Mikhail Grigorenko
| Mikhail Grigorenko | |
|---|---|
 With the Sabres in 2013 | |
| Born | May 16, 1994 Khabarovsk, Russia |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb) |
| Position | Centre |
| Shoots | Left |
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Buffalo Sabres Rochester Americans (AHL) |
| NHL Draft | 12th overall, 2012 Buffalo Sabres |
| Playing career | 2010–present |
Mikhail Olegovich Grigorenko (Russian: Михаил Олегович Григоренко; born May 16, 1994) is a Russian professional ice hockey player. He is currently playing for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Born and raised in Russia, Grigorenko moved to North America in 2011 and joined the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. After one season in Quebec he was selected twelfth overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by Buffalo. He made his NHL debut with the Sabres in 2013. Grigorenko was also selected by CSKA Moscow in the first round (8th overall) of the 2011 KHL Junior Draft.[1] Grigorenko represented Russia at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament where Russia finished second.
Playing career
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Competitor for  Russia
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2014 Malmo | |
| Bronze | 2013 Ufa | |
| Silver | 2012 Canada | |
| IIHF World U18 Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2011 Germany | |
Junior
In June 2011, Grigorenko was selected second overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL.[2] NHL Hall of Famer Patrick Roy, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Remparts, liked Grigorenko so much that he traded up in the Import Draft in order to select him.[3]
Grigorenko played in 59 games during the 2011–12 season, his first in North America, and recorded 40 goals and 45 assists for 85 points. He led all rookie players in the QMJHL in goals and points, and was second for assists. He also finished fifth overall in goals scored and was tied for eighth overall for points while playing the fewest games of any player who was in the top ten in points.[3]
On March 20, 2012, Grigorenko was nominated as the top professional prospect to play in the QMJHL during the 2011–12 season.[4]
The 2012–13 NHL lockout meant that Grigorenko started the season back with the Remparts, where he played 32 games and recorded 50 points during the season prior to the lockout ending in January. At the time he was leading the Remparts and fifth in the QMJHL with 29 goals, and his 50 points were second on the team.[5]
Professional
When the lockout ended in January, he was invited to the Sabres training camp, where he made the roster for the start of the season.[6] After playing five games with the Sabres, the team decided to keep Grigorenko for the remainder of the season rather than send him back to the Remparts; had they done so it would not have counted as a year on his entry-level contract.[7] On January 29, 2013 Grigorenko scored his first career NHL goal against James Reimer of the Toronto Maple Leafs.[8]
After 22 games with the Sabres, where he recorded one goal and four assists, Grigorenko was reassigned to the Remparts on March 15, 2013.[9] Grigorenko went on to lead the Remparts in playoff scoring with 14 points in 11 games, before being recalled by the Sabres on April 16, 2013. [10]
After starting the 2013-14 season with the Sabres, the team sent Grigorenko back to juniors on January 11, 2014. He reported to the Remparts several days later after initially refusing to do so.[11]
Personal life
Grigorenko was born in Khabarovsk, located in the Russian Far East near the border of China. His older brother, Yuri, also played hockey, and spent five seasons in the minor leagues of both Russia and Belarus.[3]
In 2011, after being selected by the Remparts in the CHL Import Draft, Grigorenko moved to Quebec City with his mother and Yuri.[3] While he initially didn't understand English, Grigorenko took classes five days a week with a Russian teacher and by the end of the season he was able to conduct interviews in English without the aid of a translator.[3]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2010–11 | Krasnaya Armiya | MHL | 43 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 59 | 40 | 45 | 85 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 33 | 30 | 24 | 54 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 25 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Rochester Americans | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 18 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 23 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 6 | ||
| 2013–14 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 43 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 25 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 68 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Russia | U17 | 4th | 6 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 | |
| 2011 | Russia | WJC18 |  |
7 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 18 | |
| 2012 | Russia | WJC |  |
6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2013 | Russia | WJC | |
7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Russia | WJC | |
7 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 33 | 17 | 30 | 47 | 30 | ||||
References
- ↑ Eliteprospects.com: 2011 KHL Draft
- ↑ CHL Import Draft Results
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Kimmelman, Adam (March 19, 2012). "Seamless transition to North America for Grigorenko". NHL.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
- ↑ "Draft prospect Grigorenko up for QMJHL most valuable player award". Winnipeg Free Press. The Canadian Press. March 20, 2012. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ↑ NHL.com (January 7, 2013). "Roy says Grigorenko will attend Sabres camp". NHL.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ↑ Battaglino, Mike (January 18, 2013). "Grigorenko, Kovalev make opening-night rosters". NHL.com. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ↑ Zwolinski, Mark (January 29, 2013). "Buffalo Sabres keep teenager Mikhail Grigorenko". Toronto Star (Toronto). Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ↑ Ryndak, Christ (January 29, 2013). "Leafs beat clock and Sabres, 4-3". NHL.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ↑ NHL.com (March 15, 2013). "Sabres return top pick Grigorenko to junior team". NHL.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
- ↑ "Sabres recall Mikhail Grigorenko". The Globe and Mail. April 16, 2013. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
- ↑ Peters, Chris (January 11, 2014). "Sabres send Mikhail Grigorenko back to junior for second straight year". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
External links
- Mikhail Grigorenko's career statistics at EliteProspects.com
- Mikhail Grigorenko's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Joel Armia |
Buffalo Sabres first round draft pick 2012 |
Succeeded by Zemgus Girgensons |
| Preceded by Nail Yakupov |
Winner of the CHL Rookie of the Year Award 2011–12 |
Succeeded by Valentin Zykov |