After playing their first three seasons as an independent team, Grand Rapids entered into an affiliation agreement with the Ottawa Senators in 1999.
Derek King was a co-winner of the Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy for leading the IHL in scoring for the 2000–01 season.
Travis Richards, a member of the Griffins from their inception in 1996 until his retirement in 2006, is the franchise leader in games played (655).
[3] Michel Picard is the franchise leader in goals (158), assists (222) and points (380); Darryl Bootland leads the Griffins in penalty minutes (1164).
The current captain of the Grand Rapids Griffins is Brian Lashoff; he is the seventeenth player to serve in that capacity.