2024 Chicago Wolves vs Grand Rapids Griffins

AHL Power Rankings: Surging Grand Rapids Griffins Now Tops

AHL Power Rankings: Surging Grand Rapids Griffins Now Tops

The Grand Rapids Griffins are the latest team to take over first place in the FloHockey AHL Power Rankings.

Dec 4, 2024 by Patrick Williams
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Every two weeks throughout the regular season, FloHockey's AHL expert Patrick Williams will deliver the FloHockey AHL Power Rankings listing all 32 teams. 

This week features another new club taking over the league's number-one spot as the Grand Rapids Griffins continue their climb up the Power Rankings. 

See where your favorite team ranks based on the Power Rankings and follow them throughout the season to see how your club rises or falls. You can also see the full AHL standings here to see how it compares with our power rankings.


1) Grand Rapids Griffins (+1)

Grand Rapids has shown a penchant for following up an off night with a strong bounce-back effort. One night after mustering just 13 shots in a 5-2 loss at Chicago, the Griffins stopped the Cleveland Monsters and their 10-game winning streak the following afternoon. Now a challenge awaits the Griffins with the recall of top goaltender Sebastian Cossa to the Detroit Red Wings.

2) Cleveland Monsters (+7)

Even the red-hot Monsters can have a tough outing as they did in the loss at Grand Rapids. Still, they did erase three Grand Rapids leads before the game got away from them. Losing David Jiricek in this past weekend’s Columbus-Minnesota deal is a tough blow for the Cleveland blue line. Integrating Daemon Hunt, part of the return in the Jiricek deal, will be key for Cleveland.

3) Calgary Wranglers (--)

The Wranglers made it a 4-2-1-0 road trip by visiting Manitoba and easily taking care of the Moose in back-to-back games. Losing top forwards Walker Duehr and Jakob Pelletier on the same day on recalls to the Calgary Flames will be an issue to contend with if those promotions last for any significant amount of time. Devin Cooley continues to roll in net as the Wranglers return to Scotiabank Saddledome for 10 of their next 12 on home ice. 

4) Hershey Bears (+1)

Hershey continues to pick up points and sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, but the process continues to irk Todd Nelson. The head coach with five Calder Cup rings warned that line-up spots may be in jeopardy following a sloppy 5-4 home loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last Saturday. Sheer talent has the Bears sitting with a strong record, but it was their attention to detail that won them back-to-back Calder Cup championships. That detail has not been consistent at all.

5) Laval Rocket (-4)

The Rocket have hit the first rough stretch of their season after going to Pennsylvania and dropping three games in four nights. A club that had been stingy for much of the season uncharacteristically allowed 14 goals in those three defeats. Even the best clubs will encounter turbulence, and how the Rocket handle this setback will be informative. A difficult two-game match-up with Toronto goes this weekend at Place Bell.

6) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (+4)

Wins on consecutive night against Laval and Hershey should perk up attention around the Eastern Conference that the Penguins definitely are for real. Rookie Rutger McGroarty looked strong against the Bears and had the game-winner, too. The roster is healthier. A Wednesday rematch at home against the Bears is next.

7) San Jose Barracuda (+1)

Yaroslav Askarov is back. So if the offense after the Barracuda just swept Abbotsford with 12 goals in two games. With eight of nine on the road following this weekend, this is a week where it’s that much more important to bank points.

8) Toronto Marlies (-2)

Recalls to the Toronto Maple Leafs have sapped the Marlies of some offensive punch, and they have just one goal in their past two contests. Having the two-game trip to Laval is not the easiest way to regain some of that offensive confidence, either.

9) Coachella Valley Firebirds (-2)

A hot run slowed a bit with setbacks against Tucson and Texas last week. Texas is back on this week’s schedule followed by three meetings with San Jose.

10) Milwaukee Admirals (-6)

Milwaukee pulled out a 3-2 overtime win at Rockford last Saturday, something that the Admirals needed badly. That win ended a 0-2-1-2 slump for the Admirals. To be fair, four of those losses came against the likes of Cleveland and Grand Rapids, so bit of grace is due.


11) Colorado Eagles (+5)

12) Belleville Senators (+1)

13) Charlotte Checkers (+1)

14) Texas Stars (-3)

15) Ontario Reign (+4)

16) Lehigh Valley Phantoms (+7)

17) Springfield Thunderbirds (+8)

18) Hartford Wolf Pack (-6)

19) Syracuse Crunch (-4)

20) Abbotsford Canucks (--)

21) Rochester Americans (-4)

22) Bakersfield Condors (-4)

23) Tucson Roadrunners (-2)

24) Providence Bruins (+3)

25) Chicago Wolves (+4)

26) Iowa Wild (-4)

27) Rockford IceHogs (-3)

28) Utica Comets (+3)

29) Bridgeport Islanders (-1)

30) Manitoba Moose (-4)

31) San Diego Gulls (-1)

32) Henderson Silver Knights (-2)

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