NHL’s tallest player (Zdeno Chara) meets the NHL’s shortest player (Rocco Grimaldi)
Going up against Chara was by happenstance rather than design for Grimaldi.
It’s tough for a guy of Rocco Grimaldi’s size to stick in the NHL. The one-time Florida Panther (drafted second round, 33rd overall, in 2011) has played in 41 career games, four this season with the Nashville Predators.
He’s still hunting for his first goal of the year (he has four in his career), but he achieved a personal milestone after Saturday’s 1-0 win over the Bruins: he went up against Zdeno Chara.
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Grimaldi, 25, is the shortest player in league, at 5 feet 6 inches (and 180 pounds). He will remain so for the near future, perhaps until Columbus calls up ex-BC Eagle Nathan Gerbe (listed at 5-4, 176), currently captaining AHL Cleveland.
Grimaldi played 7:46 against the Bruins and landed a shot on net. He spent the majority of his time (4:19 at five-on-five) against the Bruins captain. It was by happenstance rather than design: five of his seven even-strength shifts against the 6-9, 250-pound Chara came when he rolled over the boards and saw the tallest player in NHL history patrolling the Bruins’ half the the rink.
He did not see the big man in his previous game against the Bruins, an overtime loss with the Panthers on Nov. 4, 2014 at TD Garden. Chara had a knee injury at the time.
