OHL Alumni Central

Ontario Hockey League grad Kent McDonell has started his fifth season in Sweden’s Elitserien and his second with AIK. In an odd twist of European hockey, McDonell was loaned to Rapperswil of Switzerland’s National League ‘A’ for ten games but is back with his Swedish club.

Check out the surprising number of Kent McDonell hockey cards on eBay!

Kent played four years in the Ontario Hockey League from 1996-97 to 1999-00, all with the Guelph Storm. In 60 games during the 1998-99 season, McDonell scored 31 goals. He helped Team Canada to a Silver Medal at the IIHF World Junior Tournament in 1999. In his final season with Guelph, he scored 35 and assisted on 35 others for 70 points in just 56 games.

McDonell was taken in the ninth round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, 225th overall. He was put back into the draft in 1999 and was a sixth round pick by the Detroit Red Wings, 181st overall. To date, Kent has played in 32 National Hockey League games, all with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.

During the 2004-05 NHL lockout season, McDonell got his first taste of the European game, splitting the season between Norway’s Get-Ligaen and Germany’s 2.Bundesliga. He returned to North America for 2005-06, playing for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins and putting up decent numbers with 21 goals and 58 points.

After a season in Finland’s SM-Liiga, Kent found his niche in Sweden. AIK is his third team in five years and he currently wears the ‘A’ on his jersey. He is under contract by AIK until the end of the 2011-12 season.

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.