Grand Rapids Griffins
Grand Rapids Griffins is a professional American Hockey League team and the primary development affiliate of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. Based at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the team generates revenue from tickets, corporate sponsorships, merchandise, and concessions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersGrand Rapids, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Grand Rapids Griffins does
The Grand Rapids Griffins is a professional ice hockey team competing in the American Hockey League (AHL) and serving as the primary development affiliate of the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings. The team plays its home schedule at Van Andel Arena, a 10,000+ seat venue in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, branded as West Michigan's premier entertainment destination. The franchise was established in 2001, legally operated through West Michigan Hockey, Inc. (a Michigan corporation), and has captured two AHL Calder Cup championships (2013 and 2017). Corporate offices are located at 130 W. Fulton, Suite 111, in Grand Rapids.
The organization generates revenue through four primary streams: ticketing (single-game tickets, full-season memberships, 20-game and 10-game partial-season plans, group tickets, and the Business Edge corporate membership program); corporate sponsorships anchored by Acrisure, Amway, Corewell Health, Fox Motors, Huntington, Meijer, and Westside Beer; merchandise sold via a Shopify-powered online store operated by Destroyer Promotional Products LLC; and concessions, food and beverage, and arena hospitality services during games. Distribution is omnichannel — official website, physical box office, corporate partner channels, mobile streaming (AHLTV on FloHockey), and social platforms including Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
The Griffins are a privately held, closely operated franchise with 11–50 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, no recorded M&A activity, and no parent holding company. Operational achievements for the 2025-26 season include the best regular-season record in the AHL (51-16-4-1) and the No. 1 seed in the AHL playoffs. Community engagement has scaled materially, with charitable fundraising exceeding $875,000 in 2025-26 (up from $530,000+ in 2024-25), supported by initiatives such as Tip-A-Griffin, the Griffins Kids Club, Sled Wings adaptive hockey, and a Comerica Bank partnership addressing food insecurity. The technology stack is conventional — Shopify, Eloqua, Laylo, and streaming integration via AHLTV — with no proprietary digital platform or AI/ML capabilities.
Grand Rapids Griffins firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Grand Rapids Griffins
- Legal name
- West Michigan Hockey, Inc.
- Website
- https://griffinshockey.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Grand Rapids Griffins is a professional American Hockey League team and the primary development affiliate of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. Based at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the team generates revenue from tickets, corporate sponsorships, merchandise, and concessions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Grand Rapids Griffins industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Sports Entertainment
- NAICS
- Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ice Hockey Leagues (MPAKAAAE)
Keywords
Where Grand Rapids Griffins is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand Rapids
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Grand Rapids Griffins business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from single game tickets, season ticket memberships (full season, 20-game plans, 10-game plans), and group tickets for games at Van Andel Arena
- Sponsorships and Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partner program with sponsors including Acrisure, Amway, Corewell Health, Fox Motors, Huntington, Meijer, and Westside Beer. Business Edge corporate membership program.
- Merchandise and Online Store: Online merchandise store operated by Destroyer Promotional Products LLC on Shopify platform
- Concessions and Arena Services: Food and beverage concessions and arena hospitality services during games and events
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full Season Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | 20-Game Plans |
| Subscription | Annual | 10-Game Plans |
| Other | Single transaction | Group Tickets |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Grand Rapids Griffins product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional AHL ice hockey team and the primary developmental affiliate of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, providing live hockey entertainment at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They sell single-game tickets, partial-season plans (10-game and 20-game packages), full-season memberships, group tickets, and Business Edge corporate memberships, supplemented by team merchandise, in-arena concessions, and community programs such as youth hockey development, the Griffins Kids Club, and Sled Wings sled hockey games.
