Kelly Guard
Encyclopedia
Kelly Guard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey
goaltender
. He last played for HC Pustertal-Val Pusteria
in Italy's Serie A. He helped lead the Kelowna Rockets
of the Western Hockey League
(WHL) to a Memorial Cup
championship in 2004
.
tournament in Quebec City. The Rockets lost 2–1 to the Hull Olympiques in the semi-final. Guard had another stellar season with the Rockets in 2003–04, posting 44 wins in 62 games. Although Kelowna lost in the third round of the WHL playoffs that season, the city was chosen to host the 2004 Memorial Cup
and as such the Rockets received an automatic berth in the tournament. Guard helped lead the team to the franchise's first Memorial Cup Championship as they defeated the Gatineau Olympiques
2–1 in the final. For his efforts, Guard was awarded both the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy
and the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy
as the Memorial Cup's top goaltender and most valuable player, respectively. He was also named to the tournament's First All-Star Team, and to the WHL's First All-Star Team for that season. In all, Guard posted an 83-24 record over his two seasons with Kelowna.
Guard was never selected in the NHL Entry Draft
but was signed to a professional contract by the National Hockey League
's Ottawa Senators
in 2004. He made his professional debut during the 2004–05 season playing for Ottawa's East Coast Hockey League
affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. He spent the following two seasons with Ottawa's top minor league affiliate, the Binghamton Senators
of the American Hockey League
. He struggled with the team, posting a 36-44-4 record.
The Senators opted not to offer Guard a new contract after the 2006-07 season and the goaltender became a free agent. In November 2007, Guard signed with the China Sharks
of Asia League Ice Hockey
, though his stint with the team was brief. He had similarly brief stints with the Vienna Capitals
of Erste Bank Eishockey Liga and Junost Minsk
of the Belarusian Extraleague before signing with Serie A's HC Pustertal-Val Pusteria.
After sustaining a groin injury in an October 2008 match, Guard's contract with Pustertal-Val Pusteria was terminated by mutual consent. Although he said that "the city, the environment and the teammates were outstanding," Guard was disappointed with the level of play in Serie A and, already contemplating retirement, the injury helped make his decision final. In November 2008 Guard announced his retirement from professional hockey.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. He last played for HC Pustertal-Val Pusteria
Hockey Club Pustertal-Val Pusteria
HC Pustertal – Val Pusteria Wolves are an Italian professional ice hockey team from Bruneck, currently playing in Serie A.- Team History:The team was founded in 1954 as EV Bruneck MAK. Their first season in the B series took place in 1966. They won the championship in the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons...
in Italy's Serie A. He helped lead the Kelowna Rockets
Kelowna Rockets
The Kelowna Rockets are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Rockets play in the Western Hockey League , out of the Canadian Hockey League . They play their home games at Prospera Place....
of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL) to a Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
championship in 2004
2004 Memorial Cup
The 2004 Memorial Cup occurred May 15–23 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia. It featured the host team, the Kelowna Rockets as well as the winners of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League which were the Guelph Storm, Gatineau...
.
Playing career
Guard spent his entire junior career with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets. In 2002–03, his first of two seasons with the team, he led the Rockets to a WHL Championship and a berth in the Memorial Cup2003 Memorial Cup
The 2003 Memorial Cup occurred May 17-25 at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec. It featured the host team, the Quebec Remparts as well as the winners of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League which were the Kitchener Rangers, Hull Olympiques...
tournament in Quebec City. The Rockets lost 2–1 to the Hull Olympiques in the semi-final. Guard had another stellar season with the Rockets in 2003–04, posting 44 wins in 62 games. Although Kelowna lost in the third round of the WHL playoffs that season, the city was chosen to host the 2004 Memorial Cup
2004 Memorial Cup
The 2004 Memorial Cup occurred May 15–23 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia. It featured the host team, the Kelowna Rockets as well as the winners of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League which were the Guelph Storm, Gatineau...
and as such the Rockets received an automatic berth in the tournament. Guard helped lead the team to the franchise's first Memorial Cup Championship as they defeated the Gatineau Olympiques
Gatineau Olympiques
The Gatineau Olympiques are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League out of Gatineau, Quebec. The Olympiques play out of the Robert Guertin Centre. The club, then known as the Hull Festivals, was granted membership in the QMJHL in 1973. The Olympiques have...
