OHL Alumni Central

Dave and Paul Gardner were both products of the Ontario Hockey League (OMJHL at the time) in the early 1970′s. The older, Dave, played two stellar seasons with the Toronto Marlboros and Paul played two with the Oshawa Generals.

Dave Gardner played his years with the Marlboros in 1970-71 and 1971-72. His offensive talent was explosive with 56 goals and 137 points in his first season. That total paved the way for a Red Tilson Trophy victory as most outstanding player. His second season with the Marlies saw him play just 57 games but contribute 53 goals and 129 points.

Drafted in the first round of the 1972 NHL draft by the mighty Montreal Canadiens, eighth overall, Gardner saw limited action with the big club in his first season and a half of professional hockey before being shipped to the St. Louis Blues. Over his 350 game NHL career, Dave found regularity in the California Golden Seals / Cleveland Barons organization where he put in four solid seasons from 1974-75 until 1977-78.

Gardner also played two games with the Philadelphia Flyers as well as with a handful of AHL and CHL teams before leaving for Switzerland for the 1980-81 season. He played in Switzerland’s National League until 1984-85.

Dave’s son, Ryan Gardner, is also a graduate of the Ontario Hockey League and is currently playing in Switzerland’s National League A with Bern. Check out this previous post at OHL Alumni Central on Ryan Gardner.

Paul Gardner played his two seasons with Oshawa in 1974-75 and 1975-76. Although he didn’t nearly meet his brothers numbers in his rookie season, he topped Dave’s numbers in every way during the 1975-76 season. Paul played 65 games for the Generals, scored 69 times while assisting on 75 for 144 points. This tally was good enough for third in OMJHL scoring that season.

Paul was drafted by the Kansas City Scouts in the first round of the 1976 NHL draft, eleventh overall and soon became a regular with the Colorado Rockies after the Scouts were moved to Denver. Paul was also selected by the Toronto Toros in the second round of the 1976 WHA draft, 24th overall. With the Rockies, he scored 30 and totalled 59 points in just 60 games as a rookie. The following season, he would equal that goal scoring mark but in just 46 games. His best goal scoring numbers would come as a Pittsburgh Penguin with 34 in 1980-81 and 36 in 1981-82.

Over 447 NHL games with the Rockies, Toronto Maple Leafs, Penguins, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres, Gardner would contribute 402 points.

Paul was very successful in the AHL. He led the Baltimore Skipjacks with 81 points in 1983-84. In both 1984-85 and 1985-86, he won the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s MVP and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the AHL’s top point-getter. In 1984-85, he was also awarded the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award for sportsmanship and perserverance. His totals in the AHL were an awesome 386 points in just 238 career games.

Paul went on to coach in pro hockey immediately upon retirement as a player. He has been a head coach in the AHL, Germany’s DEL and the Central Hockey League. Gardner was an assistant coach in both the AHL and NHL, most recently with the Nashville Predators from 1998-99 to 2002-03. He is currently the head coach of the Mississippi Riverkings of the Central Hockey League.

Check out Paul Gardner’s profile page at the Mississippi Riverkings official website.

See who’s on The Big List now.

Central Hockey League fans can breathe a little easier now that one of their greats has signed on for another season. Jeff Christian will enter his 21st season in professional hockey and his sixth in the CHL as a member of the Mississippi (Memphis) Riverkings.

Christian played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1987-88 to 1989-90. He began his OHL career with the London Knights and played with the green and gold until midway through his senior year when he went north to finish out his career with the Owen Sound Platers. Jeff was, and still is, a unique hockey player that is rugged yet has a talent around the net. During his OHL career, he netted 75 regular season goals and also sat out 579 minutes in the sin bin.

Jeff was taken by the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the 1988 NHL draft, 23rd overall. He did get a chance to play two games with the Devils and along the way played a total of 18 games in the NHL with the Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and Phoenix Coyotes.

His unique ability to be an enforcer and a goal scorer shone through in the old IHL. In 1996-97 with the Cleveland Lumberjacks, Jeff scored 40 goals while sitting out 262 minutes. Two seasons later with the Houston Aeros, he improved on the goals mark with 45 and sat out 252.

