OHL Alumni Central

Ontario Hockey League alumnus Mark Popovic has left the NHL behind for a second time to test the European waters. In 2008-09, Popovic ventured to Russia to play for St. Petersburg of the KHL. This season, 2010-11, he has landed in Switzerland to play for HC Lugano of the Swiss National League A.

Mark played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998-99 to 2001-02, all with the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors. In his final two seasons in the OHL, he was a member of Team Canada at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. In 2001, Canada won the Bronze Medal and the following season they won the Silver.

In his final two seasons with the Majors, the team advanced to the Eastern Conference finals before being beat out 4 games to none both seasons. In 2000-01 the defeat was at the hands of the Ottawa 67′s, a team the would be the eventual Robertson Cup champions. In 2001-02 the Barrie Colts swept the Majors en route to a Robertson Cup loss to the Erie Otters. In that final season, Popovic was selected to the CHL Third All-Star team.

Mark was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2001 NHL draft, 35th overall. He appeared in one game with Anaheim and over four seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers appeared in an additional 80 games.

In the off-season, Mark runs a hockey camp in Midland, Ontario. Check out the website for more information.

Check out Mark Popovic’s profile page at the National League A official website.

Mark appears in this previous post at OHL Alumni Central listing the St. Michael’s / Mississauga Majors that played professionally in 2009-10.

Shawn Heins played two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, 1991-92 and 1992-93. Heins started his OHL career with the Peterborough Petes, playing 49 games in his first season. Five games into his second season, he ended up with the Windsor Spitfires where he finished out the season.

Although not drafted, Shawn made his way into 125 NHL games over six seasons from 1998-99 to 2003-04. Heins played parts of five seasons with the San Jose Sharks and also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Atlanta Thrashers. He also spent time with five minor league teams in the ECHL, AHL and IHL.

Shawn left North America for Europe for the 2004-05 season and has not looked back. He spent his first two seasons in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). His first was with the Eisbaren Berlin and second with the Hannover Scorpions. Since 2006-07, he has been with Fribourg-Gotteron of Switzerland’s National League A, is current team captain and is under contract through the 2011-12 season.

Seven times in his professional career, Heins has led his team in penalty minutes. He has led Fribourg-Gotteron in each of his four seasons with the club. He also led the Hannover Scorpions in 2005-06 with 196 PIM in just 43 games. In 1997-98, he led the Kansas City Blades of the IHL with 303 PIM in 82 games and in 1996-97, he led the Mobile Mysticks of the ECHL with 253 PIM in just 56 games. Twice, he has led the National League A in PIM, 2006-07 and 2008-09.

Despite these numbers, Heins still remains a point producing defenseman and a quality player. He was an AHL first team all-star in 1999-00 with the Kentucky Thoroughblades when he produced 63 points from the blueline in 69 games. His 238 PIM would have led the team if it were not for teammate and fellow Ontario Hockey League grad Garrett Burnett who spent a whopping 506 minutes in the box in just 58 games. Shawn was also named to the all-star team at the most recent Spengler Cup.

Check out the profile page of Shawn Heins at the Fribourg-Gotteron official website.

In the following video, Shawn Heins comes to the aid of teammate and knocks out an opposing player in a playoff game this spring.

Ontario Hockey League graduate Lee Jinman was chosen to the 1993-94 CHL All-Rookie Team after a very impressive first season with the North Bay Centennials. Jinman scored 31 goals and added 66 assists for 97 points while playing the full 66 games for the Centennials.

He exploded for 18 goals and 37 points in 18 playoff games to lead North Bay in those two categories. His 37 points were second only to Kevin Brown of the Detroit Junior Red Wings who had 40. The Centennials beat out the Junior Red Wings in seven games to win the Robertson Cup as the Ontario Hockey League playoff Champions. North Bay would go winless at the Memorial Cup tournament.

Jinman played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1993-94 to 1995-96. He played with the Centennials until midway through his final season when he was ironically traded to that same Detroit franchise that he’d help take down in the 1994 playoffs. The team had since changed its name to the Junior Whalers.

Lee’s offense peaked in 1994-95 when he scored 39 goals and added 65 assists for 104 points with North Bay. The total was good enough for tenth position in the Ontario Hockey League scoring race.

Jinman was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the 1994 NHL draft, 46th overall. Lee has never played a game in the NHL. In the five seasons from 1996-97 to 2000-01, he played on eleven different teams over three leagues (IHL, AHL, ECHL). His best point production in North America came in his first season while playing for the Michigan K-Wings, contributing 57 points over 81 games as a pro hockey rookie.

Since 2001-02, Lee has played in Europe and has become something of a scoring machine. In 2002-03, he led the British Ice Hockey Super League (BISL) in points while playing for the Nottingham Panthers and was named to the all-star team. He has twice led the the Swiss National League B in total points, 2005-06 (103) and 2008-09 (77). In 2007-08 with Sierre of the National-B, he was fifth in the league with 89 points. This past season, his 67 points with Sierre of the National-B was good enough for eighth in the league.

A regular call-up for playoff action in the Swiss National-A League, Jinman was part of championship winning HC Davos team in 2008-09, contributing 10 points in 15 playoff games.

Along the way, Lee has played in Sweden’s Elitserien with Timrå and EC Salzburg of Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. Jinman will be suiting up for Sierre again this upcoming season in the National League B.

You can check out Lee Jinman’s profile on the HC Sierre official website by clicking here and picking his name from the player list.

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.