Plymouth Whalers
| Plymouth Whalers | |
|---|---|
| File:Plymouthwhalers.gif | |
| City | Plymouth, Michigan |
| League | Ontario Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | West |
| Founded | 1997-1998 |
| Home arena | Compuware Sports Arena |
| Colours | Navy blue, White, Green & Silver |
| General manager | Mike Vellucci |
| Head coach | Mike Vellucci |
| Affiliate | Compuware Ambassadors |
| Franchise history | |
| 1990-92 | Detroit Compuware Ambassadors |
| 1992-95 | Detroit Junior Red Wings |
| 1995-97 | Detroit Whalers |
| 1997-Present | Plymouth Whalers |
The Plymouth Whalers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, USA.
History
The Whalers can trace their roots back to the 1990-91 Detroit Compuware Ambassadors as an expansion team in the OHL. Since then the franchise has been the Detroit Junior Red Wings and the Detroit Whalers. In 1998 they were officially called the "Plymouth Whalers" after the local municipality gave generous tax breaks to the team and venue. The franchise has been owned by Peter Karmanos since its inception.
The Whalers have been part of the Compuware Hockey program since 1995, which also includes the Compuware Amabassadors minor hockey program and the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, who were formerly the Hartford Whalers, the namesake of the Detroit Whalers. The Carolina Hurricanes tend to give preference to players from the Plymouth Whalers in the NHL Entry Draft, and coaches and executives are promoted from within the Compuware Hockey affiliation. Chad LaRose is the only player to have played at every level of Compuware hockey; Compuware AAA Ambassadors, Plymouth Whalers, Florida Everblades, Lowell Lock Monsters, and the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Detroit Junior Red Wings and Detroit Whalers were both successful incarnations of the franchise in their own rights, but the Plymouth Whalers have made a name for themselves as perennial winners, finishing first or second in their division for every season of their existence.
The team also produces the highest ranked goaltenders on an annual basis, with multiple winners of the Dave Pinkney Trophy and the F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy. Whalers goalies had the lowest goals against average in the OHL throughout the five consecutive division titles.
Plymouth is one of only two teams to win 5 consecutive division titles (West division from 1999-2003, the other team being the Ottawa 67's (East division from 1996-2000). Plymouth has made the playoffs 16 consecutive seasons, since the 1991-92 season. The Whalers reached the OHL finals two consecutive seasons in 1999-2000, and 2000-2001, losing to the Barrie Colts and Ottawa 67's. These seasons included futuer NHLers David Legwand, Justin Williams, Robert Esche, and Stephen Weiss.
The Whalers returned to the top of the division in 2003, led by team record 61-goal scorer Chad LaRose, Karl Stewart, David Liffiton, Ryan Ramsay, and acquired former North Bay Centennials captain Chris Thorburn. The Whalers lost in the conference finals to the eventual Memorial Cup winner Kitchener Rangers. The following season, team captain James Wisniewski, won a gold medal playing for the USA World Junior team, and voted CHL & OHL defenceman of the year.
Celebrating their 10th Anniversary playing at the Compuware Sports Arena during the 2005-06 season, all current Whalers players had been brought into the system by head coach and general manager Mike Vellucci. Headed by overage captain John Vigilante, the team saw the breakout of James Neal, Dan Collins, and Tommy Sestito. Vellucci acquired the Belleville Bulls' leading scorer Evan Brophey and the Toronto St. Michael's Majors goaltender Justin Peters, who had the previous year led his #8 seeded team over the #1 seeded Mississauga Ice Dogs in 5 games. On the last game of the season, the Whalers played the Saginaw Spirit, with the division title on the line. Up 2-0 going into the third period, the Spirit fought back, and managed the tying goal just before time expired. However, Brophey scored in overtime to clinch the Whalers' 9th division title.
During the 2006-07 season, rookie goaltenders Jeremy Smith and Michal Neuvirth, combined for the lowest goals against average in the OHL, with only 173 goals against in total. The Whalers had a number of high prospects; Neal was signed early in the season by the Dallas Stars, Sestito managed a contract later on with the Columbus Blue Jackets, as well as fan favorite Jared Boll. Former Wayne Gretzky 99 Award winner Daniel Ryder was acquired, with him already having been signed with the Calgary Flames. After starting 8-9-0-0, the team turned it around and rallied to run to nearly the top of the league, falling short of the London Knights by one point for the Hamilton Spectator Trophy. During the second half of the season and through the playoffs, the Whalers featured a 23 game winning streak at home, lasting three and a half months, falling at Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to London. The Whalers, although seeded #2, easily won the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as Western Conference playoff champion, sweeping #7 Guelph, and winning in 5 against both #3 Kitchener and #1 London.
