OHL Alumni Central

Sweden’s Division 1 is two steps below the country’s top league, the Elitserien (a sort of Swedish ECHL). Currently, in 2011-12, there are five Ontario-born OHL grads playing in the league.

Russ Moyer is in his first season with Bjorkloven, averaging just over a point per game with the club. Moyer played four years on the point with the Ottawa 67′s from 1999-00 to 2002-03. Moyer followed up his Ontario Hockey League career with four years in the CIS with Acadia. This is his third year in Europe after two seasons in Denmark with AaB.

Jared Cipparone moved up to Division 1 this season after playing Division 2 in 2010-11. He is currently playing for Jarfalla. Cipparone played three seasons with the Windsor Spitfires from 2003-04 to 2005-06. Like Russ Moyer, Jared went the route of higher learning and played three years in the CIS at Carleton before heading to Europe.

Branden Eden played a handful of games with the Brampton Battalion in 2008-09 and most of the 2009-10 season with the Belleville Bulls. After playing in the QMJHL in 2010-11, Eden is in Sweden this year on the roster of Kalix.

Shawn Snider played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998-99 to 2001-02. He began his OHL career with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and was traded to the Owen Sound Attack (Platers) during his second season. In his final season, Snider was moved to the Sudbury Wolves after eleven games in Owen Sound. Shawn spent three years in the CIS with St. FX after leaving the OHL. He has spent four of the past five seasons in Europe. He played in France’s Ligue Magnus in 2010-11. This season started in Austria/Hungary for Snider. He then moved to Sweden  to play for Vimmerby but has recently moved to Nykopings.

Andrew Fournier played parts of five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 2003-04 to 2007-08, all with the Plymouth Whalers. In 2006-07, he wore the ‘A’ and in his final season, he was team captain. After toiling in the ECHL, a member of the Kalamazoo Wings for the past two seasons, Fournier became a member of Olofstroms this season. Andrew is currently bombing along at well over a point per game pace.

The Kalamazoo Wings of the East Coast Hockey League have the good fortune to have retained the services of the two Ontario Hockey League grads for the upcoming 2010-11 season. Each of the grads comes from the two Ontario Hockey League teams located in the state of Michigan, the Plymouth Whalers and Saginaw Spirit.

Andrew Fournier played five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 2003-04 to 2007-08, all with the Plymouth Whalers, although his first season consisted of only three games. He was a part of the Robertson Cup winning Whalers in 2006-07. He came out offensively in his final season, scoring 35 goals and 40 assists for 75 points in 64 games which placed him second on the team in scoring. He captained the team in that final season.

Undrafted, Fournier played his first season of professional hockey in 2008-09. He split the campaign between the ECHL’s Florida Everblades and Dayton Bombers. This past season, his first with Kalamazoo, Andrew led the team in scoring with 27 goals and 44 assists for 71 points in 70 games.

Patrick Asselin played five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 2003-04 to 2007-08. His first four seasons were played with the Saginaw Spirit and during his final season, the Spirit traded him to the Oshawa Generals where he was to help a power-packed Generals team go deep into the playoffs. His 78 total points in his final season put him third on the Generals in scoring behind the dynamic duo of John Tavares and Brett MacLean.

In 2008-09, Asselin’s first year pro, he played in Germany’s Oberliga (third tier, behind DEL and Bundesliga) with Herne. He scored 39 goals and added 40 assists for 79 points in 50 games with Herne which placed him two points out of the top spot on the team in total points. He returned to North America and the East Coast Hockey League this past season, starting with the Idaho Steelheads and taking a turn with the Utah Grizzlies before ending up in Kalamazoo.

Check out Andrew Fournier’s and Patrick Asselin’s profile pages on the Kalamazoo Wings official website.