Schedule Announced for Griffins-Stars Playoff Series

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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Schedule Announced for Griffins-Stars Playoff Series

April 19, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


Grand Rapids Griffins' Nate Danielson and Texas Stars' Kyle Looft and Magnus Hellberg
Grand Rapids Griffins' Nate Danielson and Texas Stars' Kyle Looft and Magnus Hellberg
(Grand Rapids Griffins, Credit: Mark Newman/Griffins)

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The third-seeded Grand Rapids Griffins will begin their quest for a third Calder Cup championship by facing the second-seeded Texas Stars in the best-of-five Central Division Semifinals.

The Griffins will host the Stars at Van Andel Arena for Games 1 and 2 on Tuesday, April 29 and Monday, May 5. Grand Rapids will then travel to the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park for Game 3 on Friday, May 9 and, if necessary, Game 4 on Saturday, May 10 and Game 5 on Monday, May 12.

The complete schedule is as follows:

Tickets for Games 1 and 2 on April 29 and May 5 at Van Andel Arena are on sale now and can be purchased here, or via the Griffins app for iPhone or Android.

Fans who want to experience every Griffins game at Van Andel Arena during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs can purchase a Griffins Playoff SuperPass. Enjoy the same great seat at significant savings plus the convenience of the "pay-as-we-play" method of payment. Click here to reserve your Griffins Playoff SuperPass or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2.

Groups of 10 or more can receive special pricing to playoff games and receive an unforgettable experience. To book a group outing during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, click here or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 4. Playoff suites and other premium areas are also available.

Continuing a postseason tradition, the Griffins are extending their popular Friday promotion and will offer $2 beers and $2 hot dogs for all home playoff games from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last. In addition, the first 2,500 fans will receive Griffins rally towels, compliments of Gun Lake Casino Resort. All Griffins postseason games can be heard on 96.1 The Game.

Grand Rapids finished the regular season series against Texas with a 3-3-2-0 record, including 1-2-1-0 at Van Andel Arena and 2-1-1-0 at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. After beginning the season series with a four-game point streak (2-0-2-0), the Griffins went on to drop three of the final four meetings (1-3-0-0). The Griffins were held to one goal or less in two of the eight games, being shut out on March 26, and six of the eight meetings were decided by two goals or more. Grand Rapids averaged 3.50 goals per game at Texas and just 2.00 goals against the Stars at Van Andel Arena. The Stars' power play, which ranked second in the AHL during the regular season (21.5%), went just 2-for-17 (11.8%) against the Griffins. Joe Snively led Grand Rapids against Texas with seven points (2-5-7) and five assists in eight games, while AHL First-Team All-Star Matej Blumel paced the Stars against the Griffins with 11 points (6-5-11) and six goals in eight appearances. Blumel and Arttu Hyry tied for the team lead against Grand Rapids with five assists. Sheldon Dries led the Griffins with three goals in six games against Rockford. Leading each team in net were Jack Campbell, who went 2-1-0 with a 2.68 GAA and a .905 SV% in three games, and Texas' Magnus Hellberg, who showed a 4-2-0 mark with one shutout, a 2.15 GAA and a .916 SV% in six contests.

The Griffins and Stars have met just once before in the Calder Cup Playoffs, as the eventual Calder Cup champion Texas defeated defending champ Grand Rapids 4-2 in the 2014 Western Conference Semifinals. The Griffins are 2-1 at home and 0-3 on the road against Texas in the postseason. This is Grand Rapids' 19th playoff berth, and it possesses a 103-86 ledger and 21-16 series record, which includes games in the IHL's Turner Cup Playoffs from 1996-01. The Griffins have a 7-6 mark in a best-of-five series. This will be Texas' 11th Calder Cup Playoff appearance in 16 seasons, as it has missed the postseason just three times in 2012, 2017, and 2019 (no playoffs in 2020 and 2021). The Stars are 59-47 in postseason games and have a 13-9 series record. Last season, Texas defeated Manitoba 2-0 in the first round before being bested 3-2 by Milwaukee in the Central Division Semifinals.