Championships
The Plymouth Whalers have won seven divisional titles, five of them consecutively. Plymouth has also won three Hamilton Spectator Trophies, reached the OHL Championship Finals twice.
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J. Ross Robertson Cup
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Hamilton Spectator Trophy
Bumbacco Trophy
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Coaches
- 1995-01 Peter DeBoer (6 seasons) - DeBoer was promoted from assistant coach to beceme coach & general manager of the Whalers organization in 1995 when Paul Maurice went to the NHL. DeBoer previously played for the Compuware Spitfires (also owned by Karmanos) when they went to the Memorial Cup in 1988. He was twice voted the OHL Coach of the Year, winning the Matt Leyden Trophy in the 1998-99 & 1999-00 seasons.
- 2001-present Mike Vellucci (6 seasons) - Vellucci became coach & general manager in addition to being team president, after Peter DeBoer departed to the Kitchener Rangers. In 2007, Vellucci won the Matt Leyden Trophy for the coach of the year in the OHL. Vellucci is a former OHL defenceman with the Belleville Bulls, played two games with the NHL Hartford Whalers in 1988. Velluci's assistant coach and general manager is Todd Watson.
Players
Pat Peake # 14 is the only number retired by the Whalers organization. Peake (who played in the Junior Red Wings era) was a two-season captain, the first MVP for the franchise in 1992-93, as well as Canadian Hockey League player of the year, and OHL Most Sportsmanlike player of the year.
Team Captains
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Award Winners
- 1997-98 - David Legwand Canadian Hockey League Rookie of the Year, Emms Family Award OHL Rookie of the Year, Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player of the Year
- 1998-99 - Rob Holsinger & Robb Zepp Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA
- 1998-99 - Robb Zepp Canadian Hockey League Scholastic Player of the Year, Bobby Smith Trophy OHL Scholastic Player of the Year
- 1999-00 - Robb Zepp & Bill Ruggiero Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA
- 2000-01 - Robb Zepp & Paul Drew Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA
- 2001-02 - Jason Bacashihua & Paul Drew Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA
- 2001-02 - Jason Bacashihua F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy Best Rookie GAA
- 2002-03 - Chad LaRose Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy Overage Player of the Year
- 2002-03 - Paul Drew & Jeff Weber Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA
- 2003-04 - James Wisniewski Canadian Hockey League Defenceman of the Year, Max Kaminsky Trophy OHL Defenceman of the Year
- 2006-07 - Michal Neuvirth & Jeremy Smith Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA
- 2006-07 - Michal Neuvirth F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy Best Rookie GAA
First Round Draft Picks
Players who were drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft
- 1998: David Legwand, 2nd Overall, Nashville Predators
- 2000: Justin Williams, 28th Overall, Philadelphia Flyers
- 2001: Stephen Weiss, 4th Overall, Florida Panthers
- 2001: Jason Bacashihua, 26th Overall, Dallas Stars
NHL Alumni
List of Plymouth Whalers alumni who have played in the National Hockey League.
