Mike Grier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Right Wing |
| Shoots | Right |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 227 lb (103 kg/16 st 3 lb) |
| NHL Team F. teams |
San Jose Sharks Edmonton Oilers Washington Capitals Buffalo Sabres |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | January 5, 1975 , Detroit, MI, U.S. |
| NHL Draft | 219th overall, 1993 St. Louis Blues |
| Pro career | 1996 – present |
Mike Grier, nicknamed The Black Gretzky, (born January 5, 1975 in Detroit, Michigan) is a professional ice hockey forward for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League.
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[edit] Early years
Mike Grier was born in Detroit, MI, and shortly after birth he moved to Holliston, Massachusetts and grew up there. He attended St. Sebastian's School.
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.
[edit] 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.[1] The two were later teammates for a brief time in 2002 with the Washington Capitals. He was also know for his toughness, separating his shoulder and having it popped back in on numerous occasions before finally electing for surgery.
On 2 October 2002, in what was widely seen as a cost cutting move and an attempt to open up a roster spot for younger players (such as Jason Chimera), Grier was traded to the Washington Capitals for a pair of draft choices.
The Capitals attempted to put a Stanley Cup-calibre team together, primarily built around star forward Jaromir Jagr and goaltender Olaf Kolzig, but the team disappointed on the ice, although Grier remained a reliable checker player. Washington traded him after less than two seasons to the Buffalo Sabres for European prospect Jakub Klepis. He finished the season there, playing fourteen games for Buffalo, scoring nine points when Buffalo failed to make the playoffs.
Although the following season was cancelled due to the NHL lockout, in 2005 Grier signed a one-year contract with the Sabres for 1.4 million dollars. Grier played in 81 games for the Sabres in that season and recorded 7 goals and 16 assists for 23 points while also scoring a career-high four game-winning goals. He also scored 3 goals for a total of 5 points in 18 post-season games as well.
During the off-season following the 2005-06 NHL season, Grier became an unrestricted free agent and signed a 3 year, $5.325 million contract with the San Jose Sharks. He expressed the excitement he had to play for such a classy organization, and listed San Jose as his number one choice among the eight teams that attempted to sign him. The contract has a no-trade clause.
He currently lives in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
[edit] 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)
[edit] Records
[edit] Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1993-94 | Boston University | HE | 39 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 58 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1994-95 | Boston University | HE | 37 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 85 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1995-96 | Boston University | HE | 38 | 21 | 26 | 47 | 82 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1996-97 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 79 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 45 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1997-98 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 66 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 73 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | ||
| 1998-99 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 20 | 24 | 44 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1999-00 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 65 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 68 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000-01 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 74 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 2001-02 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 32 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002-03 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 82 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2003-04 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 68 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 32 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003-04 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 14 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2005-06 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 81 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 28 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2006-07 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 81 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 43 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 27 | ||
| 2007-08 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 78 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 24 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| NHL Totals | 852 | 137 | 185 | 322 | 489 | 82 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 64 | ||||
[edit] International play
Played for the United States in:
[edit] International statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | United States | WJC | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 2004 | United States | WC | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
[edit] References
- Buffalo Sabres. Official Player Profile. Retrieved 30 June 2006.
- National Hockey League Players' Association. Mike Grier Player Bio. Retrieved 30 June 2006.
- Philadelphia Inquirer
- Panaccio, Tim. Flyers cautious on free agency. 30 June 2006.
- Wawrow, John. Agent: Grier agrees to deal with Sharks. 3 July 2006.
- San Jose Sharks
- Official Player Profile. Retrieved 3 July 2006.
- (3 July 2006). Gritty Mike Grier Chooses San Jose. Press release.
- (3 July 2006). Mike Grier And Curtis Brown Are Excited To Fit In With San Jose. Press release.
- Sports Illustrated. Sabres likely to cut Grier loose. Retrieved 30 June 2006.
- USA Hockey. Men's Media Guide 2004. Retrieved 3 July 2006.
[edit] See also
- List of black NHL players
- List of current NHL players
- List of Buffalo Sabres players
- List of NHL seasons
