Mark Olver
Encyclopedia
Mark Olver is a Canadian
professional ice hockey
centre for the Lake Erie Monsters
of the American Hockey League
. Mark's older brother Darin
also plays professionally in Germany with Eisbären Berlin
.
, an assistant coach and his brother Darin, a Junior, at Northern Michigan University
, he followed his family in committing as a recruit of the Wildcats in 2005. Before he was eligible to attend college, Olver initially joined the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League
. However on the eve of the season, Mark was controversially released by the Chiefs, under the advice of owner Morey Keith. Ultimately seen as an act of personal retribution by Keith against John Olver, Mark was then recruited to join the Omaha Lancers
of the United States Hockey League
.
In his second season with the Lancers in 2006–07, Olver displayed offensive potential to lead the team with 29 goals 35 assists and 64 points to earn the honour as Omaha's Forward of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Graduating from Millard North High School
, Olver then joined Northern Michigan Wildcats of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
as an undersized skilled forward. As a freshman in 2007–08, Mark returned from an early season concussion to lead all NCAA Rookies in goals (21) and the Wildcats in scoring with 38 points in 39 games to be selected to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. Passed over in the two previous draft years due to size concerns, Olver was selected in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
by the Colorado Avalanche
in the fifth round, 140th overall.
Olver consolidated his offensive potential the succeeding year as sophomore, winning CCHA player of the month in January as he again led the Wildcats in scoring with 35 points in 40 games. In the 2009–10 season, as player of the month in February he helped a re-emerging NMU advance to the NCAA finals for the first time since 1999 before suffering a 4-3 defeat to St Cloud State
in the West Regional semi-finals. In the wake of leading the Wildcats for a third consecutive season in scoring he was named to the CCHA First All-Star team and the NCAA West First-All American team. Mark also led the CCHA with 49 points in 40 games as a junior earning selection as a top 10 finalist in the Hobey Baker Award
.
on April 1, 2010. In 6 games, Olver posted 2 goals to finish the year with the Monsters.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice 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...
centre for the Lake Erie Monsters
Lake Erie Monsters
The Lake Erie Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
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...
. Mark's older brother Darin
Darin Olver
Darin Olver is a Canadian ice hockey left winger. He currently plays for the Eisbären Berlin of the DEL. He comes from a hockey family. His father, John, played in college and coached many teams in Canada and the United States, including 2 years as an assistant coach for Northern Michigan while...
also plays professionally in Germany with Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin
' are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga , the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey and is also one of the league's founding members...
.
Amateur
Olver originally played Midget AAA hockey in Michigan with the Marquette Electricians. In two seasons with the Electricians, Olver led the team in scoring in each season and in 2004–05 was named the Teams Most Valuable player. With his father JohnJohn Olver (coach)
John Olver is a Canadian ice hockey player and coach known for his league championship teams in the West Coast Hockey League and ECHL....
, an assistant coach and his brother Darin, a Junior, at Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University is a four-year college public university established in 1899 located in Marquette, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. With a population of nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Northern Michigan University is the Upper Peninsula's largest...
, he followed his family in committing as a recruit of the Wildcats in 2005. Before he was eligible to attend college, Olver initially joined the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League
British Columbia Hockey League
The British Columbia Hockey League is a Junior "A" ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada, a subsection of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 16 teams. These teams play in two conferences, known as the Coastal and the Interior...
. However on the eve of the season, Mark was controversially released by the Chiefs, under the advice of owner Morey Keith. Ultimately seen as an act of personal retribution by Keith against John Olver, Mark was then recruited to join the Omaha Lancers
Omaha Lancers
The Omaha Lancers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the West Division of the United States Hockey League .From 2002-2009, the Lancers' home ice was the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha. Until the 2001-2002 season, the Lancers played at...
of the United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
.
In his second season with the Lancers in 2006–07, Olver displayed offensive potential to lead the team with 29 goals 35 assists and 64 points to earn the honour as Omaha's Forward of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Graduating from Millard North High School
Millard North High School
Millard North High School is a high school in the Millard Public Schools district. Opened in 1981, Millard North is the second largest school in Nebraska behind Omaha Central High School. Millard North partially opened in 1978 for 9th and 10th grade students...
, Olver then joined Northern Michigan Wildcats of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...
as an undersized skilled forward. As a freshman in 2007–08, Mark returned from an early season concussion to lead all NCAA Rookies in goals (21) and the Wildcats in scoring with 38 points in 39 games to be selected to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. Passed over in the two previous draft years due to size concerns, Olver was selected in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
by the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
in the fifth round, 140th overall.
Olver consolidated his offensive potential the succeeding year as sophomore, winning CCHA player of the month in January as he again led the Wildcats in scoring with 35 points in 40 games. In the 2009–10 season, as player of the month in February he helped a re-emerging NMU advance to the NCAA finals for the first time since 1999 before suffering a 4-3 defeat to St Cloud State
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher...
in the West Regional semi-finals. In the wake of leading the Wildcats for a third consecutive season in scoring he was named to the CCHA First All-Star team and the NCAA West First-All American team. Mark also led the CCHA with 49 points in 40 games as a junior earning selection as a top 10 finalist in the Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
.
Professional
On March 30, 2010, after a three year collegiate career with the Wilcats, Olver was signed by the Avalanche to a two-year entry level contract. Continuing his 2009–10 season, he was immediately assigned to AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, on an amateur try-out contract. In his professional debut, Olver scored his first pro goal in a 3-1 victory over the Peoria RivermenPeoria Rivermen
The Peoria Rivermen are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena.-History:...
on April 1, 2010. In 6 games, Olver posted 2 goals to finish the year with the Monsters.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2005–06 | Omaha Lancers Omaha Lancers The Omaha Lancers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the West Division of the United States Hockey League .From 2002-2009, the Lancers' home ice was the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha. Until the 2001-2002 season, the Lancers played at... |
USHL United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger... |
59 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 72 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Omaha Lancers | USHL | 57 | 29 | 35 | 64 | 84 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 18 | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season The 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 7, 2007 and ended with the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 12, 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado... |
Northern Michigan University Northern Michigan University Northern Michigan University is a four-year college public university established in 1899 located in Marquette, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. With a population of nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Northern Michigan University is the Upper Peninsula's largest... |
CCHA Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship... |
39 | 21 | 17 | 38 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Northern Michigan University | CCHA | 40 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Northern Michigan University | CCHA | 40 | 19 | 30 | 49 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Lake Erie Monsters Lake Erie Monsters The Lake Erie Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio... |
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... |
6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
NHL | 18 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Lake Erie Monsters | AHL | 58 | 23 | 17 | 40 | 79 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 18 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known... |
||
| CCHA Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship... All-Rookie Team |
2007–08 | |
| CCHA First All-Star Team | 2009–10 | |
| NCAA West First All-American Team | 2009–10 | |