Mike Grier Mike Grier ( born January 5 , 1975 in Detroit , Michigan ) is a professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League . He has also played professionally for the Edmonton Oilers , Washington Capitals , and San Jose Sharks . Early years . His father is Bobby Grier , former NFL running back coach and current Associate Director of Pro Scouting for the Houston Texans . The elder Grier is not to be confused with the famous Bobby Grier , who played with the 1956 Pitt Panthers as the first African - American football player to break the color barrier in a College Bowl Game . His uncle is former NFL great Rosey Grier and he is related to actress Pam Grier . Playing career . Grier was originally drafted by the St . Louis Blues in the ninth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft , and was considered a long - shot to make an NHL team . He spent his early playing days with Saint Sebastian ' s School and then later Boston University , culminating in his best amateur season in 1994 - 1995 , where he was named a first team all - star . During his time at BU , Grier ' s NHL rights were dealt to the Edmonton Oilers along with star goaltender Curtis Joseph in exchange for a pair of first round picks . After leaving college , Grier immediately cracked the Oilers lineup as a checking - line right - winger , scoring 32 points and bearing a respectable + 7 + / - rating . He would go on to play six seasons with the Oiler ' s organization , including two where he scored twenty goals . During his time in Edmonton , Grier was best known for provoking Chris Simon of the Washington Capitals in 1997 . Grier made derogatory comments about Simon ' s Ojibwa heritage , and Simon allegedly responded with a racial slur directed at Grier . Although the spoken words were never confirmed , Simon was suspended three games as a result of the incident . The two were later teammates for a brief time in 2002 with the Washington Capitals . He was also known for his toughness , separating his shoulder and having it popped back in on numerous occasions before finally electing for surgery . On October 2 , 2002 , Grier was traded to free up roster space to the Washington Capitals for a pair of draft choices . The Capitals attempted to put a Stanley Cup - caliber team together , primarily built around star forward Jaromír Jágr and goaltender Olaf Kölzig , but the team disappointed on the ice , although Grier remained a reliable checker player . Washington traded him on March 4 , 2004 to the Buffalo Sabres for European prospect Jakub Klepis . He finished the season with Buffalo , scoring nine points despite the Sabres failing to make the playoffs . During the 2005 - 06 NHL Season , Grier set a personal record , scoring 4 game winning goals for the Sabres and contributing during their run to the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals . Grier was then signed to a free agent deal by the San Jose Sharks , where he recorded 16 goals , including 3 shorthanded , in his first season with San Jose . He scored 9 and 10 goals in his next two seasons with the Sharks , respectively . On August 10th , 2009 Mike Grier signed with the Buffalo Sabres . International play . Played for the United States in :