Former Florida Panthers winger Rocco Grimaldi will join ex-NHL star Igor Larionov's KHL team SKA St. Petersburg.
Grimaldi was a second-round pick (33rd overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft by the Panthers. After the selection, Grimaldi spent three seasons in the NCAA with the University of North Dakota. Following those three years, Grimaldi signed his entry-level contract and spent the better part of two seasons in the AHL.
Grimaldi was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche the following season, concluding his Panthers tenure. He played just 27 games, scoring four goals and six points.
Following his departure from Florida, Grimaldi bounced around the NHL. He went on to play in NHL games with the Avalanche and the Nashville Predators, but spent most of his time in the AHL with the Anaheim Ducks, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets AHL affiliates.
The 32-year-old hasn't played an NHL game since the 2021-22 season. Grimaldi was a successful AHL player, recording 192 goals and 428 points in 499 games. Skill has never been the issue for Grimaldi, but standing just 5-foot-6, 181 pounds, Grimaldi is extremely undersized for an NHL player.
Internationally, Grimaldi won two gold medals for the USA at the 2010 and 2011 IIHF U-18 World Championships and another at the 2013 world juniors. He also played for the USA at the 2023 world championships, where he notched seven goals and 14 points in 10 games.
Joining St. Petersburg in Russia, Grimaldi will be playing in a league that values skill more than physicality, which should benefit Grimaldi.
St. Petersburg iced a star-studded lineup last year, featuring Ivan Demidov, Alexander Nikishin, Mikhail Grigorenko, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Arseni Gritsyuk, Nikita Zaitsev and Tony DeAngelo. Only Zaitsev remains, but the organization has added long-time NHL great Igor Larionov as head coach as well as North Americans Trevor Murphy, Brennan Menell and Joey Blandisi, who have some NHL experience.
