OHL Alumni Central

Rafael Rotter played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 2005-06 to 2007-08, all with the Guelph Storm. Over his three OHL seasons, Rotter contributed 168 points in the regular season and 25 in the playoffs.

Twice, Rotter played for his native Austria at the IIHF Under-20 World Hockey Championships in B group play, winning a bronze and silver. Over the two tournaments, Rafael contributed 13 points in ten total games. In 2007, he led the tournament in assists and points.

Undrafted by an NHL club, Rotter returned to Austria to play for his hometown Vienna Capitals in Austria’s elite Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. Rafael will enter his fourth year with the club for the 2011-12 season. His first year in the EBEL actually came the year before he played for Guelph. Rotter played 44 games during the 2004-05 season with Red Bull Salzburg.

Rafael appeared on the international stage again this spring as a member of Austria’s team at the World Hockey Championships. The team did not fare well and Rotter contributed just a goal and assist in six games.

Rafael Rotter is under contract by the Vienna Capitals until the end of the 2012-13 season.

Check out Rafael Rotters profile page at the Vienna Capitals official website.

HK Acroni Jesenice of Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga has begun re-tooling for the 2011-12 season after a dismal 2010-11. Jesenice was six goals removed from being the lowest scoring team in the ten team league while finishing in last place overall. After picking up three Ontario Hockey League grads that have been known for their offensive abilities, goal scoring shouldn’t be a problem going into next season.

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Ontario Hockey League grads Dylan Hunter, Tyler Donati and Justin Donati will join the Slovenia based team. All three played in the North American minor leagues in 2010-11.

Dylan Hunter spent five years in the Ontario Hockey League from 2001-02 to 2005-06, all with the London Knights. In 2004-05, along with winning the Robertson Cup and Memorial Cup with the Knights, Hunter placed second in league scoring with 104 points during the regular season. In his final season, the point total increased to 117 but his position in the OHL dropped to fourth.

Dylan was taken by the Buffalo Sabres in the ninth round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, 273rd overall. He has since bounced around with several teams in the AHL and ECHL. This past season, Hunter played for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL and was an alternate captain. He finished out the year with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.

Similar to the NHL’s Sedin twins, the Donati’s have taken turns over the past two seasons leading the ECHL in scoring. In 2009-10, it was Tyler leading the league with 114 points. This past season, it was Justin taking the title with 94.

Justin Donati played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League split between the Oshawa Generals, Toronto St. Michael’s Majors and Sudbury Wolves. In 2005-06, Justin finished eight points and two positions in OHL scoring behind Dylan Hunter. This will be Justin’s second attempt at Europe, having played three games with Thurgau of Switzerland’s National League B at the start of the 2009-10 season.

In an Ontario Hockey League season when the show was stolen by Patrick Kane and John Tavares, Tyler Donati’s 2006-07 offensive totals were overshadowed. Donati finished fourth in points in the OHL with 129 on 54 goals and 75 assists with the Belleville Bulls. He added another 26 in 15 playoff games.

Tyler Donati played four seasons in the OHL, split between the Oshawa Generals, Toronto St. Michael’s Majors and Belleville Bulls. This past season, Tyler was limited to nine games with the AHL’s Connecticut Whale and 18 with the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals. Like brother Justin, Tyler played three games in with Thurgau in Switzerland at the start of the 2009-10 season.

After two years back playing on North American soil, Ontario Hockey League grad Rob Hisey has signed to play in Europe for the 2011-12 season. Hisey is confirmed with EHC Linz of Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga.

Rob Hisey played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 2001-02 to 2004-05. He began with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and was shipped to the Erie Otters midway through his second season. He remained with Erie until his final season when he moved to the Barrie Colts after 25 games with the Otters. Rob’s best output as an OHLer came in 2003-04 with Erie when he led the Otters in every offensive category (38 goals, 58 assists, 96 points).

Hisey went undrafted by an NHL club and tested the European waters immediately after graduating from the Ontario Hockey League. Over his first four years in professional hockey, Rob played in Finland’s SM-Liiga, Germany’s DEL, Austria’s EBEL, Sweden’s Elitserien and Germany’s Oberliga.

This past season, 2010-11, Hisey played in the New York Islanders organization with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Rob was second on the team in points with 48, despite only playing 59 games.

2011-12 will mark the second time Hisey has played in the EBEL. He spent 22 games with the Graz 99ers during the 2007-08 season, contributing 16 points.

The Salzburg Red Bulls of Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga are playoff champions for the second year in a row. Salzburg has dominated the EBEL with four championships in the past five years.

This year, they had three Ontario Hockey League grads contributing as the Red Bulls took Klagenfurter to seven games in the final. Klagenfurter finished atop the EBEL during the regular season, followed closely by Salzburg and breezed through the playoffs before meeting up with their nemesis. Salzburg beat Ljubljana easily in the first round but was taken to seven by the Vienna Capitals in the semi-final.

Andre Lakos was born in Vienna, Austria and played two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, 1997-98 and 1998-99. In his first season of OHL hockey, Andre played for the Toront St. Michael’s Majors. In his second, he played for the Barrie Colts. After his season in Barrie, the New Jersey Devils selected him in the third round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, 95th overall.

Lakos played three years in the American Hockey League before returning to Europe. Since, he has played in Sweden, Russian and Austria. At 6’8″ and 238 lbs., Andre was the tallest and heaviest player in the EBEL this season.

Danny Bois played four seasons with the London Knights from 2000-01 to 2003-04. The Colorado Avalanche draft pick played several years in the Ottawa Senators system with their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. After the 2009-10 season playing with Chicago’s AHL team, the Rockford IceHogs, it was off to Austria for the 2010-11 season.

As usual with Bois, he provided muscle, earning 136 PIM in 48 regular season games while also providing offense with 29 points.

Martin St. Pierre saw the most of Europe this season. He began in Russia’s KHL, switched to Finland’s SM-Liiga after eight games and finished off the season with Salzburg. St. Pierre played in the Ontario Hockey League the same four years as Danny Bois but with the Guelph Storm. He saw some NHL action through the years with the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators. Like Bois, this was Martin’s first year in Europe.

Fifteen years after graduating from the Ontario Hockey League, Sean Brown is still a major defensive force in professional hockey. Brown is in his third season with Klagenfurter of Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL). After missing most of the 2009-10 season, he has come back strong in 2010-11 to help the team to first place in the regular season and a playoff finals berth against Red Bull Salzburg.

Sean Brown on the left in red (#77).

Sean Brown played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1993-94 to 1995-96. He played his first two full seasons with the Belleville Bulls and was traded to the Sarnia Sting at the deadline during his final season. In that final season, Brown was selected to the Second All-Star Team.

Sean was a first round pick of the Boston Bruins in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, going 21st overall. Sean eventually did play for the Bruins but after parts of five seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. Along with those teams, Brown also played for the New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks between 1996-97 and 2005-06.

2006-07 marked Brown’s first season in Europe. He played two seasons in Germany’s DEL before moving to Austria for the 2008-09 season. Klagenfurter was the league champion in Sean’s first season with the team.

Check out Sean Brown’s profile page on the EC-KAC official website.