OHL Alumni Central

It’s nearly Spengler Cup time again. Overshadowed each holiday season by the IIHF World Juniors, the Spengler does boast some high calibre hockey. The tournament, held each season in Davos, Switzerland, starts on December 26 and features six teams this season. Participating this year will be Canada, HC Davos, Kloten Flyers (Switzerland), Dinamo Riga (KHL), HC Vitkovice (Czech Republic) and EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams (Germany).

On Team Canada, there will be five Ontario Hockey League alumni. Also, assistant coach Doug Shedden played in the OMJHL for three seasons.

Shawn Heins played in the Ontario Hockey League for two seasons, 1991-92 and 1992-93, with the Peterborough Petes and Windsor Spitfires. Heins has played a total of 125 NHL regular season games during his pro career with the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Atlanta Thrashers. Shawn is currently the captain of Gotteron in Switzerland’s National League A.

Ryan Parent played four seasons with the Guelph Storm from 2003-04 to 2006-07. Parent was the 18th overall pick at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators. Ryan has played in a total of 106 NHL regular season games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks. He has played the first half of the 2011-12 season with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

Eric Beaudoin played three seasons with the Guelph Storm from 1997-98 to 1999-00. He was a fourth round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1998, 92nd overall. He has played 53 NHL games, all with the Florida Panthers. Beaudoin is currently a member of Biel in Switzerland’s National League A.

Blaine Down played three seasons with the Barrie Colts from 1999-00 to 2001-02. Down’s current team in ZSC of Switzerland’s National League A.

Rico Fata played four years in the Ontario Hockey League from 1995-96 to 1998-99. He played his first year with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the rest of the OHL career with the London Knights. Rico was the sixth overall pick at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Calgary Flames. Fata has appeared in 230 NHL regular season games with the Flames, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers and Washington Capitals. This season, Rico is a member of Geneve-Servette in Switzerland’s NLA.

Assistant coach Doug Shedden played in the OMJHL for three seasons from 1977-78 to 1979-80, appearing with the Hamilton Fincups, Kitchener Rangers and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Shedden is the coach of Zug in the NLA.

In 2005, the Ontario Hockey League provided just five players to Team Canada for the IIHF World Juniors. Those five players played a major role in Canada winning its first Gold Medal since 1997. The victory sparked a streak of five consecutive golds. All five are still active in professional hockey with four in the National Hockey League and one in the AHL. Four of the five were first round picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Three were team captains of the OHL clubs.

Danny Syvret played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 2002-03 to 2004-05 with the London Knights. Syvret was taken in the third round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, 81st overall. Danny has played sparingly in the NHL with the Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks. He is currently a member of the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League.

Jeff Carter spent four years with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds from 2001-02 to 2004-05. Carter was the eleventh overall pick of the Broad Street Bullies at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Jeff played six years with the Flyers and is in his first season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Corey Perry was a member of the London Knights for four seasons from 2001-02 to 2004-05. Corey was the 28th pick in the first round of the 2003 draft, going to the Anaheim Ducks. Perry is in his seventh season with the Ducks, having won a Stanley Cup in his first season with the club and the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top goal scorer this past season.

Michael Richards played four years with the Kitchener Rangers from 2001-02 to 2004-05. He was picked four places ahead of Corey Perry at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. Richards played six years with the Flyers and is in his first season with the Los Angeles Kings.

Anthony Stewart played with the Kingston Frontenacs for four years from 2001-02 to 2004-05. He directly followed Richards at the 2003 draft, picked by the Florida Panthers. He has played in the NHL for the Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers and Carolina Hurricanes. 2011-12 is his first season with Carolina.

With less than a month to go before the start of the 2012 World Juniors, here’s hoping that the Ontario Hockey League can once again contribute players of the same calibre as those from 2005.

