Alex Galchenyuk
Galchenyuk with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019
Born (1994-02-12) February 12, 1994
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb)
Position Center
Shoots Left
KHL team
Former teams		 SKA Saint Petersburg
Montreal Canadiens
Arizona Coyotes
Pittsburgh Penguins
Minnesota Wild
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Colorado Avalanche
National team  United States
NHL Draft 3rd overall, 2012
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 2012–present

Alexander Alexandrovich Galchenyuk (born February 12, 1994) is an American-Belarusian professional ice hockey center currently under contract with SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Colorado Avalanche. He was drafted third overall by the Canadiens in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Galchenyuk is of Belarusian descent, but was born in the United States and has represented the United States internationally.

Playing career

Minor and junior

Galchenyuk played his final year of minor hockey with the U16 Chicago Young Americans and quickly became a star player, tallying 44 goals and 43 assists, leading coach Bruno Bragagnolo to refer to winning a lottery ticket as "the odds of having another kid like Alex play for you".[1] His performance led to him being drafted number one in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection Draft by the Sarnia Sting.[2]

Galchenyuk was also selected 25th overall in the 2011 KHL Junior Draft by Atlant Moscow Oblast, which caused his father, Alexander Galchenyuk, to express his displeasure in Alex not being drafted in the first round by the KHL's Belarusian team, Dinamo Minsk.

In his first season with the Sting, Galchenyuk recorded 31 goals and 52 assists for 83 total points, which led to him being selected to the OHL 1st All-Rookie team alongside teammate Nail Yakupov. The following year, he missed all but two regular-season games and six playoff games with a knee injury.[3] He was selected third in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens.

On July 23, 2012, Galchenyuk signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens.[4] During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, he played for Sarnia in the OHL, where he served as captain of the team during his final season for the Sting[5] and where he dominated by recording 27 goals and 34 assists in 33 games.[6]

Professional

Montreal Canadiens

Galchenyuk made the Canadiens roster for the 2012–13 season opener, a 2–1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 19, 2013.[7] He was the youngest player to play a full season with the Canadiens since 1984.[8] He scored his first NHL goal on January 22, 2013, against Scott Clemmensen of the Florida Panthers, tipping-in a shot from Brandon Prust; rookie teammate Brendan Gallagher also recorded his first NHL point, an assist.[9] Galchenyuk finished the season playing in all 48 games with 9 goals, 18 assists for 27 points and a plus-minus rating of +14, playing primarily on the left wing of the third line.[10][11] He finished in the top ten in all three offensive categories among rookies, and was sixth overall in rookie points scoring, helping propel a resurgent Canadiens team to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.[12]

Galchenyuk with the Montreal Canadiens in 2015

During the 2013–14 season, Galchenyuk missed six weeks due to a broken hand.[13] He finished the season with 13 goals and 31 points in 65 games.

Galchenyuk scored his first career hat-trick on December 16, 2014, against the Carolina Hurricanes.[14] The 2014–15 season also marked Galchenyuk's first 20-goal campaign, as he tallied that amount in 80 games.

On July 30, 2015, Galchenyuk (as a restricted free agent) signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract extension with the Canadiens.[15] The following season, Galchenyuk tied captain Max Pacioretty with 30 goals to lead the team. Galchenyuk finished second in team scoring (behind Pacioretty) with 56 points.

On July 5, 2017, Galchenyuk signed a three-year, $14.7 million contract extension with the Canadiens.[16] In the following 2017–18 campaign, Galchenyuk produced 51 points in his sixth season with the Canadiens.

Arizona Coyotes

On June 15, 2018, Galchenyuk was traded by the Canadiens to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Max Domi.[17]

In his first season as a member of the Coyotes, Galchenyuk played in 72 games, with 19 goals and 22 assists.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Galchenyuk (left foreground) with the Pittsburgh Penguins during a game in February 2020

On June 29, 2019, Galchenyuk was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Pierre-Olivier Joseph in exchange for Phil Kessel, Dane Birks, and a fourth-round pick in 2021.[18] He suffered a lower-body injury early in the 2019–20 season and was placed on injured reserve on October 9, 2019.[19] Galchenyuk returned to make 45 appearances with the Penguins, struggling to match his previous career offensive output in recording 5 goals and 17 points.

