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Derek Grant (33) ended the quarter-final against Biel with a hat trick. And repeated this feat at the beginning of the series against Zug (5:2). Has the ZSC Center ever recorded two hat tricks in a row? “No, never,” the Canadian answers, showing a large gap between his teeth as he smiles. “I’ve only had one in my entire life.” That was two years ago, in the NHL, with the Anaheim Ducks against the St. Louis Blues.
In the best league in the world, in which he played 446 games for Ottawa, Calgary, Buffalo, Nashville, Anaheim, Pittsburgh and Anaheim again, Grant had a very different role than he does now with the ZSC Lions. He was a fourth-line player who won faceoffs, was shorthanded and had to constantly fight and fear for his place in the league – and also played on eleven AHL teams.
However, in Zurich he can play a leading role. The fact that he ended up in the city of Limmat has a lot to do with coach Marc Crawford (63). ‘I’ve known Derek for a long time. He played with my son when he was a little boy. I watched his development as he played at Michigan State University and then in the AHL and then reached the NHL. I knew Derek was a very well trained athlete. That’s also why and because of his character, we signed him.”
For the NHL, Grant had to completely change his game
While Grant reached the NHL as a player, Crawford’s son Dylan (34) is a video coach at Vancouver.
“We were about eleven years old when we played together. Marc was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks at the time. That was cool for us kids. We all looked up to the Canucks. During a lockout, Marc was part of our technical staff. “He brought with him a lot of knowledge that you rarely gain at this age,” says Grant. The contact wasn’t as close after that, but we met again and again in the NHL. “Marc then contacted me and I am happy that I got the opportunity here.”
Grant has increasingly regained his scoring touch after being a good scorer in the AHL and in college, Crawford said. It was not easy to rediscover this side of the game, says the 1.91 meter tall and 95 kilo player. “I was an offensive player growing up, but to reach the NHL I had to completely change my playing style. The fact that I now have the opportunity to show myself offensively makes a big difference.”
AHL champions with Wick and Keller
After scoring 18 goals in qualifying, Grant has already scored seven times in five playoff games. It’s fitting that he’s also one of the leads in the Lions’ intro on the video cube and his deep, powerful voice can be heard.
Before that, he had only scored once in the play-offs in his professional career. That was in 2011 with Binghamton, when he became AHL champion with future ZSC champion heroes Roman Wick and Ryan Keller.
It’s clear he likes the bigger role. On and off the ice, the massive Canadian is on the move with his smile, which is missing two teeth. How long has he had a gap in his teeth that makes him look daring? “About since 2014.” He thought about replacing the teeth, but then decided they would have come out quickly. “I still found a woman. I think it’s okay.”
He only extended his contract in Zurich when his wife Alexa, who worked as a real estate agent in California, came to Zurich after a few months. “We really like it here.” They have been to the mountains several times with their dog, which reminds him of his home in the Vancouver area.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
