By Warren Kozireski —
Canisius College senior forward Griffin Loughran may be donning the uniform of his third college hockey team and has been fighting through his share of injuries this season, but he stands 20th among active Division I players with 92 career points and 18th in goals with 41.
And he has accomplished everything offensively while playing a scrappy, in-your-face style.
“I gotta play a certain way; I’ll do whatever it takes to get the boys fired up whether that’s scoring goals or making a big hit,” Loughran said in early February. “Energy is important especially this late in the year so whatever it takes right now.”
The 5’7”, 146 lb. 25-year-old had three solid seasons with Northern Michigan, especially his sophomore campaign with 23 goals and leading the team with 39 points in 37 games, before registering 12 more points in one season at Michigan State.
After a season off, he decided to return home for a final go-round in front of family and friends and where four family members previously attended.
“Just situational stuff,” Loughran said about transferring. “I like it at Northern (but) wanted to play somewhere a little better. Went to (Michigan) State and then things didn’t work out there so nothing better than home so came home for my last two years and it’s been great ever since.”
Earlier in his hockey development Loughran started with West Seneca and then spent 2013-14 with the Buffalo Regals before joining the Buffalo Jr, Sabres for two years and racked up 114 points in 74 games with the 18U AAA squad.
That launched him into the NAHL with Youngstown and Corpus Christi in 2016-17 and 42 points in 50 games with Fargo in the USHL one year later prior to college.
“I was a young guy in Youngstown and wasn’t getting a lot of playing time, so they sent me down to Corpus. They didn’t want me back, so Fargo drafted me, and we beat Youngstown in the finals (where he was named MVP in the Clark Cup).
“Favorite memory so far but if we get another Atlantic Hockey championship that will be ahead of it.”
Loughran dabbled in lacrosse as well in his younger days in Orchard Park, something he feels helped him with his work ethic.
“The legendary (Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee) Gene Tundo was my head coach and I feel like that’s the sport where I learned to work how I do on the ice. Take an inch, give a mile. Lacrosse is fun.
“Lacrosse is a nasty sport. You can whack whoever you want…so I think that leads into a little bit here (hockey) where if it’s a ground ball or a loose puck you just have to work. Grind it out and go to war.”
Playoff mind set.
(Photos provided by Canisius Athletics and Men’s Hockey)
