OHL Alumni Central

Ontario Hockey League grad Jason Bacashihua held the American Hockey League’s eighth best goals against average in 2010-11. Playing 42 games for the Lake Erie Monsters, Bacashihua recorded a 2.29 GAA and .917 save percentage with four shutouts.

Jason played one season in the Ontario Hockey League with the Plymouth Whalers in 2001-02. In leading the Whalers to a Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the OHL’s best regular season team, Bacashihua put up outstanding numbers and won several accolades.

In 46 games with the Whalers in 2001-02, Jason had a 2.34 GAA and a .921 save percentage. He was honoured with the Dinty Moore Trophy as the first year goaltender with the lowerst GAA. Together with Paul Drew, he won the Dave Pinkney Trophy for the goaltending duo with the lowest GAA. Not only was he selected to the OHL First All-Rookie Team, he was also named to the CHL All-Rookie Team.

Unfortunately, the Whalers ran up against a giant killer in the first round of the Robertson Cup playoffs that season. The London Knights, who finished eighth in the West, took out Plymouth in six games. London would be dispatched in the second round by the Erie Otters.

Bacashihua came into the Ontario Hockey League already a prospect of the Dallas Stars. After two seasons with the Chicago Freeze, prior to coming to Plymouth, Jason was taken in the first round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, 26th overall by the Stars. His only NHL action to date has been with the St. Louis Blues. Bacashihua played 19 games for the Blues in 2005-06 and 18 the following year. In 2005-06 and 2006-07, he was chosen to play for U.S.A. at the IIHF World Championships.

Ryan Munce during a 3-game stint with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch in 2008-09.

Yet another Ontario Hockey League grad is heading to Italy to play this upcoming season. Ryan Munce has decided to leave North America and play net for S.G. Cortina of the Lega Italiana Hockey Ghiaccio (LIHG).

Ryan Munce played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 2002-03 to 2004-05, all with the Sarnia Sting. Munce was a steady goaltender for the Sting all three seasons, but shone most brightly in his rookie campaign. His accolades as a Sarnia Sting that season include being a member of the OHL’s and CHL’s all-rookie teams and winning the Dinty Moore Trophy as the OHL rookie goaltender with the best Goals Against Average (2.64 over 27 games). He unfortunately couldn’t help a very strong Sting team make it out of the first round of the OHL playoffs.

That season, Ryan also was a major part of Team Canada’s gold medal winning effort at the Under-18 IIHF World Hockey Championships. He was the goalie with the best GAA in the tournament with 1.83.

Munce was taken after his first season by the Los Angeles Kings in the third round of the 2003 NHL draft, 82nd overall. Except for 13 games in the AHL, Munce has spent his professional career until now in the East Coast Hockey League. This past season, Ryan played 44 games for the Charlotte Checkers producing a 2.77 GAA and a .913 save percentage.

Ryan has put his name in the ECHL record books. His 1852 saves in 2008-09 with the Mississippi Sea Wolves are the second highest single season total in league history. His 63 saves in a game while playing for the Bakersfield Condors in 2005-06 is two saves shy of the single game league record. His 28 saves in a single period while playing for Mississippi during the 2007-08 season is also two shy of the league record for most saves in a period.

Check out Ryan Munce’s profile page on the SG Cortina official website.

Check out Ryan Munce’s profile page on the ECHL official website.

Ryan is featured in this previous post about Ontario Hockey League grads playing for the Charlotte Checkers during the 2009-10 season.