Minnesota Wild

On February 10, 2020, Galchenyuk, prospect Calen Addison, and Pittsburgh's first round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft were traded to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Jason Zucker.[20]

Ottawa Senators

On October 28, 2020, Galchenyuk signed as a free agent to join his fifth NHL club in the Ottawa Senators on a one-year, $1.05 million contract.[21] Galchenyuk began the pandemic delayed 2020–21 season, on the Senators roster as a healthy scratch. Drawing into the lineup, Galchenyuk scored on his debut with the Senators in a 4–3 overtime defeat to the Winnipeg Jets on January 19, 2021.[22] He was scoreless in his following 7 games, featuring in just 8 of the Senators opening 15 games.

Toronto Maple Leafs

On February 13, 2021, Galchenyuk, along with Cédric Paquette, were traded by the Senators to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Ryan Dzingel.[23] On the following day, Galchenyuk was placed on waivers by the Hurricanes and upon clearing was assigned for the first time in his career to the AHL joining affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, on February 15, 2021.[24] That same day, before he could join the Wolves, Galchenyuk was traded by the Hurricanes to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Yegor Korshkov and David Warsofsky.[25]

The Galchenyuk acquisition was initially seen as an insignificant depth move, and after the trade he originally played for the team's AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.[26] After putting up 8 points in 6 games, Galchenyuk was called up to the Maple Leafs, eventually making his debut on March 19 on a line alongside William Nylander and John Tavares.[27] He spent the rest of the season in the NHL, impressing fans and team staff to the extent that Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas admitted to reporters that Galchenyuk's surprising success led the Maple Leafs to adjust their plans for the season's trade deadline.[28][29] He finished the season with 12 points in 26 games played with the Maple Leafs, helping the team win their division. In the playoffs, Galchenyuk recorded four points in six games, but the Leafs were ultimately defeated in the first round by Galchenyuk's former team, the Montreal Canadiens.

Return to Arizona

On September 21, 2021, Galchenyuk was signed to a professional tryout contract with the Coyotes, making his return to Arizona after being traded by the franchise in the 2019 off-season. On October 5, Galchenyuk was signed to a one-year, $750,000 contract with the Coyotes.[30] In the 2021–22 season, Galchenyuk played in a top-nine forward role for the rebuilding Coyotes, registering 6 goals and 15 assists to finish seventh amongst forward scoring with 21 points through 60 regular season games.

Colorado Avalanche

As a free agent at the conclusion of his contract with the Coyotes, Galchenyuk remained un-signed over the summer and for the second consecutive year accepted a professional tryout invitation to join the Stanley Cup winning, Colorado Avalanche training camp on September 20, 2022.[31] Galchenyuk remained with the Avalanche through training camp before he was injured in his debut pre-season game, resulting in his release from his tryout on September 29.[32][33]

In recovering from his injury and remaining within the Avalanche organization, Galchenyuk was signed to a AHL contract to begin his 2022–23 season with affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, on November 10, 2022.[34] In recording 7 points through 7 games with the Eagles, Galchenyuk was then signed to a one-year, two-way $750,000 contract with the Avalanche for the remainder of the season on November 28, 2022.[35][36] In joining the Avalanche, Galchenyuk made his debut on the road the following day in a 5-0 shutout defeat to the Winnipeg Jets.[37] After going scoreless through four games with the Avalanche, Galchenyuk was placed on waivers and returned to the Eagles upon clearing on December 6, 2022.[38][39]

Third tenure with Arizona, arrest

On June 24, 2023, the Avalanche traded Galchenyuk - a pending unrestricted free agent - to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Ryan Johansen.[40] The Predators did not sign Galchenyuk, making him an unrestricted free agent. On July 1, 2023, he signed a one-year, two-way contract to return to the Coyotes organization.[41]

On July 13, Galchenyuk was placed on unconditional waivers by the Coyotes for the purpose of terminating his contract. The team refused to further comment on the matter, and an investigation was conducted by the National Hockey League Players' Association. It was later revealed that Galchenyuk had been arrested on July 9 on multiple charges.[42] On July 18, Galchenyuk announced he would enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.[43]

SKA Saint Petersburg

With NHL interest ceased as a free agent, Galchenyuk opted to pursue his professional career abroad by agreeing to a two-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL on August 25, 2023.[44]

Personal life

Galchenyuk was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to former Soviet and Belarusian hockey player Alexander Galchenyuk and a Belarusian mother. He has an older sister, Anna. Galchenyuk's father was a member of the International Hockey League (IHL)'s Milwaukee Admirals at the time of his birth.[45] The family moved to Europe when Galchenyuk was four, following his father's hockey career in Germany, Italy and Russia. They eventually settled in Russia, where the younger Galchenyuk began his hockey career before moving back to North America when he was 15, first to Chicago, Illinois, and then to Sarnia, Ontario, where Alex Galchenyuk, Sr. coaches.

