The Grand Rapids Griffins will not qualify for the 2020 Calder Cup playoffs, but they will get some extra help in the form of Joe Veleno, Taro Hirose, and Kyle Criscuolo in advance of Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Monsters.
All three forwards have been assigned to the Griffins by the Detroit Red Wings, the NHL club announced on Saturday afternoon. At this time, it is unclear whether any of them will be in the lineup for the Griffins’ game in Cleveland at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Veleno, 22, is coming off his first full National Hockey League season in Detroit. The 2018 first-round pick scored eight goals and 15 points in 66 games with the Red Wings in 2021–22, most recently tallying off a Tyler Bertuzzi feed in the season finale on Friday.
Hirose, 25, logged 15 games with the Red Wings this season, scoring four points (one goal, three assists). The 5’10” winger has proven himself an effective contributor at the AHL level and currently ranks second on the Griffins with 53 points in 69 games.
Criscuolo, 29, picked up his first two NHL points (both assists) in six games with the Red Wings in 2021–22. The 5’9″ right-handed center previously appeared in nine games with the Buffalo Sabres back in 2017–18; in 57 games with the Griffins this year, Criscuolo has 15 goals and 39 points.
The Griffins (32–35–8) and Monsters (28–34–13) both rank last in their respective AHL divisions, with Cleveland head coach Mike Eaves announcing his resignation from the team earlier on Saturday. You’ll be able to catch Saturday’s Griffins game on AHL TV.
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