Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

Griffen Molino takes Red Wings development camp in stride

Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey
Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

 

By @MichaelCaples –

TRAVERSE CITY – When Griffen Molino was asked whether he felt any pressure at this week’s Red Wings development camp in Traverse City, the Trenton native had a rather humble response.

“Me, I don’t feel much pressure,” Molino told MiHockey. “I just try to have fun with it. I personally never really expected to get this far anyways, so, you know, it’s all been pretty fun up-to-date. I’m just trying to take it in stride and do my best. I know that if I get my head down and grind it out, everything will work out just fine.”

The ‘aw-shucks’ approach doesn’t do justice for Molino’s budding hockey career, however. After two impressive seasons in the USHL – 2013-14 with the Sioux Falls Stampede and 2014-15 with the Muskegon Lumberjacks – Molino secured a spot in the line-up with the Western Michigan Broncos.

With an impressive showing as a rookie forward in Kalamazoo, Molino earned a free-agent invite spot at the Red Wings’ camp in Traverse City – in a year where Detroit significantly scaled back their invite list.

This past season, Molino, 22, was named to the NCHC All-Academic Team while still finding time to post 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 total points in 36 games with the Broncos as a freshman. He was the NCHC’s rookie of the month for December and the No. 2 star of the week on Dec. 15 for all of college hockey.

“It went really well,” Molino said. “My team was not as good as we wanted to be, but it was a fun season, a good group of guys to break me into college hockey. Obviously it’s a little different than juniors, but I had some personal success, and I think our program’s only going to get better.”

Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey
Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

 

For now, Molino is focused on the Wings’ development camp in Traverse City.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s the hometown team, so obviously there’s a little something extra in there. It’s really fun – take it seriously, but try to have a little fun and keep it all in perspective.”

Molino, also Little Caesars alum, said that putting on a jersey with the Winged Wheel on the chest was a special moment.

“It’s pretty cool. “It’s something that you look forward to growing up, something pretty special. You watch them on TV, so putting the jersey on, it’s a pretty special feeling.”

Molino will try to learn as much as he can at the Wings’ camp, which runs through July 10. Participants receive not only on-ice instruction from the Red Wings’ staff, but also off-ice training, nutrition and cooking classes, seminars on how to handle interviews and social media and more. They also get to hear from Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, who is full of advice on how to advance one’s hockey career. “His message has pretty much just been have fun, take it in stride,” Molino said. “At the higher levels, it’s only a little bit that separates pretty good players from the pack. As long as you can dig in and compete and find a way to work hard and out-compete some of those players you are fighting for the same job, you should be in good shape.” And Molino will be in good shape for his sophomore season at Western, as well. “Year 2, personally, I want to be better, score more goals, get more points obviously. I think that comes with the team doing well. I think if my team, my friends and my group there, comes together and grows together as a team and figures it out, my personal success is only going to get better and better. That’s kind of where I’m looking.”