Max Birbraer

Maxim Birbraer ( born December 15, 1980) is a Kazakhstan-born Israeli former professional ice hockey forward. Birbraer is Jewish and has played for the Israel national ice hockey team.
== Playing career ==
Birbraer was born in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, where he lived until the age of 14, and is Jewish. His family lived under a non-Jewish sounding surname in those years due to severe local anti-Semitism, and he wasn't told that he was Jewish until his parents decided to move to Israel. Although he had played schoolboy hockey in Russia, he assumed that he would have to give up the ice when he was 14 and his family immigrated to Israel, until he discovered an indoor rink in Tel Aviv where he played in a junior league. He had lived in Israel for only 8 months when his coach, Paul Rosen, persuaded him to try out for a Canadian league with the result that he spent 2 years playing Tier 2 hockey in Ontario, where Rosen was his legal guardian. He then joined the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League.
He was the only Israeli national ever to be drafted by a NHL team when he was drafted 67th overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. Despite this, he never played in the NHL, instead spending three seasons with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Albany River Rats. In 2006, Birbraer signed with the Cardiff Devils of the Elite Ice Hockey League, and played with the team for 7 years. Birbraer signed with the Telford Tigers in 2014.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1997–98 	Shelburne Wolves 	MetJHL 		12 	7 	11 	18 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Shelburne Wolves 	OPJHL 		35 	20 	22 	42 	25 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–2000 	Newmarket Hurricanes	OPJHL 		47 	50 	32 	82 	52 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 		50 	7 	6 	13 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 		40 	6 	7 	13 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 		57 	6 	6 	12 	42 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	San Antonio Rampage 	AHL 		17 	0 	2 	2 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Laredo Bucks 	CHL 		44 	16 	14 	30 	37 		14 	3 	2 	5 	33
2004–05 	San Diego Gulls 	ECHL 		69 	19 	30 	49 	63 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Long Beach Ice Dogs 	ECHL 		13 	4 	3 	7 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Cardiff Devils 	EIHL 		52 	29 	33 	62 	105 		4 	0 	2 	2 	0
2007–08 	Cardiff Devils 	EIHL 		54 	20 	37 	57 	75 		3 	3 	0 	3 	0
2008–09 	Kazzinc-Torpedo 	RUS.2 		34 	5 	15 	20 	32 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Heilbronner Falken 	DEU.2 		16 	4 	5 	9 	4 		6 	0 	3 	3 	8
2009–10 	Cardiff Devils 	EIHL 		54 	22 	36 	58 	58 		4 	4 	3 	7 	0
2010–11 	Cardiff Devils 	EIHL 		54 	26 	42 	68 	44 		4 	1 	2 	3 	6
2011–12 	Cardiff Devils 	EIHL 		24 	11 	20 	31 	43 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Cardiff Devils 	EIHL 		31 	16 	13 	29 	18 		4 	4 	3 	7 	8
2013–14 	Cardiff Devils 	EIHL 		52 	16 	24 	40 	35 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Telford Tigers 	EPIHL 		48 	21 	33 	54 	46 		3 	1 	0 	1 	0
2015–16 	Telford Tigers 	EPIHL 		51 	26 	34 	60 	123 		2 	1 	0 	1 	0
2016–17 	Swindon Wildcats 	EPIHL 		50 	16 	31 	47 	126 		6 	6 	3 	9 	2
2017–18 	Swindon Wildcats 	GBR.2 		31 	15 	38 	53 	44 		4 	2 	6 	8 	2
2018–19 	Swindon Wildcats 	GBR.2 		41 	12 	55 	67 	67 		1 	1 	2 	3 	0
AHL totals 	AHL totals 	AHL totals 		164 	19 	21 	40 	94 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
EIHL totals 	EIHL totals 	EIHL totals 		321 	140 	205 	345 	378 		19 	12 	10 	22 	14
EPIHL totals	EPIHL totals 	EPIHL totals		149 	63 	98 	161 	295 		11 	8 	3 	11 	2
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 		GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
1997 	Israel 	EJC D 		5 	10	2 	12 	4
1997 	Israel 	WC D 		5 	0 	1 	1 	2
1998 	Israel 	EJC D 		5 	5 	4 	9 	10
1998 	Israel 	WC D 		5 	2 	2 	4 	27
1999 	Israel 	WC D 		4 	2 	5 	7 	0
2000 	Israel 	WC D 		4 	6 	6 	12 	6
2008 	Israel 	WC Div.2 		5 	5 	6 	11 	4
2013 	Israel 	WC Div.2B 		5 	5 	8 	13 	6
Junior totals 	Junior totals 	Junior totals 		10	15	6 	21 	14
Tier III Senior totals	Tier III Senior totals	Tier III Senior totals		10	10	14	24 	10
Tier IV Senior totals 	Tier IV Senior totals 	Tier IV Senior totals 		18	10	14	24 	35
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
Category:Born in 1980
Category:Kazakh hockey players
Category:New Jersey Devils draft picks