GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Left wing Brad May is expected to join the Griffins for practice Tuesday, March 2 after being assigned by the Red Wings.

The 19-year NHL veteran, who practiced with Grand Rapids for a week last fall before signing with the Red Wings on Oct. 8, should make his AHL debut on March 4 when the Griffins visit Peoria at 8 p.m. EST, while his anticipated home debut would be the next evening against Manitoba at 7 p.m.

May, 38, has spent his entire professional career (1991-2010) in the NHL. He has played 40 games with the Red Wings this season, contributing one assist and tying for first on the club with 66 penalty minutes. On April 8, 2009, he appeared in his 1,000th NHL contest as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, becoming the 243rd player in league history to reach that milestone.

A member of the Anaheim Ducks’ 2007 Stanley Cup champions, May split the 2008-09 season between the Ducks and Maple Leafs, totaling seven points (1-6—7) and 89 penalty minutes over 58 appearances.

Second among active players with 2,248 penalty minutes, he has accumulated 288 points (127-161—288) in 1,041 games with Buffalo, Vancouver, Phoenix, Colorado, Anaheim, Toronto and Detroit. After being selected by Buffalo with its first choice (14th overall) in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, May made his Sabres debut on Oct. 4, 1991 at Pittsburgh, where he scored his first goal on his first shot in his first NHL game.

Only two other players in Griffins history have appeared in 1,000 NHL games: Kelly Miller, who played his first minor league game with Grand Rapids in 1999-2000 after 1,057 NHL contests, and Chris Chelios, who had a two-game conditioning stint with the Griffins last season and ranks fourth all time with 1,644 NHL games played.