In the state of Michigan, which city hosts a hockey team that is an affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings?

The Grand Rapids Griffins is a professional (ice) hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, located on the western side of the state in the lower peninsula. The team is the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League, The franchise began in the now-defunct International Hockey League in 1996 and merged into the AHL in 2001.

The team’s sole owner is Dan Devos (born 1959), an American businessman and sports executive, son of Helen June and Amway co-founder Richard Devos.

The Griffins won the Calder Cup twice, a trophy awarded to the champion team of the AHL, hoisting the trophy in 2013 and again in 2017.

Games at home are played in the Van Andel Arena, a 11,005-seat multi-purpose arena, situated in the Heartside of Grand Rapids. The arena is nicknamed “The Freezer on Fulton” named after one of the adjoining streets bordering the arena.

In addition to the Griffins, the Arena also hosted arena football for the Grand Rapids Rampage of the America Football League (1998-2008) and the Grand Rapids Hoops, members of the Continental Basketball Association from 1996 until 2001. Concerts are also routinely held at the Van Andel Arena.

Grand Rapids is the second largest city in Michigan, situated along the Grand River approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Lake Michigan. As of 2019, the city population is 201,013 and the metropolitan area is 1,412,470.