Some players go their entire professional hockey career without celebrating a championship.

Derek Grant , remarkably, already has a Calder Cup on his resum茅. Not bad for three months鈥� work.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been crazy,鈥� marveled Grant, whose Binghamton Senators clinched the American Hockey League title on Tuesday. 鈥淔or my first half a year in the league, to go all the way is pretty cool.鈥�

Grant, a fourth-round NHL draft pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2008, turned pro in March following his sophomore season at Michigan State University . The 21-year-old centre was sent to upstate New York to join Ottawa鈥檚 AHL affiliate.

Binghamton overcame the Manchester Monarchs, the Portland Pirates and the Charlotte Checkers en route to the Calder Cup final, where they knocked off the Houston Aeros in six games.

Grant only got into seven playoff contests 鈥� he suffered a separated shoulder in Game 7 of the Sens鈥� first-round series against Manchester.

But Grant made an impact in the limited action he saw. His lone post-season goal came at the 4:03 mark of overtime during Game 2 against the Monarchs, lifting Binghamton to a 4-3 win.

Grant called it the biggest goal of his life.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really know how to celebrate on it, because I was kind of shocked,鈥� he recounted. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 really believe it.鈥�

Grant played one season with the junior B Abbotsford Pilots (2006-07) and two with the junior A 91原创 Chiefs (2007-09). In 92 games with 91原创 over the two seasons, he scored 49 goals and added 74 assists.

Following the 2008-09 season, he went to Michigan State where he scored 20 goals and 63 points in 76 games over his two seasons in East Lansing.

Grant said he learned a lot during his thrilling introduction to pro hockey.

鈥淭he group of guys we had was 91原创enal,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e had just unbelievable team chemistry, and I think that helped carry us throughout.鈥�

Tuesday鈥檚 series-clinching victory over the Aeros, by a score of 3-2, sealed Binghamton鈥檚 first Calder Cup in 29 years of AHL participation.

鈥淲e had a parade (on Wednesday), and the whole town was pretty crazy and ecstatic,鈥� Grant said. 鈥淚t meant so much to the fans.鈥