Current roster
| # | Player | Catches | NHL Rights | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 
|
Jeremy Smith* | L | 2007 | Brownstown, Michigan |
| 40 | 
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Michal Neuvirth | L | WSH 2006 | Usti Nad Labem, Czech Republic |
| # | Player | Shoots | NHL Rights | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 
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Brett Bellemore | R | 2007 | Windsor, Ontario |
| 3 |
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Wes Cunningham | L | -- | Dresden, Ontario |
| 4 |
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Leo Jenner | L | 2007 | Mossley, Ontario |
| 5 | 
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Jozef Sladok | L | 2007 | Zvolen, Slovakia |
| 6 |
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Steven Whitely | R | -- | Petrolia, Ontario |
| 10 |
|
Ryan McGinnis | L | LA 2005 | Fenton, Michigan |
| 26 |
|
Steve Ward - C O/A± | R | -- | Scarborough, Ontario |
| 28 |
|
Zack Shepley | L | -- | Oakville, Ontario |
| 34 |
|
Jordon O'Neill | L | 2008 | London, Ontario |
| # | Player | Position | Shoots | NHL Rights | Place of Birth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |
|
Jared Boll - A O/A | RW | R | CBJ 2005♠ | Crystal Lake, Illinois |
| 9 |
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Vern Cooper | C | L | 2008 | Sudbury, Ontario |
| 11 |
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Evan Brophey - A O/A± | C | L | CHI 2005 | Kitchener, Ontario |
| 12 |
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Kaine Geldart | RW | R | 2008 | Kingston, Ontario |
| 13 |
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Sean O'Connor | RW | R | -- | Trenton, Michigan |
| 15 |
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Andrew Fournier - A | C | L | 2007 | Amherstview, Ontario |
| 16 |
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Brett Valliquette | LW | L | 2008 | Newmarket, Ontario |
| 17 |
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Dan Collins | RW | R | FLA 2005 | Carthage, New York |
| 19 |
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James Neal°± | LW | L | DAL 2005♠ | Whitby, Ontario |
| 20 |
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Chris Terry | C | L | 2007 | Brampton, Ontario |
| 21 |
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Tom Sestito | LW | L | CBJ 2006♠ | Rome, New York |
| 22 |
|
A.J. Jenks | LW | L | 2008 | Wolverine Lake, Michigan |
| 23 |
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Joe McCann | RW | R | -- | Essex, Ontario |
| 25 |
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Joe Gaynor | LW | L | 2007 | Goderich, Ontario |
| 27 |
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Dan Ryder | C | R | CGY 2005♠ | Bonavista, Newfoundland |
*: Jeremy Smith was credited with the win at the 2007 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, January 17.
°: James Neal won gold with Team Canada at the U-20 Canadian National Team.
±: Named to the Western Conference All-Star Team for the 2007 OHL All-Star Classic, in Saginaw, Michigan.
♠: Confirmed contract with NHL team.
Players By Number
This is not a complete listing of all players.
- 1: Kevin Butt, Derek Wilkinson, Chris Wilcox, Darryl Foster, Mike Minard, Shawn Gallant, Aaron Molnar, Bill Ruggiero, Matt Tanel, Justin Peters
- 2: Paul Mara, Cole Jarrett, Ryan Lee, Brett Bellemore
- 3: Shaun Fisher, Nikos Tselios, Andre Robichaud, Libor Ustrnul, Mike Looby, Wes Cunningham
- 4: Greg Bailey, Tom Buckley, Jared Newman, Richard Power, Jake Helmick, Leo Jenner
- 5: Nate Kiser, Zack Shepley, Jozef Sladok
