Griffins-Marlies outdoor game on TV

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League has announced that Monday evening’s regular-season outdoor game between the Grand Rapids Griffins and Toronto Marlies will be televised live to audiences across the United States and Canada from Comerica Park in Detroit, Mich.

The seventh outdoor game in the American Hockey League’s 78-year history will take place Monday, December 30, at 5 p.m. ET, as part of the SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival, which leads up to the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day. The Griffins and Marlies are the top development affiliates of the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, who will play at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Wednesday.

In the U.S., Monday’s game will air live on FS Detroit, which is available in Michigan and surrounding areas on most cable systems as well as nationally on DirecTV channel 663, Dish Network channel 412/5430 and AT&T U-Verse channel 737/1737. In Canada, the broadcast will air live across the country on Sportsnet in all four of the network’s broadcast regions.

The Griffins are the reigning Calder Cup champions, capturing their first league title last spring. Detroit’s top affiliate since 2002, Grand Rapids has sent more than 60 players on to the Red Wings, including 19 players on the Wings’ current roster. The Marlies, two-time defending North Division champions and 2012 Calder Cup finalists, have been the Maple Leafs’ top development club since 2005, and have seen 10 players recalled to play with the Leafs this season alone.

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives and broadcasters of all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 85 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the 12th year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2012-13.

AHL Outdoor Game History
Feb. 20, 2010 – Syracuse vs. Binghamton, New York State Fairgrounds (Syracuse, N.Y.)
Feb. 19, 2011 – Connecticut vs. Providence, Rentschler Field (East Hartford, Conn.)
Jan. 6, 2012 – Adirondack vs. Hershey, Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Jan. 21, 2012 – Hamilton vs. Toronto, Ivor Wynne Stadium (Hamilton, Ont.)
Jan. 20, 2013 – Hershey vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Hersheypark Stadium (Hershey, Pa.)
Dec. 13, 2013 – Rochester vs. Lake Erie, Frontier Field (Rochester, N.Y.)
Dec. 30, 2013 – Grand Rapids vs. Toronto, Comerica Park (Detroit, Mich.)