Mikhail Grabovski

Mikhail Grabovski (also Grabovsky); born January 31, 1984) is a Belarusian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Early life
Grabovski was born in Potsdam, East Germany where his dad worked in construction. His family moved to their native Belarus, then a part of the Soviet Union, when he was three years old. Grabovski was trained by Russian-educated coaches in the Yunost Minsk youth hockey program.

Playing career
He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, 150th overall and now plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Grabovski played his first NHL game on January 6, 2007, against the New York Rangers. Grabovski played three games in the NHL before being sent back down to Montreal's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. He failed to record a point in any of those games but impressed fans with his speed and his agility.

Grabovski started the 2007–08 season with the Canadiens, recording his first NHL point in an October 20, 2007, game against the Buffalo Sabres and his first goal two days later against the Boston Bruins. After a March 6, 2008 game in Phoenix for which he was a healthy scratch, Grabovski, apparently frustrated by his exclusion from the lineup, flew to Los Angeles ahead of the rest of the team to speak with his agent, creating controversy in Montreal.

Grabovski was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 3, 2008, in exchange for the draft rights to Greg Pateryn and a 2010 second round pick. He has since become a valuable player to their team, being among the top NHL rookies in goal scoring throughout the 2008–09 season. He was suspended three games in January 2009 for shoving an official during an altercation with his Belarusian countryman Sergei Kostitsyn of the Montreal Canadiens; of whom he has maintained an ongoing feud with, dating back to his time with the club. Grabovski went on to finish with 20 goals and 48 points in his rookie season leading all NHL Eastern Conference rookies in scoring.

The Toronto Maple Leafs rewarded Grabovski with his rookie season performance by re-signing him to a 3 year contract worth a total of $8.7 Million. This contract represents an average annual cap hit of $2.9 Million.

International play
He 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 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.