'Grim Reaper' Grimson fondly recalls days with Hawks

Stu Grimson played only three seasons with the Blackhawks from 1990-93, but he was one of the most popular players on some great teams coached by Mike Keenan.

"The Grim Reaper," as he was nicknamed, was a top-end enforcer during his 14-year NHL career. He racked up 2,113 penalty minutes in 729 career games, but he will always remembered around here for those three seasons he spent with the Hawks on one of the biggest and baddest clubs in franchise history.

Grimson had 234 penalty minutes in 1991-92, the year the Hawks last went to the Stanley Cup Finals, but his total ranked fourth on the club behind Mike Peluso (408), Steve Smith (304) and Chris Chelios (245).

"We were talented, we were physical and we were very close bunch," said Grimson, now a lawyer in Nashville and a part-time analyst on the Predators' radio broadcasts.

What Grimson will remember most is playing in Chicago Stadium, where the fans would salute him with "Stuuuuuu" chants.

"I remember the atmosphere," he said. "One of the most cherished memories of my career was playing three years in that building because I don't think you can ever duplicate that environment.

"From the moment I walked into this town and this organization, everybody made me feel welcome. The city had such a great feel and we had great teams back then. To me it was just a perfect marriage."

Grimson retired in 2002 and started law school a year later. He works for a firm in Nashville that specializes in civil litigation.

"I'm in the courtroom all the time," he said.

As for the irony of a former NHL enforcer now working as a lawyer, Grimson said: "I always tell folks there's lot of different ways to enforce the law."