Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman and captain Brian Lashoff has announced that he will retire from professional hockey at the conclusion of the Griffins’ 2022-23 season this weekend.
Lashoff has played more seasons in Grand Rapids than any pro athlete in the city’s history, spending all or part of 14 seasons with the Griffins including the last three as team captain. His 628 regular-season games played rank third in AHL history among players who have spent their entire careers with one club.
The 32-year-old Lashoff made his professional debut with Grand Rapids on Mar. 29, 2009, and was a member of the Griffins’ Calder Cup championship teams in both 2013 and 2017. He skated in a total of 75 playoff games, second-most in team history.
This season, Lashoff was selected by the AHL to serve as the playing captain for the Western Conference at the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic in Laval, Que.
Lashoff has also played 136 regular-season games and eight postseason contests in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings.
Lashoff will be honored during a ceremony prior to the Griffins’ final home game of the season on Friday. His final game will be Saturday when Grand Rapids visits Chicago (8 p.m. ET, AHLTV, NHL Network).
“You don’t stay with the same organization for this long by accident; that doesn’t happen by chance,” Griffins head coach Ben Simon said. “Brian epitomizes what an organization wants from its players. He does things the right way, every day. He gave his best effort every practice, every shift, and every game, leaving it all out there on the ice. Off the ice, he set an example in the locker room every day as to what it meant to be a pro. The character and professionalism he brought to the rink every day were unmatched. The appreciation, pride, respect, and passion he has for the game and this organization is evident through his work ethic, the same — if not more today — since he first walked through the Griffins’ doors.”
