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Stu Grimson
Stugrimson
Position Left Wing
Nickname(s) The Grim Reaper
Height
Weight
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
Teams Calgary Flames
Chicago Blackhawks
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Detroit Red Wings
Hartford Whalers
Carolina Hurricanes
Los Angeles Kings
Nashville Predators
Nationality Flag of Canada Canadian
Born (1965-05-20)May 20, 1965,
Vancouver, BC, CAN
NHL Draft 186th overall, 1983
Detroit Red Wings
143rd overall, 1985
Calgary Flames
Pro Career 1987 – 2002


Stu Grimson (born May 20, 1965, in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a former Canadian forward. Grimson played in the National Hockey League from 1989 to 2002. During this time, he played for the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, and Nashville Predators. Stu was known as an enforcer throughout his career. He compiled over 2,000 penalty minutes. His fearsome reputation as a fighter earned him the nickname "The Grim Reaper".

Playing career[]

During his lengthy career, Stu improved as a fighter. In his younger days, he lacked balance, and was vulnerable to shorter, more powerfully built fighters. During his first stint with Anaheim, he began to show signs of improving balance, and though his style still left him vulnerable, he scored wins over some of the league's tougher fighters.

It wasn't until the 1996–97 season, when Stu moved to Hartford, that he became one of the NHL's elite fighters. Almost overnight, his balance improved dramatically and he added some muscle to his previously lanky frame. In that season, he scored decisive wins over established fighters such as Randy McKay, Darren Langdon and Enrico Ciccone, and he battered Ryan Vandenbussche and Shane Churla of the New York Rangers in one-sided victories. The following season saw Stu move with the Whalers to Carolina, and as a Hurricane he continued to be a force in the league. He started a rivalry with Krzysztof Oliwa of the New Jersey Devils that season, which saw the two men fight several times over the next few seasons, usually to a draw.

Stu spent the next two seasons back in Anaheim, and played his final full season with the Los Angeles Kings in 2000–2001. He remained a respected and elite heavyweight fighter, but in his final season, in Nashville, he suffered from post-concussion syndrome and was forced to retire after a fight with Georges Laraque of the Edmonton Oilers. He had already been suffering effects before that bout, and even admitted he once blacked out in the middle of a fight.

Stu enjoyed a career-long rivalry with legendary enforcer Bob Probert, considered by many observers to be one of the top fighters in NHL history. Though the consensus is that Probert got the better of the rivalry, Stu usually held his own and scored a couple of wins of his own against Probert.

In his final seasons, Stu built rivalries with a new generation of fighters, such as Georges Laraque, Krzysztof Oliwa and Scott Parker.

Career statistics[]

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1982–83 Regina Pats WHL 48 0 1 1 105 5 0 0 0 14
1983–84 Regina Pats WHL 63 8 8 16 131 21 0 1 1 29
1984–85 Regina Pats WHL 71 24 32 56 248 8 1 2 3 14
1985–86 U. of Manitoba CIS 12 7 4 11 113 -- -- -- -- --
1986–87 U. of Manitoba CIS 29 8 8 16 67 -- -- -- -- --
1987–88 Salt Lake Golden Eagles IHL 37 9 5 14 268 -- -- -- -- --
1988–89 Salt Lake Golden Eagles IHL 72 9 18 27 397 14 2 3 5 86
1988–89 Calgary Flames NHL 1 0 0 0 5 -- -- -- -- --
1989–90 Salt Lake Golden Eagles IHL 62 8 8 16 319 4 0 0 0 8
1989–90 Calgary Flames NHL 3 0 0 0 17 -- -- -- -- --
1990–91 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 35 0 1 1 183 5 0 0 0 46
1991–92 Indianapolis Ice IHL 5 1 1 2 17 -- -- -- -- --
1991–92 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 54 2 2 4 234 14 0 1 1 10
1992–93 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 78 1 1 2 193 2 0 0 0 4
1993–94 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 77 1 5 6 199 -- -- -- -- --
1994–95 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 31 0 1 1 110 -- -- -- -- --
1994–95 Detroit Red Wings NHL 11 0 0 0 37 11 1 0 1 26
1995–96 Detroit Red Wings NHL 56 0 1 1 128 2 0 0 0 0
1996–97 Detroit Red Wings NHL 1 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1996–97 Hartford Whalers NHL 75 2 2 4 218 -- -- -- -- --
1997–98 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 82 3 4 7 204 -- -- -- -- --
1998–99 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 73 3 0 3 158 3 0 0 0 30
1999–00 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 50 1 2 3 116 -- -- -- -- --
2000–01 Los Angeles Kings NHL 72 3 2 5 235 5 0 0 0 4
2001–02 Nashville Predators NHL 30 1 1 2 76 -- -- -- -- --
NHL totals 729 17 22 39 2113 42 1 1 2 120


External links[]

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