Mikhail Grigorenko is a Russian professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Kontinental Hockey League’s HC CSKA Moscow.
A Khabarovsk, Russian native, Grigorenko, can serve as a centerman or a winger.
After one season in Quebec, the athlete was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the12th overall, first round, in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
CSKA Moscow also chose Grigorenko in the first round of the 2011 KHL Junior Draft, eighth overall. The player previously played in the NHL for Buffalo Sabres and the Colorado Avalanche.
He made an immediate impact in the NHL in some ways, joining the Buffalo Sabres on the opening night of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
At eighteen, he became the fifth-youngest player in Sabres history to score a goal six games into the season.
Let’s glance at his quick facts before getting into his details.
Quick Facts
Full Name | Mikhail Olegovich Grigorenko |
Date of Birth | May 16, 1994 |
Birth Place | Khabarovsk, Russia |
Nick Name | Not Available |
Religion | Christian |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Horoscope | Taurus |
Age | 30 years old |
Height | 6 feet 2 inches (188cm) |
Weight | 95 kg (209 lb) |
Hair Color | Blonde |
Eye Color | Brown |
Build | Athletic |
Father’s Name | Not Available |
Mother’s Name | Not Available |
Siblings | An older brother, Yuri |
Education | Not Available |
Marital Status | Married |
Wife | Amelie Grigorenko |
Kids | 3 |
Profession | Ice Hockey Player |
Position | Centre |
Affiliation |
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Plays for | CSKA Moscow |
Active since | 2013-present |
NHL Draft | 12th overall, 2012, Buffalo Sabres |
Former Teams |
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Net Worth | $1- $5 million |
Social Media | |
Merch | 28 PCS Set of Buffalo Vinyl Sabres Stickers |
Last Update | October, 2024 |
Mikhail Grigorenko: Early Life
Mikhail Grigorenko was born in Khabarovsk, a city in Russia’s Far East near the Chinese border.
His older brother, Yuri, played hockey and spent five seasons in the Russian and Belarusian minor leagues.
Grigorenko moved to Quebec City with his mother and Yuri in 2011 after being selected by the Remparts in the CHL Import Draft.
While he didn’t understand English initially, Grigorenko took classes five days a week with a Russian teacher.
By the season’s end, the player could conduct interviews in English without the assistance of a translator.
Mikhail Grigorenko: Age, Height, and Horoscope
Mikhail Grigorenko is 30 years old now.
He is a Taurus, according to his birthdate of May 16, 1994. Unsurprisingly, he possesses all of the characteristics of a Virgo.
The Russian athlete works extremely hard. He is both a dreamer and an achiever. He’s tall, standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, and weighing around 95 kg.
He is very conscientious about his health and follows a strict diet and hygiene regimen.
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Mikhail Grigorenko: Ice Hockey Career
Junior Career
Grigorenko began his competitive junior hockey career with Krasnaya Armiya in the MHL, the junior team of CSKA Moscow.
Grigorenko showed an early offensive touch as a 16-year-old in the 2010–11 season, contributing 17 goals and 35 points in 43 games.
He was chosen second overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League(QMJHL) in June 2011.
Patrick Roy, the Remparts’ owner, general manager, and head coach liked Grigorenko so much that he traded up in the Import Draft to get him.
During his first season in North America, Grigorenko appeared in 59 games for the Remparts, scoring 45 assists for 85 points and 40 goals.
NHL Draft
Mikhail Grigorenko was selected in the first round, 12th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres as a top-rated forward prospect in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
The player signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Sabres on July 18, 2012.
With the NHL lockout delaying the start of the 2012–13 season, Grigorenko was reassigned to the Remparts to begin the season.
He played 32 games and set 50 points before the lockout ended in January.
Grigorenko led the Remparts and was fifth in the QMJHL with 29 goals, and 50 points were second in the group.
The athlete was invited to the Sabres’ training camp after the lockout ended in January, and he made the team for the start of the season.
After five games with the Sabres, the team decided to keep Grigorenko for the rest of a season rather than sending him back to the Remparts; if they had done so, the season would not have counted because one year on his entry-level contract had expired.
Grigorenko scored his first NHL goal against James Reimer of the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 29, becoming the fifth-youngest Sabre to do so in franchise history.
Joining Buffalo Sabres
Grigorenko joined the Sabres for the start of the 2013–14 season.
However, with the Sabres cleaning out the coaching staff and front office and new head coach Ted Nolan’s mandate to rely less on youth, he was returned to junior on January 11, 2014, after appearing in only 18 games sporadically.
After initially refusing to report to the Remparts, he did so several days later.
Grigorenko dominated in his final junior season with the Remparts, recording 15 goals and 39 points in 23 appearances.
Following his early exit from the postseason, Grigorenko was assigned to Buffalo’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans, for the remainder of the season.
Grigorenko split his first professional season between the Sabres and Rochester in 2014–15. He began the season with the Sabres and was shuffled five times between the NHL and AHL.
