Anton Babchuk

Born:May 6, 1984Draft: 2002 Blackhawks, 21st Overall
Hometown:Kiev, Ukrainian SSRPosition:Defense
Known For:NHL Stanley Cup ChampionShoots:Right
National Team:UkraineCurrent Status:Retired

Anton Babchuk (born May 6, 1984) is a former Ukrainian ice hockey player, having played his final year in the NHL with the Calgary Flames during the 2012-2013 season. Drafted 21st overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Babchuk gained notoriety in Russia after he was scouted during a Quebec PeeWee tournament. Playing in second and third level Russian leagues, he saw success at the World Junior U-18 Championships when he registered six points in eight games. He appeared in five games with the Blackhawks in the 2003-04 season, but was relegated to their minor-league affiliate for the duration of the following season. Babchuk was traded the following season to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Danny Richmond.

Babchuk split time with the Hurricanes and their minor-league affiliate for the first two seasons with the organization, but he became an NHL regular in the 2008-09 season, playing in 72 games, while registering 35 points. Despite his best performance to date, contract disputes between he and the Hurricanes led to Babchuk’s return to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where he suited for Avangard Omsk. He re-signed with Carolina the following year on a one-year contract, but his time lasted just 17 games following a trade to the Calgary Flames, along with forward Tom Kostopoulos, for Brett Sutter and Ian White.

Babchuk spent the last two years of his NHL career with the Flames, including seven appearances in the lock-out shortened season in 2012-13. He returned to the KHL for the third and final time, playing two seasons split between Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, and Atlant Mytishchi. Internationally, Babchuk represented Russia on three occasions, winning a gold medal in 2001 and a silver medal in 2002, both in the World Junior U-18 Championship tournaments.

Anton Babchuk Carolina Hurricanes
Anton Babchuk, Carolina Hurricanes (Carolina Hurricanes Media Archive)

Anton Babchuk Statistics

Deeper Dive

Achievements

  • U18 WJC Gold Medal (2001)
  • U18 WJC Silver Medal (2002)
  • AHL All-Star Game (2004)
  • NHL Stanley Cup Champion (2006)
  • KHL All-Star Game (2010)

Sources