YEAR TEN ALL-STAR TEAM: Centers
The Spirit are asking fans to help them choose the Spirit’s Year Ten All-Star Team, presented by Meijer! This week fans can vote on the team’s top center from the last nine seasons of action. Visit the home page of SaginawSpirit.com to access the voting terminal on the right hand column.
The nominees for top center are: Nick Lees, Ryan McDonough, Tyler Murovich, Geoff Platt, Tom Pyatt and Jordan Skellett. The nominees were chosen based off of contributions on and off the ice as well as by nominees received by Spirit fans following the conclusion of the 2011 playoffs.
Video of the six nominees is available on SaginawSpirit.com!
#16 Center Nick Lees
Nick Lees played one season with the Spirit, but lead the team in the scoring department that year; the Peterborough, Ontario native tallied 42 goals and 26 assists for 68 points. He boasted an intrepid Ontario Hockey League career, playing with the Oshawa Generals, Guelph Storm and Barrie Colts. He posted 205 goals and 96 assists for 201 points in 327 regular season games from 1999 to 2004, setting what was at the time a new OHL record for most career games played. He also notched 14 goals and 7 assists for 21 points in 34 post season games.
Following the 2003-2004 season Lees spent time in the ECHL and UHL before playing the 2005-2006 season with St. Francis Xavier University.
#29 Center Ryan McDonough
Former captain Ryan McDonough – an Etobicoke, Ontario native – currently holds the distinction of being the Spirit’s all-time leading scorer and all-time leading goal scorer with 118 goals and 129 assists for 247 points in 200 games. Over his four year Ontario Hockey League career he tallied 133 goals and 151 assists for 284 points in 258 regular season games.
Post-Spirit McDonough spent time playing in Europe, most recently playing the 2010-2011 season with the Valpellice Bulldogs of Italy.
#11 Center Tyler Murovich
Tyler Murovich was considered one of the top free agent pick-ups in Spirit franchise history, being the team’s seventh all-time scorer, sixth all-time goal scorer and ninth all-time assists producer. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native joined the team for the 2007-2008 season, posting 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points in his debut season. He tallied a combined 70 assists and 83 assists for 153 points while playing with the Spirit, 24 goals and 28 assists for 52 points in 2009-2010 while serving at the team’s captain.
In the 2010-2011 season Murovich spent time in the AHL and ECHL with clubs such as the AHL Syracuse Crunch and Springfield Falcons and the ECHL Reading Royals and Wheeling Nailers.
#9 Center Geoff Platt
Geoff Platt came to the Spirit in the 2002-2003 season following the team’s move from North Bay. The Toronto, Ontario native lead the offensive effort in the Spirit’s OHL debut season, posting 32 goals and 22 assists for 54 points in 62 games played. The Toronto, Ontario native played 27 games for the Spirit in the 2003-2004 season, notching seven goals and 13 assists for 20 assists, before being traded to the Erie Otters.
Platt was the first Spirit alumni to play in the National Hockey League, spending parts of the 2005-2006 season and 2006-2007 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and playing five games with the Anaheim Ducks in the 2007-2008 season. He played the 2010-2011 season in the KHL with HC Minsk Dynamo.
#27 Center Tom Pyatt
Tom Pyatt spent four seasons with the Spirit, becoming one of the league’s premier players on his way to a successful career in the National Hockey League. Pyatt played his entire OHL career with the Spirit, posting 94 goals and 106 assists for 200 points in 240 regular season games, becoming the team’s fourth all-time leading scorer and third all-time leading goal scorer. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native led the team’s scoring production in the 2006-2007 season with 43 goals and 38 assists for 81 points, being named to the league’s all-star team and being awarded the William Hanley Trophy as the OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player. Pyatt also won gold with Team Canada at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships.
Pyatt spent his first few seasons post-Spirit in the AHL and ECHL before joining the Montreal Canadiens in the 2009-2010 season. He was part of the roster that surprised the 2010 post-season watchers, with the eighth seeded Canadiens dropping the top ranked Washington Capitals in the first round then in the second round seeing the Canadiens beating the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canadiens finished out the 2010 season as the runner ups to the Eastern Conference title. Pyatt has spent the last two seasons with the Canadiens, playing a combined 101 NHL games.
#23 Jordan Skellett
Jordan Skellett played five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. Despite only playing two seasons with the Spirit, he quickly entered the team’s record books with becoming the tenth all-time leading scorer and sixth all-time leading assists scorer. Skellett is currently the Spirit’s single season assists record holder with 62 assists earned in the 2009-2010 season. The London, Ontario native has posted 39 goals and 91 assists for 130 points with the Spirit, 73 goals and 137 assists for 210 points in his OHL career.
Skellett was also the Spirit’s representative at the 2010 OHL All-Star Classic.
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Nominees for the Year All-Star Team were chosen based off fan submissions, with skaters being required to play at least 60 games in Spirit uniform and goalies at least 30 games. Only active players entering their OA season were considered for this poll as other active player’s careers are still pending. The top voted player from each category will be named to the Meijer Year Ten All-Star Team!
Fans can vote on the nominees for the different positions throughout the summer; player bios and video of each nominee will be posted to SaginawSpirit.com during their corresponding voting period:
Centers (6 nominees; June 22 to June 28)
Left Wing (6 nominees; June 29 to July 5)
Right Wing (6 nominees; July 6 to July 12)
Defenseman (8 nominees; July 13 to July 19)
Goaltenders (6 nominees; July 20 to July 26)
The Meijer Year Ten All-Star Team will be officially announced August 3, 2011.
