April 9, 2008

East Lansing, Mich. - The Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday signed Michigan State forward Chris Mueller to an amateur tryout.

Mueller, 22, recently completed his senior season and second year as an alternate captain at Michigan State, where he ranked fifth on the Spartans with 27 points (13-14--27) in 42 games. Over the course of his four-year career with the Green and White, the West Seneca, New York, native tallied 104 points (42-62--104) and 141 penalty minutes in 166 contests.

"I want to thank the Griffins for giving me the opportunity to play this level of hockey," noted Mueller from Grand Rapids, where he completed his first professional practice on Wednesday. "I'm excited about getting a couple of practices and maybe a couple of games under my belt this spring."

"I also want to thank all of my teammates and the staff at Michigan State," he continued. It was an unreal experience for four years, and I'd like to thank all of them for helping me reach my lifelong dream of becoming a professional hockey player."

In 2006-07, Mueller was a key part of the Spartans' first NCAA Championship squad in 21 years, leading the team with 10 points (tied), five goals (tied) and a plus-nine rating during the postseason and earning a spot on the NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team. During the regular season of his junior campaign, he set career highs with 16 goals and 32 points to place fourth on the Spartans in scoring.

Mueller, who was selected as MSU's Outstanding Rookie for 2004-05, will be available to make his professional debut on Friday when the Griffins host the Manitoba Moose at 7 p.m. The game will be televised live on Comcast 20 in Grand Rapids and Lansing and Comcast 190 in Southeast Michigan.