Any one of these players could win the NHL’s Calder Trophy as this season’s top rookie: Jack Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings; Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks; Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals; Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks.
But here’s a name to track whether he scores one point or 100: Igor Grigorenko of the Detroit Red Wings.
He was drafted in 2001 and could have been a star by now. A good many of those chosen that same summer already are (Ilya Kovalchuk, Jason Spezza, Mike Cammalleri).
But Grigorenko’s story took a nasty turn when he lost control of his BMW four years ago and crashed into a billboard stand. The impact broke his left thigh bone and left his tibia with two fractures.
While he recovered in a Russian hospital, Grigorenko suffered a life-threatening fat embolism in his left lung and was rushed onto a ventilator. Mark Lapush, Grigorenko's agent, later said the doctors gave the young forward “a 10-percent chance to be alive.”
Grigorenko spent almost a month in bed before being allowed to return home. He missed the entire 2003-2004 season. He needed follow-up surgery to correct pain in his toes and have the metal rod removed from his femur.
All along he kept telling his agent, “Mark, trust me, I’m going to play hockey. I’m going to play for Detroit,” said Lapush.
And now he’s ready for the Red Wings main camp after showing his stuff with the Detroit rookies. Just how good he’ll be remains uncertain.
At his peak (the 2003 world junior championships and 2003 world championship), Grigorenko had a scorer’s touch and skating jets to be a world-class player.
The early buzz is that he doesn’t have the same explosiveness but his hands are good and, at 24, has been seasoned by playing in the Russian Super League. He will get every opportunity to make the Red Wings roster.
Have made it this far, he’s already put on quite a show.
