Rocco Grimaldi Bio
Rocco Niccolas Grimaldi (born February 8, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). A right wing who shoots right, Grimaldi has built a long professional career across the National Hockey League (NHL), the American Hockey League (AHL), and now the KHL. Despite standing 5 feet 6 inches tall, he has been praised for his offensive skill, speed, and competitive edge at every level he has played.
Early Life and Background
Rocco Niccolas Grimaldi was born on February 8, 1993, in Anaheim, California, in the United States. He grew up in Rossmoor, a community in Orange County, and came from a family with deep ties to athletics. His father worked as a police officer in California, while his mother served as the team manager for the Little Caesars AAA Hockey club. That family connection to the sport helped shape his early introduction to competitive hockey.
At the age of five, Grimaldi first picked up roller hockey in California, where he quickly discovered that the game excited him more than baseball or basketball. As a youth, he played in the 2004 and 2005 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the California Wave minor ice hockey team, and in the 2006 edition of the same tournament with the Detroit Little Caesars team. In 2005, he and part of his family relocated from Rossmoor to Michigan so that he could face a higher level of competition.
Path to Hockey
Grimaldi continued his development in Michigan, playing AAA Hockey for Detroit Little Caesars during the 2008–2009 season, where he posted 43 points with 17 goals and 26 assists in 31 games. He then spent two seasons with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, competing against junior teams in the United States Hockey League. During the 2009–10 campaign, he led the United States Under-17 national team in scoring with 40 points in 36 games, and the following season he paced Team USA overall with 34 goals and 28 assists in 50 games.
Heading into the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, scouts raised questions about his size, as he measured 5 feet 6 inches tall. Grimaldi answered those concerns with confidence, noting that he enjoys the discussion. The 2011–12 Hockey Prospectus ranked him as the 36th-best hockey prospect in its draft guide. He then committed to the University of North Dakota, where he spent three seasons before turning professional.
Rocco Grimaldi Career
Early Career (2014–2016)
On May 7, 2014, Rocco Niccolas Grimaldi signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers, the team that had drafted him 33rd overall in 2011. He opened the 2014–15 season with the Panthers’ AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, before earning his first NHL recall on November 1, 2014. Grimaldi made his NHL debut the following day in a 2–1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, marking the start of his top-flight professional career.
On November 18, 2014, he achieved an unusual feat by playing two games in one day, appearing in a morning matinee with the Rampage and an evening game with the Panthers. His time in the Panthers organization ended on June 23, 2016, when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for goaltender Reto Berra.
NHL Stops (2016–2022)
After training camp with the Avalanche in 2016, Grimaldi was reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage on September 30, 2016, where he opened the 2016–17 season. He led the Rampage in scoring with 15 points through 19 games before earning his first recall to Colorado on December 2, 2016. He made his Avalanche debut the next night in a 3–0 loss to the Dallas Stars, then returned to the AHL, where he recorded 31 points in 49 games the following year and added a goal and two assists in six NHL contests with Colorado.
As a Group IV free agent, Grimaldi signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Nashville Predators on July 1, 2018. He later signed a two-year contract extension on February 24, 2020, after a stretch of consistent production. On March 25, 2021, in a home game against the Detroit Red Wings, he scored three goals in the first period for his first career hat trick, setting a franchise record for the fastest hat trick by a Predators player at 2 minutes and 34 seconds. He added a fourth goal in the third period, becoming only the second player in Predators history to score four goals in a single game, joining Eric Nystrom.
Anaheim, AHL, and Beyond (2022–2024)
Grimaldi went unsigned over the summer of 2022 and joined the Anaheim Ducks on a professional tryout basis. After a strong preseason, he was signed to a one-year AHL contract with the San Diego Gulls on October 15, 2022. He led the Gulls in scoring with 27 goals and 56 points in 54 games before being traded to the Rockford IceHogs on March 2, 2023.
The following season, Grimaldi produced his most complete year as a professional with the Chicago Wolves, recording 36 goals and 73 points in 72 games. Unable to secure an NHL contract for 2024–25, he agreed to a professional tryout with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL on October 11, 2024. With the Monsters, he notched 17 goals and 58 points in 65 regular-season games, helping the club qualify for the postseason.
