Buffalo Sabres History: Who Wore It Number 18
In his NHL career, Michal Grosek spent time with five different teams – but none longer than the Sabres, where he played from 1996 until 2000. The Czech right winger is one of several players in Sabres history to wear the #18, and he’s our focus today.
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MICHAL GROSEK
Right Wing, b. 1975
Acquired via trade, 1996
Grosek, a native of Vyskov, Czech Republic, began his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets drafted Grosek in 1993, 145th overall. After being drafted, he spent parts of the following season in the AHL with the Moncton Hawks and the WHL with the Tacoma Rockets, also appearing in three NHL games with the Jets. The following season was split between the Jets and the AHL’s Springfield Falcons.
His last season with the Jets organization was the 1995-96 year, which he spent almost all of in Springfield, playing just one game for Winnipeg. It was then that his move to Buffalo came, on February 15, 1996.
The Sabres acquired Grosek, along with Darryl Shannon, in exchange for Craig Muni and a 1996 1st round pick. That pick, oddly enough, would end up being Daniel Briere.
Grosek would spend the next few years in Buffalo, with best season coming in 1998-99. That year, he put up 20 goals and 30 assists for 50 points and 102 penalty minutes in 76 regular season games.
He left the Sabres on March 10, 2000, when Buffalo traded him to Chicago for Jean-Pierre Dumont and Doug Gilmor. Grosek would be traded again less than seven months later, being shipped off to the New York Rangers with Brad Brown for future considerations.
He’d spend some time with the Rangers as well as with their AHL club, the Hartford Wolf Pack, before spending parts of two seasons with the Boston Bruins. From there, his NHL career wrapped up. Grosek went on to play with Geneve-Servette, St. Petersburg SKA and Zug overseas, wrapping up his playing career in the 2007-08 season.
Overall in his time with the Sabres, Grosek appeared in 308 regular season games, notching 62 goals and 98 assists. He also appeared in 40 playoff games, scoring 20 points in that time.
Other players to wear #18 for the Sabres: Tim Connolly, Miroslav Satan, Wayne Presley, Dave Snuggarud, Bob Halkidis, Paul Cyr, Gilles Hamel, Danny Gare, Paul Terbenche, Kevin O’Shea