Product overview
The Grand Rapids Griffins is an AHL hockey team and the primary developmental affiliate of the NHL Detroit Red Wings, operating as a professional sports entertainment organization. The team's core offerings center on live hockey game attendance, supported by a tiered ticket product portfolio including single-game tickets, partial-season plans (10-game and 20-game packages), and full-season memberships, all anchored at Van Andel Arena. The organization supplements live games with merchandise retail via a Shopify-powered online store, the Griffiti team magazine publication, and community engagement programs including the Griffins Kids Club, Tip-A-Griffin charity events, and Sled Wings sled hockey games. No digital/SaaS product exists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Single Game Tickets
Quantifiable outcome
- Raised over $875,000 for charity during 2025-26 season
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Grand Rapids Griffins
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Grand Rapids Griffins technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Grand Rapids Griffins partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- Acrisuremajor
- Amwaymajor
- Corewell Healthmajor
- Fox Motorsmajor
- Huntingtonmajor
- Meijermajor
- Westside Beermajor
- Comerica BankminorPartnership to help reduce food insecurity in West Michigan through Griffins' community programs
- Van Andel ArenacoreHome arena venue in downtown Grand Rapids, serving as the primary game venue and entertainment destination for the team
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Grand Rapids Griffins competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Texas Stars: AHL team and primary affiliate of the NHL's Dallas Stars, operating out of the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX. Directly comparable as an NHL-affiliated AHL franchise with a similar ticketing, sponsorship, and minor-league sports entertainment model.
- Charlotte Checkers: AHL team and affiliate of the NHL's Florida Panthers (formerly Carolina Hurricanes), playing at Bojangles Coliseum. Directly comparable AHL franchise with similar ticketing/sponsorship structure and Calder Cup pedigree.
- Hershey Bears: Long-standing AHL team and affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals, based at Giant Center. Compares as a similarly tiered-season-ticket, sponsorship-driven AHL operation with strong NHL affiliation.
- Milwaukee Admirals: AHL affiliate of the NHL's Nashville Predators based in the Midwest U.S. — directly comparable in regional market profile and NHL-affiliate economic structure to Grand Rapids.
- Syracuse Crunch: AHL team and primary affiliate of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning playing at Upstate Medical University Arena. Direct AHL peer with similar ticketing tiers, sponsorship program, and Calder Cup history.
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins: AHL affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. Operates with the same NHL-affiliate development model and tiered ticketing/sponsorship revenue mix characteristic of AHL franchises.
- Cleveland Monsters: AHL affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, based in the Midwest. Highly comparable given proximity to Grand Rapids, similar market size, and shared NHL-affiliate structure.
- Rockford IceHogs: AHL affiliate of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, also in the Midwest. Closest geographic and demographic comparable to the Grand Rapids market.
- Belleville Senators: AHL affiliate of the NHL's Ottawa Senators. Comparable as a regional AHL franchise operating under the same NHL-development model with tiered ticketing and corporate sponsorship revenue streams.
- Manitoba Moose: AHL affiliate of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets. Comparable as another NHL-affiliated AHL franchise with parallel ticketing, sponsorship, and merchandise revenue architecture.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Grand Rapids Griffins social profiles
Digital presenceGrand Rapids Griffins financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Grand Rapids Griffins leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Grand Rapids Griffins funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Grand Rapids Griffins M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Grand Rapids Griffins
What does Grand Rapids Griffins do?
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional AHL ice hockey team and the primary developmental affiliate of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, providing live hockey entertainment at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They sell single-game tickets, partial-season plans (10-game and 20-game packages), full-season memberships, group tickets, and Business Edge corporate memberships, supplemented by team merchandise, in-arena concessions, and community programs such as youth hockey development, the Griffins Kids Club, and Sled Wings sled hockey games.
Is Grand Rapids Griffins a public or private company?
Grand Rapids Griffins is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Grand Rapids Griffins founded?
Grand Rapids Griffins was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Grand Rapids Griffins based?
Grand Rapids Griffins is headquartered in Grand Rapids, United States, in the North America region.
How does Grand Rapids Griffins make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are sponsorships and Corporate Partnerships, merchandise and Online Store and concessions and Arena Services.
Who are Grand Rapids Griffins's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Texas Stars, Charlotte Checkers, Hershey Bears, Milwaukee Admirals, Syracuse Crunch, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Cleveland Monsters, Rockford IceHogs, Belleville Senators and Manitoba Moose.
Does Grand Rapids Griffins have an API?
No public API is recorded for Grand Rapids Griffins.
What industry is Grand Rapids Griffins in?
Grand Rapids Griffins's product category is Professional Sports Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAAAE, Ice Hockey Leagues. Its NAICS code is 7131 and its SIC code is 7900.