Jim Griffin
Induction Year: 2017
Birthday: January 3, 1960
City/Town: Berlin, NH
A standout youth player growing up in Berlin, Griffin went on to have a superb college career at two schools, helping lead Plattsburgh (N.Y.) State to the Division 2 championship game in both 1981 and ‘82.
Growing up, when he wasn’t playing, Griffin was attending Berlin Maroons games or watching the Boston Bruins play on TV. In his first year as a Squirt, he helped his team win a New England championship. A year later, he finished with 69 goals and 117 points on a team that would be the
runner-up in New Hampshire.
Griffin went on to play on state champion teams at the Pee-Wee (one season producing 78 goals and 97 assists), Bantam and Midget levels. He also played two seasons with the Berlin Jr. Maroons before enrolling at New England College in Henniker.
At New England College, Griffin made an immediate impact. As a freshman, he was the third leading scorer on the team, producing 11 goals and
20 assists for 30 points. The next year, he led the Pilgrims in scoring with 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points.
After his sophomore year, he transferred to Plattsburgh, one of the strongest programs in Division 2. He played in 30 games as a junior in 1980-81, amassing 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points.
After opening the season with wins over Clarkson, Colgate and Vermont (all Division 1 programs), his team won the ECAC West and reached the NCAA Division 2 championship game. Griffin was given the team’s Chester A. Grabowski Award, awarded annually to the player who most typifies Plattsburgh hockey, demonstrating supreme sportsmanship, hard work and dedication.
Plattsburgh again reached the national championship game during Griffin’s senior year of 1981-82- one that saw him produce 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points- while being coached by NHL Hall of Famer Jacques Lemaire, who joined the team as an assistant coach. He was named ECAC West playoff MVP and finished his college career with 60 goals, 94 assists and 154 points in 117 games.
After college, Griffin skated on a senior team of ex-college players from Plattsburgh that traveled throughout the Northeast and Canada playing in tournaments. The team won the Quebec City Winter Carnival Senior Tournament. He also played for two years in the Chesapeake Bay Senior League after relocating to Washington, D.C., for work.