GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Grand Rapids Griffins have had a couple of pretty good seasons and downtown bars and restaurants are cashing in.
The Griffins, the defending Calder Cup champions, brought their first-round playoff series home to Van Andel Arena Wednesday.
"When we hit playoff hockey, you start to get that feeling, like that Red Wings game kind of feeling when people come downtown," HopCat general manager Justin Steikar said. "Lots of business from that."
The longer the postseason, the more money comes in. Last year, the Griffins played an extra 10 home games on their way to winning the cup. That means more foot traffic.
"They see the increase in the crowds. They see more activity," Dante Villarreal, the vice president of business services at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, told 24 Hour News 8 over the phone. "It'll be a 40 to 50 percent increase in traffic into their business."