Benoît Gratton

Benoit Gratton ( born December 28, 1976 in Montreal, Quebec ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays for the Vienna Capitals in the Austrian Bundesliga for the 2008/ 09 season.

Career

The 1.78 m tall striker began his career in 1993 at the Laval Titan in the Canadian Junior Football League Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, for which he was on the ice for three seasons. During the NHL Entry Draft 1995 Gratton was selected by the Washington Capitals in the fifth round at a total of 105 positions.

For the season 1996/97 he completed 76 games for the Portland Pirates in the American Hockey League, the former farm team of the capital, where he was able to achieve 46 points scorer. Then, the robust links Sagittarius got the chance to prove himself in the NHL. Overall, it put the Capitals in six games. However, he could not prevail and played in the following years, continues to be dominated in the AHL.

In summer 1999, Gratton joined as a free agent with the Calgary Flames. There he remained for two years and completed 24 NHL games in which he scored six points. After a further commitment to the Montreal Canadiens, is little hope Gratton made ​​on a regular place in the NHL and decided in 2004 in the end for a change in the National League A for HC Lugano. There Gratton convinced and signed after only one season a contract with the Hamburg Freezers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. In his first season in Hamburg, he was one of the best scorers in the team and was one of the performers. In the following years, his achievements were after and the management of Freezers did not renew his contract.

Thereupon Gratton the Vienna Capitals joined in the Austrian Bundesliga, for he goes on the ice since the 2008/ 09 season.

Awards and achievements

NHL stats

(End of season 2008/ 09)