Griffins Report Week 7: Sebrango heads to Canadian World Jr’s Camp

The Grand Rapids Griffins played three games in four days and came away with two victories.  They opened the weekend with a 4-1 loss on Friday night against Rockford.  On Saturday, the Griffins blasted Rockford 6-2.  Last night, Grand Rapids came away with a 4-1 victory in Cleveland. But the big news is Donovan Sebrango’s invitation to the Canadian World Junior roster.

Player to Watch

Donovan Sebrango

Donovan Sebrango was recently invited to attend the Canadian WJC selection camp.  He played last night but, will travel back to Canada to attend the camp that will run from Dec 9-12.  If he makes the Canadian team, Sebrango will not return to the Griffins until January after the tournament concludes.

This season, Sebrango has played all 20 Griffins games and has earned three assists and a +6 rating.  At 19, this is Sebrango’s final year of junior eligibility and should be an enormous asset to the Canadian WJC team.

Detroit Prospect Update

Wyatt Newpower was signed to a two-year entry-level deal by Detroit in May.  The former University of Connecticut captain played for Cleveland (AHL) last season.  Newpower had a slow start to the season but, has taken enormous strides in showing Detroit that he is almost ready for a callup to play right defense for the Red Wings.

Last night, Newpower assisted on the insurance goal and added an empty net goal to seal the victory for the Griffins.  Newpower was simply terrific on the night as he had four shots on goal and was +4 in the game.

For the season, Newpower, who will turn 24 on Thursday, has two goals and four points in 20 games.

Taro Hirose continues to lead the Griffins in scoring with 15 assists and 19 points in 20 games.  With several Red Wings players contracting COVID-19 recently, it may be necessary for Detroit to recall a winger and Hirose is more than capable to fill in if required.

Kyle Criscuolo was recalled and played one game for Detroit.  With a break in Detroit’s schedule, Criscuolo was sent back to Grand Rapids where he continues to shine offensively.  Criscuolo now sits second in Griffins scoring with nine goals and 17 points in 15 games.

Jonatan Berggren is now 3rd in Griffins scoring.  Berggren has seven goals and 16 points in 20 games.  If Detroit needs a winger, Berggren is probably next in line to be recalled to the Red Wings.

Chase Pearson continues to struggle offensivley.  In his last 11 games, Pearson only has one assist with a -4 rating.  Recently, he has been overlooked for a recall to Detroit by Joe Veleno and Kyle Criscuolo and will need to improve offensively if he wants a shot in the NHL this season.

Jared McIsaac has now been held without a point for four straight games.  Even without scoring, McIsaac is providing offense as he has 18 shots on goal during the last nine games.  McIsaac continues to gain valuable experience in his first full season of professional hockey.

Calvin Pickard has been a tremendous #1 goaltender for the Griffins.  He has played 17 of the Griffins 20 games this season.  For the season, Pickard has a record of 9-5-2, a 2.40 GAA, and a .928 SV%.  Pickard has even picked up three assists this year.

Next Week
The Griffins play two road games in Manitoba next weekend against the Moose.  They begin the weekend on Friday and conclude with another game on Saturday.  Friday’s game begins at 8:00 PM ET and Saturday’s game begins at 7:00 PM ET.  Both games will be played at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, MB.