Mikhail Grabovski

{{Infobox ice hockey biography

| name = Mikhail Grabovski

| image = Mikhail Grabovski - New York Islanders.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Grabovski with the New York Islanders in 2015

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|1|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Potsdam, East Germany

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lb = 185

| position = Centre

| shoots = Left

| played_for = Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
Dynamo Moscow
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
CSKA Moscow
Washington Capitals
New York Islanders

| ntl_team = BLR

| draft = 150th overall

| draft_year = 2004

| draft_team = Montreal Canadiens

| career_start = 2003

| career_end = 2016

}}

Mikhail Yuryevich Hrabowski (Belarusian: Міхаіл Юр'евiч Грабоўскі; born 31 January 1984), better known as Mikhail Grabovski (Russian: Михаил Грабовский), is a German-born Belarusian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Grabovski serves as an assistant coach for HC Dinamo Minsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).{{cite web| url = https://hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=99956 | title = Woodcroft and former Islander take over Dinamo Minsk's bench | publisher = hockeybuzz.com | date = 2019-06-15 | access-date = 2019-06-18}} Prior to his coaching career, Grabovski played as a centre in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 10 seasons.

Early life

Grabovski was born in Potsdam, East Germany, where his father, Yury, worked in construction for the Soviet military. The family returned to their native Belarus (then a Soviet Socialist Republic) when he was three years old.

Playing career

Grabovski was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens 150th overall in the 2004 NHL entry draft and played his first NHL game with Montreal on 6 January 2007 against the New York Rangers. He played three games in the NHL before being sent back down to Montreal's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. He helped them win the Calder Cup as AHL champions in the 2006–07 season. Grabovski was called up to play in a few games with the Canadiens during the 2007–08 season but did not see much playing time due to his low position on the team's depth chart. Grabovski recorded his first NHL assist on 20 October 2007, against the Buffalo Sabres and his first goal two days later against the Boston Bruins.

On 3 July 2008, Grabovski was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for the draft rights to Greg Pateryn and a second-round pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft. As a 25-year-old, Grabovski went on to finish his first full season in Toronto with 20 goals and 48 points, leading all NHL Eastern Conference rookies in scoring. The Maple Leafs rewarded Grabovski for his rookie season performance by re-signing him to a three-year, $8.7 million contract carrying an average annual cap hit of $2.9 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283534 |title=Maple Leafs re-sign Grabovski to three-year, $8.7M deal |publisher=Tsn.ca |access-date=2012-03-02}} His 58 points in the 2010–11 season was the highest among Maple Leaf centres since Mats Sundin's 78 points in the 2007–08 season. On 6 March 2012, Toronto re-signed Grabovski to a five-year, $27.5 million contract carrying an average annual cap hit of $5.5 million.{{cite web|url=http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/06/breathe-easy-toronto-grabovski-signs-five-year-extension-to-stay-with-leafs/ |title=Maple Leafs re-sign Grabovski to five-year, $27.5M deal |date=6 March 2012 |publisher=NBC Sports |access-date=2012-03-06}}

On 25 September 2012, due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout that cancelled the first three months of the 2012–13 NHL season, Grabovski signed with CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).{{cite web|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/25/leafs-grabovski-signs-with-cska/ |title=Leafs' Grabovski signs with CSKA |publisher=Toronto Sun |date= 2012-09-25 |access-date=2012-11-15}} When NHL play returned, following a 2012–13 season in which he recorded only 9 goals and 16 points in 48 games, on 4 July 2013, Grabovski was unexpectedly placed on waivers and listed to be bought-out by the Maple Leafs.{{Cite web| url = http://mapleleafshotstove.com/2013/07/04/mikhail-grabovski-to-be-bought-out/ | title = Mikhail Grabovski to be bought-out | publisher = MapleLeafHotStove.com | date = 2013-07-04 | access-date = 2013-07-04}}

