CHL grads win Calder Cup title with Grand Rapids
The Grand Rapids Griffins won their first Calder Cup on Tuesday night, defeating the Syracuse Crunch, 5-2, in Game 6 of the American Hockey League’s championship series.
The Griffins’ 2013 playoff roster featured 17 former CHL players including 11 who were in the lineup for the series finale before a capacity crowd of 6,375 fans in Syracuse.
Former Kelowna Rocket Mitch Callahan picked up a goal in the final game while Kootenay Ice grad Brennan Evans netted the game-winner.
One of the most recent CHL graduates, Petr Mrazek, made 24 saves in the victory to earn his 15th win of the Calder Cup playoffs just one season after starring in goal for the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s.
Both Callahan and Evans add the Calder Cup title to their Championship resume that also includes Ed Chynoweth Cup wins in the Western Hockey League. Recent Saint John Sea Dog Tomas Jurco also won the President’s Cup in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before his Calder Cup victory playing in his first AHL season.
Jurco also captured a MasterCard Memorial Cup title with the Sea Dogs in 2011, while Evans was a member of the Ice’s 2002 Memorial Cup team.
The Griffins are the Detroit Red Wings’ AHL affiliate.
CHL grads on the Grand Rapids Griffins:
Louis-Marc Aubry (Montreal Juniors 2008-11)
Mitch Callahan (Kelowna Rockets 2008-11)*
Willie Coetzee (Red Deer Rebels 2007-10)
Brennan Evans (Seattle Thunderbirds/Kootenay Ice 1999-2003)*
Landon Ferraro (Red Deer Rebels/Everett Silvertips 2006-11)*
Gleason Fournier (Rimouski Oceanic 2007-11)
Triston Grant (Lethbridge Hurricanes/Vancouver Giants 2000-05)*
Tomas Jurco (Saint John Sea Dogs 2009-12)*
Brian Lashoff (Barrie Colts/Kingston Frontenacs 2006-10)*
Petr Mrazek (Ottawa 67’s 2009-12)*
Thomas McCollum (Guelph Storm/Brampton Battalion 2006-09)*
Jan Mursak (Saginaw Spirit/Belleville Bulls 2006-08)*
Andrej Nestrasil (Victoriaville Tigres/PEI Rocket 2008-11)
Nathan Paetsch (Moose Jaw Warriors 1999-2003)*
Francis Pare (Shawinigan Cataractes/Chicoutimi Sagueneens 2004-08)*
Trevor Parkes (Montreal Juniors 2009-11)
Brent Raedeke (Edmonton Oil Kings/Brandon Wheat Kings 2007-10)
*played in Championship Final
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