Former Red Wings second round pick, Igor Grigorenko, faces four-year ban from IIHF for doping violation.

In a surprising move by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), former professional player and current coach Igor Grigorenko has been handed a four-year suspension after a decade-old doping violation was uncovered.

Grigorenko, a former second-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2001, tested positive for multiple banned substances in a reanalyzed sample originally collected in 2015 when he was still playing. The substances included metenolone, oxandrolone, trenbolone, meldonium, cathine, and pseudoephedrine.

Although Grigorenko never made it to the NHL, he briefly appeared in five games for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins during the 2007–2008 season before continuing his career in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He showed hope as a high-end prospect but his development was quickly derailed after being involved in a serious car accident in 2003. 

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He suffered several injuries to his left leg including a broken left thigh bone and two fractures in his left shin bone. He managed to carve out a meaningful career in Russian pro leagues and retired from professional play after the 2017–2018 season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk and has since worked as a coach.

This suspension prohibits him from taking part in any IIHF-affiliated events or holding official coaching roles until 2029. Grigorenko, who has represented his country on multiple international stages, will likely see his substance ban extend beyond a period in which he could realistically be considered for a return to the Russian national team should they rejoin the international hockey scene. While Grigorenko has not yet commented publicly, the ban could significantly limit his involvement in international hockey and damage his professional reputation.

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