OHL Alumni Central

Andy Chiodo of Klagenfurter AC.

An Ontario Hockey League alumnus, John Hughes, led Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL) in points during the 2011-12 regular season. The OHL was also represented quite well between the pipes. Three OHL alumni were among the top ten goaltenders in the EBEL for GAA.

Just the facts:

• Michael Ouzas and Adam Munro finish in the top 10 in their first season in Austria’s EBEL.
• Ouzas replaced Chiodo with the 2003-04 Toronto St. Michael’s Majors.
• Munro and Chiodo have NHL experience.
• 2002-03 was the only year that all three played in the OHL at the same time.

Michael Ouzas finished third in the EBEL with a GAA of 2.31 while playing 21 of Medvescak Zagreb’s games. Michael’s partner with Zagreb, Robert Kristan, was first overall with a 2.21 GAA over 27 games. Zagreb finished second in the eleven team EBEL, a distant nine points behind first place EHC Linz. Zagreb was a semi-final exit from the playoffs while Linz won the championship.

Ouzas played four years in the Ontario Hockey League from 2002-03 to 2005-06. He was well-travelled in the OHL, beginning his career with the Barrie Colts and playing with the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors and Mississauga IceDogs before finishing with the Owen Sound Attack. He was OHL Goaltender of the Year in 2004-05 with Mississauga. This is Ouzas’ first year in the EBEL after two years with the University of New Brunswick and three years in the ECHL.

Adam Munro placed seventh with a 2.76 GAA, playing 38 games with Szekesfehervar. Munro’s team finished the regular season in third, seven points behind Zagreb. Szekesfehervar was an early quarter-final exit from the post season.

Munro played five years in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998-99 to 2002-03. Most of his OHL career was spent with the Erie Otters but a trade sent him to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds early in his final season. Adam was the 29th overall pick at the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Chicago Blackhawks. He played 17 games with the Blackhawks over a three year span from 2003-04 to 2005-06.  His European journey has taken Munro to Switzerland, Russia and Italy with this being the first year in the EBEL.

Andy Chiodo rounded out the top 10, finishing in tenth with a 2.89 GAA over 24 games with Klagenfurter AC. Chiodo’s partner with Klagenfurter, Rene Swette, placed sixth with a 2.51 GAA over 25 games. The team finished fifth during the regular season and lost in the playoff finals to EHC Linz.

Andy played three years with the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors from 2000-01 to 2002-03. Twice entered in the NHL Entry Draft, Chiodo went 166th overall to the New York Islanders in 2001 and 199th overall to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2003. His only NHL experience to date comes in the form of eight games played with the Penguins in 2003-04. 2011-12 was Andy’s second year with Klagenfurter and he will return for the 2012-13 EBEL season.

Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) is well into the 2011-12 playoffs. During the 52 game regular season, three Ontario Hockey League grads placed among the top 20 for goals against average. One, Rob Zepp, placed fourth, 0.02 away from third.

Just the facts:

• Rob Zepp, Fred Brathwaite and Patrick Ehelechner finish in top 20 DEL goalies for GAA.
• Zepp finishes fourth in the league with a 2.35 GAA.
• Brathwaite is the only of the 3 with NHL experience.
• The Sudbury Wolves, Plymouth Whalers, Oshawa Generals and London Knights are represented by these 3.
• Brathwaite began his OHL career in 1989, Zepp in 1998 and Ehelechner in 2003.

Rob Zepp played 42 of 52 games for Eisbaren Berlin, recording a 2.35 GAA and .921 save percentage. Zepp played a major role in Berlin finishing first overall, two points ahead of ERC Ingolstadt in the fourteen team DEL. Rob has been the team’s number one goaltender since the 2007-08 season. 2011-12 was Zepp’s best in the DEL to date for GAA and save percentage.

Rob played three years in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998-99 to 2000-01, all with the Plymouth Whalers. In each season with Plymouth, Zepp was the recipient of the Dave Pinkney Trophy, given to the team with the lowest GAA. His partners during the three years were Robert Holsinger, Bill Ruggiero and Paul Drew. It was the first of a string of three consecutive Pinkney Trophies for the Whalers.

Zepp was twice entered in the NHL Entry Draft. In 1999, the Atlanta Thrashers took him 99th overall and in 2001 it was the Carolina Hurricanes who took him 110th overall. His four years in the North American pros, 2001-02 to 2004-05, were mostly spent in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades. After two years in Finland, Zepp moved to Berlin.

Fred Brathwaite is nothing less than the ‘Energizer Bunny’. Freddy started his OHL career way back in 1989 and is still going strong today. In 2011-12, Brathwaite finished 11th in the DEL with a 2.61 GAA, playing 40 games for Adler Mannheim. His save percentage was slightly higher than Rob Zepp’s at .923. Mannheim finished fourth overall during the regular season, one point behind third place Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg.

Brathwaite played four years in the Ontario Hockey League from 1989-90 to 1992-93. His first two years were with the Oshawa Generals. His third year was split between Oshawa and the London Knights. His final year was spent with the Detroit Junior Red Wings. Fred was part of the Eric Lindros led 1989-90 Robertson Cup and Memorial Cup championship Oshawa Generals team.

Undrafted, Brathwaite played several years in the National Hockey League from 1993-94 to 2003-04 with the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets. 2011-12 is Fred’s fourth year with Adler Mannheim.

Despite his team finishing second from bottom with just 13 wins, Patrick Ehelechner had a decent season with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers. Patrick placed 16th in the DEL with a 2.88 GAA in 43 games with the Ice Tigers. His save percentage was .908. Nurnberg was obviously ineligible for the post season.

