GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Griffins extended their perfect record to 8-0 and secured the best start by any AHL team since 2021-22, as they defeated the Rockford IceHogs 6-2 at Van Andel Arena on Sunday.

The Griffins are off to their best start since the 2024-25 season when they went 6-1-1-0 through the first eight outings. Grand Rapids is also 4-0 at home for the first time since 2009-10 when it started 8-0 at Van Andel Arena. John Leonard (2-0—2) extended his goal streak to six games, tying teammate Austin Watson, Jiri Hudler, Kip Miller and Pavol Demitra for the second-longest goal streak in franchise history. Amadeus Lombardi, Antti Tuomisto, Erik Gustafsson and Nate Danielson each recorded a primary and secondary assist in the game. Michal Postava backed Grand Rapids between the pipes, recording 29 saves and improving to 4-0 on the season. 

The IceHogs opened the scoring in the first period with 16:52 on the clock. Dominic Toninato passed the puck ahead for Aidan Thompson and he buried it on the wrap-around, as Grand Rapids trailed for just the second time this season. The Griffins had an answer with 7:27 remaining when Gustafsson attempted to stuff the disc in from behind the goal line and Sheldon Dries tapped in the rebound, tying the game 1-1.

In the second frame, Lombardi forced a turnover in the right circle and got the puck to Tuomisto, who shot from the blue line and Dominik Shine shoveled it past Mitchell Weeks on the rebound, claiming a one-goal advantage at the 4:02 mark. The Griffins’ second of the period came when Lombardi stick-handled through the slot and backhanded the disc to Leonard, who snapped it from the right circle to bury it with 10:27 to go. Rockford scored to make it 3-2 with 6:21 left when Samuel Savoie’s backhander went bar down over Postava’s glove side.

At the 5:10 point in the final period, Eduards Tralmaks took advantage of Tyler Angle’s shot from the slot and banked in the puck on an open net, reclaiming a two-goal lead. Danielson sent Leonard the puck from the left circle 1:49 later while on the power play, and he hammered it home from the high slot for his second of the contest. Jakub Rychlovsky finished the Griffins’ scoring efforts with 3:22 left in the outing when Carson Bantle sent him the puck from behind the goal line and he potted it behind Weeks to obtain the 6-2 win.

Notes

• The Griffins are the league’s last undefeated team for the first time since the 2000-01 season in the IHL.
• The Griffins have only trailed for 12:50 through the first eight games. They led for 193:12 and were tied for 158:58.
• Lombardi extended his four-game assist streak (0-5—5).  
• The two best starts in Griffins history have come the last two seasons under Dan Watson, including 6-1 last season.

Box Score

Rockford 1 1 0 - 2

Grand Rapids 1 2 3 - 6

1st Period-1, Rockford, Thompson 2 (Toninato, Korchinski), 3:08. 2, Grand Rapids, Dries 2 (Gustafsson, Danielson), 12:33. Penalties-Boucher Rfd (fighting), 5:26; Kannok Leipert Gr (fighting), 5:26.

2nd Period-3, Grand Rapids, Shine 6 (Tuomisto, Lombardi), 4:02. 4, Grand Rapids, Leonard 8 (Lombardi, Tuomisto), 9:33. 5, Rockford, Savoie 3 (Del Mastro), 13:39. Penalties-Harding Rfd (roughing), 9:23; Bantle Gr (roughing), 9:23; Marcel Rfd (hooking), 14:35; Kannok Leipert Gr (slashing), 19:01.

3rd Period-6, Grand Rapids, Tralmaks 4 (Angle, Becher), 5:10. 7, Grand Rapids, Leonard 9 (Danielson, Gustafsson), 6:59 (PP). 8, Grand Rapids, Rychlovský 1 (Bantle, Seger), 16:38. Penalties-Seney Rfd (hooking), 5:32; Bantle Gr (kneeing), 7:41; Bantle Gr (tripping), 19:21.

Shots on Goal-Rockford 12-9-10-31. Grand Rapids 10-12-12-34.

Power Play Opportunities-Rockford 0 / 3; Grand Rapids 1 / 2.

Goalies-Rockford, Weeks 0-1-0 (34 shots-28 saves). Grand Rapids, Postava 4-0-0 (31 shots-29 saves).

A-5,898

Three Stars

1. GR Leonard (two goals) 2. GR Lombardi (two assists) 3. GR Tuomisto (two assists)

Record/Next GameGrand Rapids: 8-0-0-0 (16 pts.) / Sun., Nov. 9 at Chicago 4 p.m. ESTRockford IceHogs: 6-4-0-0 (12 pts.) / Fri., Nov. 7 at Milwaukee 7 p.m. CST

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins