Melted Ice, Rivalries Renewed, and Three-in-Three: March 2026 Griffins in Review
Photo Credit: Nicolas Carrillo/Grand Rapids Griffins
March was a bit of a struggle for the Grand Rapids Griffins. While finishing 5-5-1-0 may be average for most teams, it’s a rough record for the once red hot, unstoppable Griffins. There were some bumps and bruises, triumphant returns, and huge milestones along the way.
Starting March Right
March kicked off on a high note with Carter Mazur and John Leonard returning from lengthy injuries. Both of them lit the lamp in the Griffins 7-3 win over the Rockford IceHogs.
Rookie Michael Brandsegg-Nygard had back-to-back three-point nights, continuing to prove the young forward is well on his way to earning a spot on the Red Wings roster.
Fun little fact for you guys, this was the first time all season the Griffins did not receive a power play.
The Rivalry is Alive and Well
On March 6th and 7th, Grand Rapids headed south to take on their out-of-division foe, the Cleveland Monsters. Over the past few years, the intensity between the two has reduced to a simmer.
But, then, on March 6, the pot began to boil over, quickly exploding like a volcano when an interaction between a fan and Austin Watson caused Watson to get the boot from the game. The Griffins ended up falling to the Monsters 3-2 on Friday night, but came back with a vengeance on Saturday, 3-1 win.
A Friday the 13th Weekend to Forget
What should have been the Griffins first three-in-three of the season turned into a slushie disaster.
Earlier in the week, a massive storm, featuring flooding and a power outage, hit downtown Grand Rapids. Due to a compact arena schedule, the floor couldn’t be lifted until 2:00 am on Friday, March 13. And, when they did, the ice was slushy and not fit for play. Despite their best efforts, the crew was unable to get the ice ready in time for play. During warmups, it looked a bit dicey, and the game was called off before it could even begin.
“Guys were skating out there for warmups and didn’t feel like, especially the corners, were safe,” said Head Coach Dan Watson. “It’s all about player safety and making sure there are no injuries at this time of year for both clubs.”
Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, didn’t prove to be any luckier for the Griffins. Well…. Other than the fact that their playing field was back in ice form.
A 5-2 loss to the Milwaukee Admirals on Saturday knocked the Griffins to second place in the league for the first time this season. With the exception of their two power play goals, the Griffins struggled to generate offense and positive momentum, and solid defense. The new guys stood to the call, but the guy who had been there all season fell down on the job.
We had an incredibly short conversation with Coach Watson during post-game. The full transcript is below.
“Well, you can’t give up five goals on 19 shots is the first thing. Secondly, can’t be on the penalty kill for seven against that team and only two for us. Even though there were some calls I didn’t like, that was for sure. I thought our new guys played well. I thought they brought some energy. We need our guys who have been all year to step up in games like this. And, I don’t think they did”
After Saturday’s game, the Griffins loaded up the bus and headed west towards Chicago to take on the Wolves. They lost 1-0, but goaltender Michal Postava stood on his head to prevent the Wolves from dominating the game.
Absolutely Brutal 3-in-3
A two-point night from John Leonard on March 20th led the Griffins to a 5-2 win over the IceHogs, preventing them from going on their longest losing streak of the season. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the start of a win streak. It was only a slight reprieve from losing.
On the plus side, this win allowed Grand Rapids to clinch a bye week in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Griffins then went on to fall to the Admirals, 5-2, and the IceHogs, 4-1. Grand Rapids had flashes of brilliance, but for the most part played disjointed and slightly lethargic.
The Makeup Game
On March 24, the Griffins extended their losing streak to three games with a 5-4 overtime loss to Milwaukee.
Yet again, it was another battle on special teams that the Griffins lost against the Admirals. They just haven’t been able to shut down Milwaukee’s special team units this season. It is quite literally their Kryptonite. But this wasn’t the only area in which Grand Rapids struggled that night. “We need to defend better in certain areas,” said Coach Watson. “We need to execute better.”
He also went on to explain that they need to find the closeness in the locker room again. Which makes sense, considering the number of players who rotated in and out of the lineup and roster throughout March.
Call it a Comeback
The Griffins closed out March with back-to-back wins on March 26 & 28.
On March 26, Grand Rapids clinched the Central Division title with a 5-2 win over Cleveland. Things were evenly matched between the two squads until the third period rolled around and the Griffins decided to make magic happen, scoring three goals.
Four players had a multi-point night: Carter Mazur (2g, 0a), Eduards Tralmaks (1g, 1a), Jakub Rychlovsky (0g, 2a), and Wojciech Stachowiak (1g, 2a).
On March 28, the Griffins scored three unanswered goals to take down the Wolves, 3-2, improving their record to 46-13-4-1. This win put them three points away from hitting 100 points on the season.
Successfully killing 2/2 penalties allowed them to retain the league-leading penalty kill.
