Former Pee Dee Player Milks Local Fame

Florence, SC – The Pee Dee Pride minor league hockey team operated in Florence, South Carolina from 1997 – 2005.  During that time, a feisty player from the small town of Moose Patch, Alberta, Canada, plied his trade off and on for eight seasons.  Todd Grimple never emerged as a star player, but the farm boy from the Canadian prairie became a semi-adored figure by dozens of fans.  With a career total of 13 goals, 4 assists and 937 penalty minutes, Grimple spent as much time in the penalty box as he did cleaning up the Florence Civic Arena after games, to make extra money.

 

When the team folded, most of the Pride players relocated and found work elsewhere.  Bucking the trend, Grimple remained in Florence, where he took a job with the city’s sanitation department. Today, Grimple can be spotted at local restaurants and events, attempting to use his perceived fame to garner special treatment.  Over the years, anecdotal reports have accumulated of Grimple trying to use autographed hockey cards to pay for meals or board flights.

 

“Oh, I’ve seen Todd plenty of times,” said Tina Fondell, waitress at Applebee’s.  “One time, he left a hockey card with his check.  He had signed it, ‘Just the tip. Todd.’  What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Other employees have echoed Fondell’s report.  “This ol’ dude, he go cuttin’ in front a my line like he own the place,” said Laqueefa Sanders, American Airlines gate agent.  “He give me some card with his picture on it.  I’m like, what am I gon’ do with this?  What’s dis [expletive]?”

 

When questioned about Grimple, former Marketing Director of the Pee Dee Pride, Guy Handy, had this to say:  “We had some hockey cards printed up as part of a promotion one of those years back, but Todd wasn’t on the team at that time.  From what I hear, he printed up thousands of those cards on his own dime.”

 

Attempts were made to contact Grimple, but his listed Cricket Wireless number is no longer in service.