Russian forward Mikhail Grigorenko has signed a two-year contract
with Traktor Chelyabinsk, the
KHL club announced on Friday.
“He’s vastly
experienced playing in the NHL, international tournaments with the
Russian national team, as well as the Gagarin Cup, of which he is a
three-time winner,” Traktor GM Alexei Volkov said about Grigorenko.
“He is equally capable of playing in several positions, is creative
and has a great shot. Add excellent human qualities here and we get a
really great top-line player, capable of making the team even more
competitive.”
Born in Khabarovsk,
in the far east of Russia near the Pacific coast, Grigorenko moved to
Moscow as a child and played for the famous CSKA club. At age 17, he
went overseas to play junior hockey for the QMJHL’s
Quebec Remparts, and then a year later was drafted 12th
overall by the Buffalo
Sabres in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Grigorenko played
parts of three seasons with Buffalo before he was part of a
blockbuster trade at the 2015 Draft, going to the Colorado
Avalanche in a deal that also included Nikita Zadorov, J.T.
Compher, Ryan O’Reilly, Jamie McGinn and a first-round pick.
Grigorenko’s two seasons in Colorado were his most productive in
the NHL, recording 27 and 23 points, respectively.
After two seasons
back in the KHL, Grigorenko had one more 32-game NHL stint with the
Columbus Blue
Jackets in the pandemic-shortened 2021 season, recording 12
points. In all, he had 76 points and 36 penalty minutes in 249 career
NHL games.
Igor Larionov Jr. To Play For Father In KHL
American-Russian center Igor Larionov Jr., 26, has signed a one-year
contract with SKA St. Petersburg, the KHL club announced on social
media on Wednesday.
In 481 career KHL
regular-season and playoff games, Grigorenko has 371 points –
mostly with CSKA, but he played last season for SKA St. Petersburg,
where he had 48 points in 71 games.
Internationally,
Grigorenko has represented Russia at one IIHF U-18 World
Championship, three World Junior Championships and three senior-level
World Championships. He’s also played in the Olympics twice,
winning gold with the Olympic Athletes from Russia in 2018 and a
silver with ROC in 2022.
Traktor
Chelyabinsk finished first in the KHL’s Eastern Conference last
year and advanced to the Gagarin Cup finals, where it was swept by
Lokomotiv Yaroslav. In addition to Grigorenko, the team has under
contract for 2025-26 goaltender
Chris Driedger, former NHLers Vladimir Zahkarov and Jordan
Gross, as well as prospects Arseni Koromyslov (St.
Louis Blues), Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Toronto
Maple Leafs), Matvei Guskov (Minnesota
Wild) and Alexander Rykov (Carolina Hurricanes).
© Tim Fuller-Imagn Images.
Canadian
goaltender Chris Driedger, 31,
has signed a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk, the KHL club
announced on Tuesday.
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