The Grand Rapids Griffins are flat-out rolling through the AHL right now, and the Detroit Red Wings are taking notice - especially head coach Todd McLellan.
At 16-1-0-1 to start the season, the Griffins haven’t just been winning - they’ve been dominating. They’ve put up 73 goals while allowing just 34, a staggering goal differential that speaks volumes about both ends of the ice. And their recent accolades reflect just how well things are clicking in Grand Rapids.
Goaltender Sebastian Cossa was named AHL Player of the Week after a rock-solid stretch between the pipes. He went a perfect 3-0, giving up just four goals on 73 shots.
That’s a 1.33 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage - elite numbers at any level. He capped it off with a 26-save shutout in a 1-0 win over the Iowa Wild, his second clean sheet of the season.
Simply put, Cossa’s not just making saves - he’s giving the Griffins the kind of confidence that lets a team play loose and aggressive in front of him.
“That gives them the security blanket of rescuing the team when they do make mistakes,” McLellan said. “But from what I understand, they don’t make a lot of mistakes.”
That’s high praise, and it didn’t stop there. McLellan also pointed to the structure and discipline the Griffins are playing with, crediting head coach Dan Watson and his staff for keeping the team sharp and focused.
“They’re well organized,” McLellan added. “So (Watson) and his coaching staff have done a really good job.”
Of course, it’s not just the goaltending that’s turning heads. Forward John Leonard is putting together a November to remember.
He was named AHL Player of the Month after racking up 15 goals and 24 points in just 15 games. That’s not just hot - that’s league-leading production.
Leonard currently sits first in goals, tied for first in points, and leads the AHL in points-per-game (1.60) among players with at least 10 games played. He’s also top 10 in plus-minus with a +11 rating.
Leonard’s 10-game point streak from October 10 to November 19 wasn’t just impressive - it was historic. It set a new franchise record for both the longest streak to start a season and to begin a Griffins career.
But here’s the kicker: he’s doing all this while rotating in and out of the lineup due to AHL veteran rules. Under league guidelines, teams can only dress six skaters per game who’ve played 261 or more pro games (across the AHL, NHL, or top-tier European leagues). The Griffins have eight such veterans, which means some nights, Leonard - despite being one of the league’s most dangerous scorers - has to sit.
That kind of situation could easily fracture a locker room. But according to McLellan, the Griffins’ veterans have handled it with maturity and professionalism.
“They’ve handled that really well because that can distract a group real quick,” he said. “You take a guy like Leonard, who’s one of the top goal scorers.
All of a sudden he’s not in a game. You know, it’s not ideal, but those guys have really handled it well.”
Leonard becomes just the third player in Griffins history to earn AHL Player of the Month honors, joining Riley Barber (April 2022) and Chris Minard (February 2012). That’s rare company, and it’s a testament to how impactful he’s been early in the season.
“There’s a lot of real positives going on down there, and we’re happy for them,” McLellan said. “They deserve it.”
Right now, the Griffins aren’t just a development squad - they’re a team playing with purpose, confidence, and a whole lot of skill. And if this continues, they won’t just be a footnote in the Red Wings’ pipeline - they’ll be a key part of the franchise’s future.