Griffins' league-leading scorer John Leonard reveals the secrets behind their historic hot streak and discusses his own NHL call-up potential.
The Detroit Red Wings have dealt with their share of bumps in the road this season, but their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids has been nearly perfect. The Griffins have set franchise and league records with a 19-1-0-1 start, establishing themselves as the best team in the league on both ends of the ice.
They lead the AHL with 84 goals, two more than the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, despite playing two fewer games. Defensively they have allowed only 39 goals in 21 games, which is nine fewer than the next closest team. Several players have broken out, with top prospect Sebastian Cossa shining in net and AHL veteran John Leonard leading the offensive push.
Leonard, a former sixth round pick of the San Jose Sharks, saw NHL minutes in the 2020-21 season but has spent most of his time in the minors since then. His game has surged in recent years. Last season he posted 36 goals and 25 assists for 61 points in 72 games with the Charlotte Checkers, then added 14 points in 18 playoff games during their run to the Calder Cup Final.
The Griffins were impressed with his performance and brought him in. This season he leads both the Griffins and the league with 17 goals and nine assists for 26 points in just 17 games. In an exclusive interview with The Hockey News, Leonard credited his teammates and the Griffins system for his success.
"This year been fun playing with, playing with Dries and Shine, and I think we're just kind of clicking right now and obviously when you're playing with with really good guys, it goes a long way and I've obviously been fortunate to be on some of the finishing ends of that, but now playing with those two guys has been a lot of fun," Leonard explained "I think it's a fun system to play, It's a fast North-South game, I think that benefits me well and the coaching staff is awesome."
The former UMass Minuteman said the team's success has come from a full group effort rather than one player carrying the load. He pointed to lineup changes and early-season injuries, including a brief absence for Cossa, as obstacles the team has already overcome.
"I think we're an extremely deep team, obviously starts with our coaching staff and really good goaltending, we've had a couple guys between, between the pipes to start the year, and everyone's done a heck of a job, and it's been a lot of fun to be a part of and like I said, we're really deep team, and feel we can, we can play with anyone," Leonard said.
Grand Rapids most recent win on Sunday came against the Toronto Marlies, who heavily outshot the Griffins early. Grand Rapids weathered the pressure, took control in the second period and carried that momentum the rest of the way. Leonard said that when the team falls behind early, the players simply need to return to their structure and stop letting opponents dictate the pace.
"I think there's been a couple games this year where we haven't come out the way we wanted in the first and it's something that we've kind of been talking about as of recent, and I think we've done, we're starting to do a little bit better of a job of it," Leonard noted "I think it's part of, them trying to come out hard and kind of set the tone on us but like I said it's part of it and I think we've done a much better job as of the past couple games, but I think it's just getting back to our standard, and the way we play and get into that as fast as we can."
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For some veterans like Leonard, the AHL's lineup restrictions can make it difficult to stay in rhythm. The rule allows teams to dress no more than five veteran skaters with 260 or more professional games along with one veteran-exempt player between 260 and 320 games. Leonard falls into that group and has been forced to sit out several games despite ranking among the league's top scorers. He said the situation is common across the AHL and that the Griffins have handled it as well as possible.
"Yeah obviously not ideal situation, but I think everyone's done an extremely good job with it, as far as management, staff and coaches and players do. Obviously, it's not easy to go in for a couple games and then come out, especially when the team's doing well and you're feeling good about your game as a whole, but I think everyone's at the end of the day, there's not a whole lot we can do on our end kind of thing," Leonard said.
He added that the team's mindset has been focused on controlling what they can, and that the players affected by the rule have remained professional without placing blame on one another.
Because of his strong play despite the limited ice time, many fans have called for Leonard to receive another NHL opportunity with the Red Wings, especially during the club's recent losing streak. Leonard said he tries to stay focused on his current situation and avoid getting caught up in speculation.
"At the end of the day, I think everyone's dream is to be an everyday player in the NHL but I'm here in Grand Rapids right now, and that's my focus and I try not to get too caught up in that, and just take it day by day and help the team here and it's a really fun group that we got here, I'm just making the most of it every single day and trying not to worry about that kind of thing," Leonard explained.
Asked about the team's goals for the season, Leonard said the team is focused on maintaining its standard without looking too far ahead.
"Obviously, we're off to a good start, but it's a long year, it's a challenging year, and every game brings new challenges and that kind of thing, so I think our mindsets more so just take a day by day and game by game and I think it's worked well for us, through the first 20 games or so, and hopefully we can keep that momentum and sustain it all year," Leonard finished off by saying.
The Griffins leading scorer is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday when Grand Rapids hosts the Milwaukee Admirals for the first time this season. Fans can follow the action on 96.1 The Game, WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM, or stream via AHL.TV on FloHockey.tv.
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