More than 2,000 NHL penalty minutes. One unforgettable nickname. And plenty of stories from the original Mighty Ducks.
On Episode 29 of The Mask & The Mic, Guy Hebert and Kent French welcome Guy's former Mighty Ducks of Anaheim teammate Stu Grimson, better known throughout the hockey world as “The Grim Reaper.”
Stu takes us back to the beginning of his professional career and the realization in the minor leagues that fighting—and his willingness to protect his teammates—might be his path to the NHL. He shares the story behind “The Grim Reaper” nickname, what it meant to embrace the role of an NHL enforcer, and the pride he took in knowing his teammates appreciated having him on their side.
Then Guy and Stu head down memory lane to the inaugural 1993-94 Mighty Ducks season. They reminisce about former teammates, life as employees of Disney, some of the unusual perks that came with it, and those unforgettable Mighty Ducks photo shoots—including dressing as pirates and posing aboard a pirate ship at Disneyland.
But there was also a very real price that came with being one of the NHL's most feared enforcers. Stu opens up about some of the toughest fights of his career, the opponents who tested him the most, the injuries he suffered, and the physical toll that years of fighting ultimately took on his body.
The guys also revisit the memorable 2001 Foundation for a Better Life commercial that showed hockey fans a very different side of “The Grim Reaper,” and Stu reflects on telling his full story in his memoir, The Grim Reaper: The Life and Career of a Reluctant Warrior.
It's a conversation filled with laughs, honesty, Mighty Ducks nostalgia, and a fascinating look inside one of hockey's most demanding roles—from the man who lived it.
🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube.
🎙️ Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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