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Bryan Helmer

From Alfawiki
Bryan Helmer
Born
Bryan Berry Helmer

(1972-07-15) July 15, 1972 (age 54)
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)Ice hockey player, ice hockey executive
Years active1994–2013 (player), 2013–present (executive/coach)
Known forNHL player; Vice President of Hockey Operations for Hershey Bears; AHL all-time leading scorer among defensemen

Bryan Berry Helmer (born July 15, 1972) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently serves as the Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League (AHL). His coaching experience includes assistant coaching positions with both the Bears and the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Having played over 1,000 games across the AHL and IHL, Helmer captained the Bears and competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Washington Capitals.

Early life

Born to Bryan and Jo Ann Helmer, he hails from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

Playing career

Although undrafted, Helmer signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Devils in 1994; however, he did not appear in NHL games for them, spending five seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats. His performance peaked during the 1997–98 season when he tallied 63 points over 80 games and earned selection to the AHL All-Star Game.

Following this period, Helmer joined the Phoenix Coyotes organization and made his NHL debut in 11 contests before being picked up off waivers by the St. Louis Blues. During his time with St. Louis, he played 29 games, contributing four assists, while predominantly spending the 1999–2000 season with the Worcester IceCats. On February 12, 2000, he netted his first NHL goal against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

Helmer signed with the Vancouver Canucks after that season, dividing his time between NHL appearances and minor league play over three years. The 2001–02 campaign saw him achieve his highest NHL statistics with ten points and 53 penalty minutes, including participation in six playoff games—the sole Stanley Cup Playoffs he experienced.

On July 25, 2003, Helmer was traded back to Phoenix in exchange for Martin Grenier. He appeared in 17 games during a season hampered by injuries in 2003–04. Afterward, he joined the Detroit Red Wings organization in 2004 and spent two seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. In 2006, he returned to Phoenix’s system playing for the San Antonio Rampage.

Helmer signed with the Hershey Bears on July 24, 2008, where he served as team captain. Due to injuries on defense, the Washington Capitals recalled him on November 28, 2008. He led Hershey to back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2009 and 2010.

While playing for the Oklahoma City Barons, Helmer became the AHL’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen in 2011 by surpassing John Slaney, amassing a total of 564 points over 1,116 AHL games.

After captaining the Barons during his second season there, Helmer remained unsigned throughout much of the 2012–13 amid the NHL lockout. Following its resolution, he signed with the Springfield Falcons on January 9, 2013.

Retirement and legacy

Helmer concluded his professional playing career on July 22, 2013, subsequently moving into an assistant coaching position with the Peterborough Petes. In recognition of his contributions, the Wellington Dukes retired his jersey number in 2014—the first time this honor was bestowed by that franchise. Additionally, he was inducted into both the Prince Edward County Sports Hall of Fame and the AHL Hall of Fame in 2017.

Post-playing career

During the 2015-2016 season, Helmer took on the role of assistant coach with the Hershey Bears before advancing to Vice President of Hockey Operations in July 2016. His tenure saw the Bears capture their 12th and 13th Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Helmer distinguished himself as the first executive in AHL history to earn back-to-back James C. Hendy Memorial Awards.

Personal life

Helmer and his wife Pam are parents to two children. Through his marriage, he is related by marriage to former professional defenseman Matt Carkner, making them brothers-in-law.

Regular season and playoffs

2008–09 AHL season Hershey Bears AHL 62|||2|||25|||27|||59 22|||3|||5|||08|||24 - bgcolor="#f00000"|"2008-09 NHL Season"|Washington Capitals|"Nhl"|12|"00"|"03"|"03"|"02"|—||||||||- |- "|-""2012-13 Ahl Season""""Springfield Falcons"""Ahl"""24"""00"""02"""02"""19"""01"""00"""00"""00"""00""" |- |-bgcolor=#e000e000 ! colspan=3 ! Ahltotals !1116 !129 !435 !564 !1379 !159 !14 !46 !60 !186 |-bgcolor=#e000e000 ! colspan=3 ! Nhltotals !146 !08 !18 !26 !135 !06 !00 !00 !00 !00 |-}

Awards

  • 1997–98: Selected for the AHL First All-Star Team
  • 2005–06: Named to the AHL Second All-Star Team
  • 2017: Entered into the AHL Hall of Fame

External links

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1989–90 Wellington Dukes OJHL 51 6 22 28 204 — — — — —
1989–90 Belleville Bulls OHL 6 0 1 1 0 — — — — —
1990–91 Wellington Dukes OJHL 50 11 14 25 109 — — — — —
1991–92 Wellington Dukes OJHL 45 19 32 51 66 — — — — —
1992–93 Wellington Dukes OJHL 57 25 62 87 62 — — — — —
1993–94 Albany River Rats AHL 65 4 19 23 79 5 0 0 0 9
1994–95 Albany River Rats AHL 77 7 36 43 101 7 1 0 1 0
1995–96 Albany River Rats AHL 80 14 30 44 107 4 2 0 2 6
1996–97 Albany River Rats AHL 77 12 27 39 113 16 1 7 8 10
1997–98 Albany River Rats AHL 80 14 49 63 101 13 4 9 13 18
1998–99 Las Vegas Thunder IHL 8 1 3 4 28
1998–99 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 11 0 0 0 23
1998–99 St. Louis Blues NHL 29 0 4 4 19
1998–99 AHL season Worcester IceCats AHL 16 7 8 15 18 4 0 0 0 12
1999–00 AHL season Worcester IceCats AHL 54 10 25 35 124 9 1 4 5 10
1999–00 NHL season St. Louis Blues NHL 15 1 1 2 10
2000–01 IHL season Kansas City Blades IHL 42 4 15 19 76
2000–01 NHL season Vancouver Canucks NHL 20 2 4 6 18
2001–02 AHL season Manitoba Moose AHL 34 6 18 24 69
2001–02 NHL season Vancouver Canucks NHL 40 5 5 10 53 6 0 0 0 0
2002–03 AHL season Manitoba Moose AHL 60 7 24 31 82 14 0 4 4 20
2002–03 NHL season Vancouver Canucks NHL 2 0 0 0 0
2003–04 AHL season Springfield Falcons AHL 9 1 6 7 6
2003–04 NHL season Phoenix Coyotes NHL 17 0 1 1 10
2004–05 AHL season Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 80 7 18 25 64
2005–06 AHL season Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 80 12 44 56 138 16 1 8 9 24
2006–07 AHL season San Antonio Rampage AHL 70 6 23 29 81
2007–08 AHL season San Antonio Rampage AHL

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