Grosenick: Time was right to leave

by Ryan Fay

They say timing is everything in life.

That proved the be the case for Troy Grosenick when he gave up his senior year of eligibility and signed an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

"It was a busy week talking to a lot of people," Grosenick said. "I've been talking to the people I trust most, especially my family. It just felt like the time to do it."

But it wasn't an easy decision for the former Hobey Baker finalist.

“Leaving a group of brothers in the locker room is, mainly, the hardest part," said Grosenick. "I owe a great deal to those guys. I love every single one of them."

Union head coach Rick Bennett was grateful for the quick decision, which came a little more than a week following a season-ending loss to Quinnipiac in the East Regional final.

Grosenick

"It's the one thing we talked about to our players early in the season at our opening meeting and at the end of the season to wrap it up," Bennett said. "Give us a chance to go out there and give us a chance to find a replacement for anyone leaving this program... not that we want to, but we have to be prepared. Troy came in the next day and we talked about it and he gave us plenty of heads up, which says a lot about him. He was a man of his word."

The Wisconsin native was also courted by a "handful" of other teams, most prominently the Edmonton Oliers. A combination of factors sealed the deal for the Sharks.

"It was the commitment San Jose showed to me and talking to [San Jose general manager] Doug Wilson about their belief that I have what it takes to be a successful goalie at the professional level and ultimately the NHL level," Grosenick said. "Their ultimate offer showed what Wilson said to me on the phone and that he was being a straight shooter."

Instead of reporting to a minor league affiliate right away, the junior will spend a few days in San Jose to take his physical and meet members of the organization. After that, he'll return to Union and complete his degree in managerial economics over the summer. He'll also use the time to train for next season, which could include a stop at San Jose's American Hockey League affiliate in Worcester, Massachusetts.

"San Jose showed that they cared about my career and my own ambitions to get my degree and focus on that," Grosenick said, adding there was no pressure to play immediately. "They gave me an opportunity to finish my college degree and I was humbled by that. It shows how first-class they are and I appreciated it."

Grosenick is the third Dutchmen player to leave early in the past three seasons. Keith Kinkaid left two years ago after his sophomore season to sign with the New Jersey Devils while Jeremy Welsh departed last year after his junior campaign to ink a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.

"They texted me some congrats and I'll be talking to those guys in the next couple days to get some advice," Grosenick said.

Grosenick played in 71 games in three years at Union (the last two as a starter) and finished 39-16-9 with a 1.89 goals against average, a .930 save percentage, and seven shutouts. The 39 wins rank second in the program's Division I era (trailing only Kris Mayotte's 46) while the goals against average and save percentage marks rank first. As the starter, he backstopped the program to its first two Whitelaw Cups and its first trip to the Frozen Four.

"Three of the best years I could ask for in a college experience," Grosenick said. "It's bittersweet. It's sad to know that last year was my last playing in the garnet, black and white. But it was just time [to move on]."

RELATED STORY: Union doesn't lack confidence in likely Grosenick replacement Stevens.
RELATED AUDIO: Grosenick (4/8/13) | Bennett (4/8/13)