Junior Review - Sigard Petrenko

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Sigard Petrenko representing his homeland in the IIHF World Juniors.

 

Brandon Wheat Kings

 

Brandon, Manitoba. That is where it all began for Sigard Petrenko. Taken 10th in the Western Hockey League’s Bantam Draft, Petrenko was already known for his goal-scoring ability and his tenacity on the puck. The Wheat Kings needed someone who could bury the puck in the net every so often. And so they brought in the young, fast, and electrifying youngster at the ripe age of 16. They got what they needed and more. Sigard ended up becoming one of the leading goal scorers in the league. That season, he led the Wheat Kings in goals scored with 45. He also had 15 assists. As the season progressed, Sigard Petrenko became a staple on the powerplay. This would stay true the next season as well, as Sigard Petrenko scored 48 goals and had 25 assists. 

 

World Juniors - Team Russia

 

Luckily for Sigard, in his second and last year in the WHL, he got invited by Team Russia to play at the IIHF’s World Juniors (not connected in any way to the VHL’s World Juniors). He was one of three 17 year olds and scored 3 goals and had 4 assists in 7 games.

 

Detroit Red Wings/Grand Rapids Griffins

 

Finally, his draft year came and he was one out of hundreds of players waiting to hear their name called. While he was not drafted in the first round, he was taken in the second round, being the 10th pick of that round. Detroit would be the team that drafted him and they signed him to a 3 year, two-way, Entry Level Contract. However, after a mediocre training camp, Sigard Petrenko was sent to the American Hockey League to ply his trade with the Red Wing’s affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He was a gifted goal scorer and showed flashes of brilliance throughout his tenure with the team, however, he could never seem to impress the coaching team enough to get a permanent spot on the team. Sigard put up decent numbers over his time there. The young Russian winger scored 24 goals and had 15 assists in his first season of professional hockey. Then he followed it up with 30 goals and 10 assists with the Griffins. For his final year with the Red Wings organization, he would score 19 goals and 10 assists. He would see a bit of NHL action, playing 6 games and only getting 1 assist in the process.

 

Houston Bulls

 

After a disappointing stint with the Red Wings organization, they decided not to re-sign him. Deciding not to take any more chances at making an NHL roster, he signed a contract with the Houston Bulls of the Victory Hockey League Minors. It has been a long road for Sigard so far and he has even more road to travel now to make it to the big leagues.