- 6: Chris Cava, Karl Stewart, Erik Lundmark, Steven Whitely
- 7: Troy Smith, Steven Morris, Ryan O'Keefe, John Mitchell, Jared Boll
- 8: Scott Wray, Jon Billy, Greg Campbell, Trevor Waddell, Mike Martinelli
- 9: Colin Beardsmore, Joe Byrne, Adam Colagiacomo, Stephen Weiss, John Vigilante, Vern Cooper
- 10: Julian Smith, George Nistas, Jimmy Gagnon, Ryan McGinnis
- 11: Matt Ball, Scott Blair, David Legwand, Tim Sestito, Evan Brophey
- 12: Yuri Babenko, Kris Vernarsky, Vaclav Meidl, Joe McCann, Kaine Geldart
- 13: Shaun Fisher, James Ramsay, Jeff Phillips, Sean O'Connor
- 14: Jamie Lalonde, Nathan Tennant
- 15: Pat Barton, Tom Buckley, Matt Ball, Damian Surma, Martin Cizek, Andrew Fournier
- 16: Jason Ward, Bryan Thompson, Sean Thompson, Cory Tanaka, Brett Valliquette
- 17: Randy Fitzgerald, Chad LaRose, Dan Collins
- 18: Jesse Boulerice, James Ramsay, Sean Thompson, James Neal, John Vigilante, John Armstrong, Jordon O'Neill
- 19: David Benn, Harold Druken, Tomas Kurka, Taylor Raszka, Chris Thorburn, Tony Iaquinto, James Neal
- 20: Rob Boyko, Pat Barton, Dan Armstrong, Andrew Taylor, Andre Robichaud, James Wisniewski, Chris Terry
- 21: John-Paul Luciuk, Justin Williams, Jeff Phillips, Josh Chambers, Ryan Ramsay, Tommy Sestito
- 22: Scott Blair, Steve Wasylko, Justin Williams, Stacy Britstone, Kyle Neufeld, Mike Letizia, AJ Jenks
- 23: Andy Burnham, Libor Ustrnul, Preston Mizzi, Joe McCann
- 24: Terry Banjavcic, Bob McBride, Mike Nelson, Gino Pisellini
- 25: Don Ashley, Kristopher Purdy, Brad Yeo, Steve Phillips, Mike Knight, Joe Gaynor
- 26: Kevin Holdridge, Mark McMahon, Matt Armstrong, Grant Buckley, Jordan Grant, Steve Ward
- 27: Brian Passmore, Chad Wiseman, Danny MacDonald, Gary Klapkowski, Nick Vernelli, Frank Grzeszczak, Daniel Ryder
- 28: Pat Parthenais, Zack Shepley
- 29: Jesse Boulerice, Aaron Ellis, Sergei Fedotov, Rob Zepp
- 30: Jamie Shea, Brad Teichmann, Jason Saal, Nathan West, Steve Lyle, Brandon Sacco, Larry Sterling, Dan Reed, Jeremy Smith
- 31: Robert Esche, Paul Drew
- 32: Michael Lombardi
- 33: Jamie Allison, Robert Holsinger, Libor Ustrnul, Jason Bacashihua, Jeff Weber, Justin Garay
- 34: Fred Brathwaite, Bryan Berard, Jonas Fiedler, Leo Jenner, Jordon O'Neill
- 35: John Finnie, Brent Thombs, Brian Kent, Ryan Nie
- 36: Tomek Valtonen, Erik Lundmark, Craig Cescon
- 37: Eric Gooldy, Sean Pennock, Rane Carnegie
- 38: Bryan McKinney, Jason Lawmaster, Nikos Tselios, David Liffiton, Scott Madden
- 39: Scott Cameron, Pete Barker, Brent Mahon, Ryan Stephenson
- 40: Ryan Lee, Michal Neuvirth
- 41: Dan Pawlaczyk
- 44: Kevin Brown, Milan Kostolny
- 52: Gerry Skrypec
- 55: Sam Oliviera, Ryan O'Neill, Duane Harmer, Tom Buckley,
- 61: Dale Junkin
- 77: Shayne McCosh
- 91: Sean Haggerty
- 93: Nic Beaudoin
Franchise Records
A complete list of team records can be found here.
| Team Records for a single season | ||
| Statistic | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Most Points | 106 | 1998-99 |
| Most Wins | 51 | 1998-99 |
| Most Goals For | 330 | 1992-93 |
| Least Goals For | 198 | 2004-05 |
| Least Goals Against | 162 | 1998-99 2000-01 |
| Most Goals Against | 378 | 1990-91 |
| Individual player records for a single season | |||
| Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Goals | Chad LaRose | 61 | 2002-03 |
| Most Assists | Kevin Brown | 91 | 1992-93 |
| Most Points | Bob Wren | 145 | 1992-93 |
| Most PIM | David Benn | 305 | 1991-92 |
| Best GAA (Goalie) | Robert Holsinger | 2.08 | 1998-99 |
| Most Wins (Goalie) | Rob Zepp | 36 | 1999-00 |
| Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played | |||
Top Scorers
Top scorers in the history of the franchise.
