Krushelnyski takes on pro game in Utah
By Matt Mackinder
Alexander Krushelnyski may have a Stanley Cup-winning father, but now that he’s graduated college and advanced to the pro game, the younger Krushelnyski wants nothing more than to forge his own name with a championship.
Having recently signed with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, the 23-year-old forward from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., finished up his four years at NCAA Division I Colorado College last season and chose the Grizzlies as an avenue to advance up the ranks.
“The organization has done a great job getting guys here and, once they’re here, developing them and getting them to higher levels,” said Krushelnyski, whose father, Mike, won three Stanley Cups as a player with the Edmonton Oilers and one as a coach with the Detroit Red Wings.
“It seems like a great place to start my pro career and I’m sure it’ll be a learning experience. The biggest thing for me is how I go about establishing my game as a pro player.”
Krushelnyski, who went to camps over the summer with Edmonton and the Anaheim Ducks, said his time at CC was truly special.
“I had a great time there, lots of memories,” Krushelnyski said. “Every year, we had a great group of guys and, being that CC is a small school, you’re with the guys all the time. We always looked forward to being at the rink.”
Now getting acclimated to life in Utah, Krushelnyski has but one goal in mind this season.
“(Grizzlies coach) Tim (Branham) says we’ll have a strong team and he wants to win,” said Krushelnyski. “I think we’ll do good things and make a statement.
“If the team does well, individuals do well and I think we have the ability to turn some heads.”