Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Matvei Gridin introduced himself to the AHL by recording seven points in his first four games with the Calgary Wranglers back in October.
He has hardly let up since.
The 19-year-old forward ranks third in the league in rookie scoring with 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 20 contests, an early success story on a Wranglers team that sits third in the Pacific Division.
Coming to North America for the 2023-24 season, the native of Kurgan, Russia, led the junior United States Hockey League with 83 points (38 goals, 45 assists) for the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Calgary took him in the first round (28th overall) of that summer’s NHL Draft.
Gridin moved to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League last season with the Shawinigan Cataractes, and he finished first among rookies with 36 goals and 79 points to earn QMJHL Rookie of the Year honors.
This year, Gridin stuck with the Flames coming out of training camp and scored a goal in his NHL debut on Oct. 8 at Edmonton. He averaged nearly 15 minutes of ice time, too – a sign that he had earned some early trust from head coach Ryan Huska. But with Jonathan Huberdeau coming off injured reserve, the team needed roster space and sent Gridin to the Wranglers to continue his development.
The Flames have used their AHL system quite well the past several years, with current players like Rasmus Andersson, Devin Cooley, Matt Coronato, Sam Honzek, Adam Klapka, Yan Kuznetsov, Ryan Lomberg, Dustin Wolf and Connor Zary spending significant time in the team’s development pipeline.
Calgary management could feel confident enough in Gridin and the environment around him to keep him at the pro level this season. And the Wranglers’ first quarter of the season provided plenty of learning opportunities for Gridin, who has been drawing opponents’ top defenders. He is also getting a real taste of pro travel demands; the Wranglers wrap up a seven-city, 10-game road stretch with a visit to Ontario tonight and Sunday.
It’s all an example of what the pro game demands nightly. Gridin is close to the NHL. Very close. Shortly after officially making the Flames roster, Gridin met with reporters to speak about his preseason performance. His words two months ago still hold true with his body of work for the Wranglers.
“I’m proud that I was able to show my game, how I can play,” Gridin said then. “Score goals, and bring my best on the ice.”
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
