Ryan O'Marra

Ryan O'Marra
O'Marra with the Oklahoma City Barons in 2011
Born	(1987-06-09) June 9, 1987 (age 36) Tokyo, Japan
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Right
ACH team Former teams	Stoney Creek Generals Edmonton Oilers Anaheim Ducks Lahti Pelicans HC Fassa Vålerenga HC Pustertal Wölfe Coventry Blaze
NHL Draft	15th overall, 2005 New York Islanders
Playing career	2006–2015

Ryan O'Marra (born June 9, 1987) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. O'Marra played professionally from 2006 until 2015. A first round pick of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL), O'Marra played 33 games in the NHL and finished his career playing in European leagues.

Early life

O'Marra was born to Irish Canadian parents in Tokyo, Japan, and moved to Canada when he was one year old. ^[1] O'Marra was also a student at Athabasca University. ^[2]

Playing career

Amateur

O'Marra attended Mentor College Primary School and Lorne Park Secondary School both in Mississauga, Ontario.^{[ citation needed ]} As a minor ice hockey player in his youth, he participated in the 2000 and 2001 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with the North York Rangers, and the Toronto Marlboros teams. ^[3]

O'Marra played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Erie Otters. In two seasons with the Otters, he has earned 95 points (41 goals and 54 assists) in 127 regular season games. He has also scored 15 points (nine goals and six assists) in 15 playoff games with the Otters. O'Marra was then drafted in the first round, 15th overall, by the New York Islanders in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He became the first Japanese-born Canadian player selected in the first round of an NHL Entry Draft.^{[ citation needed ]}

Professional

On March 30, 2006, at the conclusion of the 2005–06 season, O'Marra was signed to a three-year contract by the New York Islanders. ^[4] He then joined the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, scoring two goals in his professional debut. ^[5]

O'Marra was then returned to the Otters for his final junior-eligible season, in 2006–07. The Otters got off to a slow start, and he was traded to the Saginaw Spirit in late November in exchange for promising centre Zack Torquato. On February 27, 2007, O'Marra's NHL rights were dealt in a trade to the Edmonton Oilers, along with Robert Nilsson and the Islanders' first-round draft pick in the 2007 (Alex Plante), in exchange for Ryan Smyth. ^[6]

After two difficult seasons with the Oilers' minor league affiliates, the Springfield Falcons and Stockton Thunder, O'Marra made his NHL debut with Edmonton in the 2009–10 season. He played six minutes and was a –1 plus-minus in a game against the Ottawa Senators on November 10, 2009. ^[7] O'Marra later recorded his first career NHL point on an assist of a Colin McDonald goal against the Vancouver Canucks, on November 28; the goal was also McDonald's first career NHL point. ^[8] O'Marra scored his first career NHL goal on December 26, 2010, against Cory Schneider of the Canucks. On March 17, 2011, due to multiple injuries to Oilers players, O'Marra was again recalled to the NHL, along with fellow Oklahoma City Barons – Edmonton's new AHL affiliate – teammates Alexandre Giroux and Chris VandeVelde.^{[ citation needed ]}

During the following season, 2011–12, O'Marra was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Bryan Rodney on February 16, 2012. ^[9]

On July 27, 2012, with the impending 2012–13 NHL lockout, O'Marra signed his first European contract on a one-year deal with Lahti Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga. ^[10] However, after only eight games into the 2012–13 season and enduring a diminished role within the roster, O'Marra was mutually released from his contract on October 4, 2012. ^[11] O'Marra then played nine games for HC Fassa in the Italian Serie A in the regular season before moving to Vålerenga in Norway for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. With Vålerenga, he had seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 15 games in the playoffs.^{[ citation needed ]}

After playing one season in Italy with Val Pusteria HC, O'Marra signed with Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) team Coventry Blaze in the United Kingdom for the 2014–15 season. ^[12] After playing one season with the Blaze, O'Marra announced his retirement from professional ice hockey on March 26, 2015.^{[ citation needed ]}

He continued to play hockey in Alberta at the senior men's level with the Stoney Creek Generals of the Allan Cup Hockey.^{[ citation needed ]}

International play

Medal record
Representing   Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
	2006 Vancouver
	2007 Mora
IIHF U18 Championships
	2005 České Budějovice

O'Marra played in his first international tournament with Canada Ontario in the 2004 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, defeating Canada Pacific to earn the gold medal. He then won a gold medal as the alternate captain for Team Canada at the 2004 U-18 Junior World Cup. He also played on the Canadian under-18 team that finished with a silver medal at the 2005 IIHF World U18 Championships in Plzeň, Czech Republic.

