GRIGORENKO ASSIGNED TO GRIFFINS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Monday assigned left wing Igor Grigorenko to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Grigorenko, 24, was Detroit’s first selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. The native of Togliatti, Russia, is expected to practice with the Griffins at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Griff’s IceHouse and make his North American debut this Saturday, Oct. 6 when the Griffins visit the Lake Erie Monsters for their regular season opener.

After finalizing their roster, the 2007-08 Red Wings boast seven former Griffins, including two relative newcomers in forward Matt Ellis and defensemen Derek Meech. They join five other Grand Rapids graduates who filled significant roles for the Red Wings last season, including forwards Valtteri Filppula, Jiri Hudler and Tomas Kopecky, and defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Brett Lebda.