Mike Banwell
Michael Banwell | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1987 Canada |
| Occupation | Ice hockey defenceman |
| Years active | 2008–2017 |
| Known for | Playing professional ice hockey in AHL, ECHL, and European leagues |
Michael Banwell (born June 18, 1987) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman.
Playing career
Banwell competed in Division I NCAA hockey representing the University of Maine Black Bears, where he pursued a degree in finance. Throughout his four-year collegiate tenure, he participated in 109 contests, accumulating 18 points and amassing 169 penalty minutes. In the 2008–09 campaign, he shared the team lead in plus-minus rating alongside Gustav Nyquist.
He played two seasons in the American Hockey League, joining the Albany Devils during the 2011–12 season. The following year, Banwell started with the Trenton Titans, appearing in 10 games before advancing to the Worcester Sharks. That season he divided his time between Worcester and the Springfield Falcons, engaging in seven fights total—five in the AHL and two in the ECHL. In 2013–14, he signed with the Reading Royals of the ECHL, where he recorded 3 goals and 16 assists for a total of 19 points over 60 games. Additionally, he was briefly called up to play for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers during that same season.
On May 9, 2015, Banwell inked his initial contract abroad with IF Björklöven of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan league. During the 2015–16 season, after participating in 28 games, he transferred mid-season on December 10, 2015, to Lillehammer IK competing in Norway’s GET-ligaen.
Following Lillehammer’s failure to qualify for the playoffs, Banwell returned to North America by signing a one-year contract with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL on August 24, 2016.