Galchenyuk is fluent in Russian, Italian and English.[3]

In 2016, Galchenyuk's then-girlfriend, Chanel Leszczynski, was arrested for assault following a domestic dispute at his apartment. Galchenyuk and teammate Devante Smith-Pelly were questioned by Montreal police. Galchenyuk declined to file a domestic violence complaint and the Crown ultimately did not prosecute the case.[46][47]

In 2017, former Canadiens coach Mario Tremblay claimed he heard that Galchenyuk had been to rehab twice, an allegation neither confirmed nor denied by Galchenyuk or the team.[47]

On July 9, 2023, Galchenyuk was arrested on multiple charges that included "private property hit and run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest and threatening or intimidating." As a result of the arrest, his contract with the Arizona Coyotes was terminated.[48] Galchenyuk made violent threats and racial slurs at police officers during his arrest.[49] On July 18, 2023, Galchenyuk released a statement apologizing for the incident, admitting that he was intoxicated with alcohol.[50][51] Body cam footage of the July incident was released on November 9, 2023.[52]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2009–10 Chicago Young Americans MWEHL 3844438756 —————
2010–11 Sarnia Sting OHL 6831528352 —————
2011–12 Sarnia Sting OHL 20000 62244
2012–13 Sarnia Sting OHL 3327346122 —————
2012–13 Montreal Canadiens NHL 489182720 51230
2013–14 Montreal Canadiens NHL 6513183126 52132
2014–15 Montreal Canadiens NHL 8020264639 1213410
2015–16 Montreal Canadiens NHL 8230265620 —————
2016–17 Montreal Canadiens NHL 6117274424 60334
2017–18 Montreal Canadiens NHL 8219325122 —————
2018–19 Arizona Coyotes NHL 7219224134 —————
2019–20 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 455121710 —————
2019–20 Minnesota Wild NHL 143476 40004
2020–21 Ottawa Senators NHL 81016 —————
2020–21 Toronto Marlies AHL 62682 —————
2020–21 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 26481214 61344
2021–22 Arizona Coyotes NHL 606152132 —————
2022–23 Colorado Eagles AHL 4216264222 703310
2022–23 Colorado Avalanche NHL 110004 —————
NHL totals 654146208354257 385121724
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Ice hockey
IIHF World U20 Championship
Gold medal – first place2013 Russia
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2013 Stockholm/Helsinki

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2013 United States WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 2 6 8 4
2013 United States WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 4 2 0 2 0
2022 United States WC 4th 10 1 4 5 6
Junior totals 7 2 6 8 4
Senior totals 14 3 4 7 6

Awards and honors

Award Year
OHL
Jack Ferguson Award 2010 [53]
All-Rookie Team 2011
Montreal Canadiens
Molson Cup 2016 [54]