On 23 August 2013, as a free agent following his buy-out, Grabovski signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Washington Capitals.{{cite web| url = https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=430317 | title = Capitals sign Grabovski to one-year $3 million deal | publisher = The Sports Network | date = 2013-08-23 | access-date = 2013-08-23}} In his first regular season game with the Capitals on 1 October 2013, Grabovski scored a hat-trick in a 6–4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.{{cite web| url = http://capitals.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/boxscore?id=2013020002 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131004213552/http://capitals.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/boxscore?id=2013020002 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 4 October 2013 | title = Capitals lose high scoring game to Blackhawks | publisher = Washington Capitals | date = 2013-10-01 | access-date = 2013-10-02}} Grabovski completed the 2013–14 season with a respectable 35 points in 58 games as the Capitals failed to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.

File:Mikhail Grabovski - Toronto Maple Leafs.jpg in November 2011]]

On 2 July 2014, as a free agent, Grabovski signed a four-year, $20 million contract with the New York Islanders.{{cite web| url = http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=725221 | title = Islanders agree to terms with Grabovski | publisher = New York Islanders | date = 2014-07-02 | access-date = 2014-07-02}} His tenure with the Islanders was largely affected by injury, with a lingering concussion ruling him out for the entirety of the 2016–17 season. Grabovski joined the Islanders along with his Maple Leafs linemate and friend Nikolay Kulemin, making it known to teams during free agency that they wanted to sign together.

On 21 June 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights selected Jean-François Bérubé from the Islanders in the 2017 NHL expansion draft.{{cite web|last1=Pinchevsky|first1=Tal|title=Vegas Golden Knights Focus on Defense in N.H.L. Expansion Draft|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/sports/hockey/vegas-golden-knights-expansion-draft-fleury.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=22 June 2017|date=22 June 2017}} Bérubé was selected with the condition that Grabovski's final year of contract be traded to the Golden Knights along with a first-round pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft, a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft and prospect Jake Bischoff.{{cite web| url = http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/islanders-lose-j-f-berube-trade-no-1-pick-to-vegas-in-expansion-draft-1.13754436 | title = Islanders lose Berube, trade No.1 Pick to Vegas in expansion draft | publisher = Newsday.com | date = 2017-06-21 | access-date = 2017-06-21}} On 14 September 2017, Grabovski attended his physical for the Vegas Golden Knights with the desire to play for the team.{{cite web| url = https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2017/09/mikhail-grabovski-wants-to-play-this-year.html | title = Mikhail Wants To Play This Year | publisher = prohockeyrumors.com | date = 2017-09-14 | access-date = 2018-12-30}} However, he did not appear in a single game for the Golden Knights.

In June 2019, Grabovski announced his retirement, stating "I decided for myself that staying at home is not the best option. I need to do something. As a player I can no longer participate in games, so I want to try myself as a coach."{{cite web| url = https://twitter.com/A_Kalnins/status/1140719262786605056 | title= Grabovski has officially announced his retirement. | author=Kalniņš, Aivis | date = 2019-06-17 | access-date = 2019-06-18}}

Coaching career

On 15 June 2019, Grabovski was announced as an assistant coach with HC Dinamo Minsk of the KHL.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Controversies

In March 2008, after being a healthy scratch for a game against the Phoenix Coyotes, Grabovski left the Montreal Canadiens and flew to Los Angeles to consult with his agent. The incident prompted his trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs that summer.{{Cite news |author=Zwolinski , Mark |date=10 February 2012 |title=Leafs' Mikhail Grabovski attributes trade from Habs to inexperience |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2012/02/10/leafs_mikhail_grabovski_attributes_trade_from_habs_to_inexperience.html |publisher=The Toronto Star |access-date=21 May 2013}}

In January 2009, Grabovski was involved a scuffle with fellow Belarusian Sergei Kostitsyn during a game between the Maple Leafs and Canadiens. The two had been in a feud since Grabovski's days with the Canadiens. Prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the head of the Belarusian national hockey program had to intervene in order for the two players to be able to coexist on the same team.

