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Marc-André Gragnani

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Marc-André Gragnani
Gragnani during a Canucks' practice in 2012
Born (1987-03-11) March 11, 1987 (age 37)
L'Île-Bizard, Quebec, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
team
Former teams		 Free Agent
Buffalo Sabres
Vancouver Canucks
Carolina Hurricanes
HC Lev Praha
SC Bern
New Jersey Devils
Kunlun Red Star
Dinamo Minsk
Djurgårdens IF
National team  Canada
NHL draft 87th overall, 2005
Buffalo Sabres
Playing career 2007–present

Marc-André Gragnani (born March 11, 1987) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He most recently played with Djurgårdens IF then of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He spent four-and-a-half seasons playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Portland Pirates. He also played half a season with Vancouver before signing with Carolina as a free agent. On July 3, 2015, Gragnani signed a one-year, two-way contract with the New Jersey Devils for whom he appeared four times.

Playing career

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He played minor hockey for the Dauphins de Deux-Rives followed by four years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He was selected 87th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and signed a professional contract with the Sabres in June 2007. After completing his junior career with the PEI Rocket, Gragnani began his professional career within the Sabres organization in the 2007–08 season, making his debut on February 23, 2008. Although originally drafted as a defenceman, Gragnani shifted to the left wing position during his first season.[1] In April 2009, he established a new record for Portland defencemen with 51 points in the regular season. He also set the Portland franchise record for assists by a defenceman in a single season with 42. In 2011, he broke both of his own records by registering 48 assists and 60 points in a single season.

Gragnani was called up to the parent Buffalo Sabres in March 2011. His first NHL goal was a game-winning overtime goal in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes on April 3, 2011. Gragnani signed a two-year contract extension with the Sabres in the 2011 offseason.

After making the Sabres lineup for the first time out of training camp and earning a regular roster spot to begin the 2011–12 season, he was made a consistent healthy scratch by February 2012. At the NHL trade deadline, on February 27, he was traded along with forward Zack Kassian to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Cody Hodgson and defenceman Alexander Sulzer. By that point in the season, Gragnani had played only once in the Sabres' previous month of games. Joining Vancouver, he was made a healthy scratch for the team's first game following the trade before making his Canucks debut on March 1,[2] a 2–0 win against the St. Louis Blues.[3] He finished the year playing in 14 games for Vancouver and did not appear in the playoffs.[4]

By the end of the season, Gragnani had not played in enough games to earn unrestricted free agent status, remaining a restricted free agent if he was tendered a qualifying offer. With no intention of re-singing Gragnani, the Canucks unsuccessfully attempted to trade him at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Unable to move Gragnani, Vancouver chose not to give him a qualifying offer.[4] As an unrestricted free agent Gragnani signed a one-year two-way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.[5]

On May 22, 2013, he signed a two-year contract in the Kontinental Hockey League with HC Lev Praha of the Czech Republic.[6] In the 2013–14 season, Gragnani scored just 9 points in 42 games, but helped the club reach the Gagarin Cup finals in the post-season.

With the Bankruptcy of Lev Praha leading to the club folding, Gragnani settled the remaining year of his contract to become a free agent.[7] On July 10, 2014, Gragnani moved to the Swiss National League A, signing a one-year deal with SC Bern.[8]

On July 3, 2015, after two seasons abroad, Gragnani returned to the NHL in signing as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the New Jersey Devils.[9] In the 2015–16 season, Gragnani was assigned for the majority of the year to AHL affiliate, the Albany Devils. He was recalled to the Devils to appear in four games.

As a free agent in the off-season, Gragnani opted to return to Europe, signing a one-year deal with Belarusian club, HC Dinamo Minsk of the KHL on August 1, 2016.[10] After two seasons with Minsk, Gragnani left the team however opted to continue in the KHL for the 2018–19 season, signing a one-year contract with Chinese outfit, HC Kunlun Red Star, on August 13, 2018.[11]

On August 2, 2019, Gragnani continued his career in the KHL, returning for a second stint with HC Dinamo Minsk on a one-year contract.[12]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Pyeongchang
IIHF U18 Championships
Silver medal – second place 2005 České Budějovice

During the 2017–18 season, Gragnani was selected to represent Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Used in an offensive roving role, Gragnani contributed with 3 assists in 6 games to help Canada claim the bronze medal.

