San Diego Gulls Sign Rocco Grimaldi To One-Year AHL Contract

Oct 15, 2022

The San Diego Gulls announced today the American Hockey League (AHL) club has signed forward Rocco Grimaldi to a one-year AHL contract through the 2022-23 season.  

Grimaldi, 29 (2/8/93), has appeared in 203 career National Hockey League (NHL) games with the Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers, recording 30-37=67 points and 34 penalty minutes (PIM) from 2014-22. In the 2022 preseason with Anaheim on a professional tryout (PTO), the 5-6, 178-pound forward scored 1-4=5 points with a +2 rating in four exhibition contests, co-leading Anaheim in preseason assists. 

In 2021-22 with Nashville, Grimaldi appeared in seven games, going scoreless with two PIM. He set NHL career-highs in points (10-21=31), goals, assists, plus/minus (+10) and appearances (66) in 2019-20 with Nashville. He has also appeared in 11 Stanley Cup playoff games, recording 3-1=4 points while leading the Predators in postseason goals (3) in 2019.

The Anaheim, California native has appeared in 291 career AHL games with the Milwaukee Admirals, San Antonio Rampage and Portland Pirates, recording 106-118=124 points and 115 penalty minutes (PIM). He appeared in 44 games with Milwaukee during the 2021-22 season, collecting 26-26=52 points with a +14 rating. He set career highs in goals, assists, points and plus/minus. His 26 goals ranked second among all Admirals skaters. Grimaldi also skated in six Calder Cup Playoffs games, posting 1-1=2 points.

Originally selected by Florida in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft, Grimaldi spent three seasons at the University of North Dakota of the WCHA from 2011-14, scoring 31-46=77 points with a +19 rating in 86 career NCAA games. He helped North Dakota to a WCHA championship in 2011-12 and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and All-Academic Team in 2012-13. 

Grimaldi helped Team USA win gold medals at the 2013 World Junior Championship (WJC) and back-to-back U-18 World Championships in 2010 and 2011. In the 2013 WJC tournament, he scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game. Grimaldi spent two seasons at the United States National Team Development Program from 2009-11, leading the U-18 club in points (39-34=73) and goals in 2010-11.