In 2010 Grabovski was sued for allegedly punching a woman in the face and hospitalizing a man.{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=Mark Zwolinski Sports |date=2010-09-21 |title=Grabovski on assault lawsuit? No comment |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/grabovski-on-assault-lawsuit-no-comment/article_9a656c9d-80a5-5ebe-b1f6-8efbf0f0c5df.html |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}}

Grabovski inadvertently ended Chris Pronger's career when he accidentally hit him in the side of the eye with his stick.{{cite web | title = Grabovski remorseful over Pronger incident | date = 9 February 2012 | url = http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20120209/the-flyers-scoop-leafs-grabovski-remorseful-of-prongers-status }}

On 9 February 2013, Grabovski was accused of biting Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens during a scrum along the boards. The NHL conducted a telephone hearing with the players involved, but could not determine conclusively if Grabovski had indeed bitten Pacioretty.{{cite web| title = Mikhail Grabovski won't be suspended for allegedly biting Canadiens' Pacioretty | url = https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2013/02/11/max_pacioretty_got_tetanus_shot_after_alleged_bite_by_leafs_mikhail_grabovski.html | work = Toronto Star | date = 2013-02-09 | access-date = 2013-02-09}} However, on 20 May 2013, more than three months later, Grabovski admitted that he did bite Pacioretty, stating in an interview, "He was choking me and I bit him. Don't stick your hands where you shouldn't."{{cite web| title = Mikhail Grabovski on biting Max Pacioretty; his disappointing Leafs postseason; losing Game 7 | url = https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/mikhail-grabovski-disappointing-leafs-postseason-losing-game-7-145116459.html | publisher = Yahoo! Sports | date = 2013-05-20 | access-date = 2013-05-02}}

On 3 July 2013, after learning that his contract was being bought-out by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Grabovski was very critical of Toronto's head coach at the time, Randy Carlyle, in an expletive-filled interview with TSN. "I play in the fucking Russian KHL, I make lots of fucking points and what's going to happen? He make me fucking play on the fourth line and he put me in the playoffs on the fourth line and third line again," said Grabovski. "I don't feel any support from this fucking idiot."{{Cite news |author=Traikos, Michael |date=4 July 2013 |title=Mikhail Grabovski rips Leafs' coach Randy Carlyle after buyout |url=http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013/07/04/leafs-wipe-the-slate-clean-with-mikhail-grabovski-buyout/ |publisher=The National Post |url-status=dead |access-date=13 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001193453/http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013/07/04/leafs-wipe-the-slate-clean-with-mikhail-grabovski-buyout/ |archive-date=1 October 2013 }}

International play

{{MedalTableTop|Mikhaïl Grabovski.JPG|200px|Grabovski with Team Belarus|name=}}

{{MedalCountry | {{ih|BLR}} }}

Grabovski has represented Belarus in international play. He scored four goals and was the first star in one game (against tournament hosts Austria) in the 2005 IIHF World Championship. Grabovski was selected to play for his country at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2010Vancouver/News/2009/12/23/12252741-qmi.html?cid=rsssportsolympics|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719065051/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2010Vancouver/News/2009/12/23/12252741-qmi.html?cid=rsssportsolympics|url-status=usurped|archive-date=19 July 2012|title=Grabovski grabs Oly. spot|last=Longley|first=Rob|publisher=Canaoe.ca|access-date=23 December 2009}} However, he did not play due to injury.{{cite web|author=Terry Koshan |url=http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/02/11/12842641.html |title=Leafs' Olympians get the itch | Hockey | Sports |publisher=Toronto Sun |access-date=2012-03-02}} However, a few months later, he participated in the 2010 IIHF World Championship for Belarus.{{cite book |last=IIHF|title=IIHF Media Guide & Record Book 2011|year=2010 |publisher=Moydart Press |page= 181|isbn= 978-0-9867964-0-1}} Grabovski was named captain of Belarus's roster on the eve of 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia.{{cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=363940 |title=Grabovski named captain of Belarus at world championship |publisher=Tsn.ca |access-date=2012-03-02}} In total, Grabovski has played in seven major international tournaments for Belarus.

