Man of the Week: Alex Grant
KHL.ru continues its weekly column with Alex Grant. The Barys’ defenseman made history on Sunday, when he became the first KHL blueliner to score four times in a single game.
On Sunday, Jan 8, Grant made history on Sunday by becoming the first KHL defenseman to score four goals in a single game. His impressive performance helped lead Barys to a 5:1 victory over Admiral on the road. Grant, a 30-year-old Canadian, has been a consistent point-scorer throughout his career, but this game was truly a standout performance. Not only did he score four times in a single match, but he also netted more goals on Sunday than in his entire season before entering the Vladivostok game.
Grant has been a key player for Barys this season, and his offensive output from the blue line has been vital to Barys’ success so far this season. His record-breaking performance on Sunday is a testament to his skill and determination as a player. Barys is currently the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, with a two-point gap over Amur and Traktor, and three points more than Neftekhimik. The playoffs race in the East is tight, and performance like the one by Grant on Sunday can make the difference between making and not making the playoffs.
Early years
Alex Grant was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, on Jan 20, 1989. He started playing locally, with his last season in midget hockey played with the Antigonish Bulldogs before being selected first overall at the 2005 QMJHL entry draft by the Saint John Sea Dogs. He went on a successful career with the Sea Dogs, earning a call to Team Canada for the 2007 U18 WJC in Finland, where the Canadians returned home after a somewhat disappointing fourth place.
After a strong showing with the Sea Dogs, he was traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes in his final season of eligibility in the top Quebec league in 2009. In the meantime, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Moving up
Despite looking very good at times in the AHL with the Penguins’ affiliates, Grant never had a real chance to make the roster with the big boys, being Pittsburgh a stacked, ever-contending team. After a few seasons, he was consequently traded to the Anaheim Ducks. In California, Grant had his NHL debut, but despite netting a goal in his very first game and following with another tally the following match, the Ducks still sent him down to the AHL before snapping him to the Ottawa Senators.
Next, Grant lined up with teams from the Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins, and Minnesota Wild organizations, without however getting a chance to become a full-time NHL player. After his contract in Minnesota run out, Grant decided to move overseas and signed with Jokerit, then part of the Kontinental Hockey League.
Move to the KHL
As an impending free agent in the NHL, Grant opted for a move overseas, signing in Helsinki. His debut season in the KHL was a big success, with 36 (13+23) points in 57 regular season games with the Jokers – his career-high so far. That same year, he made it to the KHL All-Star Game representing the Bobrov Division at the 2019 event in Kazan. He went on playing another three seasons in Finland, continuing until Jokerit retired from the league following the 2021-2022 season.
As a free agent into the off-season, Grant decided to stay in the league and joined SKA on a one-year deal. However, the veteran blueliner only played 16 games for the St. Petersburg powerhouse before being traded to Barys on November’s tail. The rest is recent history. And with Grant’s thundering shot from the blueline, the Kazakhs have a real chance to qualify for postseason for the fourth straight year.
