Ryan O'Marra

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| caption = O'Marra with the Oklahoma City Barons in 2011

| alt =

| image = Ryan O'Marra 2011.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| position = Centre

| shoots = Right

| team = Stoney Creek Generals

| league = ACH

| prospect_team =

| prospect_league =

| former_teams = Edmonton Oilers
Anaheim Ducks
Lahti Pelicans
HC Fassa
Vålerenga
HC Pustertal Wölfe
Coventry Blaze

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 220

| ntl_team =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|6|9|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Tokyo, Japan

| draft = 15th overall

| draft_year = 2005

| draft_team = New York Islanders

| career_start = 2006

| career_end = 2018

}}

Ryan O'Marra (born June 9, 1987) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. O'Marra played professionally from 2006 until 2018. 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.{{cite web | url = http://www.islesinfo.com/O'Marra.html | title = islesinfo - Ryan O'Marra profile | publisher = Islesinfo.com | date = 2007-05-04 | access-date = 2007-05-04}} O'Marra was also a student at Athabasca University.{{cite web | url = http://au.world.athabascau.ca/200707/htdocs/lead.php | title = Athabasca University - au.world | publisher = Athabasca University| date = 2007-07-01 | access-date = 2007-07-01 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070702231114/http://au.world.athabascau.ca/200707/htdocs/lead.php |archive-date = 2007-07-02}}

Playing career

=Amateur=

O'Marra attended Mentor College Primary School and Lorne Park Secondary School both in Mississauga, Ontario.{{cn|date=February 2019}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|title=Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA|year=2018|website=Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament|access-date=2019-02-14}}

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.{{cn|date=February 2019}}

=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.{{cite web | url =http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=464171 | title =2005 first round pick O'Marra signs three-year deal |publisher =New York Islanders | date =2006-03-30 | access-date =2010-07-28 }} He then joined the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, scoring two goals in his professional debut.{{cite web | url =http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=464176 | title =O'Marra impressive in debut |publisher =New York Islanders | date =2006-03-31 | access-date =2010-07-28 }}

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.{{cite web | url =https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2781777 | title =Unable to reach new deal, Oilers trade Smyth to Isles |publisher =ESPN | date =2007-02-27 | access-date =2010-07-28 }}

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.{{cite web | url =http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/gamecenter/recap/NHL_20091110_EDM@OTT?tag=pageRow;pageContainer | title =Jason Spezze scored deciding goal in shootout as Senators top Oilers |work =CBS Sports | date =2009-11-10 | access-date =2010-07-28}} 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.{{cite news | url = https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/recap?gid=2009112822| title =Canucks rout Oilers 7-3 |work =Yahoo! Sports | date =2009-11-28 | access-date =2010-07-28 }} 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.{{cn|date=February 2019}}

During the following season, 2011–12, O'Marra was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Bryan Rodney on February 16, 2012.{{cite web| url = http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=388016 | title = Oilers acquire Rodney from Ducks for O'Marra | publisher = The Sports Network | date = 2012-02-16 | access-date = 2012-02-16}}

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.{{cite web| url = http://www.jatkoaika.com/Uutiset/pelicans-kiinnitti-ryan-omarran/58424 | title = Pelicans sign Canadian Ryan O'Marra | publisher = Lahti Pelicans | date = 2012-07-27 | access-date = 2012-07-27 | language = Finnish}} 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.{{cite web | url = http://www.pelicans.fi/pelicansin-ja-o%C2%B4marran-tiet-eroavat | title = Pelicans and O'Marra form difference | publisher = Lahti Pelicans | date = 2012-10-04 | access-date = 2012-10-04 | language = Finnish | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130526120718/http://www.pelicans.fi/pelicansin-ja-o%C2%B4marran-tiet-eroavat | archive-date = 2013-05-26 }} 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.{{cn|date=February 2019}}

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.{{cite web| url = http://www.coventryblaze.co.uk/index.php/news/latest-news/1027-former-nhler-joins-blaze | title = Former NHL'er Ryan O'Marra joins Blaze | publisher = Coventry Blaze | date = 2014-06-06 | access-date = 2014-06-06}} After playing one season with the Blaze, O'Marra announced his retirement from professional ice hockey on March 26, 2015.{{cn|date=February 2019}}