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2002–03 West Island Lions QMAAA 34 3 15 18 22 — — — — —
2003–04 P.E.I. Rocket QMJHL 61 2 13 15 42 11 0 0 0 4
2004–05 P.E.I. Rocket QMJHL 68 10 29 39 48 — — — — —
2005–06 P.E.I. Rocket QMJHL 62 16 55 71 75 6 1 4 5 14
2006–07 P.E.I. Rocket QMJHL 65 22 46 68 58 7 5 8 13 4
2007–08 Rochester Americans AHL 78 14 38 52 38 — — — — —
2007–08 Buffalo Sabres NHL 2 0 0 0 4 — — — — —
2008–09 Portland Pirates AHL 76 9 42 51 59 5 0 2 2 4
2008–09 Buffalo Sabres NHL 4 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2009–10 Portland Pirates AHL 66 12 31 43 37 4 0 2 2 0
2010–11 Portland Pirates AHL 63 12 48 60 51 — — — — —
2010–11 Buffalo Sabres NHL 9 1 2 3 2 7 1 6 7 4
2011–12 Buffalo Sabres NHL 44 1 11 12 20 — — — — —
2011–12 Vancouver Canucks NHL 14 1 2 3 6 — — — — —
2012–13 Charlotte Checkers AHL 42 3 25 28 29 — — — — —
2012–13 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2013–14 HC Lev Praha KHL 42 2 7 9 43 22 0 4 4 0
2014–15 SC Bern NLA 49 8 29 37 18 11 1 4 5 0
2015–16 Albany Devils AHL 57 1 30 31 16 11 0 3 3 16
2015–16 New Jersey Devils NHL 4 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2016–17 Dinamo Minsk KHL 56 4 33 37 38 5 0 1 1 2
2017–18 Dinamo Minsk KHL 55 6 29 35 54 — — — — —
2018–19 Kunlun Red Star KHL 23 2 11 13 14 — — — — —
2019–20 Dinamo Minsk KHL 47 8 17 25 20 — — — — —
2020–21 Djurgårdens IF SHL 5 2 3 5 0 1 0 0 0 0
2021–22 Djurgårdens IF SHL 32 4 10 14 6 — — — — —
NHL totals 78 3 15 18 36 7 1 6 7 4
KHL totals 223 22 97 119 169 27 0 5 5 2

International

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Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2005 Canada WJC18 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6 0 3 3 0
2011 Canada WC 5th 6 1 1 2 2
2018 Canada OG 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 0 3 3 2
Junior totals 6 0 3 3 0
Senior totals 12 1 4 5 4

Awards and honours

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Award Year
AHL
First All-Star Team 2011 [13]
Eddie Shore Award 2011 [14]
KHL
All-Star Game 2018

References

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  1. ^ "Sabres call up Gragnani". wgr550.com. February 23, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Marc-Andre Gragnani makes Canucks debut - on the left side". The Province. March 1, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  3. ^ "Canucks 2, Blues 0". Vancouver Canucks. March 1, 2012. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Ziemer, Brad (June 26, 2012). "Rome, Gragnani won't be back next season with the Canucks". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  5. ^ "Carolina inks D Gragnani". The Miami Herald. July 11, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  6. ^ "The D-men cometh: Gragnani & Ševc". LevPraha.cz. May 22, 2013. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  7. ^ "Nemen, Vrana and Engren move to Atlant". HC Lev Praha. July 2, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
  8. ^ "Marc-Andre Gragnani to SCB". SC Bern. July 10, 2014. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  9. ^ "Devils sign defenseman Gragnani". New Jersey Devils. July 3, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  10. ^ "Gragnani in Minsk". HC Dinamo Minsk (in Russian). August 1, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  11. ^ "Kunlun sign Marc-Andre Gragnani". Kontinental Hockey League. August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  12. ^ "Marc-Andre Gragnani returns to Dinamo Minsk". HC Dinamo Minsk (in Belarusian). August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  13. ^ "2010-11 First and Second All-Stars named". American Hockey League. April 1, 2011. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  14. ^ "Gragnani Named AHL's Outstanding Defenseman". Portland Pirates. April 20, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
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