Building a minor league program that can churn out NHL talent is critical for the long-term health of an organization like the Edmonton Oilers.

At its core, the AHL is a developmental league. All the focus on building up young players, however, leads many to overlook the necessary role of veterans. They help mentor players. They help build the culture. They rarely get rewarded with an NHL call-up. Being an AHL veteran can be a thankless job, but it’s one Seth Griffith has learned to embrace.

When Brad Malone retired in 2024, the Bakersfield Condors needed a new captain. They took their time to decide, but a little over a month into the following season, the club named Griffith the fourth captain in franchise history. He was already a productive AHL veteran who had led the team in scoring multiple times. According to head coach Colin Chaulk, though, Griffith’s best qualities shone through the moment he started wearing the C.

“It almost gave him like a superhero suit,” Chaulk told Bob Stauffer in a recent interview on Oilers Now. “He went from Peter Parker to Spider-Man.”

Becoming captain empowered Griffith to think about his role differently. He was always one of the team’s most dangerous offensive players, but now, he needed to set the standard in all aspects of the game.

When Chaulk first became the Condors’ head coach in 2022, Griffith hadn’t yet blossomed as a leader. It took a year and a half to two years, Chaulk said, before he began to see leadership qualities in him.

“He was worried about being a good player. He was worried about scoring goals and getting points. And that’s how he provided for his family, and that’s how he provided for himself to feel good,” said Chaulk. “He’s taken on all of those other intangibles. He’s done an absolutely fantastic job.”

Throughout most of his AHL career, Griffith has been an offensive-minded player. Over time, though, he’s developed a dependable two-way game and become much more vocal, according to Chaulk. Perhaps most importantly, he’s aware of his role in the organization and is willing to do what it takes to help his teammates improve, even if it means a reduced role.

“He was just better defensively. He set better examples. If I skipped him a shift or two because he made an errant play, if I put a young prospect on late in the game instead of him, he understood,” explained Chaulk.

“He was just accepting of his role and understanding that, yes, he’s an important player to help Bakersfield be competitive. He’s an important player to help young players get points and be offensive because he’s someone who can support them. But he also was a tremendous leader by just sometimes accepting less, and then also being a teacher to them.”

It would be easy for a player in Griffith’s position to feel slighted. Despite producing around a point per game in the minors most seasons, he doesn’t have an NHL contract, and he’s only played one NHL game in the last eight years. Still, Griffith has maintained a positive attitude.

“We communicate clearly to him, Keith Gretzky, Kalle, Stan, myself, that we understand how important he is and then also understanding where he’s at in his career and what his role is,” said Chaulk. “And he’s more than accepting of that. He’s an extension of the coaching staff.”

As the Condors’ all-time leader in games played with 379, Griffith has helped build the team’s culture for a long time, and that doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon. In January, Griffith signed a two-year extension with the Edmonton Oilers to remain a part of the organization through his age-35 season.

“Your goals shift,” said Griffith after signing his extension. “Initially, it was doing everything I could to try and make the Oilers. Now it kind of transitions to where I just want to win so badly down here and focus on being in Bakersfield and helping young guys achieve their goals to make the NHL and, at the same time, win down here.”

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