He continued to play hockey in Alberta at the senior men's level with the Stoney Creek Generals of the Allan Cup Hockey.{{cn|date=February 2019}}

International play

{{MedalCountry | {{ih|CAN}} }}

{{MedalBottom

}}

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.{{cite web | url =http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=464623 | title =Ryan O'Marra and Canada win Gold |publisher =New York Islanders | date =2007-01-05 | access-date =2010-07-28}}

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Regular season

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Playoffs

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Season

! Team

! League

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2002–03

| Georgetown Raiders

| OPJHL

| 3

| 0

| 2

| 0

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2002–03

| Streetsville Derbys

| OPJHL

| 6

| 0

| 1

| 2

| —

2003–04

| Erie Otters

| OHL

| 63

| 16

| 32

| 68

| 9

| 5

| 10

| 6

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 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

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2005–06

| Bridgeport Sound Tigers

| AHL

| 8

| 4

| 1

| 5

| 4

| 3

| 0

| 1

| 2

2006–07

| Erie Otters

| OHL

| 13

| 8

| 6

| 14

| 26

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 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

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 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

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2009–10

| Springfield Falcons

| AHL

| 74

| 12

| 6

| 18

| 59

| —

2009–10

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 3

| 0

| 1

| 0

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2010–11

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 21

| 1

| 4

| 5

| 13

| —

2010–11

| Oklahoma City Barons

| AHL

| 53

| 2

| 20

| 22

| 49

| 6

| 0

| 2

| 0

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2011–12

| Oklahoma City Barons

| AHL

| 40

| 8

| 9

| 17

| 58

| —

2011–12

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 7

| 0

| 1

| 4

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2011–12

| Syracuse Crunch

| AHL

| 18

| 1

| 2

| 3

| 29

| 4

| 0

| 2

| 0

2011–12

| Anaheim Ducks

| NHL

| 2

| 0

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2012–13

| Pelicans

| SM-l

| 8

| 0

| 1

| 8

| —

2012–13

| HC Fassa

| ITA

| 9

| 6

| 7

| 13

| 12

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 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

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 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

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 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

style="background: #e0e0e0;"

! colspan="3" | AHL totals

! 286

! 30

! 54

! 84

! 279

! 13

! 0

! 5

! 2

style="background: #e0e0e0;"

! colspan="3" | NHL totals

! 33

! 1

! 6

! 7

! 17

! —

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! Result

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2004

| Canada Ontario

| U17

| {{gold1}}

| 6

| 3

| 4

| 7

| 8

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2004

| Canada

| U18

| {{gold1}}

| 5

| 3

| 2

| 5

| 20

2005

| Canada

| WJC18

| {{silver2}}

| 6

| 5

| 0

| 5

| 12

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2006

| Canada

| WJC

| {{gold1}}

| 6

| 0

| 2

| 18

2007

| Canada

| WJC

| {{gold1}}

| 6

| 0

| 2

| 8

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan=4 | Junior totals

! 29

! 11

! 10

! 21

! 66

References

External links

{{icehockeystats}}

{{Succession box| before = Petteri Nokelainen | title = New York Islanders first round pick | years = 2005 | after = Kyle Okposo}}

Category:1987 births

Category:Anaheim Ducks players

Category:Athabasca University alumni

Category:Bridgeport Sound Tigers players

Category:Canadian ice hockey centres

Category:Canadian sportspeople of Irish descent

Category:Coventry Blaze players

Category:Edmonton Oilers players

Category:Erie Otters players

Category:SHC Fassa players

Category:Living people

Category:NHL first-round draft picks

Category:New York Islanders draft picks

Category:Oklahoma City Barons players

Category:Lahti Pelicans players

Category:HC Pustertal Wölfe players

Category:Saginaw Spirit players

Category:Ice hockey people from Tokyo

Category:Springfield Falcons players

Category:Stockton Thunder players

Category:Syracuse Crunch players

Category:Vålerenga Ishockey players

Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen