Alexandre Grenier Recalled from Utica Comets

Remember that guy, Alex Grenier? 

Last season, he played in his first six career NHL games – failing to record a point in the process. 

This fall, he was then waived, and subsequently reassigned to the AHL’s Utica Comets. He’s been there all season. 

Now, he’s back up. 

The Canucks are once again hit by the injury bug (really, when aren’t they?), so they’ve brought Grenier back up from the AHL’s Comets. 

Drafted 90th overall in 2011, Grenier was a point-per-game player in his final year of QMJHL play with the Halifax Mooseheads, but he’s taken a roundabout path to the pros. He went overseas to play for Austria’s AC Salzburg before going pro in North America, due to the 2012 lockout, but then spent just four games in the AHL his rookie season; the rest of the time, he was in the ECHL. 

Despite the rarity of ECHL skaters (goaltenders are a different story) hitting the NHL, Grenier worked his way up through the AHL and finally hit NHL ice last season. It wasn’t enough to earn him a permanent spot on the team this year, but it was enough – coupled with his success in the AHL this year – to earn him a nod when the Canucks have a need for supplementary offense on the wing. 

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 200 lbs, Grenier is a right winger with decent playmaking ability in the lower level pros. 

In all actuality, the recall of Grenier won’t do a whole lot. Unless he’s able to translate his success at the AHL level to the NHL game, he’ll be a depth call-up for the Canucks. 

Where this impacts more, really, is in Utica. 

The Comets have been benefitting greatly from having Grenier full-time on the roster, as he’s currently leading the team in scoring with 14 points in just 16 games. He’s offensively their second-most efficient point producer behind Michael Chaput, counting players with ten or more games. 

As a result, losing him hits the AHL club – particularly on their power-play, where he serves on the top unit as a heavy influencer. 

The Canucks will take on the Dallas Stars this evening, deep in the heart of Texas. 

They don’t seem to be as bad as the rebuilding Coyotes, but the Canucks have been atrocious this year; much like in his NHL debut, it’s a tough Vancouver roster for Grenier to be skating out with. 

Puck drops at 7:30 PM CST, presumably with Grenier and without what’s sounding like Sven Baertschi.