Personal life

Grabovski and his wife Kate Van Alstyne had their first child, a daughter, on 30 December 2010.{{cite news|title=Baby first for Grabovski|url=http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/12/30/16714981.html|newspaper=Toronto Sun|date=2010-12-30|access-date=2010-12-31|last=Hornby|first=Lance}} He missed the Maple Leafs' game against the Columbus Blue Jackets that night to be present at the birth. They had their second child, a son, on 6 December 2011.{{cite news | url = https://www.tsn.ca/toronto/blogs/jonas_siegel/?id=382515 | title = Siegel: Change coming to ailing Leafs penalty kill | first = Jonas | last = Siegel | work = TSN | date = 11 December 2011 }} Grabovski and his wife called their son Jaeger after The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.{{Cite web|url=http://thehockeywriters.com/mikhail-grabovski-still-battling-concussion/|title=Mikhail Grabovski Still battling Concussion|date=18 January 2017|website=The Hockey Writers}} A third child was born 13 December 2017 named Charlie. A fourth, named James, was born on 16 April 2025.

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" style="background:#fff;"\| ! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"\| ! colspan="5" \| Regular season ! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"\| ! colspan="5" \| Playoffs
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
2000–01 \| Yunost Minsk \| BLR \| 6	1	3	4	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2001–02 \| Yunost Minsk \| BLR \| 24	9	6	15	16 \| 2	1	1	2	0
2002–03 \| Yunost Minsk \| BLR \| 42	14	22	36	22 \| —	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2002–03 \| Yunost Minsk II \| BLR II \| 10	16	12	28	2 \| —	—	—	—	—
2003–04 \| Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk \| RSL \| 45	6	11	17	26 \| 5	0	0	0	4
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2004–05 \| Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk \| RSL \| 60	16	20	36	32 \| 3	2	0	2	2
2004–05 \| Yunost Minsk \| BLR \| —	—	—	—	— \| 5	2	4	6	6
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2005–06 \| Dynamo Moscow \| RSL \| 48	10	17	28	28 \| 4	0	0	0	4
2005–06 \| Yunost Minsk \| BLR \| —	—	—	—	— \| 8	6	8	14	8
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2006–07 \| Hamilton Bulldogs \| AHL \| 66	17	37	54	34 \| 20	4	7	11	21
2006–07 \| Montreal Canadiens \| NHL \| 3	0	0	0	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2007–08 \| Hamilton Bulldogs \| AHL \| 12	8	12	20	6 \| —	—	—	—	—
2007–08 \| Montreal Canadiens \| NHL \| 24	3	6	9	8 \| —	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2008–09 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 78	20	28	48	92 \| —	—	—	—	—
2009–10 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 59	10	25	35	10 \| —	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2010–11 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 81	29	29	58	60 \| —	—	—	—	—
2011–12 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 74	23	28	51	51 \| —	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2012–13 \| CSKA Moscow \| KHL \| 29	12	12	24	10 \| —	—	—	—	—
2012–13 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 48	9	7	16	24 \| 7	0	2	2	2
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2013–14 \| Washington Capitals \| NHL \| 58	13	22	35	26 \| —	—	—	—	—
2014–15 \| New York Islanders \| NHL \| 51	9	10	19	8 \| 3	0	0	0	0
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2015–16 \| New York Islanders \| NHL \| 58	9	16	25	33 \| —	—	—	—	—
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" \| BLR totals ! 72!!24!!31!!55!!38 ! 15!!9!!13!!22!!14
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" \| RSL totals ! 153!!32!!48!!80!!86 ! 12!!2!!0!!2!!10
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 534!!125!!171!!296!!312 ! 10!!0!!2!!2!!2