Former Lincoln signs two-way contract with Oilers

Seth Griffith led Manitoba of the AHL in scoring the past two seasons

By Pat Payton

 

Former St. Marys Lincolns’ sniper Seth Griffith is taking another shot at the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers.

Early in the NHL’s free-agency period, the 27-year-old forward from Wallaceburg recently signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Oilers.

Griffith spent the past two seasons in the American Hockey League with the Manitoba Moose, the top farm club of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. He led the Moose in scoring both years, picking up 57 points (16-41) in 69 games in 2018-19 and 41 points (21-20) in 58 games in 2019-20.

The five-foot-nine, 190-pound Griffith has played most of his seven pro seasons in the AHL.

He last played in the NHL in 2017-18 when he had three points in 21 games with the Buffalo Sabres.

Griffith has career totals of eight goals and 11 assists in 79 NHL games with Boston, Toronto, Florida and Buffalo.

“I’m a top-six forward in this (American) league and essentially, if a top-six forward goes down up there (in the NHL), that’s when my opportunity’s gonna come,” Griffith told the Winnipeg Free Press recently. “Everybody works hard, everybody’s deserving of a call-up. At the end of the day, I still want to play in the NHL – that’s my end goal – I’m just trying to work hard every day to achieve that.”

Griffith’s deal with the Oilers is reportedly worth $700,000 in the NHL and $450,000 in the minors in the first year, and $750,000 in the NHL and $475,000 in the minors in the second year. The Bakersfield Condors are the Oilers’ AHL affiliate.

16-year-old with Lincolns

The OHL’s London Knights sent fourth-round draft pick Seth Griffith to the Lincolns prior to the 2009-10 season. He came with high credentials. It was predicted that he would score 35 goals in the Western Conference, but he did even better than that. Using his terrific shot, Griffith fired 43 goals–including 23 on powerplays–and led the team in scoring with 78 points. At the end of the season, he was named Lincs’ MVP.

Griffith made the Knights the following season and after three stellar years in London, he was drafted in the fifth round by Boston Bruins in the 2012 NHL entry draft.