O'Marra was selected and played a part of the consecutive gold medal-winning Canadian teams at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. ^[13]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002–03	Georgetown Raiders	OPJHL		3	0	2	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Streetsville Derbys	OPJHL		6	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Erie Otters	OHL		63	16	16	32	68		9	5	5	10	6
2004–05	Erie Otters	OHL		64	25	38	63	60		6	4	1	5	0
2005–06	Erie Otters	OHL		61	27	50	77	134		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		8	4	1	5	4		3	0	1	1	2
2006–07	Erie Otters	OHL		13	8	6	14	26		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Saginaw Spirit	OHL		33	18	19	37	48		3	2	1	3	4
2007–08	Springfield Falcons	AHL		31	2	7	9	31		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Stockton Thunder	ECHL		24	11	9	20	45		6	2	7	9	10
2008–09	Springfield Falcons	AHL		62	1	9	10	49		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Springfield Falcons	AHL		74	12	6	18	59		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		3	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		21	1	4	5	13		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Oklahoma City Barons	AHL		53	2	20	22	49		6	0	2	2	0
2011–12	Oklahoma City Barons	AHL		40	8	9	17	58		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		7	0	1	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		18	1	2	3	29		4	0	2	2	0
2011–12	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Pelicans	SM-l		8	0	1	1	8		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	HC Fassa	ITA		9	6	7	13	12		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Vålerenga	NOR		9	2	6	8	16		15	7	6	13	60
2013–14	HC Pustertal Wölfe	ITA		37	11	15	26	85		14	0	8	8	8
2014–15	Coventry Blaze	EIHL		47	15	23	38	68		4	1	4	5	2
2015–16	Stoney Creek Generals	ACH		12	6	10	16	12		6	2	6	8	6
2016–17	Stoney Creek Generals	ACH		15	9	10	19	6		9	6	4	10	6
2017–18	Stoney Creek Generals	AC		—	—	—	—	—		5	1	2	3	6
AHL totals				286	30	54	84	279		13	0	5	5	2
NHL totals				33	1	6	7	17		—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004	Canada Ontario	U17			6	3	4	7	8
2004	Canada	U18			5	3	2	5	20
2005	Canada	WJC18			6	5	0	5	12
2006	Canada	WJC			6	0	2	2	18
2007	Canada	WJC			6	0	2	2	8
Junior totals					29	11	10	21	66

References

1. "islesinfo - Ryan O'Marra profile". Islesinfo.com. May 4, 2007. Retrieved May 4, 2007.
2. "Athabasca University - au.world". Athabasca University. July 1, 2007. Archived from the original on July 2, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
3. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
4. "2005 first round pick O'Marra signs three-year deal". New York Islanders. March 30, 2006. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
5. "O'Marra impressive in debut". New York Islanders. March 31, 2006. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
6. "Unable to reach new deal, Oilers trade Smyth to Isles". ESPN. February 27, 2007. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
7. "Jason Spezze scored deciding goal in shootout as Senators top Oilers". CBS Sports . November 10, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
8. "Canucks rout Oilers 7-3". Yahoo! Sports . November 28, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
9. "Oilers acquire Rodney from Ducks for O'Marra". The Sports Network. February 16, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
10. "Pelicans sign Canadian Ryan O'Marra" (in Finnish). Lahti Pelicans. July 27, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
11. "Pelicans and O'Marra form difference" (in Finnish). Lahti Pelicans. October 4, 2012. Archived from the original on May 26, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
12. "Former NHL'er Ryan O'Marra joins Blaze". Coventry Blaze. June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
13. "Ryan O'Marra and Canada win Gold". New York Islanders. January 5, 2007. Retrieved July 28, 2010.

External links

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

Preceded by Petteri Nokelainen	New York Islanders first round pick 2005	Succeeded by Kyle Okposo