SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Providence Bruins right wing Seth Griffith, Milwaukee Admirals right wing Max Gortz and Grand Rapids Griffins goaltender Jared Coreau have been selected as the league’s award winners for December.
Griffith, the CCM/AHL Player of the Month, tallied six goals and 11 assists for a league-high 17 points in 11 games for Providence during the month, chipping in on more than half of the Bruins’ 32 goals with him in the lineup.
Griffith opened December by scoring the game-winning goal in the Bruins’ 3-2 overtime victory vs. Portland on Dec. 4. He then recorded four points, including his first two-goal performance of the season, in a 6-1 win over Springfield on Dec. 6. Griffith assisted on the winning goal in Providence’s 3-1 win over Hartford on Dec. 11, and notched three assists to help the Bruins past Bridgeport, 3-2 in overtime, on Dec. 18. Griffith registered a goal and two assists in a 4-3 loss at Bridgeport on Dec. 27, and then was recalled by Boston and made his season debut with the parent Bruins on Dec. 29, picking up an assist vs. Ottawa.
Griffith, who turns 23 today, is tied for sixth in the AHL in scoring with 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 25 games for Providence this season. A fifth-round draft choice by Boston in 2012, the Wallaceburg, Ont., native has totaled 42 goals and 69 assists for 111 points in 133 AHL games over his three professional seasons, along with six goals and five assists in 32 NHL contests with Boston.
In recognition of his achievement, Griffith will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Bruins home game.
Also see: Past winners, AHL Player of the Month
Gortz, the CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month, tallied five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 13 games for Milwaukee during the month.
Gortz entered December without a point in his last four games, but broke through with a goal vs. Manitoba on Dec. 1. He later had a six-game scoring streak from Dec. 18-29, highlighted by three separate three-point games. Gortz scored twice and added an assist in a 7-5 win over Manitoba on Dec. 19, and then on consecutive nights he scored the game-winning goal and picked up two assists each in victories over Chicago on Dec. 28 and Grand Rapids on Dec. 29.
In his first season of play in North America, Gortz has recorded nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 31 games for Milwaukee, good for second on the team in scoring. Gortz is tied for the AHL lead among rookies with six power-play goals, and owns a share of the overall league lead with four game-winning tallies. A 22-year-old native of Hoor, Sweden, Gortz was a sixth-round selection by Nashville in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
In recognition of his achievement, Gortz will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Admirals home game.
Also see: Past winners, AHL Rookie of the Month
Coreau, the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month, made 11 starts in December and went 9-2-0 with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage during a historic month for the Griffins.
Coreau began the month with a 31-save effort vs. Chicago on Dec. 4, backstopping the Griffins to a 3-1 victory. He made 23 stops vs. Milwaukee on Dec. 9, and turned aside 38 of 39 shots at Rockford on Dec. 12, his fourth consecutive game allowing one goal or fewer. After making 29 saves in a 4-3 overtime win at Iowa on Dec. 13, Coreau matched a career high with 47 stops in a 3-2 victory at Lake Erie on Dec. 16. Coreau made 26 saves at Lake Erie on Dec. 26 for his 11th consecutive winning decision – and the Griffins’ 15th win in a row – then bounced back from a pair of road losses by registering a 23-save shutout of Milwaukee on Dec. 31.
In his third professional season, Coreau is 15-4-1 in 21 appearances for Grand Rapids in 2015-16, ranking sixth in the AHL with a 2.11 goals-against average and third with a .932 save percentage. Coreau is also one off the league lead in wins and ranks fourth in shots faced (643) and saves (599). A 24-year-old native of Perth, Ont., Coreau originally signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings in April 2013 after a three-year collegiate career at Northern Michigan University.
In recognition of his achievement, Coreau will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Griffins home game.
