Dwight Helminen

Dwight Helminen
Born	(1983-06-22) June 22, 1983 (age 41) Hancock, Michigan, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	191 lb (87 kg; 13 st 9 lb)
Position	Center
Shot	Left
ECHL team Former teams	Kalamazoo Wings JYP Carolina Hurricanes San Jose Sharks Pelicans
NHL draft	244th overall, 2002 Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	2004–2013

Dwight Edward Helminen (born June 22, 1983) is an American former professional ice hockey center who most recently played with the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL. His brother Lars plays with Linz EHC of the EBEL.

Playing career

Helminen was born in Hancock, Michigan, and raised in Brighton, Michigan.^{[ citation needed ]} As a youth, he played in the 1997 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Compuware minor ice hockey team. ^[1]

He was drafted 244th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. Dwight played junior hockey for the U.S. Junior National Team in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and college hockey at the University of Michigan for the Wolverines. On March 3, 2004, the New York Rangers acquired his rights from the Oilers along with a 2004 second round draft pick and Steve Valiquette in exchange for Petr Nedvěd and Jussi Markkanen. ^[2]

After turning professional, Helminen played for the Charlotte Checkers in the ECHL and the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League (AHL), before signing with JYP Jyväskylä in the Finnish SM-liiga in 2007.^{[ citation needed ]}

Helminen signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 3, 2008. He was then assigned to the Hurricanes' affiliate, the Albany River Rats of the AHL. Helminen made his NHL debut in the 2008–09 season after an injury to Brandon Sutter. In his fourth career NHL game, while playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs at home, Helminen scored his first career NHL goal and tallied his first and only career NHL assist. ^[3] It was the most ice time he had received in the NHL, and his playing time relative to the rest of his NHL career remained consistently high for the next four games, before he was sent back to Albany. He was recalled to the Hurricanes and played four games in early March 2009 as a few Hurricanes forwards missed games, did not play for the Hurricanes' next three games, then returned to the lineup on March 18 to play in each of the Hurricanes' remaining games. ^[4] This unusual schedule of games, combined with Carolina's late season push towards the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, meant that Helminen played in 13 consecutive wins for the Hurricanes as he avoided a three game winless streak for the team in mid-March. ^[5] He had played in 23 regular season games by season's end with the Hurricanes, as well as one playoff game. ^[6]

On July 16, 2009, Helminen signed a one-year contract with the San Jose Sharks. ^[7] In the 2009–10 season, on February 11, 2010, Helminen scored his first goal with the Sharks, against the Detroit Red Wings. On April 22, 2010, he scored a goal against the Colorado Avalanche in the Sharks' first-round playoff series.^{[ citation needed ]}

Midway through the 2011–12 season, Helminen left KLH Chomutov of the Czech first division league to return to North America, signing with the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL on February 6, 2012. ^[8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1998–99	Compuware Ambassadors	NAHL		32	9	7	16			—	—	—	—	—
1999–2000	US NTDP Juniors	USHL		30	5	7	12	10		—	—	—	—	—
1999–2000	US NTDP U18	NAHL		30	7	10	17	8		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	US NTDP Juniors	USHL		24	12	7	19	8		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	US NTDP U18	NAHL		1	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	US NTDP U18	USDP		42	9	36	45	20		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	University of Michigan	CCHA		40	10	8	18	10		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	University of Michigan	CCHA		39	17	16	33	34		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	University of Michigan	CCHA		41	17	11	28	4		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Hartford Wolf Pack	AHL		41	2	7	9	10		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Charlotte Checkers	ECHL		28	5	16	21	10		15	7	3	10	2
2005–06	Hartford Wolf Pack	AHL		77	32	23	55	40		13	3	5	8	10
2006–07	Hartford Wolf Pack	AHL		80	15	24	39	32		7	1	1	2	2
2007–08	JYP	SM-liiga		52	20	25	45	10		6	3	3	6	0
2008–09	Albany River Rats	AHL		54	15	15	30	26		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		23	1	1	2	0		1	0	0	0	0
2009–10	Worcester Sharks	AHL		74	12	10	22	16		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	San Jose Sharks	NHL		4	1	0	1	0		7	1	0	1	4
2010–11	Pelicans	SM-liiga		60	12	16	28	40		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Piráti Chomutov	CZE.2		24	4	14	18	6		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Kalamazoo Wings	ECHL		20	7	11	18	6		14	5	7	12	2
2012–13	Kalamazoo Wings	ECHL		3	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
AHL totals				326	76	79	155	124		22	4	6	10	12
NHL totals				27	2	1	3	0		8	1	0	1	4
SM-liiga totals				112	32	41	73	50		6	3	3	6	0

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000	United States	U17		6	0	2	2
2001	United States	WJC18		6	3	5	8	0
2002	United States	WJC		6	1	0	1	2
2003	United States	WJC		7	1	3	4	2
Junior totals				26	5	10	15	4

Awards and honors

Award	Year
CCHA All-Tournament Team	2003	[9]

References

1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
2. "Helminen Dwight Trade History". NHL Trade Tracker. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
3. "Dwight Helminen 2008-09 Gamelog". hockeyreference. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
4. "Dwight Helminen 2008-09 Gamelog". hockeyreference. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
5. "2008-09 Carolina Hurricanes Team Gamelog". hockeyreference. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
6. "2008-09 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals Game 5, Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils Box Score: April 23, 2009". hockeyreference. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
7. "Sharks sign four players, re-sign Vesce". San Jose Sharks. 2009-07-16. Archived from the original on 2009-07-18. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
8. "Wings add NHL experience". Kalamazoo Wings. 2012-02-06. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-02-06.
9. "2012-13 CCHA Media Guide". ISSUU.com. Retrieved 2014-04-23.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Eurohockey.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Jed Ortmeyer	CCHA Best Defensive Forward 2003–04	Succeeded by Eric Nystrom