At some point, the lack of height is a real detriment for hockey players. At around 5-foot-10, prospects seem to look much less attractive than their taller counterparts. And anyone shorter than that is an outlier -- something special.
At 5-6, Rocco Grimaldi is the outlier of outliers. And what makes him intriguing is that he will probably be chosen in next June's NHL Draft. That, in itself, is a rare feat. There have been just over 5,300 players drafted since 1990 -- only four of them have been 5-6 and just two -- Brian Wiseman (1991, No. 257 New York Rangers) and Nathan Gerbe (2005, No. 142, Buffalo Sabres) -- have played in a single NHL game.
So it's tough to say the odds are stacked against him ... because there aren't enough numbers to even calculate the odds.
That said, short players simply don't get much of a look in the draft. Only 0.6 percent of players drafted have been 5-8 or shorter; 7.8 percent have been 5-10 or shorter, which is the height of the average North American. So Grimaldi falls at the very edge of the bell curve.
To read more about the history of drafting short players in the NHL, how they pan out and whether Rocco Grimaldi could be a value pick, you must be an ESPN Insider.
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Grant Sonier
Grant Sonier has scouted for six NHL organizations over the past 13 years, most recently for the Atlanta Thrashers during the 2010-11 season. He is a special contributor to ESPN Insider.
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Victoria Matiash
Victoria Matiash has served as a Fantasy Hockey columnist for ESPN.com since 2007, and contributor to NHL Rumor Central since 2010. She lives in Toronto.
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