The Toronto Maple Leafs have about half of their top-12 forwards missing for various reasons. On Wednesday, Nikita Grebenkin was given his NHL debut with Toronto—and he made a room full of reporters burst out in laughter with his hilarious quote about what he offers as a player.
The Maple Leafs placed Max Domi on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, making him the fifth Toronto forward out with an injury. The team entered their game against the Vegas Golden Knights without Domi, Auston Matthews, David Kämpf, Calle Järnkrok, Max Pacioretty, and Ryan Reaves, who is currently serving a five-game suspension.
Nikita Grebenkin’s NHL debut
With all the injuries and absences, the Leafs decided to recall the 21-year-old Russian winger Nikita Grebenkin. Drafted 135th overall in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Grebenkin won the KHL’s Gagarin Cup with Metallurg Magnitogorsk last year, scoring 41 points in 67 regular-season games.
This season, he tallied four goals and 10 points in 13 games with the Marlies in the AHL before finally making his NHL debut.
Grebenkin’s hilarious quote
In careful English, he spoke to reporters before the game about how he felt getting the chance to play in the NHL.
“I feel perfect. Let’s go work today,” Grebenkin said when asked if he was nervous about his debut.
“Leafs give me a chance. I go work. Help team win. Not win, I not enjoy. Win today, I enjoy.”
He also had a hilarious response when asked about his playing style and what his teammates expect from him. Laughing as he spoke, he shared a quote that had the whole room of reporters bursting into laughter:
“I like hard hockey. Team like hard hockey. It’s chip nice. Back check, yep. Team speak me: backcheck, forecheck, and paycheck,” he said, laughing out loud.
A video of Grebenkin’s quotes went viral on social media, with many finding them absolutely wholesome. While he didn’t record any points in his NHL debut, he had one shot over 13 shifts and logged 11:05 of ice time.
READ MORE: Zach Whitecloud’s hit on Matthew Knies leaves fans divided
