MOSCOW: A Belarusian hockey player who was once part of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization has been banned for a doping violation.
Mikhail Stefanovich, who has represented Belarus at three world championships, was handed a two-year ban by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, backdated to Nov. 10, for the unspecified breach of anti-doping rules.
The 25-year-old right winger was a fourth-round pick for the Maple Leafs in the 2008 draft, but never played an NHL game.
After spells with Toronto affiliates, Stefanovich was loaned to Kontinental Hockey League team Dynamo Minsk and played this season for Russian team Dizel Penza, a minor-league affiliate of KHL team Atlant Moscow Region.