Grigorenko represented Russia at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament where Russia finished second. He also finished fifth overall in goals scored and was tied for eighth overall for points while playing the fewest games of any player who was in the top ten in points.
He is currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (National Hockey League). Born and raised in Russia, Grigorenko moved to North America in 2011 and joined the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. After one season in Quebec he was selected twelfth overall in the 2012 National Hockey League Entry Draft by Buffalo. He made his National Hockey League debut with the Sabres in 2013.
Grigorenko was also selected by CSKA Moscow in the first round (8th overall) of the 2011 KHL Junior Draft.
Junior
In June 2011, Grigorenko was selected second overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. National Hockey League Hall of Famer Patrick Roy, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Remparts, liked Grigorenko so much that he traded up in the Import Draft in order to select him. Grigorenko played in 59 games during the 2011-2012 season, his first in North America, and recorded 40 goals and 45 assists for 85 points.
He led all rookie players in the QMJHL in goals and points, and was second for assists. On 20 March 2012, Grigorenko was nominated as the top professional prospect to play in the QMJHL during the 2011-2012 season.
The 2012-2013 National Hockey League lockout meant that Grigorenko started the season back with the Remparts, where he played 32 games and recorded 50 points during the season prior to the lockout ending in January.
At the time he was leading the Remparts and fifth in the QMJHL with 29 goals, and his 50 points were second on the team Professional
When the lockout ended in January, he was invited to the Sabres training camp, where he made the roster for the start of the season. After playing five games with the Sabres, the team decided to keep Grigorenko for the remainder of the season rather than send him back to the Remparts.
Had they done so it would not have counted as a year on his entry-level contract.
On 29 January 2013 Grigorenko scored his first career National Hockey League goal against James Reimer of the Toronto Maple Leafs. After 22 games with the Sabres, where he recorded one goal and four assists, Grigorenko was reassigned to the Remparts on 15 March 2013.
Grigorenko went on to lead the Remparts in playoff scoring with 14 points in 11 games, before being recalled by the Sabres on 16 April 2013. After starting the 2013-2014 season with the Sabres, the team sent Grigorenko back to juniors on 11 January 2014.
He reported to the Remparts several days later after initially refusing to do southern
At the 2015 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Grigorenko was traded by the Sabres in a package that included, Nikita Zadorov, J. T. Compher, and the 31st pick in the draft to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Ryan O"Reilly and Jamie McGinn on 26 June 2015.
