Grand Rapids Griffins Carry Preseason Momentum Into Opening Weekend
Grand Rapids swept its preseason series against Cleveland before opening the regular season with a win and an overtime loss against the Monsters, highlighted by a seven-goal offensive performance and a late comeback.
The Grand Rapids Griffins entered the 2026–27 American Hockey League season with a strong showing against the Cleveland Monsters, winning both preseason matchups before splitting their opening-weekend series at Rocket Arena.
The four-game stretch provided an early opportunity for Grand Rapids to evaluate its lineup, build chemistry and generate momentum ahead of another competitive season.
The Griffins opened their preseason schedule September 26 in Toledo, earning a 3–1 victory over Cleveland. After falling behind in the first period, Grand Rapids responded with two second-period goals from Sheldon Dries, including a shorthanded marker that gave the Griffins the lead. Rookie Kienan Draper added a third-period goal to secure the win, while goaltender Michal Postava stopped 15 of 16 shots.
Grand Rapids followed with another 5–2 victory on September 27, receiving goals from five different players. Ronnie Attard opened the scoring, and Dylan James extended the lead in the second period. Noah Dower Nilsson added a power-play goal before Sutter Muzzatti and Ondrej Becher scored in the third to complete the preseason sweep. Ondrej Becher led the Griffins with three points, while rookie goaltender Trey Augustine made 23 saves.
The Griffins carried that offensive production into their regular-season opener on October 2, defeating Cleveland 5–2. William Lagesson and Dries scored in the first period before Guillaume Richard got the Monsters on the board. Muzzatti added a power-play goal in the second, and Luke Tuch answered for Cleveland to keep the game close heading into the third.
Dries scored again in the final period, and Théo Rochette added a late goal to seal the victory. Dries finished with two goals, while goaltender Michael Postava stopped 18 shots to help Grand Rapids open its season with a win.
The teams met again two days later, and the rematch delivered a dramatic finish. Cleveland took a 4–1 lead into the third period, putting the Griffins in position to suffer their first loss of the season. Instead, Grand Rapids mounted a late comeback.
Jesse Kiiskinen scored twice in the third period, including a power-play goal, to pull the Griffins within one. With the goaltender pulled and an extra attacker on the ice, Dries found the equalizer with just eight seconds remaining in regulation.
The comeback forced overtime, but Cleveland’s Tate Singleton scored with 13 seconds left in the extra frame to hand Grand Rapids a 5–4 defeat. Despite the result, the Griffins demonstrated their ability to generate offense under pressure and battle back from a significant deficit.
Kiiskinen’s two goals, Dries’ goal and an assist, and Theo Rochette’s two assists helped fuel the third-period push. Rookie goaltender Trey Augustine made 26 saves in the overtime loss.
Grand Rapids finished its preseason with two wins and opened the regular season with a 1–1 record through its first two games. The early stretch featured contributions from returning veterans, young prospects and players working to establish their roles, offering encouraging signs as the Griffins continued their campaign.
With the opening weekend complete, Grand Rapids looked to carry its preseason success and offensive depth into the weeks ahead while continuing to build consistency across the lineup.