The IIHF has what’s called the ‘Triple Gold Club’. To belong to this exclusive club you must win a Stanley Cup, World Championship and Olympic Gold Medal. Currently, and until at least 2014, there are 25 members. The 25 consist of 24 players and one coach. Seven of the players and the one coach are from Canada (read more about Canada’s Triple Gold Club members here). Of those seven, three are Ontario Hockey League grads.

Of the OHL’s three members, one has recently retired from the game and two are still active in the NHL. The first achieved all the requirements in 2002 and the third entered the club after the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Brendan Shanahan won gold at the 1994 World Championships, has three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings (1997, 1998, 2002) and won Gold with Canada at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Shanahan played two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the London Knights, 1985-86 and 1986-87. He was denied World Junior gold as a member of the team involved in the Punch-up in Piestary in 1987.

His NHL career spanned from 1987-88 to 2008-09 with the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers. Brendan played in eight NHL All-Star games over his career. He was named the 2003 recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership and humanitarian contributions.

Chris Pronger won World Championship Gold in 1997. His one Stanley Cup victory to date came in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks. Chris has two gold medals from 2002 in Salt Lake City and 2010 in Vancouver.

Pronger played two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Peterborough Petes in 1991-92 and 1992-93. In 1993, he was the CHL’s top defenseman as well as being named the Max Kaminsky Trophy winner as the OHL’s top blueliner. In 2000, Pronger won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top D-man, making him one of only three players to win both the Kaminsky and Norris.

Pronger’s NHL career began in 1993-94 with the Hartford Whalers. He was traded to St. Louis in 1995 for, ironically, Brendan Shanahan. Currently a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, Chris also played for the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks along the way. He has played in six NHL All-Star games and won the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP in 2000.

Eric Staal was quick to join the club. Staal won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006. The following year, he won gold at the World Championships. Eric was part of the 2010 gold medal winning team in Vancouver.

Staal played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 2000-01 to 2002-03, all with the Peterborough Petes. The second overall pick of the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft is currently still with the club, wearing the ‘C’ on his jersey. Eric has been to four NHL All-Star games in his six seasons. He was a 100 point man in his second season with the Canes.

Better late than never! Our apologies to Team USA fans at the 2010 IIHF World Hockey Championships - we almost passed you by.

There is one player on the roster of Team USA that is a graduate of the Ontario Hockey League. Nick Foligno played three seasons in the OHL from 2004-05 to 2006-07, all with the Sudbury Wolves. Nick led the Wolves in scoring in his final two seasons and had an impressive 29 points in 21 playoff games in his final season as the Wolves advanced to the Robertson Cup final before losing out to the Plymouth Whalers in six games.

Nick was a first round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2006 NHL draft. He spent a portion of his first pro season with Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators but has been a regular with Ottawa ever since.

Check out Nick Foligno’s profile page on the Ottawa Senators official website.

Check out these posts on other OHL graduates playing in the 2010 IIHF World Hockey Championships:

Latvia

Canada

Italy – Plastino

Italy – Parco

Czech Republic

Norway

Finland

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Team Slovakia has three Ontario Hockey League alumni on the roster for the 2010 IIHF World Hockey Championships. Two of the three were also on the National team at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Olympians Peter Budaj and Andrej Sekera

 are joined by Richard Panik for the Worlds.

Richard Panik is one of the newest OHL grads to be playing at the pro level. He played his only OHL season in 2009-10 and split the year between the Windsor Spitfires and the Belleville Bulls and could potentially be back with the Bulls next season. He completed the season with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL. Richard was a second round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2009 NHL draft.

Peter Budaj played three seasons between the pipes for the St. Michael’s Majors from 1999-00 to 2001-02. A second round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 NHL draft, Peter has just completed his fifth season with the NHL club.

Andrej Sekera played two seasons in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack, 2004-05 and 2005-06. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2004 NHL draft, Andrej has remained in the Sabres organization.

Click on the country to see what OHL grads are on the roster for the 2010 IIHF World Hockey Championships: Latvia, Canada, Italy(1), Italy (2), Czech Republic, Norway, Finland.