Rocco Grimaldi: Californian in the NHL Draft
If scouts were blind to size, US national development team forward Rocco Grimaldi may be ranked much higher than he is.
Standing at just 5’6″ and weighing in at 163 pounds, Grimaldi is arguably one of the most skilled players available in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. And although size may be a concern to scouts, he is more than comfortable in his frame.
“I like to play a skilled game; play crafty but with balance,” the 17-year-old center told The Good Point. “Being small, I think it helps my game even more because it allows me to play the game I want to play, which is to play fast with a low centre of gravity, take lots of shots and play at both ends of the ice as well.”
“If I had to pick one guy I’d say I’m pretty similar to Marty St. Louis in terms of how he finishes, his size, speed and skill.”
Small or not, talent evaluators can’t overlook the fact that the Rossmoor, California native has proven he can produce in all situations – no matter the venue or circumstance.
Throughout a pair of United States Hockey League campaigns, the 1993-born speedster showed his ability to play physical, throw his little frame around and battle with much bigger competition, while also displaying admirable strength on the puck, extreme speed and unforgettable hands.
Priding himself on his ability to use that aforementioned speed to put defenders on their heels and weave in and out of the danger areas, Grimaldi has worked hard to develop into a solid offensive threat.
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“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that when you’re not working hard, someone else is,” he said. “I’ve really focused on becoming stronger and faster, and my confidence has grown a lot so I have no problem digging in the corners and using my skills to produce offense consistently.”
Hailing from the Golden State, Grimaldi began his athletic career playing baseball, but an interest in hockey was sparked when his older sister was invited to a hockey game and decided to bring the family along.
“We never really knew what hockey was, but when I saw the game I thought it was really cool and looked a lot more exciting than baseball,” Grimaldi said. “I started playing outdoors at the YMCA with rollerblades and a ball and from there I progressed to ice hockey.”
After beginning his minor hockey career in his home state, Grimaldi made the choice to move to Michigan at 12 years old in order to further his development. The move also brought him closer to his favourite NHL team growing up, the Detroit Red Wings.
“It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made even though it may have been one of the hardest,” he said. “But since moving to Michigan, I’ve grown a lot as a person and as a player, so it’s paid off and worked out well for us.”
That said, his pride in California’s minor hockey development is something he holds dear.
“I think California has the best coaching and training available out of all states, and I’ll stand by that the rest of my life,” Grimaldi said. “That’s why we’re starting to see a lot of California kids becoming successful at the higher levels and a lot are getting drafted now because of that high quality and affordable development.”
In addition to logging long hours working with strength and conditioning coaches and improving his on-ice performance this year, Grimaldi’s experience at the NHL Combine is something he believes will add to his growth and confidence.
“It was a great experience for me being able to sit down and talk with some NHL teams,” Grimaldi said.
“Not only are they trying to feel you out, but you’re trying to feel them out and how they run their organization, and I thought that was really cool seeing that first hand,” he added. “The fitness testing was a tough challenge, but I trained and prepared for it so I think I did really well and it was definitely a positive experience.”
Grimaldi’s NHL translation is said to be a goal-scoring forward. His main strengths are his smooth skating, explosive stride and soft hands that make him unpredictable to defenders.
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Check out more of The Good Point’s 2011 NHL Entry Draft Prospects Series.
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