Mike Grier

Mike Grier (born January 5, 1975 in Detroit, Michigan) is a professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He has also played professionally for the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, and San Jose Sharks.

Early years
His father is Bobby Grier, former NFL running back coach and current Associate Director of Pro Scouting for the Houston Texans. The elder Grier is not to be confused with the famous Bobby Grier, who played with the 1956 Pitt Panthers as the first African-American football player to break the color barrier in a College Bowl Game. His uncle is former NFL great Rosey Grier and he is related to actress Pam Grier.

Playing career
Grier was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the ninth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, and was considered a long-shot to make an NHL team. He spent his early playing days with Saint Sebastian's School and then later Boston University, culminating in his best amateur season in 1994-1995, where he was named a first team all-star. During his time at BU, Grier's NHL rights were dealt to the Edmonton Oilers along with star goaltender Curtis Joseph in exchange for a pair of first round picks.

After leaving college, Grier immediately cracked the Oilers lineup as a checking-line right-winger, scoring 32 points and bearing a respectable +7 +/- rating. He would go on to play six seasons with the Oiler's organization, including two where he scored twenty goals.

During his time in Edmonton, Grier was best known for provoking Chris Simon of the Washington Capitals in 1997. Grier made derogatory comments about Simon's Ojibwa heritage, and Simon allegedly responded with a racial slur directed at Grier. Although the spoken words were never confirmed, Simon was suspended three games as a result of the incident. The two were later teammates for a brief time in 2002 with the Washington Capitals. He was also known for his toughness, separating his shoulder and having it popped back in on numerous occasions before finally electing for surgery.

On October 2, 2002, Grier was traded to free up roster space to the Washington Capitals for a pair of draft choices.

The Capitals attempted to put a Stanley Cup-caliber team together, primarily built around star forward Jaromír Jágr and goaltender Olaf Kölzig, but the team disappointed on the ice, although Grier remained a reliable checker player. Washington traded him on March 4, 2004 to the Buffalo Sabres for European prospect Jakub Klepis. He finished the season with Buffalo, scoring nine points despite the Sabres failing to make the playoffs. During the 2005-06 NHL Season, Grier set a personal record, scoring 4 game winning goals for the Sabres and contributing during their run to the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals. Grier was then signed to a free agent deal by the San Jose Sharks, where he recorded 16 goals, including 3 shorthanded, in his first season with San Jose. He scored 9 and 10 goals in his next two seasons with the Sharks, respectively.

On August 10th, 2009 Mike Grier signed with the Buffalo Sabres.

Awards

 * 1994–95: East First All-American Team (NCAA)
 * 1994–95: First All-Star Team (Hockey East)
 * 2004: Bronze Medal (2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships)

International play
Played for the United States in:
 * 1995 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
 * 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships