The Mikhail Grigorenko saga made its way on to CBC's Hotstove Tonight on Saturday night.
Elliotte Friedman is bang on in his assessment that Grigo wants to stay and play in the NHL rather than try his hand playing hockey abroad in Finland, Switzerland or his mother Russia.
Thanks, CBC
All due respect to Glenn Healey, he should give his head a shake. The guy is a card carrying Buffalo Sabres hater and he relishes every opportunity to talk crap about Ryan Miller and the Sabres. Someone should remind "Heals" that the Sabres have 4-5 players on the current roster who are in hot demand by several teams around the NHL right now. They have several top prospects who are hot commodities as well.
Grigo and his mother left Russia three years ago to pursue the NHL dream. Grigo has already played 48 games in the NHL and wants to prove that he belongs in the NHL once and for all. I've spoken with the kid quite a bit since he arrived in Buffalo last January and I can tell you that I have never gotten the impression that he's interested in heading home to play in the KHL. He has many great friends, like Tampa's Nikita Kucherov, who are thriving in the NHL right now.
He wants to fulfill his goals and dreams to play in the NHL.
Sabres soon-to-be permanent head coach Ted Nolan spoke about the Grigorenko matter on Saturday morning. Nolan said that the move to send Grigo to Quebec in "non-negotiable".
Thanks, Sabres.com
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Kathleen Lavoie of LaPresse reported during the supper hour on Saturday night that Sabres center Mikhail Grigorenko has declined his demotion to his junior club, the Quebec Remparts.
Grigorenko's agent, Jay Grossman. confirmed to me via email that his client will not be reporting to Quebec.
Not that long after the LaPresse stiry broke on Saturday night, Grigo took to his Facebook page to explain himself to his fans.
He wrote:
Hi everyone,
I just want to apologized (sic) for the situation going on right now.
We just need to find a place for me where i can develop and be the best hockey player I can be.
I came to North America 3 years ago coming from a home in Russia where I never had a bed, a shower or heat...I work everyday to be the best hockey player I can be so I can provide for my family, have a better life... Because hockey is all I have, my passion, who I am.
I am so grateful I played in Québec with one of the best coach (sic) in the world, amazing fans, people and city. I got to play against great players who are now doing amazing in the NHL. I'm also so proud I was drafted in the NHL by the Buffalo Sabres organization. I love the city and people there. I love my neighborhood and I love the guys. They also have owners who want everyone to be happy and love their team so much.
Now I would just ask all of you guys to respect me and the time I'm taking to think about my career. It might be hard to understand but it is even harder for a teenager.
Grigo
You can understand the kid's frustration when you taken into account that he's played for 6 different coaches in the past 12 months:
Michael Varnakov (2013 and 2104) Team Russia WJC.
Lindy Ruff (Sabres)
Ron Rolston (Sabres)
Patrick Roy (Remparts)
Chadd Cassidy (Amerks)
Ted Nolan (Sabres)
Seven when you count Sabres skating coach Dawn Braid.
Factor in playing for two different GMs in Darcy Regier and Tim Murray. Through in a President of Hockey Operations in Pat Lafontaine and its easy for this observer to empathize with Grigorenko and his current situation.
Think back to when you were 19. Did you work for 7 different bosses? If you had, how would you have reacted to it?
At approximately 9pm EDT I looked on Grigo's Facebook page and this message was deleted.
**
Quebec coach/GM and former Sabres prospect Philippe Boucher held a presser and apparently said he's been told Grigorenko is thinking about his career at this time and that he's been told Grigo will eventually return to the Sabres.
Remparts GM Boucher told Buffalo Hockey Beat that Grigo is “just thinking right now.”
“It’s hard to take,” Boucher said. “I was in the exact same spot at 19 years old when I was sent down. It’s a tough spot to be put in.”
He added: “The Sabres sent him here. They feel like it’s the best option. We’re going to see what happens.”
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