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
Shakhter Soligorsk
HC Donbass
Yunost Minsk
Dinamo Minsk
HK Neman Grodno
HK Gomel
National team  Belarus
NHL Draft 98th overall, 2008
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 2006present

Mikhail Igoravich Stefanovich (Belarusian: Міхаіл Ігаравіч Стэфановіч; born 27 November 1989) is a Belarusian professional ice hockey player currently playing for Shakhter Soligorsk of the Belarusian Extraliga (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. He played 60 games in the Kontinental Hockey League with Dinamo Minsk between 2010 and 2020. Internationally Stefanovich has played for the Belarusian national team at five World Championships.

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.

Following the season, Stefanovich was selected 54th overall in the 2007 CHL Import Draft by the Quebec Remparts. Upon arriving in Canada, Stefanovich made the Remparts roster. 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.

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 GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
2004–05 Dinamo Minsk-2 BEL-2 1937108
2004–05 HK Gomel-2 BEL-2 143036
2005–06 HK Gomel-2 BEL-2 3718123064
2006–07 HK Gomel BEL 411692543 51012
2006–07 HK Gomel-2 BEL-2 33144
2007–08 HK Gomel BEL 10000
2007–08 Quebec Remparts QMJHL 6232346632 1144810
2008–09 Quebec Remparts QMJHL 5649277617 17115166
2009–10 Quebec Remparts QMJHL 5325436824 839120
2010–11 Reading Royals ECHL 43252
2010–11 Toronto Marlies AHL 20000
2010–11 Dinamo Minsk KHL 211014 41120
2011–12 Dinamo Minsk KHL 50002
2011–12 HK Gomel BEL 3925204540 861731
2012–13 HK Gomel BEL 4917294614 50114
2013–14 Toros Neftekamsk VHL 143254
2013–14 HC Lada Togliatti VHL 2474114 52134
2014–15 Dizel Penza VHL 12366
2015–16 Rapid City Rush ECHL 521911308
2016–17 Neman Grodno BEL 268101812 1283116
2017–18 Neman Grodno BEL 4024174120 164378
2018–19 Yunost Minsk BEL 5632255722 13731010
2019–20 Dinamo Minsk KHL 3453813
2019–20 Yunost Minsk BEL 1165114 1459144
2020–21 Yunost Minsk BEL 462213358 12481212
2021–22 HC Donbass UKR 10110
2021–22 Shakhter Soligorsk BEL 3617122913 1155106
2022–23 Shakhter Soligorsk BEL 5125325735 100332
KHL totals 6063919 41120
BEL totals 395192172364211 10640377783

International

Year Team Event GPGAPtsPIM
2006 Belarus WJC18 624624
2007 Belarus WJC18-D1 5931216
2007 Belarus WJC 64158
2008 Belarus WJC 53142
2009 Belarus WJC 54264
2009 Belarus WC 40000
2010 Belarus WC 62022
2013 Belarus WC 60002
2017 Belarus WC 70440
2021 Belarus WC 72134
Junior totals 2722113354
Senior totals 304598

Awards

  • QMJHL Rookie Player of the Month (September 2007)
  • RDS Rookie Excellence Award (QMJHL) (Mid-season) (2007–08)
  • Mike Bossy Trophy – 2007–08 (Top QMJHL Professional Prospect)[9]

References

  1. Maple Leafs Trim Training Camp Roster – Toronto Maple Leafs – Press Releases
  2. "LaPresse.ca - Actualités, Arts, International, Débats, Sports, Vivre, Voyage". La Presse.
  3. "Roster Trimmed By 12 Roster". NHL.com.
  4. "Dallas Stars Trade Fabian Brunnstrom To Toronto For Mikhail Stefanovich". SB Nation. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  5. "Belarusian athlete suspended". rusada.ru. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  6. "Belarus hockey player Stefanovich banned from playing". Yahoo!. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  7. "Stefanovich and Bjork come to Rush from Europe". Rapid City Rush. 26 August 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  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. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
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