2–1 in the final. For his efforts, Guard was awarded both the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy
Hap Emms Memorial Trophy
The Hap Emms Memorial Trophy is awarded to the outstanding goaltender at the Memorial Cup of the Canadian Hockey League.The award is named after Leighton "Hap" Emms, who led four teams to championship victories at the Memorial Cup in the 1950s and 1960s....
and the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy
Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy
The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy is a Canadian Hockey League trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the annual Memorial Cup Tournament...
as the Memorial Cup's top goaltender and most valuable player, respectively. He was also named to the tournament's First All-Star Team, and to the WHL's First All-Star Team for that season. In all, Guard posted an 83-24 record over his two seasons with Kelowna.
Guard was never selected in the NHL Entry Draft
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
but was signed to a professional contract by the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 2004. He made his professional debut during the 2004–05 season playing for Ottawa's East Coast Hockey League
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. He spent the following two seasons with Ottawa's top minor league affiliate, the Binghamton Senators
Binghamton Senators
The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. He struggled with the team, posting a 36-44-4 record.
The Senators opted not to offer Guard a new contract after the 2006-07 season and the goaltender became a free agent. In November 2007, Guard signed with the China Sharks
China Sharks
The China Dragon are a professional ice hockey team based in Shanghai, China, and a member of Asia League Ice Hockey. The team was formed in 1954 as two different clubs, Harbin and Qiqihar, as part of the China League...
of Asia League Ice Hockey
Asia League Ice Hockey
Asia League Ice Hockey is an association which operates a professional ice hockey league based in East Asia, with seven teams from Japan, China, and South Korea. The league is headquartered in Japan...
, though his stint with the team was brief. He had similarly brief stints with the Vienna Capitals
Vienna Capitals
Vienna Capitals are a member of the Erste Bank Hockey League. They play their home games in Vienna, Austria, at Albert Schultz Eishalle.-Current roster:-References:...
of Erste Bank Eishockey Liga and Junost Minsk
Junost Minsk
HC Yunost-Minsk is a Belarusian ice hockey team that currently plays in the Belarusian Extraliga. They play their home games at "Yunost Minsk Arena", located in Minsk....
of the Belarusian Extraleague before signing with Serie A's HC Pustertal-Val Pusteria.
After sustaining a groin injury in an October 2008 match, Guard's contract with Pustertal-Val Pusteria was terminated by mutual consent. Although he said that "the city, the environment and the teammates were outstanding," Guard was disappointed with the level of play in Serie A and, already contemplating retirement, the injury helped make his decision final. In November 2008 Guard announced his retirement from professional hockey.
Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | Kelowna Rockets Kelowna Rockets The Kelowna Rockets are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Rockets play in the Western Hockey League , out of the Canadian Hockey League . They play their home games at Prospera Place.... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
53 | 39 | 10 | 3 | 3018 | 97 | 6 | 1.93 | .911 |
| 2003–04 | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | 62 | 44 | 14 | 4 | 3652 | 95 | 13 | 1.56 | .925 |
| 2004–05 | Charlotte Checkers | ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
26 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 1453 | 74 | 0 | 3.06 | .901 |
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
Binghamton Senators Binghamton Senators The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
51 | 25 | 20 | 1 | 2709 | 139 | 5 | 3.08 | .908 |
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Binghamton Senators | AHL | 42 | 11 | 24 | 3 | 2330 | 127 | 2 | 3.42 | .895 |
| 2007–08 | China Sharks China Sharks The China Dragon are a professional ice hockey team based in Shanghai, China, and a member of Asia League Ice Hockey. The team was formed in 1954 as two different clubs, Harbin and Qiqihar, as part of the China League... |
AL Asia League Ice Hockey Asia League Ice Hockey is an association which operates a professional ice hockey league based in East Asia, with seven teams from Japan, China, and South Korea. The league is headquartered in Japan... |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 120 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 | — |
| AHL totals | 93 | 36 | 44 | 4 | 5039 | 266 | 7 | 3.17 | .902 | ||
| WHL totals | 115 | 83 | 24 | 7 | 6670 | 192 | 19 | 1.73 | .915 | ||
Playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | 19 | 16 | 3 | 1233 | 36 | 4 | 1.75 | .917 |
| 2003–04 | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | 17 | 11 | 6 | 1042 | 31 | 1 | 1.78 | .919 |
| 2004–05 | Charlotte Checkers | ECHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 1.52 | .933 |
| WHL totals | 36 | 27 | 9 | 2275 | 67 | 5 | 1.77 | .918 | ||