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To Mikhail Grabovski, he appeared to be a wealthy fan of the Montreal Canadiens, someone who knew a lot of people and loved to talk hockey. He would recommend restaurants and had tips on mundane things like where to buy a car or rent an apartment.

For a young hockey player like Grabovski, 25, from a different country and speaking little English, Pasquale Mangiola was a useful acquaintance.

Six weeks after three Canadiens players were swept up in a scandal related to Mangiola's arrest in Montreal, the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie has revealed he also had a relationship with the alleged gangster, one that continued after Grabovski was traded to Toronto last July.

Mangiola, who was released on $45,000 bail after his arrest Feb. 12, faces six charges of conspiracy, trafficking of cocaine and possession of illegal firearms. According to previously published reports, it is alleged Mangiola functioned as an intermediary between three criminal street gangs.

His next court date is April 27 in Montreal.

"I knew him as a decent man and would ask him about how to get around and where to find things [in Montreal]," Grabovski told a reporter from the Russian daily newspaper Sport-Express this week. "He would never refuse."

According to reports, Mangiola also had a relationship with current Habs players Andrei Kostitsyn and Sergei Kostitsyn, who, like Grabovski, are from Belarus. Czech defenceman Roman Hamrlik was also said to have social ties to Mangiola.

Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke said his NHL team learned of Grabovski's connection with Mangiola when the revelations involving the Canadiens players became public. Burke said the league was notified immediately.

"When news broke that a Montreal man had been charged and was close with some of the European players in Montreal, [Leafs head coach] Ron Wilson asked Mikhail Grabovski if he knew this person," Burke said. "Mikhail said yes, but not well. We reported this to the NHL at once, and Mikhail has not been in contact with this person since."

Burke added that the NHL has not been in contact with the Leafs since then.

Grabovski's agent, Gary Greenstin, said his client was introduced to Mangiola by teammates when he played for the Canadiens in 2006-07 (three games) and 2007-08 (24 games).

Greenstin said there was never any indication Mangiola may have had links to organized crime.

"I always say to my guys, stay away from strangers," Greenstin said. "Grabovski, I'm 100-per-cent positive on him, he's a clean kid. He doesn't smoke, he doesn't drink. He's never smoked a cigarette in his life."

Greenstin said Grabovski told him Mangiola had called since his arrest, "and I said, you know what, he's under investigation, stay away from him."

"Grabovski tells me he feels sorry for him. Because he was so nice to him. You know, suggesting where to go. And he never offered him dirty stuff, you know, stupid stuff," the agent said.

In response to The Globe and Mail's inquiry yesterday, the NHL said it had looked into the situation after the Mangiola story become front-page news in Montreal.

"The league has completed our investigation and have found no wrongdoing by any of our players and no conduct that would call into question the integrity of our game," the statement said.

The NHL Players' Association conducted its own investigation, with similar findings. The NHLPA also barred players from any further contact with Mangiola, according to a spokesman.

Greenstin said he learned his client knew Mangiola when the news first broke in Montreal and the NHLPA contacted agents to alert them of the situation. He said he advised Grabovski to stop talking to Mangiola and said they would be changing his phone numbers to avoid calls.

"Grabovski has a great future, he loves to play for the Maple Leafs," Greenstin said, adding he was working to negotiate a new contract for his client — who will become a restricted free agent on July 1 — to stay in Toronto.

"He's very appreciative of playing for the Leafs, he loves the town, completely. He loves the organization. And I hope he stays with them until the end of his career."

With a report from David Shoalts