 10
12 | 13
14 | 50
112 | 0 | Signed 1 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 7/27/97 |
| 2 | D | Tim Hogan | 6'2 | 185 | R | 1/7/74 | Oshawa, ONT | Columbus (ECHL) | 70 | 6 | 30 | 36 | 72 | Released from Camp 9/123/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 26 | D | Bernie John | 5'11 | 208 | L | 6/4/72 | Sudbury, ONT | Brantford (CoHL)
Utah (IHL) | 69
1 | 16
0 | 54
1 | 70
1 | 25
0 | Released from Camp 9/19/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 5 | D | Don McSween | 5'11 | 184 | L | 6/9/64 | Detroit, MI | Grand Rapids (IHL) | 75 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 66 | 0 | Signed 2 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 8/17/96 |
| 44 | D | Todd Nelson | 6'0 | 200 | L | 5/11/69 | Prince Albert, SK | Grand Rapids (IHL) | 81 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 32 | 0 | Signed 2 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 7/25/96 |
| 4 | D | Darcy Simon | 6'3 | 200 | R | 1/21/70 | N. Battleford, SK | Grand Rapids (IHL) | 71 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 327 | 0 | Signed 2 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 8/17/96 |
| 24 | D | Travis Richards | 6'2 | 195 | L | 3/22/70 | Crystal, MN | Grand Rapids (IHL) | 77 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 83 | 0 | Signed 3 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 7/26/97 |
| 32 | D | Dean Treboyevich | 6'2 | 210 | L | 6/6/68 | Grand Rapids, MN | Anchorage (WCHL)
Grand Rapids (IHL) | 37
30 | 6
1 | 18
1 | 24
2 | 118
73 | 0 | under contract early summer |
| 3 | D | Mark Vilneff | 6'2 | 195 | R | 11/28/73 | Cobourg, ONT | Muskegon (CoHL) | 66 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 38 | Assigned to Muskegon (UHL) 9/30/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 31 | G | Ryan Caley | 6'2 | 205 | L | 12/12/75 | Owen Sound, ONT | Muskegon (CoHL) | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Released from Camp 9/123/97 | Camp Tryout |
| 35 | G | Ian Gordon | 5'10 | 170 | L | 5/15/75 | N. Battleford, SK | Saint John (AHL)
Grand Rapids (IHL) | 21
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Signed 1 yr contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/15/97 |
| 20 | G | Pokey Reddick | 5'8 | 170 | L | 10/6/64 | Halifax, NS | Grand Rapids (IHL) | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Acquired from Las Vegas (IHL) 8/1/96 for 1st pick in IHL expansion draft |
* - Amateur Player.
