Grigorenko almost healed from mono

Friday, 06.01.2012 / 4:14 PM

By Adam Kimelman - NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor / Combing the 2012 NHL Combine

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Combing the 2012 NHL Combine
Grigorenko almost healed from mono

TORONTO -- Mikhail Grigorenko sat out the fitness testing of the Scouting Combine while he continues to recover from a bout of mononucleosis. However, he assured NHL decision-makers he would be 100 percent before teams are scheduled to report to training camps in September. In fact, the Quebec Remparts center said he'd be ready to go by the time teams hold summer rookie camps.

"Mini-camp will be in two months or something, so I'll be ready," he said. "In a few days I will start to train, so I have all summer to train."

Grigorenko said he didn't even know he was sick until after the Remparts lost to the Halifax Mooseheads in the quarterfinals of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. He had 10 points in 11 games, but just three goals, leading some to question his work ethic.

"I thought I had some flu," he said. "It was just, I wasn't feeling good. After [the playoffs] the doctor told me. They took my blood and after they told me it was mono."

Grigorenko said he wasn't upset people were questioning his performance because like he said, "I didn't know I had it."

"I was a little sad I didn't have a good playoff," he said. "After I just realized it was maybe because of this [mono]. I didn't have energy and it was because of this."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK
 
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