OHL Alumni Central

Brent Kelly is back in the Swiss National League B for the 2010-11 season but has switched teams from Olten to Langenthal. Langenthal is hoping the Ontario Hockey League alumnus will continue to be a dominant scorer in the league.

Kelly played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998-99 to 2001-02. Brent’s first three seasons were played with the Guelph Storm and his final season was with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. In that final season with the Greyhounds, Kelly led the team in scoring with 70 points on 38 goals and 32 assists over 67 regular season games.

Brent played for eight teams over six seasons in the North American minors. He started his pro career in 2002-03 with the Saint John Flames of the American Hockey League and finished up in North America in 2007-08 with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League. In between he played for four other AHL teams, an ECHL team (Johnstown Chiefs) and a Central Hockey League team (Arizona Sundogs).

Kelly was an all-star during his one season in the CHL. He led the Sundogs in scoring with 95 points from 42 goals and 53 assists in just 55 games. He added another 22 points in 14 playoff games.

In 2008-09, Brent moved to Europe and played for Herning of Denmarks AL-Bank Ligaen. Kelly was a hit in Denmark. He was an all-star and led the league in goals (30) and points (77).

He moved his scoring act to Switzerland for the 2009-10 season. Brent’s 41 goals and 51 assists for 92 points in just 47 games was good enough for second in league scoring. The team finished second in the National League B, just one point out of first place.

To check out Brent Kelly’s profile on the Langenthal official website, click here then click Brent’s name from the roster list.

Mark Bell with the Kloten Flyers.

Mark Bell played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1996-97 to 1999-00, all with the

Kloten Flyers logo.

 Ottawa 67′s. In his first season, he played on a 67′s team that had high expectations of a Memorial Cup appearance but was shot down in the Ontario Hockey League’s Robertson Cup finals. In his third season, the 67′s won the Memorial Cup that they hosted despite not even appearing in the Robertson Cup final. Bell was second in scoring during that tournament.

In his final three seasons of OHL hockey, Mark was well above a point per game player. In his final season, he scored 34 goals and added 38 assists for 72 points in only 48 games.

Bell was drafted in the first round of the 1998 NHL draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, eighth overall. He played only 13 games in his first season out of junior, spending most of that season with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL. In 2001-02, Mark became a regular with Chicago and missed only two regular season games over four seasons with the Blackhawks (not including 2004-05 – the dreaded strike year).

Mark shifted to the San Jose Sharks for the 2006-07 season then was cursed when he was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs for 2007-08. Bell played only 35 games with the Leafs. he split 2008-09 with the Toronto Marlies and Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL before heading to Europe.

The Kloten Flyers finished fifth in the twelve team Swiss National League A. Bell played 39 of the team’s 50 regular season games and added 27 points. Kloten is to Zurich what Mississauga is to Toronto. Like Mississauga, the Zurich airport is actually located in Kloten.

Check out Mark Bell’s profile page on the Kloten Flyers official website.

Mark Bell is mentioned in this previous post about the Ottawa 67′s appearance at the 1999 Memorial Cup.

DiPietro as a member of the Swiss Olympic team at Turin in 2006.

The other day, we determined that Todd Elik was the oldest Ontario Hockey League alumnus still practicing his trade in the world of professional hockey. Closing in on 40 and still going strong is another OHL grad, Paul DiPietro.

DiPietro has spent 10 of the last 11 seasons with EV Zug of the Swiss National A League. He was bumped aside for the 2004-05 NHL strike season and played with EHC Chur of the Swiss B league that year. EV Zug is coached by OHL great, Doug Shedden. Shedden starred in the Ontario Hockey League from 1977-78 to 1980-81 with the Hamilton Fincups, Kitchener Rangers and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Paul played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1986-87 to 1989-90. All his four seasons were spent with the Sudbury Wolves. In his final two seasons with the Wolves, DiPietro led the team in scoring. In his final season, his 56 goals and 119 points were second in the OHL, only to Keith Primeau.

DiPietro was originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, 102nd overall, in the 1990 NHL draft. He enjoyed a 192 game NHL career with the Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings. His last season in North America was 1996-97 which was split between the Kings and two IHL teams, the Phoenix Roadrunners and the Cincinnati Cyclones.

Paul spent one season in Germany’s DEL in 1997-98 before switching over to Switzerland.

Check out Paul DiPietro’s profile page at the EV Zug official website.

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Ontario Hockey League alumnus, Jamie Wright, has signed on with EHC Basel Sharks of the Swiss-B National League for the 2010-11 season. In 2009-10, Wright played in Germany’s DEL for the Frankfurt Lions and an additional 10 games with Sierre-Anniviers of the Swiss-B league.

Jamie played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1993-94 to 1995-96, all with the Guelph Storm. Wright averaged over a point per game over the three seasons and excelled in his second season with 43 goals and 82 points in 65 games. He was a member of Team Canada at the 1996 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Wright was a fourth round pick of the Dallas Stars in the 1994 NHL draft. Jamie played a total of 124 games in the NHL with the Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers.

In 2005-06, he made the jump to Europe and played in Finland. Jamie has spent the past four seasons on a mix of teams in Germany and Switzerland.

Jamie is already profiled on the EHC Basel Sharks official website.

Click here to view Jamie Wright’s profile page at the DEL official website.

Petr Taticek hoists the cup after Davos wins the 2009 Swiss championship.

Does getting drafted in the first round of the NHL draft, ninth overall, guarantee a long and prosperous National Hockey League career? In the case of Petr Taticek, no.

Taticek played two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 2001-02 and 2002-03. he was drafted by the Florida Panthers after his first season. The Czech Republic native was just over a point per game player in the OHL. His NHL career to date has consisted of just three games with the Panthers in 2005-06.

Petr hung around North America for just three seasons, playing on several teams in the AHL and CHL. In 2006-07, Taticek played just one game with the AHL’s Hershey Bears before heading to Europe and his homeland, the Czech Republic.

The homecoming only lasted ten games, though. Later that season, Petr found himself playing for HC Davos in the Swiss National-A league and has been with the team since. HC Davos is, of course, the team that hosts the famous Spengler Cup every Christmas. The team finished fourth in the regular season standings this past season in the twelve team league.

Click here to view Petr Taticek’s profile page on the HC Davos official website.

Check out these previous posts about OHL grads playing Switzerland:

Brendan Brooks playing for SCL Tigers

Gardner and Down playing for ZSC Lions

Boyd Devereaux playing for Lugano

You have until May 31, 2010 to try our May version of OHL Alumni Central Trivia.

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