Doug Grimes joined the Miami RedHawks in late April, arriving alongside top portal pickup Matteo Giampa as another important addition for head coach Anthony Noreen and his staff.
Related: Miami Lands Out-of-Conference Transfers Matteo Giampa and Doug Grimes
Grimes, a native of Brookline, Massachusetts, is a 23-year-old right-winger with good size at 6-foot-3, 201 pounds. He spent the past two seasons at Boston University, appearing in 39 games and recording four points (three goals, one assist). His 2024–25 campaign was cut short by a late-season-ending injury in January, limiting him to just 15 games.
In those appearances, he played primarily as a third or fourth-line right-winger and didn’t see action during the Terriers’ 2025 NCAA tournament run to the National Championship.
On a stacked roster full of NHL-level talent, consistent minutes were hard to come by.
However, he did see action in the 2024 Frozen Four Semifinal against the Denver Pioneers, a tight 2–1 overtime loss for the Terriers. Experiences like that are huge for a program like Miami that hasn’t tasted playoff-level games in years, especially with a roster with a lot of younger players still learning what it takes to win at that stage.
Grimes’s Junior Career
Before arriving at Boston University, Grimes had a breakout season with the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Lincoln Stars in 2022–23, where he served as an alternate captain and posted 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists) in 49 games, plus nine points (three goals, six assists) in eight playoff games. Across his USHL career, which included stops in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, and Lincoln, he played 113 games, totaling 69 points (36 goals, 33 assists).
His junior career also included a standout season at Dexter Southfield School (USHS-Prep) in 2019–20, where he recorded 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists), which earned him the 15th overall pick in Phase One of the 2020 USHL Draft.
What Does Grimes Bring?
Grimes brings a physical edge to the RedHawks’ lineup and has the makings of a “glue guy”, someone who might not get all the attention but helps hold the lineup together with his presence and effort in the dirty areas. He has some untapped potential and could be a solid depth piece for Noreen’s group.
Grimes also has a strong net-front presence, using his size to screen goalies and finish rebounds home. That skill set adds a gritty layer to Miami’s lineup and could be especially valuable on the power play or in close, physical games, which seems to be every game in the NCHC.
If Noreen can pull the right strings and help him find his old form, Grimes could quietly become a valuable contributor as Miami looks to build chemistry with a mixed roster.
Grimes Fits Noreen’s Vision
When asked about building such a large class, Noreen said, “When it’s a class as big as ours, we had to get creative about where we were getting guys from. When you look at NCAA transfers, USHL players, CHL players, U Sports transfers, we had to explore all options. We had to use our relationships. We had to spend as many man-hours on the road and build a trust and sell our program as possible.”
Related: Miami RedHawks Offseason Update With Head Coach Anthony Noreen
He added, “The overarching theme is we wanted high-character, high-compete guys. Didn’t matter where they were from, how big, how small, what league, those were the two things we were not going to bend on.”
Grimes fits that mold. He’s a high-compete, high-character player who’s been through some adversity and should bring maturity to Oxford.
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