The Grand Rapids Griffins began life in the IHL (International Hockey League), joining the AHL in 2001 when the IHL folded.
In 2002, the Griffins became the AHL affiliate for the Detroit Red Wings, ending their partnership with the Ottawa Senators (1998-2001). They replaced the Red Wings previous AHL team, the Adirondack Red Wings. The partnership would begin the following season.
Starting in the 2002-03 season, the Griffins moved from the West Division to the Central Division, where they immediately won the Jon Chick trophy as Central Division champions.
The Griffins have won two Calder Cups since joining the AHL, one in 2012-13, and most recently in 2016-17. Strangely, in both cases they defeated the Syracuse Crunch in six games to claim the victory.
In the 2022-23 season, the Grand Rapid Griffins finished with a record of 28-36-4-4, 7th in the Central Division. They did not make the playoffs for the fourth straight season, though of those seasons, one was the COVID-19 shortened season which was cancelled, and the following year there were no Calder Cup playoffs held. The last time the Griffins made the playoffs was the 2018-19 season.
Their current head coach is Dan Watson, their GM is Shawn Horcoff, and they play out of the Van Andel Arena.
Notable former Griffins include Petr Mrazek, Niklas Kronwall, Darren Helm, Chris Neil and Gustav Nyquist.