Christian makes a mark with whatever team he is playing for:

1993-94, Albany River Rats – AHL. Team leader in goals with 34.

1996-97, Cleveland Lumberjacks – IHL. Team leader in goals (40), points (80) and PIM (262).

1998-99, Houston Aeros – IHL. Team leader in goals (45) and PIM (252).

1999-00, Cleveland Lumberjacks – IHL. Team leader in goals (29).

2000-01, Krefeld Pinguine – DEL. Team leader in PIM (205).

2001-02, Krefeld Pinguine – DEL. Team leader in PIM (116) and one goal from the team lead with 31.

2005-06, Youngstown Steelhounds – CHL. Team lead in goals (55) and points (107).

2006-07, Youngstown Steelhounds – CHL. Team lead in assists (78) and points (116).

2007-08, Tulsa Oilers – CHL. Team lead in assists (59) and points (83).

2008-09, Tulsa Oilers – CHL. Team lead in assists (49) and points (76).

2009-10, Missouri Mavericks – CHL. Team lead in goals (29), assists (49) and points (78) in just 55 games.

With the Youngstown Steelhounds, Jeff captained the team for two of the three seasons in the franchises short history. Christian will forever be the Youngstown Steelhounds all-time goal scoring leader.

Jeff’s daughter Ryan is battling adrenocortical cancer. You can donate to the Ryan Christian Love Fund on-line at this website.

For more information on Ryan’s battle, there is a Facebook page I stongly recommend checking out.

Check out Jeff Christian’s profile page on the Mississippi Riverkings official website.

The Braehead Clan and the Dundee Stars are the newest additions to Great Britain’s Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), starting play for the 2010-11 season. Added to the Edinburgh Capitals, the two teams bring the Scottish total to three, which will surely create great rivalries and great interest.

The Clan have signed an Ontario Hockey League alumnus that they hope will put some pucks in the net. Bobby Chaumont played four years in the OHL from 2001-02 to 2004-05, all with the Sudbury Wolves. A steady goal-scorer, Chaumont added 24, 23, 31 and 31 goals in his four seasons with the Wolves.

Chaumont has his name written in the Ontario Hockey League history books as the only player to not miss a regular season game over his four year OHL career. He played in each of Sudbury’s 68 games over his four seasons for a total of 272 consecutive games. This is a pretty amazing feat considering OHLers are also full-time students and often play 2 to 3 games over a weekend.

Bobby spent one season in the Canadian university system, 2005-06, with Dalhousie. He spent 2007-08 in the ECHL with the Dayton Bombers, but has spent the rest of his time in the world of professional hockey in the Central Hockey League. His last two seasons have been spent with the Mississippis RiverKings. He’s netted more than 20 goals in each of his three seasons in the CHL.

The Sudbury native lead the RiverKings in goals scored over the 2008-09 season, netting 28 in just 49 games. He was named to the CHL’s all-rookie team in 2006-07 as a member of the Laredo Bucks.

Check out Bobby Chaumont’s profile page on the Braehead Clan’s official website.

For the time being, Bobby Chaumont’s profile page remains on the Mississippi RiverKing’s official website.

Above photo courtesy of Les Stockton @ Flickr.

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A New Jersey Devil draft pick back in 1998, Ryan Held has never played a game in the NHL but is certainly still active in professional hockey. Ryan played in the Ontario Hockey League from 1997-98 to 2000-01. Held is now a member of the Central Hockey League’s Mississippi RiverKings.

Ryan began his OHL career with the Kitchener Rangers and played three full seasons out of the Aud. His best season with the Rangers, which was also his best season in the OHL, was 1999-00 when he scored 31 goals and added 43 assists for 74 points. He started the 2000-01 season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds before being traded to the London Knights, where he finished off his Ontario Hockey League career.

Ryan would go on to play four seasons with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs before testing the European waters with the Geleen Smoke Eaters in Holland for the 2005-06 season. His career with the RiverKings began in 2006-07 and he continued with the team in 2007-08. 2008-09 would see him test the European waters again and he would score at a 2-point per game pace with Vipiteno in Italy.

Check out Ryan Held’s profile page at the Mississippi RiverKings official website.

To learn what other London Knight alumni are still active in professional hockey, check out this post.