Ehelechner played two years in the Ontario Hockey League, 2003-04 and 2004-05, with the Sudbury Wolves. Patrick was a fifth round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2003 but has played in the DEL since leaving the Wolves after the 2004-05 season. 2011-12 was Ehelechner’s fifth year with Nurnberg.

Photo courtesy of www.sportsnews.bz

Ontario Hockey League grad Peter Campbell is no stranger to a scoring race. No matter what team or country he plays in throughout the hockey world, Campbell nearly always finds himself amongst the top scorers. Peter has spent the past three years in Italy’s Lega Italiana Hockey su Ghiaccio Serie A2 with the HC Eppan Pirates. Twice he has led the league in points and twice he has led the league in goals. In 2011-12 he wasn’t the highest goal scorer but he ripped up the league in points.

Just the facts:

• Peter Campbell played 4 years in the OHL with Sudbury, Owen Sound, Belleville and Erie.
• Campbell has led three different European leagues for points since 2002-03.
• Peter has 249 points in 105 games in Italy since 2009-10 – a 2.37 points per game pace.
• Since his 1st game with Sudbury in 1996, Campbell has totaled 1,034 regular season points.

Campbell was the LIHG A2 leader in 2009-10 with 72 points. He was the league leader again this year but this time with a whopping 103 points in 42 games, a full 22 points ahead of the next contender.

Peter played four years in the Ontario Hockey League from 1996-97 to 1999-00 with the Sudbury Wolves, Owen Sound Platers, Belleville Bulls and Erie Otters. The pinnacle of his OHL career was 1998-99 with Owen Sound when he finished seventh in the league with 45 goals in 67 games. Campbell added eight goals and 17 points in 16 Robertson Cup playoff games as the Platers made it to the Western Conference finals before losing to the London Knights in seven games.

After a couple years in the North American minors, Campbell left for Europe to start the 2002-03 season, and hasn’t looked back. In his ten years across the pond, so far, Peter has played in England, Germany, Denmark and Italy. He led Great Britain’s BNL in goals and points in 2004-05 with the Bracknell Bees, scoring 30 and totaling 61 points in 38 games.

The following year, he led Germany’s Oberliga with 50 goals and 104 points in 52 games as a member of EV Ravensburg. In his return to Great Britain in 2007-08, he came in second for points in the EIHL with 91 in 51 games in a season split between the Basingstoke Bison and Belfast Giants.

Kevin Dallman of the KHL's Barys Astana.

What an exceptional year for Ontario Hockey League grads in Europe! With the regular seasons of the European elite leagues already in the books, we’ve recently featured some high scoring former OHLers:

• Norm Milley, grad of the Sudbury Wolves, finishing on top the points category in Germany’s DEL.
• Rob Schremp and Mathis Olimb finishing tied for 7th for points in Sweden’s Elitserien.
• Kevin Dallman, former star defenseman for the Guelph Storm, finishing 5th in Russia’s KHL.

Over the next week or so, we’ll visit a handful of other European leagues where Ontario Hockey League alumni finished among the top scorers. Here’s what you have to look forward to:

• Eric Himelfarb (Sarnia Sting / Barrie Colts / Kingston Frontenacs) finishing 2nd for points in Sweden’s tier 2 Allsvenskan.
• John Hughes (Belleville Bulls / Brampton Battalion) finishing first for points in Austria’s EBEL.
• Peter Campbell (many OHL teams!) leading Italy’s Serie A2 with 103 points in just 42 games.
• Brent Kelly (Guelph Storm / Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) leading Switzerland’s National League B in points.

Things aren’t too shabby for OHL grads in North America either with Steve Stamkos leading the NHL in goals and Patrick Maroon sitting fourth for points in the American Hockey League.

Stay tuned for all the details!

In the meantime – watch for Kevin Dallman and a few other OHL alumni in this video from the 2011 KHL skills competition…

Former Sudbury Wolves star Norm Milley has finished Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga regular season as the leader in the points department. Milley scored 14 goals and added 44 assists for 58 points in 52 games with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg finished third in the 14 team league, just four points out of the overall lead.

Find Norm Milley hockey cards on eBay, right now!

Milley played four years in the Ontario Hockey League from 1996-97 to 1999-00, all with the Sudbury Wolves. In 1998-99, he finished third in the OHL in goals with 52 and second in points with 120. The following season, his last in the OHL, he matched his goal total from the year before but this time it was good for the league lead. His point total dropped to 112, but Norm still finished second in the OHL.

In his first year in the OHL, he was named to the CHL All-Rookie Team. The following year, he played in the CHL Top Prospects Game. He finished his OHL career with 368 points in 259 regular season games. In his third year, his 120 points made him the highest scoring right winger and he was awarded with the Jim Mahon Trophy. Lefties unite – where’s our trophy!?

Milley was a second round pick of the Buffalo Sabres at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 47th overall. He played 15 games with the Sabres over three seasons with the club, 2001-02 to 2003-04. He played an additional 14 games in the National Hockey League with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2005-06.

After playing two full seasons in the American Hockey League in 2006-07 and 2007-08, Norm was Europe bound. He has played for Wolfsburg since 2008-09, this being his fourth season with the club. In his first year in Germany, Milley placed fourth in assists with 39. In 2010-11, he placed fifth in the same category with 35.

Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg now goes in search of their first DEL playoff championship. The team finished behind Eisbaren Berlin and ERC Ingolstadt in the standings but the team scored more goals than any other team in the league and allowed fewer goals than the other 13 teams.