Mikhail Stefanovich

Mikhail Stefanovich
Born (1989-11-27) 27 November 1989
Minsk, Byelorussian SSR,
USSR
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shoots Right
BXL team
Former teams		 HK Neman Grodno
HK Gomel
Toronto Marlies
HC Dynamo Minsk
National team  Belarus
NHL Draft 98th overall, 2008
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 2006–present

Mikhail Stefanovich (Belarusian: Міхаіл Ігаравіч Стэфановіч; born 27 November 1989) is a Belarusian professional ice hockey player currently under contract with HK Neman Grodno of the Belarusian Hockey League (BXL). He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, and was the 2nd overall pick in the 2009 KHL Junior Draft.

Playing career

Stefanovich's career started out in his home country of Belarus, spending just over two seasons in Belarus' tier two hockey league — half a season with HC Dinamo-2 Minsk, and just over one and a half seasons with HC Homiel-2. After playing just three games with HC Homiel-2 in the 2006–07 tier two season, HC Homiel of the Belarusian Extraliga called him up. He finished the rest of the season with Homiel and drew a great deal of attention from North American teams.

Following the season with Homiel, Stefanovich was selected 54th overall in the 2007 CHL Import Draft by the Quebec Remparts. Upon arriving in Canada, Stefanovich made the Remparts roster and quickly adjusted to the North American-style of hockey. Halfway through his inaugural QMJHL season, Stefanovich was selected to play in the CHL Top Prospects Game and, following the conclusion of the season, received the Mike Bossy Trophy, which is awarded to the QMJHL player judged to be the best professional prospect.

Scouts have identified that Stefanovich possesses a quick and accurate wrist shot and superb offensive instincts, but is not an overtly physical player, even for someone of his large stature. It is also said that his play is inconsistent and his skating is sub-par, but that he has above-average hockey sense and play-reading ability. Stefanovich's play in the 2008–09 QMJHL season improved and he became a more consistent player. These improvements have been credited, some say, to his pre-season tryout with the Maple Leafs, where he befriended fellow Belarusian Mikhail Grabovski and Russian Nikolai Kulemin. In order to make the team, he realized he needed to improve these negative aspects of his game.

On 1 June 2009, Stefanovich was selected second overall in the 2009 KHL Junior Draft by HC Dinamo Minsk. Two days later, on 3 June, he was signed to an entry-level contract by the Maple Leafs. On 19 September 2009, Stefanovich was assigned to the Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate of the Maple Leafs,[1] and shortly after demoted back to junior.[2]

On 15 September 2010, the Maple Leafs announced that Stefanovich would be part of the team's 63-player training camp roster, however, eight days later, the team assigned him to the Toronto Marlies.[3] Stefanovich was named to the Marlies' opening day roster on 8 October, but was reassigned to the Reading Royals on 14 October 2010. On 18 October, Stefanovich was recalled to the Marlies. After playing only 2 games with the Marlies, he was again reassigned to the Royals on 22 November 2010. Stefanovich was loaned out to HC Dinamo Minsk of the KHL on 27 November 2010. On 13 January 2011, Stefanovich's NHL rights were traded by the Maple Leafs to the Dallas Stars for Fabian Brunnstrom.[4]

During his second season in the Russian second tier league, the VHL, with Dizel Penza, Stefanovich was provisionally suspended on 20 November for failing an anti-doping test.[5] He played no further part in the season with Dizel and on 27 April 2015, was given a two-year ban backdated to 10 November, for the doping violation.[6]

On 26 August 2015, he returned to North American and signed a one-year ECHL contract with the Rapid City Rush.[7]

International play

Stefanovich has played in the three World Juniors. He also participated at the 2010 IIHF World Championship as a member of the Belarus men's national ice hockey team.[8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2006–07 HK Gomel BEL 41 16 9 25 43 5 1 0 1 2
2007–08 HK Gomel BEL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2007–08 Quebec Remparts QMJHL 62 32 34 66 32 11 4 4 8 10
2008–09 Quebec Remparts QMJHL 56 49 27 76 17 17 11 5 16 6
2009–10 Quebec Remparts QMJHL 53 25 43 68 24 8 3 9 12 0
2010–11 Reading Royals ECHL 4 3 2 5 2 — — — — —
2010–11 Toronto Marlies AHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2010–11 HC Dynamo Minsk KHL 21 1 0 1 4 4 1 1 2 0
2011–12 HC Dynamo Minsk KHL 5 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2011–12 HK Gomel BEL 39 25 20 45 40 8 6 1 7 31
2012–13 HK Gomel BEL 49 17 29 46 14 5 0 1 1 4
2013–14 Toros Neftekamsk VHL 14 3 2 5 4 — — — — —
2013–14 HC Lada Togliatti VHL 24 7 4 11 4 5 2 1 3 4
2014–15 Dizel Penza VHL 12 3 3 6 6 — — — — —
2015–16 Rapid City Rush ECHL 52 19 11 30 8 — — — — —
KHL totals 26 1 0 1 6 4 1 1 2 0

International

Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2006 Belarus WJC18 9th 6 2 4 6 24
2007 Belarus WJC18-D1 11th 5 9 3 12 16
2007 Belarus WJC 10th 6 4 1 5 8
2008 Belarus WJC 14th 5 3 1 4 2
2009 Belarus WJC 13th 5 4 2 6 4
2009 Belarus WC 8th 4 0 0 0 0
2010 Belarus WC 10th 6 2 0 2 2
2013 Belarus OGQ NQ 3 1 0 1 0
2013 Belarus WC 14th 6 0 0 0 2
Junior totals 27 22 11 33 54
Senior totals 19 3 0 3 4

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Maple Leafs Trim Training Camp Roster - Toronto Maple Leafs - Press Releases
  2. ↑ Kevin Johnston : La «parole» à Stefanovich | Kevin Johnston
  3. ↑ Leafs Make Roster Moves - Toronto Maple Leafs - Press Releases
  4. ↑ "Dallas Stars Trade Fabian Brunnstrom To Toronto For Mikhail Stefanovich". SB Nation. 2011-01-13. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  5. ↑ "Belarusian athlete suspended". rusada.ru. 2014-11-20. Retrieved 2014-11-20.
  6. ↑ "Belarus hockey player Stefanovich banned from playing". Yahoo!. 2015-04-27. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  7. ↑ "Stefanovich and Bjork come to Rush from Europe". Rapid City Rush. 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  8. ↑ IIHF (2010). IIHF Media Guide & Record Book 2011. Moydart Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-9867964-0-1.
  9. ↑ "Stefanovich Player Profile". HockeysFuture.com. 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
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