References

  1. ↑ "Prodigy on skates". Chicago Sun Times, featured at the Chicago Young Americans Web site. May 3, 2010. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Sarnia Sting take U.S. forward Galchenyuk first overall in OHL priority draft". The Toronto Star. May 1, 2010. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Alex Galchenyuk tired of KHL speculation, injury questions; ready for NHL impact".
  4. ↑ "Galchenyuk signs entry level deal". July 24, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Alex Galchenyuk Named Sting Captain". Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Sarnia Sting 2012-13 roster and statistics". hockeydb.com. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  7. ↑ "ROOKIES GALLAGHER, GALCHENYUK MAKE HABS OPENING ROSTER". TSN. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Rookies Galchenyuk, Gallagher to start season with Habs". The Globe and Mail. February 3, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Florida Panthers at Montreal Canadiens - 01/22/2013". NHL.com. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Alex Galchenyuk". NHL.com. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  11. ↑ Andrew Berkshire (March 29, 2013). "2013 Habs Half Season Review - Alex Galchenyuk". Eyes On The Prize. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  12. ↑ "2012–2013 – Regular Season – Skater – Summary – Points". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
  13. ↑ Harrison, Doug. "Alex Galchenyuk to miss 6 weeks with broken hand". CBC.ca. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Galchenyuk nets first-career hat trick as Canadiens defeat Hurricanes". TSN. December 17, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Canadiens, Galchenyuk agree to two-year deal". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Canadiens re-sign Alex Galchenyuk to 3-year, $14.7M deal". CBC. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Canadiens acquire Domi from Coyotes for Galchenyuk". The Sports Network. June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  18. ↑ TSN ca Staff (June 29, 2019). "Pittsburgh Penguins trade Phil Kessel to Arizona Coyotes Alex Galchenyuk - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  19. ↑ Vensel, Matt (October 9, 2019). "Another Penguins forward, Alex Galchenyuk, placed on injured reserve". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Wild acquires Alex Galchenyuk and Calen Addison from Penguins". Minnesota Wild. February 10, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Ottawa Senators sign forward Alex Galchenyuk to a one-year contract". Ottawa Senators. October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Ehlers, Jets rally past Senators in OT". National Hockey League. January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Canes Acquire Paquette and Galchenyuk". Carolina Hurricanes. February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Canadiens Byron, Hurricanes' Galchenyuk among player placed on waivers". Sportsnet.ca. February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Maple Leafs Acquire Alex Galchenyuk from Carolina". NHL.com. February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  26. ↑ Andrew Kogut (April 3, 2021). "Galchenyuk Looking to Prove the Toronto Maple Leafs Right". Editor in Leaf. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  27. ↑ David Alter (March 19, 2021). "Maple Leafs' Alex Galchenyuk to make debut against Calgary Flames, Wayne Simmonds Returns". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  28. ↑ Ian Tulloch (April 11, 2021). "Leafs Report Cards: Toronto outscores pesky Sens on the back of four-point nights from Matthews and Marner". Maple Leafs Hot Stove. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  29. ↑ Luke Fox (April 12, 2021). "Kyle Dubas's aggressive deadline sends strong message to Maple Leafs, fans". Sportsnet. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Coyotes sign Galchenyuk to one-year deal". Arizona Coyotes. October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Galchenyuk to join Avalanche on tryout contract". The Hockey News. September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Avs release Galchenyuk from PTO". The Sports Network. September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Will Alex Galchenyuk get a shot? His road to recovery ran through a homemade garage rink". Denver Post. November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Alex Galchenyuk signs AHL contract with Colorado Eagles". The Sports Network. November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Avs sign Alex Galchenyuk to one-year contract". The Sports Network. November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Avalanche sign Galchenyuk". American Hockey League. November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Wheeler nets hat-trick, Hellebuyck and Jets blank Avs 5-0". ESPN. November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  38. ↑ "Avalanche recalls four, re-assigns Galchenyuk". Colorado Eagles. December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Galchenyuk invested in remaking his game with the Eagles". American Hockey League. February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Predators Trade Ryan Johansen to the Avalanche in Exchange for Alex Galchenyuk". Sportsnet. June 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Coyotes sign Galchenyuk to one-year contract". Arizona Coyotes. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Alex Galchenyuk arrested on multiple charges in Scottsdale, waived by Arizona Coyotes". ABC15.com. Scripps Media, Inc. July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Galchenyuk apologizes to Coyotes, enters NHL/NHLPA player assistance program". The Sports Network. July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  44. ↑ SKA Saint Petersburg (August 25, 2023). "Alex Galchenyuk agrees with SKA" (in Russian). Instagram. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Alexander Galchenyuk: It's a nonsense that my son is drafted by Atlant and not by Dynamo Minsk". July 5, 2012.
  46. ↑ "Girlfriend of Montreal Canadiens' player Alex Galchenyuk arrested in domestic-violence case". The Montreal Gazette. January 12, 2016.
  47. 1 2 Wilson, Trege (July 18, 2023). "Alex Galchenyuk's Rise and Fall". TheHockeyWriters.com. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Coyotes place forward Alex Galchenyuk on waivers 12 days after inking deal". KMVP-FM. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  49. ↑ x, x (November 8, 2023). "'Galchenyuk has a mouth on him': Scottsdale police video". x. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  50. ↑ Laskaris, Adam (July 18, 2023). "Galchenyuk apologizes for "deeply offensive" and "embarrassing" behaviour after arrest". DailyHive.com. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Galchenyuk enters NHL/NHLPA player assistance program". NHL.com. July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  52. ↑ Billicki, Dan (November 9, 2023). "Foul-mouthed ex-Leaf Alex Galchenyuk threatened to kill cops during arrest". TorontoSun.com. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  53. ↑ "Sarnia Sting Announce Alex Galchenyuk As First Overall Pick In The 2010 OHL Priority Selection". April 30, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  54. ↑ "Alex Galchenyuk named the Canadiens' 2015-16 Molson Cup Player of the Year". Retrieved April 12, 2016.
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