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Leafs’ Mikhail Grabovski being sued for punching Habs fan and wife in the face

Mikhail Grabovski, Ryan Miller

Toronto Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski, of Germany, celebrates after a goal against Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, top, late in the third period to tie the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. Buffalo won in overtime 3-2. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

AP

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski could be in some trouble off the ice. If law suits and allegations are to be believed, you could say that Grabovski’s still got some bad feelings about his past days as a Montreal Canadiens forward who sparred with the Kostitsyn brothers. A man from British Columbia claims that Grabovski assaulted him and his wife during the the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Sportsnet has the details on the potentially highly frivolous lawsuit.

A man who says he was wearing a Montreal Canadiens jersey when he was punched in the face by Toronto Maple Leaf centre Mikhail Grabovski has filed a civil suit against the player.

The suit alleged Dylan Richardson has suffered a head injury, multiple facial fractures requiring reconstructive surgery, a back injury, trauma to his mouth, teeth and eyes, memory loss, a change in personality and ongoing headaches, among other things.

The Richardsons are seeking damages for lost income and health-care costs, as well as punitive damages.

Grabovski, who was attending the Olympics with the Belarus hockey team, was arrested by Vancouver police after the confrontation, but never charged.

At the time of the arrest, Grabovski had a broken wrist and wasn’t playing. Leafs GM Brian Burke called the alleged altercation “minor.”

“There was no reasonable grounds to believe that any one person committed an offence, so unfortunately there was nothing they could forward to Crown counsel,” Vancouver Police Const. LindseyHoughton said.

Houghton said the brawl involved more than a dozen people, most of them drunk.

Alcohol played a role in the situation? I am shocked, SHOCKED, by this development.

I am also equally shocked to hear that Mikhail Grabovski was involved in some sort of altercation with someone decked out in Habs colors. After all, we’ve never seen anything like that before.

Right now, I’d say this case doesn’t look so good for the complainant here and Grabovski has nothing to worry about. After all, if this was such a big deal the police would’ve arrested him and the Leafs would’ve taken action against Grabovski internally. Then again, showing this sort of truculence towards a fan of the biggest rival probably gets Grabovski a leg-up in future negotiations with the Leafs.

That said, if the Richardson’s case against Grabovski has any run to it, Grabovski is in some trouble. Striking a man and his wife (!) in the face doesn’t look good on anyone, much less someone in the public eye.