| 1996 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 | 1996-97 Status | Notes |
|---|
| 2 | D | Shawn Frappier | 6'0 | 191 | R | 7/2/75 | Sudbury, Ont | Barrie/Belleville (OHL) | 63 | 7 | 48 | 55 | 132 | Signed 25 GTO 10/5/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 4 | D | Darcy Simon | 6'3 | 200 | R | 1/21/70 | N. Battleford, SK | Prince Edward Island (AHL) | 79 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 316 | 0 | Signed 2 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 8/17/96 |
| 5 | D | Don McSween | 5'11 | 184 | L | 6/9/64 | Detroit, MI | Anaheim (NHL)
Baltimore (AHL) | 4
12 | 0
1 | 0
9 | 0
10 | 4
2 | 0 | Signed 2 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 8/17/96 |
| 7 | LW | Michel Picard | 5'11 | 190 | L | 11/7/69 | Beauport, PQ | Ottawa (NHL)
Prince Edward Island (AHL) | 17
55 | 2
37 | 6
45 | 8
82 | 10
79 | Joined camp after being released by Vasta Frolunda HC (SEL) 9/30/96 | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/30/96 |
| 8 | D | Stanislav Jasecko | 6'3 | 205 | R | 12/15/72 | Kosice, Slovakia | Kosice (SLO) | 36 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 26 | 0 | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/16/96 |
| 9 | C | Jeff Nelson | 6'0 | 190 | L | 12/18/72 | Prince Albert, SK | Washington (NHL)
Portland (AHL) | 33
39 | 0
15 | 7
32 | 7
47 | 16
62 | 0 | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/10/96 |
| 10 | D | Sean McCann | 6'0 | 195 | R | 9/18/71 | North York, Ont | Carolina Monarchs (AHL) | 80 | 14 | 33 | 47 | 61 | Joined camp after being released by Hartford (NHL) 9/18/96 | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/22/96 |
| | LW/C | Mike Maurice | 6'0 | 198 | L | 4/22/66 | Hamilton, Ont | Houston Aeros (IHL) | 68 | 17 | 19 | 36 | 32 | Signed 25 GTO 10/5/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 13 | RW | Brian Dobbin | 5'11 | 205 | R | 8/18/66 | Petrolia, Ont | Cincinnati (IHL) | 82 | 28 | 37 | 65 | 97 | | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 8/17/96 |
| 14 | LW | Darin Smith | 6'2 | 205 | L | 2/20/67 | London, Ont | Fort Wayne (IHL)
Orlando (IHL) | 63
16 | 16
1 | 15
7 | 31
8 | 105
38 | | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/11/96 |
| | C | Len Hachborn | 5'10 | 185 | L | 9/9/61 | Brantford, Ont | Heilbron EC (GER.1) | 34 | 21 | 45 | 66 | 69 | Signed 10/4/96 | Camp Tryout |
| | C | Victor Gervais | 5'9 | 179 | L | 3/13/69 | Prince George, BC | Cleveland (AHL)
Hampton Roads (ECHL) | 56
3 | 10
3 | 28
0 | 38
3 | 58
16 | | From Clevaland (IHL) 8/19/96 |
| 11 | C | Kevyn Adams | 6'1 | 182 | R | 10/8/74 | Clarence, NY | Miami University Ohio (NCAA) | 36 | 17 | 30 | 47 | 30 | | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 8/9/96 |
| 20 | G | Pokey Reddick | 5'8 | 170 | L | 10/6/64 | Halifax, NS | Las Vegas (IHL) | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | | Acquired from Las Vegas (IHL) 8/1/96 for 1st pick in IHL expansion draft |
| 21 | RW | Kelly Hurd | 5'11 | 197 | R | 5/13/68 | Castlegar, BC | San Francisco (IHL)
Houston (IHL) | 26
44 | 5
14 | 3
16 | 8
30 | 20
23 | Signed 25 GTO 10/5/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 23 | LW | Lubomir Rybovic | 6'1 | 194 | R | 2/18/72 | S. Nova Ves, Slovakia | Kosice (SLO) | 30 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 18 | | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/16/96 |
| 24 | D | Travis Richards | 6'2 | 195 | L | 3/22/70 | Crystal, MN | Michigan (IHL)
Dallas (NHL) | 65
1 | 8
0 | 15
0 | 23
0 | 55
2 | | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 7/27/96 |
| 27 | C/LW | Bill Armstrong | 6'2 | 195 | L | 6/25/66 | London, Ont | Indianapolis (IHL)
Detroit (IHL)
Albany (AHL) | 12
54
10 | 4
34
3 | 5
25
4 | 9
59
7 | 13
66
22 | Signed 10/4/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 31 | G | Blaine Lacher | 6'1 | 205 | L | 9/5/70 | Medicine Hat. Alta | Boston (NHL)
Providence (AHL)
Cleveland (IHL) | 12
9
8 | 0
0
0 | 0
0
0 | 0
0
0 | 4
2
