Since first lacing up his skates at the age of three, Griffen Fox has flourished on the ice, playing for multiple teams and across various hockey over the course of his career.
Fox, who was born in London, would continue playing hockey after moving to Brantford with his family.
“I moved here when I was around five…I got a year or so in playing minor hockey…but I played a bunch of sports like soccer and really liked hockey. No one in my family really played hockey before I started…so I was the first one to play,” he said.
After moving through the minor ranks, playing for a year with the Thorold Blackhawks of the GOJHL (Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League). Fox would ultimately find his passion for the game while with the Trenton Golden Hawks of the OJHL (Ontario Junior Hockey League.)
“Thorold was a lot of fun. I also had a familiar face there, as my roommate, who was Mitch Britton. I played major midget with him, and then we became pretty close friends, and he was my billet brother. I was one of the younger guys on the team. St. Catherine’s is a really great city. I went to high school there for a while until I came back to St. John’s,“ Fox explained. “Trenton was also a great experience [and] that’s where I fell in love with hockey. But my first year was a struggle [as] I was used to putting up points all the time in the past…and for whatever reason, I just couldn’t get it done that year. By next season, I was back to my normal self, scoring and putting up points. I also had a great coach, and Peter Goulet, who really helped [and] really helped grow me as a player and as a person.”
However, when the pandemic hit, and little play with the Golden Hawks as a result, Fox decided to move out east.
“I went to play for the Amherst Ramblers [of the Maritime Junior Hockey League] …I never went out east before, and just to experience the ocean and new surroundings was great. Despite COVID, we were still doing so much and there were fans out in the stands cheering us on…we had a great group of guys and we thought we had the team to win it all, honestly, [and] it was pretty unfortunate when we got shut down again,” Fox stated. “But again, it was another great experience in my hockey career…I had a chance to play with some of my friends like Marko Jakovljevic, Andrew Bruder and Dalton Bancroft, who just signed a contract with Boston Bruins,” he said.
After, playing for the Ramblers, Fox looked to getting his education while playing hockey.
“After a few of my friends and I were discussing perhaps attending the University of Windsor together, [but] we ended up looking what was best for us individually. I would end up choosing Lakehead University…during my first year, we were in a rebuild and along with myself, there were ten rookies. We struggled during our first year and missed the playoffs, but took a huge jump in our second year,” explained Fox. “We finished first in the regular season and made it to the West finals. Again, the program was still in a rebuild, and I knew I would get an opportunity to play right off the bat after talking with the coach Andrew Wilkins…but he also said that I would have to earn it every day, which is fair and how it should be.”
Nevertheless, Fox earned his degree in 2024, and would make his way to the ECHL.
“I graduated this past summer [and] got my degree from the business program. So that was something my dad always kind of bugged me to do [and I never thought that I would actually do it. But I am so glad that I did,” he said. “Halfway through the year, I started thinking about continuing to play…I spoke to my coach and he helped me reach out to teams to see if there was any interest. The Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL would end up reaching out…giving me a chance to play. But I still had to finish school online while I was playing, and then throughout the summer too, which was pretty tough. I also had to go back for exams at the end of the year. But it was worth it, because I had a great time playing there and just connecting with new people.”
Fox would end up playing a handful of games for the Fort Wayne Komets and then the Allen Americans before making his way to the SPHL with the Peoria Rivermen.
“I was with Allen to start this year in the ECHL, but the coach who had wanted me back got fired in the middle of the summer [and] I got released. I then signed with the Pensacola [Ice Flyers], in the summer [and] my agent wanted me to do that, just as a backup if things didn’t work out with Allen, which was how it played out. I actually went to Pensacola for three days and then I got traded to Peoria…which is such a good team, and have been for a long time. They could probably compete with a lot of the ECHL teams,” Fox said.
However, Fox has adjusted well with the Riverman’s play, as well as working hard to contribute to a winning dynamic.
“When I came to Peoria I knew they already had their top dogs…those guys who are going to drive the boat and lead the team offensively. As a rookie, the key for me has been to do anything I can to support the winning culture. I have learned that playing on both sides of the puck…is important…[which] I think is something that our coach has really helped me do. Actually, when Allen had parted ways with me, they told me they wanted me to be focused on being harder to play against…because when you start out in the ECHL…those top guys are all on AHL deals [or are] sometimes young draft picks and are very competitive,” he noted. “You know you’re not going to get your opportunity in the top six right away, so you’ve got to find a way to kill penalties or block shots. And I feel like that’s something that’s really grown in my game this year, and hopefully, will help us on the way to another championship, which is the goal right now.”
While Fox is concentrated on the goal at hand in capturing a championship this year, he looks to perhaps play overseas in the future.
“After this year, I want to keep playing [and] for me, it’s always been trying to play at the highest level possible until it’s time to focus on another career…but the goal next year is to play a full year in the ECHL [and] I should be getting my Italian passport next year as well…so I would love to go play in Europe and experience that in the future…that can give me opportunities to make connections which might help out when I am planning for the next step of my life,” he said.
