Former University of North Dakota standout Rocco Grimaldi is a 5-foot-6 Avalanche prospect from Anaheim, Calif. Boston native Joe Whitney, also a 5-6 forward hoping to latch on with Colorado, played four years at Boston College.
Differing backgrounds did not deter the two proud Italians and fire-hydrant forwards from becoming buddies on their professional journeys. Their diminutive height is a source of celebration at this level.
“We all stick together,” said Whitney, whose mother is from Boston’s Tecce family, which ran the now-defunct Joe Tecce’s Restaurant — a North End landmark before the Big Dig. “Any time you see a smaller guy around the league, you kind of have a bond automatically.