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In a Journey with Colorado Avalanche
As an impending restricted free agent, Mikhail was traded by the Sabres to the Colorado Avalanche on June 26, 2015, in exchange for Ryan O’Reilly and Jamie McGinn in a package that included J. T. Compher, Nikita Zadorov, and the 31st pick in the draft.
On July 17, Grigorenko signed a one-year, one-way contract with Avalanche.
Mikhail’s arrival in Colorado marked a reunion with Patrick Roy, the Avalanche’s former junior coach and then headed coach.
He made the Avalanche roster after his first training camp to begin the 2015–16 season.
Grigorenko made his Avalanche debut on the fourth line after being a healthy scratch for three games, assisting on a Jack Skille goal in a 3–0 win over the Anaheim Ducks on October 16, 2015.
Moreover, the Avalanche did not offer Grigorenko a qualifying contract on June 26, 2017, and he became an unrestricted free agent.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Grigorenko planned to return to the NHL on April 20, 2020, when he signed a one-year, $1.2 million worth contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The NHL rejected the contract, stating that it would have to be resubmitted on the 1st day of free agency for the 2020–21 season.
The Blue Jackets officially signed Grigorenko on July 13, 2020.
Grigorenko made the Blue Jackets’ opening night roster after attending training camp, making his debut and playing his first NHL game in almost four years in a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on January 14, 2021.
The outstanding ice-hockey athlete struggled to translate his offensive game into a scoring line role and was demoted to a healthy scratch midway through the season.
International Play
Grigorenko made his debut as a 15-year-old for Russia at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, where Russia finished second.
He helped Russia win three consecutive World Junior Championship medals during his extensive international junior career, beginning with a silver medal in Canada in 2012 and two bronze medals in Russia in 2013 and Sweden in 2014.
Mikhail was selected and played as a member of the Olympic Athletes from Russia team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in his first professional season back in Russia.
He had one goal and four points in six games to help the United States win the gold medal in a victory over Germany.
Which NHL team is Mikhael Grigorenko currently in?
Grigorenko attracted NHL interest as a free agent but chose to return to Russia, signing a three-year contract with his initial junior club and a KHL powerhouse, CSKA Moscow, on July 3, 2017.
Grigorenko continued to lead CSKA’s offense, helping the club return to the Gagarin Cup finals and was named the finals’ best forward in assisting CSKA to win their first KHL championship.
He scored 6 points in the four-game series sweep against Avangard Omsk.
Moreover, Grigorenko returned to Russia as an impending free agent, signing a three-year contract with his previous club, CSKA Moscow of the KHL, on July 3, 2021.
Mikhail Grigorenko: Awards and Achievements
Mikhail Grigorenko has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his successful career. We are confident that he will keep breaking new ground in his career.
Mikhail scored three goals in three games, including the first-ever Gagarin Cup finals hat-trick (in the 1st game of the series, including the game-winning goal).
To win the Michel Bergeron Trophy, he led all rookie players in the QMJHL in goals and points and was second in assists.
He also finished fifth in goals scored and tied for eighth in points despite playing the fewest games of any player in the top ten.
Grigorenko was named to the All-Rookie and First All-Star Teams on March 20, 2012.
The athlete was also nominated and selected as the top professional prospect to play in the QMJHL in 2011–12 with the Mike Bossy Trophy on March 20, 2012.
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Mikhail Grigorenko: Marriage and Kids
The Russian ice-hockey player is married to his beautiful wife, Amelie. The couple shares three children.
There is no information about his wife. However, we will update this section when the information becomes available from a reliable source.
In the summer, Grigorenko spends time in his wife’s hometown of Quebec City, and one of their neighbors is David Savard, a vital member of the Blue Jackets’ second defensive pairing.
Vladislav Gavrikov, Savard’s partner in that pairing, is familiar with Grigorenko from their time together on Russian national teams.
They clinched a gold medal at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Mikhail Grigorenko: Net Worth
Mikhail Grigorenko’s estimated net worth is $1- $5 million. The athlete has accumulated a vast fortune through his successful career.
His estimated career earnings are $4,325,181. Grigorenko arrived in town on a one-year contract worth $1,200,000.
It was a low-risk signing to help the historically struggling team score goals. Despite Kekalainen’s efforts to re-sign him, Grigorenko is a “one and done” Jacket.
The player recently announced that he would return to the KHL on a multi-year contract, most likely with his old team, CSKA Moscow. Best wishes, Grigs.
Mikhail is living a lavish lifestyle with his small family.
Social Media Presence
Mikhail Grigorenko is pretty active on various social media platforms. Likewise, he is particularly active on Instagram.
The athlete often posts pictures of his professional life and gives a glimpse into his personal life.
You can catch him on Instagram by the username @mikhailgrigorenko94. The athlete has more than 7000 followers on there.
Frequently Asked Question
Is Mikhail Grigorenko injured?
Mikhail Grigorenko is not injured. The athlete has not faced any significant injury throughout his career and may not encounter any.