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.

Updated June 10, 2011: Eric Beaudoin has resigned with Biel for the 2011-12 season.

Eric Beaudoin played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1997-98 to 1999-00, all with the Guelph Storm. In his first season, the Storm won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the league’s regular season champion and the Robertson Cup as the OHL’s playoff champion with a series win over the Ottawa 67′s.

Check out Vintage Hockey Cards Report!

Eric provided the Storm steady offense with 71 and 72 points in his final two seasons. His final season saw him notch 38 goals which was the most on the team.

Beaudoin was a fourth round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 92nd overall. However, it was with cross-state Florida Panthers where Eric played all his 53 NHL games.

For the 2005-06 season, Beaudoin left for Europe. During that season, he played for the Newcastle Vipers of Great Britain’s EIHL, two teams in Finland’s SM-Liiga and finally ended up with Mora of Sweden’s Elitserien. He spent the following two seasons with Mora before switching to Linköping for 2008-09 and Rögle in 2009-10. He wore the ‘C’ for Rögle and produced his highest point total since coming to Europe with 34 points.

Left without a home for the first half of this season, Beaudoin was finally picked up by Biel of Switzerland’s National League A this past week.

Eric Beaudoin’s profile can be found at Biel’s official website roster page.

Eric Beaudoin is among the over 700 Ontario Hockey League grads on the OHL Alumni Big List.

The 1997-98 Guelph Storm won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as Ontario Hockey League play-off champions. The team would make an appearance at the 1998 Memorial Cup but would fall to defeat. Seven players from the 1997-98 Storm are still active in professional hockey today.

Click on the player’s names below to view their profile pages at their current team’s official website if available.

Brian Willsie played with the Storm from 1995-96 to 1997-98. Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche, Brian has enjoyed a 380 game NHL career and now is in the AHL as a member of the Lake Erie Monsters. Brian was Storm’s leading scorer in the 1997-98 season.

Kevin Mitchell played for the Storm from 1997-98 to 1999-00 and finished out his OHL career with the Oshawa Generals in 2000-01. Currently, Kevin is with HC Eaton Pardubice of the Czech Republic Extraliga.

Kent McDonell played four seasons with the Storm from 1996-97 to 1999-00. Kent has played 32 games in the NHL, all with the Columbus Blue Jackets. McDonell is currently playing in the Swedish Elite League with Farjestad.

Manny Malhotra played in the OHL for the Storm for only two full seasons, 1996-97 and 1997-98. In 1999-00, after a full season with the New York Rangers, he played 5 games with the Storm. Manny has quietly put in 696 NHL games with the Rangers, Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets and the San Jose Sharks who he is currently with.

Eric Beaudoin played three seasons with the Storm from 1997-98 to 1999-00. Currently, after a 53 game NHL career with the Florida Panthers, Eric is the captain for Rogle in the Swedish Elite League.

Joe Gerbe played for the Storm from 1996-97 to 1999-00. He is currently in the All-American Hockey League (AAHL) with Battle Creek Revolution, an affiliate of the IHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks.

Brian McGrattan played just 31 games with the Storm over the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons. Brian is a 6-team OHLer – you can read more about that in this previous post. Brian is currently in the NHL playing for the Calgary Flames.

Two Guelph Storm Alumni who played together on the Ontario Hockey League team for the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons, are now playing in the Swedish Elite League.

Eric Beaudoin played for the Storm from 1997-98 to 1999-00. For his final two seasons, he averaged over a point per game. He is currently the captain of Rögle Ängelholm in the SEL, a team that finished dead last in the 12 team league this season. This is Eric’s fifth season in the SEL. Although a Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick in 1998, Beaudoin played his short NHL career with cross-state rivals, Florida Panthers. He totalled 53 games in the NHL before heading to Europe. His first season in Europe saw him bounce from Great Britain to two teams in Finland before landing in Sweden.

Eric Beaudoin’s profile page on Rögle Ängelholm’s official website can be found here.

Kent McDonell played with the Storm from 1996-97 to 1999-00. He too was over a point per game in his final two seasons with the Storm. Kent is in his third season in the SEL and his first with Färjestad BK. The team finished fifth in the 12 team league during the regular season. McDonell was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings, but played all 32 of his NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

To view Kent McDonell’s profile on the Färjestad BK’s official website, go to the site and click on ‘Spelarna’ in the top toolbar. You will then get a drop-down list of players. Just click on Kent’s name to view his profile.

To view a post on another OHL alumnus, Mike Zigomanis, playing in the SEL, click here.