Last week, Matvei Gridin plopped in front of the TV and watched a special salute to his childhood idol. He didn’t want to miss Pavel Datsyuk’s induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame, reminding him there was good reason that they called him ‘Magic Man.’
Most nights, when he flips on the flat screen, Gridin is glimpsing into the future.
The 18-year-old forward keeps close tabs on the Calgary Flames, the organization that selected him in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. He pays special attention to one player, in particular.
“I feel like I have some similar style as (Yegor) Sharangovich, so I like to watch him and translate some to my game,” Gridin explained in a phone interview from Shawinigan, Que., where he is continuing his development with the QMJHL’s Cataractes. “I think we have similar size. And he has a sick shot, so maybe that’s kind of similar to me.”
This laser focus on Sharangovich isn’t some sort of fluke.
The Flames figure that ’Sharky’ is an ideal role model for this on-the-rise winger from Kurgan, Russia.
Gridin has a similar frame at 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds. He, too, is a left-handed shot who is comfortable on either flank.
“I think there’s a lot of intangibles there that we can equate Matvei’s game,” said Ray Edwards, the director of player development for the Flames. “Just the whole package — if you look at what Sharan is and what Matvei can be, I think there’s a lot of similarities.”
General manager Craig Conroy agreed.
“They both have good hands, good shot, good vision, and he has that really good speed going down the wing,” he said. “I think with Matvei, he has maybe more of an edge. If it’s not going well, then he gets physical and he gets more involved and I think when he gets more involved, he’s actually better. You have to be careful you’re not taking penalties, but you want him on that edge. It makes a huge difference.”
If your social media algorithm has identified you as a follower of all things Flames, you know there is a ton of excitement about Calgary’s current cast of up-and-comers, especially this latest draft class.
On weekends, when most junior and collegiate teams are in action, you’ll see a string of updates on which of the kids are shining at the lower levels.
Like on Grey Cup Sunday, for example, when Gridin earned first-star honours in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Cape Breton Eagles. He buried both goals for the Cataractes in regulation — one a rebound, the other a top-shelf sizzler — and then assisted on the sudden-death strike.
(That capped an impressive weekend for both of the Flames’ first-round selections from this past summer. Zayne Parekh, who heard his name called at No. 9 overall and is currently starring on the blue-line for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, scored once and added a couple of helpers in Saturday’s blowout win over the Sarnia Sting, marking his third straight multi-point performance.)
The Flames’ development staffers are always happy to see their prospects produce, but that’s never the top priority. That is something not lost on Gridin, who has nine goals and 13 assists to show for 19 outings this fall. He also leads the Cataractes with 72 shots on net.
“I don’t like my start, actually. I don’t score enough goals,” said Gridin, who won the scoring crown last winter in the USHL and was the No. 28 overall pick in June. “But I think I’ve improved a little in my game without the puck, and this stuff is so important in the NHL.
“In my opinion, the Flames don’t care if I score 120 points in the Q if I’m playing bad without the puck. It’s more important for me to improve in defensive side of the game.”
The 26-year-old Sharangovich, by no coincidence, is a guy who can have an impact even when he’s not lighting the lamp.
When Gridin watches the Flames, he’s studying how No. 17 handles the details in his own zone, how he works in the corners, how he manages to find or to create space so he can unleash a wicked shot that helped him to score a team-high 31 goals during the 2023-24 campaign.
Gridin hopes this is a glimpse into his own future. Since Sharangovich signed a long-term extension with the Flames over the summer, they could be teammates — linemates, perhaps? — for years to come.
“Matvei has a ton of ability and skill,” Edwards said. “I think for us, the big thing with him is just to make sure he’s using his size and his competitiveness is good every night. The consistency there, that’s what we’re trying to hone in on. When he’s on the puck and he’s relentless and he has that second and third effort, then he’s going to have the puck. And when he has the puck, he’s dangerous almost every time.”