| Anton Babchuk | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Babchuk with theCalgary Flames in 2010 | |||
| Born | (1984-05-06)May 6, 1984 (age 40) Kyiv,Ukrainian SSR,Soviet Union | ||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) | ||
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod Salavat Yulaev Ufa Ak Bars Kazan SKA Saint Petersburg Chicago Blackhawks Carolina Hurricanes Avangard Omsk Calgary Flames HC Donbass Atlant Moscow Oblast | ||
| NHL draft | 21st overall,2002 Chicago Blackhawks | ||
| Playing career | 2002–2015 | ||
Anton Anatoliiovych Babchuk (Ukrainian:Антон Анатолійович Бабчук,Russian:Антон Анатольевич Бабчук; born May 6, 1984) is aUkrainian-Russian former professionalice hockeydefenceman. He last played forAtlant Moscow Oblast of theKontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Babchuk was a first round selection, 21st overall, of theChicago Blackhawks at the2002 NHL Entry Draft, and played for the Blackhawks,Carolina Hurricanes, andCalgary Flames in his NHL career. He also played withAk Bars Kazan,SKA Saint Petersburg,Avangard Omsk,HC Donbass,Salavat Yulaev Ufa andTorpedo Nizhny Novgorod of theKontinental Hockey League (formerly theRussian Super League).
Originally fromKyiv,Ukraine, Babchuk began playing hockey at the age of three.[1] He began his training with theSokil Kyiv junior hockey affiliate, a team which included fellow future Ukrainian NHLerNikolai Zherdev. He played in the 1998Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a youth team from Kyiv.[2] While participating in the tournament, Babchuk's team found itself competing against a team fromElektrostal, Russia. The rival team's coach, Ravil Iskakhov, took note of both Babchuk and Zherdev, and invited the pair to further their development with the Elemash Elektrostal hockey club of theRussian Major League, to which they accepted together.[3]
He was drafted into theNational Hockey League (NHL) 21st overall by theChicago Blackhawks in the2002 Entry Draft. Babchuk made his North American debut with the Blackhawks affiliate, theNorfolk Admirals of theAmerican Hockey League (AHL), in the2003–04 season. Babchuk also made his NHL debut by season's end, appearing in five games with the Blackhawks.
In the2005–06 season, Babchuk was traded to theCarolina Hurricanes forDanny Richmond on January 20, 2006.[4] Babchuk scored his first goal for the Hurricanes on January 28, 2006. He was also named second star of the game. Babchuk played in 22 games with the Hurricanes for the season and was a part of the extended squad of the Hurricanes as they became theStanley Cup Champions. After winning the Cup, Babchuk took it with him to Kyiv, Ukraine, and celebrated with teammateOleg Tverdovsky. "I wish hockey was as popular as soccer in Ukraine," he told those in attendance. "If it was, I gladly would have played for a team in Kyiv."[5]
In the2006–07 season, on February 6, 2007, the Hurricanes activatedFrantišek Kaberle from injury, forcing them to send Babchuk down to theAlbany River Rats. Babchuk was the only possible defenceman they could send down because he was the only one on the Hurricanes' roster that was not subject to waiver wire claims. The next day, Carolina announced that they had suspended Babchuk because of his refusal to report to Albany. In 2007–08, Babchuk played in theRussian Superleague (RSL) forAvangard Omsk.
On July 1, 2008, Babchuk re-signed with the Hurricanes to a one-year contract for the2008–09 season.[6] He led all Hurricanes' defensemen with 16 goals in 72 games. Following a contract dispute that lead to him requesting a trade out of Carolina, Babchuk turned back to Russia on 19 September 2009, re-signing withKontinental Hockey League (KHL) clubAvangard Omsk.[7] During the very first training day inOmsk, he broke the ice rink glass with a shot at Arena Omsk.[8][9]
Babchuk was chosen to play on Team Yashin at the2nd Kontinental Hockey League All-Star Game.
On July 1, 2010, Babchuk re-signed with the Carolina Hurricanes to a one-year contract worth $1.4 million.
On November 17, 2010, Babchuk was traded along withTom Kostopoulos to the Calgary Flames forIan White andBrett Sutter.
On July 4, 2011, Babchuk re-signed with the Flames for two years, at $2.5 million per season. Following the2012 NHL lockout, he signed in his native Ukraine withHC Donbass along with fellow Ukrainian NHL playersRuslan Fedotenko andAlexei Ponikarovsky.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1999–2000 | Kristall–2 Elektrostal | RUS.3 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Elemash Elektrostal | RUS.2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Elemash Elektrostal | RUS.2 | 40 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Elemash–2 Elektrostal | RUS.3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Ak Bars Kazan | RSL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | SKA Saint Petersburg | RSL | 20 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | SKA–2 St. Petersburg | RUS.3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 73 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 89 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 66 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 88 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 17 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 22 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 52 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 9 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Avangard Omsk | RSL | 57 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2008–09 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 72 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 16 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 | Avangard Omsk | KHL | 49 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 17 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 65 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 32 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | HC Donbass | KHL | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Salavat Yulaev Ufa | KHL | 54 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | KHL | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Atlant Moscow Oblast | KHL | 20 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 177 | 23 | 46 | 69 | 201 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||||
| NHL totals | 289 | 36 | 71 | 107 | 108 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||||
| KHL totals | 166 | 19 | 31 | 50 | 106 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Russia | U17 | 7th | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |
| 2001 | Russia | WJC18 |  | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | Russia | WJC18 |  | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | |
| Junior totals | 19 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 20 | ||||
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chicago Blackhawks first round draft pick 2002 | Succeeded by |