SKA Saint Petersburg Era (2025–Present)
After 11 professional seasons in North America, Grimaldi signed a two-year contract with Russian club SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL on August 13, 2025, choosing to take his game abroad for the first time. The move gave him a fresh opportunity to showcase his offensive skill on a larger international stage and join one of the most prominent clubs in European hockey.
Driving Style and Strengths
Grimaldi has long been recognized for his elite speed, quick hands, and strong two-way play despite his smaller frame. Scouts have praised his intangibles, work ethic, and willingness to compete in heavy areas, while his offensive instincts have produced consistent scoring at every level. His ability to adapt between top-line scoring roles and penalty-killing duties has helped him remain a reliable contributor throughout his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Grimaldi’s signature NHL moment came on March 25, 2021, when he scored four goals, including a record-setting hat trick in 2 minutes and 34 seconds, against the Detroit Red Wings while with the Nashville Predators. Earlier, on November 18, 2014, he accomplished the rare feat of playing two professional games in a single day with the Florida Panthers and San Antonio Rampage. At the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he scored the gold medal-winning goal for Team USA against Sweden.
Rocco Grimaldi Career Wins
Across the NHL, AHL, junior, and international stages, Rocco Niccolas Grimaldi has built a résumé that includes memorable hat tricks, scoring titles, and championship-level production. While exact career win totals are not itemized in available records, his consistent offensive output at each stop underscores his value as a goal-scorer.
Predators Highlights
Grimaldi’s most productive NHL stretch came with the Nashville Predators from 2018 to 2022. His four-goal performance against Detroit in March 2021 set a franchise record for the fastest hat trick and made him only the second player in Predators history to score four goals in a single game. He also helped stabilize the Predators’ bottom-six forward group with regular contributions on both special teams.
Other Wins & Performances
Grimaldi’s most productive professional season came with the Chicago Wolves in 2023–24, when he posted 36 goals and 73 points in 72 games. In the AHL, he led the San Antonio Rampage in scoring early in the 2016–17 season and paced the San Diego Gulls in points during 2022–23. He also captured gold medals with the United States at the 2010 Under-18 World Championship and the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and led the 2023 IIHF World Championship in scoring as a senior-team veteran.
Rocco Grimaldi Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rocco Niccolas Grimaldi was raised in a family with strong athletic ties on his mother’s side. His mother worked as the team manager for the Little Caesars AAA Hockey club, a connection that helped introduce him to organized competition at an early age. His father served as a police officer in California, providing a stable home environment that supported his athletic development.
Personal Life
Grimaldi is a devout born-again Christian and has spoken about the role faith plays in his daily life. In July 2016, he married Abigail (Abby) Mattson, his longtime partner. The couple has been based in various cities across North America as his career has moved between NHL and AHL organizations, before relocating to Russia in 2025 to join SKA Saint Petersburg.
2025 Season Performance
Grimaldi enters the 2025–26 season with SKA Saint Petersburg after signing a two-year contract on August 13, 2025. The move marks his first professional season outside North America following more than a decade in the NHL and AHL systems. He joins one of the KHL’s flagship clubs with a clear opportunity to play a top-six scoring role and contribute on special teams.
Coming off a 65-game AHL campaign in which he produced 17 goals and 58 points with the Cleveland Monsters, Grimaldi brings proven offensive momentum into the KHL. His leadership as the leading scorer for the United States at the 2023 IIHF World Championship also suggests he can adapt quickly to international competition. Expectations are that he will serve as a primary offensive driver for SKA Saint Petersburg in his first season abroad.
Long term, Grimaldi’s two-year deal gives him a platform to extend his career in Europe and possibly open doors to additional international opportunities. If he can translate his AHL scoring pace to the KHL, he could emerge as one of the more productive North American forwards in the league this season. His blend of speed, hockey sense, and professional experience makes him a player to watch for SKA Saint Petersburg in 2025–26.