6 | | Signed 1 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 9/10/96 |
| 32 | RW | Randy Pearce | 5'11 | 203 | L | 2/23/70 | Kitchener, Ont | Portland (AHL)
Phoenix (IHL) | 8
48 | 0
8 | 2
11 | 2
19 | 8
81 | Released 10/4/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 35 | G | Pat Mazzoli | 5'10 | 172 | R | 3/16/70 | Markham, Ont | Varese (Italy) | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | sent to Muskegon (CoHL) 10/2/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 44 | D | Todd Nelson | 6'0 | 200 | L | 5/11/69 | Prince Albert, SK | Hershey (AHL) | 70 | 10 | 40 | 50 | 38 | | Signed 2 Yr Contract with Grand Rapids (IHL) 7/25/96 |
| 0 | C | Aigars Cipruss | 5'10 | 176 | L | 1/12/72 | Riga, Latvia | Providence (AHL)
Atlanta (IHL)
Nashville (ECHL) | 15
2
49 | 3
0
26 | 3
2
50 | 6
2
76 | 6
0
57 | Assigned to Muskegon (CoHL) 10/4/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | C | Jeff Kostuch | 6'1 | 205 | L | 2/18/74 | Brockville, Ont | Hampton Roads (ECHL) | 67 | 18 | 23 | 41 | 60 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | C | Dan Gravelle | 5'11 | 195 | L | 3/10/70 | Montreal, PQ | Detroit (CoHL)
Carolina (AHL) | 18
2 | 10
0 | 17
0 | 27
0 | 16
4 | Released 9/27/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | D | Claude Fillion | 6'3 | 207 | L | 7/9/74 | Bale-Saint-Paul, PQ | Hampton Roads (ECHL) | 39 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 144 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | D | Garry Gulash | 6'0 | 215 | L | 9/22/72 | Calgary, Alta | Detroit (CoHL)
Milwaukee (IHL)
Richmond (ECHL) | 6
4
37 | 1
0
3 | 2
0
9 | 3
0
12 | 44
11
260 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | D | Yannick Jean | 6'1 | 205 | L | 11/26/75 | Alma, PQ | Chicoutimi (QMJHL) | 59 | 11 | 28 | 39 | 184 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | D | Jason Wright | 5'11 | 190 | R | 7/6/72 | Thunder Bay, Ont | Michigan Tech (WCHA)
Richmond (ECHL) | 42
3 | 9
0 | 22
1 | 31
1 | 36
2 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | D | Patrick Rochon | 5'10 | 190 | L | 4/8/75 | Montreal, PQ | RPI (ECAC)
Cornwall (AHL) | 34
4 | 11
0 | 23
0 | 34
0 | 144
2 | Released 9/27/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | D | Scott Feasby | 6'2 | 198 | R | 11/20/70 | Port Perry, Ont | Muskegon (CoHL)
Detroit (IHL)
Los Angeles (IHL)
Rochester (AHL) | 44
4
22
12 | 4
0
0
0 | 8
2
1
2 | 12
2
1
2 | 107
0
34
6 | sent to Muskegon (CoHL) 10/2/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | G | Sandy Allan | 5'11 | 180 | R | 1/22/74 | Nassau, Bahamas | Richmond (ECHL)
Springfield (AHL) | 30
1 | 0
0 | 0
0 | 0
0 | 23
0 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | LW | Cory Johnson | 6'2 | 203 | L | 9/15/73 | Port Hawkesbury, Ont | Canadian Natl Team
Muskegon (CoHL) | 2
73 | 0
17 | 0
32 | 0
49 | 2
51 | sent to Muskegon (CoHL) 10/2/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | LW | Yvon Corbin | 6'0 | 185 | L | 10/4/72 | Kaspuskasing, Ont | Louisiana (ECHL)
Winston-Salem (SHL)
Fort Wayne (IHL)
Erie (ECHL)
Johnstown (ECHL) | 5
47
1
2
9 | 2
52
0
0
5 | 1
43
0
1
6 | 3
95
0
1
11 | 4
72
0
0
4 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 16 | LW | Jim Jensen | 5'8 | 185 | L | 5/16/73 | Grand Rapids, MI | Mobile (ECHL) | 66 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 101 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 0 | LW | Steve Parson | 6'1 | 180 | L | 3/14/73 | Elmira, Ont | Thunder Bay (CoHL) | 66 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 34 | Released 9/27/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 15 | RW | Tim Christian | 6'0 | 180 | R | 5/11/71 | Grand Rapids, MI | Roanoke (ECHL) | 66 | 24 | 26 | 50 | 33 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
| 9 | RW | Rick Judson | 5'10 | 200 | L | 8/13/69 | Toledo, OH | Toledo (ECHL)
Utah (IHL)
Michigan (IHL)
Minnesota (IHL) | 59
1
2
5 | 43
0
0
0 | 38
0
1
1 | 81
0
1
1 | 38
0
0
0 | Released 9/22/96 | Camp Tryout |
* - Amateur Player.