| Player | Years | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Peake | 1990-92 | 162 | 138 | 181 | 319 | 162 |
| Bob Wren | 1991-94 | 182 | 115 | 188 | 303 | 220 |
| Todd Harvey | 1991-95 | 173 | 113 | 157 | 270 | 310 |
| Kevin Brown | 1992-94 | 113 | 102 | 167 | 269 | 161 |
| Sean Haggerty | 1993-96 | 187 | 131 | 132 | 263 | 136 |
| John Vigilante | 2002-06 | 254 | 93 | 153 | 246 | 107 |
| Harold Druken | 1996-99 | 187 | 123 | 120 | 243 | 60 |
| John Mitchell | 2001-05 | 258 | 80 | 150 | 230 | 158 |
| Damian Surma | 1998-02 | 241 | 105 | 120 | 225 | 286 |
| Stephen Weiss | 1999-02 | 172 | 89 | 134 | 223 | 149 |
Top active scorers, at end of 2006-07 season
| Player | Years | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Collins | 2003- | 237 | 86 | 99 | 185 | 233 |
| James Neal | 2003- | 188 | 68 | 105 | 173 | 235 |
| Evan Brophey | 2005- | 108 | 46 | 96 | 142 | 133 |
| Steve Ward | 2004- | 200 | 34 | 76 | 110 | 230 |
| Jared Boll | 2005- | 132 | 47 | 49 | 96 | 403 |
| Chris Terry | 2005- | 132 | 31 | 63 | 94 | 174 |
| Andrew Fournier | 2003- | 162 | 50 | 43 | 93 | 132 |
| Tom Sestito | 2004- | 152 | 53 | 35 | 88 | 402 |
| Ryan McGinnis | 2003- | 223 | 11 | 56 | 67 | 337 |
| Wes Cunningham | 2005- | 98 | 5 | 39 | 44 | 169 |
Yearly Results
Regular Season
Legend:
T = Tie (1997-2005), SL = Shoot Out Loss (2005-06 onward), OTL = Overtime Loss
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | T/SL | OTL | Points | Pct % | Goals For |
Goals Against |
Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 66 | 37 | 22 | 7 | - | 81 | 0.614 | 279 | 223 | 2nd Western |
| 1998-99 | 68 | 51 | 13 | 4 | - | 106 | 0.779 | 313 | 162 | 1st West |
| 1999-00 | 68 | 45 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 95 | 0.691 | 256 | 172 | 1st West |
| 2000-01 | 68 | 43 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 96 | 0.669 | 253 | 162 | 1st West |
| 2001-02 | 68 | 39 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 92 | 0.662 | 249 | 166 | 1st West |
| 2002-03 | 68 | 43 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 97 | 0.699 | 259 | 174 | 1st West |
| 2003-04 | 68 | 32 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 76 | 0.537 | 220 | 204 | 2nd West |
| 2004-05 | 68 | 30 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 69 | 0.485 | 198 | 204 | 2nd West |
| 2005-06 | 68 | 35 | 28 | 1 | 4 | 75 | 0.551 | 227 | 224 | 1st West |
| 2006-07 | 68 | 49 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 103 | 0.757 | 299 | 173 | 1st West |
Playoffs
- 1997-98 - Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 1 in division quarter-finals.
Defeated Belleville Bulls 4 games to 2 in quarter-finals.
Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 0 in semi-finals. - 1998-99 - Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to London Knights 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals. - 1999-00 - Defeated Guelph Storm 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4 game to 1 in conference finals.
Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 3 in finals. - 2000-01 - Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated Erie Otters 4 game to 1 in conference finals.
Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 2 in finals. - 2001-02 - Lost to London Knights 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
- 2002-03 - Defeated Owen Sound Attack 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated London Knights 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 3 in conference finals. - 2003-04 - Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals. - 2004-05 - Lost to Owen Sound Attack 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
- 2005-06 - Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals - 2006-07 - Defeated Guelph Storm 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated London Knights 4 games to 1 in conference finals.
Finals to be announced.
Uniforms & Logos
The Whalers colours are navy blue, white, green and silver. The Whalers logo was created in 1995 after the Jr. Red Wings were renamed. The colours and logo were derived from the NHL's Hartford Whalers who were also owned by Peter Karmanos. The logo features an angry hockey stick-wielding whale, blowing a puck and spout of water out its blow hole. The name Whalers is superimposed on the image surround by a circle of green and blue with waves in the background.
The Whalers home and away jerseys are either white or navy blue background, with green & silver trim. The Whalers third jersey (inset, bottom right), derived from the original 1979-92 green away jersey of the NHL Whalers, is a green background with the word "Whalers" spelled out in silver letters diagonally across the chest, and has the Whalers primary logo as a shoulder patch.
Arena
Peter Karmanos arranged to build the Whalers a new home in Plymouth Township, Michigan as soon as the 1995-96 season ended. The Compuware Sports Arena was constructed in 6 months time, ready for the 1996-97 season. The arena is located at 14900 Beck Rd. in Plymouth with a seating capacity of 3,807.
In addition to the NHL-sized rink, there is an Olympic sized rink also in the building. CSA, as it is known for short, is home to not only the Whalers, but also the Compuware Ambassadors, a series of major midget teams and lower, according to age.
- Compuware Sports Arena Official web site
- Compuware Ambassadors Official web site
- Compuware Sports ArenaThe OHL Arena & Travel Guide
External links
- Plymouth Whalers Official web site
- Plymouth Whalers Booster Club Official web site
- Ontario Hockey League Official web site
- Canadian Hockey League Official web site