Other storylines of the series include:

Second-year head coach Dan Watson will make his second straight Calder Cup Playoffs appearance. He is the sixth head coach in franchise history to reach the postseason in both of the first two full years as head coach, joining Bruce Cassidy (2000-02), Danton Cole (2002-04), Greg Ireland (2005-07), Jeff Blashill (2012-14), and Todd Nelson (2015-17). Last postseason, Watson led Grand Rapids to the Central Division Finals, where it lost a winner-take-all Game 5 on the road to the division champion Milwaukee Admirals. Watson has never missed the playoffs during his eight seasons as a head coach. With the ECHL's Toledo Walleye, Watson went 51-34 (.600) over five postseasons, reaching the Kelly Cup Finals twice (2019 and 2022) and leading Toledo to four Western Conference Finals berths (2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023);

This will be Texas' 11th Calder Cup Playoffs appearance in 16 seasons, as it has missed the postseason just three times in 2019, 2017, and 2012 (no playoffs in 2021 or 2020). The Stars are 59-47 in postseason games and have a 13-9 series record, having reached the Calder Cup Finals three times (2010, 2014 (won), 2018). Last season, Texas defeated Manitoba 2-0 in the first round before being bested 3-2 by Milwaukee in the Central Division Semifinals;

The Griffins and Stars share a couple connections on championship winning teams. In 2023, defenseman Brogan Rafferty reached the Calder Cup Finals with Coachella Valley alongside Texas' Kole Lind. Jack Campbell won the Calder Cup with Texas in 2014 with current Stars Curtis McKenzie, assistant coach Maxime Fortunus, and general manager Scott White. In addition, Stars goaltender Magnus Hellberg competed for the Griffins in 2022-23, showing a 2-2-0 mark with a 2.50 GAA and a .932 save percentage in four games. Texas equipment manager Charlie Kaser is the son of Griffins' broadcaster Bob Kaser and served as Grand Rapids' assistant equipment manager from 2018-23. Current Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill served as the Griffins' GM for two seasons from 2011-13, winning the Calder Cup in 2013. Nill spent parts of 19 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings from 1994-2013, serving as the director of player development (1994-98) and assistant general manager (1998-13) before leaving for Dallas;

The Griffins and Stars will renew a rivalry that dates back to the 2009-10 season when Texas joined the AHL. Since the 2009-10 campaign, the teams have met a combined 89 times in the regular season, with the Griffins possessing a 45-31-7-5 record (.573). Grand Rapids and Texas have met just once before in the Calder Cup Playoffs when the defending champion Griffins were defeated 4-2 in the 2014 Western Conference Semifinals to the eventual champion Texas Stars. Current Griffins goalie Jack Campbell appeared in four games for the Stars during their cup run and totaled a 2-1 record with a 2.54 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Current Red Wing netminder Petr Mrazek served as Grand Rapids' goaltender in that series. Current assistant coach Brian Lashoff played exclusively with Detroit that season and did not face the Stars in 2014. Stars captain Curtis McKenzie is the lone player from 2014 still with the team, while current assistant coach Maxime Fortunus was a player at the time and general manager Scott White was in his fifth season leading the franchise;

Jack Campbell (2014 Texas), Josiah Didier (2019 Charlotte), assistant coach Brian Lashoff (2013 and 2017 Grand Rapids), and Joe Snively (2024 & 2023 Hershey) are the Griffins' previous Calder Cup champions. Brogan Rafferty (2023 Coachella Valley) made a Calder Cup Finals appearance in 2023. Captain Curtis McKenzie, assistant coach Maxime Fortunus and general manager Scott White all won the Calder Cup with Texas in 2014.

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Images from this story

Grand Rapids Griffins' Nate Danielson and Texas Stars' Kyle Looft and Magnus Hellberg
Grand Rapids Griffins' Nate Danielson and Texas Stars' Kyle Looft and Magnus Hellberg
(Mark Newman/Griffins)		   

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