The Plymouth Whalers were a major

junior ice hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

team in the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...

. They played out of

Compuware Arena The USA Hockey Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Plymouth Township, Michigan, opened in 1996. Originally known as the Compuware Sports Arena, its name was shortened to Compuware Arena on September 11, 2007, to better market the venue for non-spo ...

Plymouth, Michigan Plymouth is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, United States. The population was 9,370 at the 2020 census. The city of Plymouth is surrounded by Plymouth Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Plymouth is a western suburb of Metro ...

, USA, a suburb of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

until 2015 when they were relocated to

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of ...

History

The Whalers can trace their roots back to the 1990–91

Detroit Compuware Ambassadors The Detroit Compuware Ambassadors were an elite Midget Major ice hockey team playing in the Midwest Elite Hockey League, Tier I Elite Hockey League. The Ambassadors previously had separate franchises that competed in the North American Hockey Leag ...

as an expansion team in the OHL. Since then the franchise has also been called the Detroit Junior Red Wings and the Detroit Whalers. In 1998 they were officially called the "Plymouth Whalers" after the local municipality gave generous tax breaks to the team and venue. The franchise had been owned by Peter Karmanos since its inception until 2015. The Whalers had been part of the Compuware Hockey program since 1990, which also includes the Compuware Ambassadors minor hockey program and the NHL's

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conferenc ...

, who were formerly the

Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...

, the namesake of the Detroit Whalers. The Carolina Hurricanes tended to give preference to players from the Plymouth Whalers in the

NHL Entry Draft The NHL Entry Draft (french: Repêchage d'entrée dans la LNH) is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League (NHL) systematically select the rights to available ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirem ...

owing to common ownership (Karmanos owns both the Hurricanes and the OHL Whalers), and coaches and executives are promoted from within the Compuware Hockey affiliation.

Chad LaRose Chad LaRose (born March 27, 1982) is an American former professional hockey player. He has previously played as a Stanley Cup winner for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing career As a youth, LaRose played in th ...

is the only player to have played at every level of Compuware hockey; Compuware AAA Ambassadors, Plymouth Whalers,

Florida Everblades The Florida Everblades are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Estero, Florida, in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area. They play in the ECHL and are affiliated with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (N ...

Lowell Lock Monsters The Lowell Devils were a minor ice hockey team in the American Hockey League playing in Lowell, Massachusetts, at the Tsongas Center. As their name implied, they were the top minor league affiliate of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey L ...

, and the Carolina Hurricanes. Plymouth is one of only two teams to win 5 consecutive division titles (West division from 1999 to 2003), the other team being the Ottawa 67's (East division from 1996 to 2000). Plymouth has made the playoffs 23 consecutive seasons, since the 1991–92 season. The Whalers reached the OHL finals two consecutive seasons in 1999–2000, and 2000–01, losing to the

Barrie Colts The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Pre-OHL history There were two previous Barrie Colts teams which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1 ...

and Ottawa 67's. These seasons included future NHLers David Legwand, Justin Williams, Robert Esche, and Stephen Weiss. Celebrating their 10th Anniversary playing at the Compuware Arena during the 2005–06 season, all current Whalers players had been brought into the system by head coach and general manager

Mike Vellucci Michael George Vellucci (born August 11, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He is currently an assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League. Previously, he was the head coach and general manag ...

. This created the build-up for the next year. Headed by overage captain John Vigilante, the team's rookies in 2003 and 2004 came to fruition in James Neal, Dan Collins, and Tommy Sestito. Vellucci acquired the Belleville Bulls' leading scorer Evan Brophey and the

Toronto St. Michael's Majors The Toronto St. Michael's Majors were a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The most recent franchise was revived on August 15, 1996. In 2007, the team relocated to Mississauga, Ontario a ...

goaltender Justin Peters, who had an extensive resume. On the last game of the season, the Whalers played the Saginaw Spirit, with the division title on the line, in what has been proven to be one of the most exciting OHL games in recent history. With the Whalers' 2–0 lead going into the third period, the Spirit fought back and managed the tying goal just before time expired. However, Brophey scored in overtime to clinch the Whalers' 9th division title. During the 2006–07 season, rookie goaltenders

Jeremy Smith Jeremy Smith may refer to: *Jeremy Theron Smith a man charged with aggravated assault for wounding three women in Koreatown Dallas on 17 May 2022 * Jeremy Smith (Royal Navy officer) (fl. 1660s), British sailor * Jeremy C. Smith (born 1959), British ...

and Michal Neuvirth, combined for the lowest goals against average in the OHL, with only 173 goals against in total. The Whalers had a number of high prospects signed or drafted by NHL teams, including former Wayne Gretzky 99 Award winner Daniel Ryder, who was acquired, with him already having been signed with the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey te ...

. After a very inconsistent start, the team improved to fall short of the London Knights by one point for the Hamilton Spectator Trophy. During the second half of the season and through the playoffs, the Whalers featured a 23-game winning streak at home, lasting three and a half months, falling at Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to London. The Whalers, although seeded #2, easily won the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as Western Conference playoff champion, sweeping #7 Guelph, and winning in 5 against both #3 Kitchener and #1 London. In the final, the Whalers defeated the Sudbury Wolves in six games to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup, thus earning the right to represent the OHL in the

2007 Memorial Cup The 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup was played in May 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Pacific Coliseum. It was the 89th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL ...

Plymouth Whalers team bus Canton Michigan

In the Memorial Cup, the team suffered a rough start, losing to the Vancouver Giants 4–3 in overtime on May 18, and again to the

Medicine Hat Tigers The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) who play in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Di ...

4–1 on May 21. Their fortunes would change, however, on May 22, when they would defeat the Lewiston Maineiacs 2–1 in overtime, thus putting them in the tiebreaker game on May 24, in which they would defeat Lewiston again, 5–1, eliminating the Maineiacs from the Memorial Cup and advancing to the semifinal. However, on May 25, the Whalers would lose again to the Vancouver Giants in the semifinal round, this time in dramatic fashion by a score of 8–1. This way, the Whalers finished the

in third place. During the 2007–08 season, the Whalers dealt the goaltender that led them to their 2007 OHL Championship, Michal Neuvirth, early to make room for Jeremy Smith to start. Neuvirth was among 12 players that left/were traded from that team, leaving the team looking to a number of young players for leadership. Chris Terry led the team in scoring and was helped by overage captain Andrew Fournier and up-and-comer AJ Jenks. In mid-December 2007, President and GM Mike Vellucci left his head coaching position for Greg Stefan. A late season injury to overage defenseman Wes Cunningham hampered the flow of the team, leading to an early playoff exit at the hands of the eventual OHL champions, the Kitchener Rangers. Early in the 2008–09 season, Stefan was recalled to the Hurricanes, where Mike Vellucci came back to fill the head coaching role. Injuries and inconsistency plagued the team, as they fell to dead last in the league. After the coaching change, as well as key trades, including a short lived experiment with Cory McGillis, then-leading scorer Matt Caria from the Greyhounds, Scott Fletcher from the Ice Dogs, and the return from AHL-playing Brett Bellemore, the team saw a turn around by Christmas putting them back into the middle of the pack. At the deadline, as a result of Bellemore's return and the emergence of

Matt Hackett Matthew Hackett (born March 7, 1990) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender. He played 26 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota Wild and Buffalo Sabres between 2011 and 2015. The rest of his career, which lasted from 2010 ...

as the new starting goaltender, Patrick Lee and Jeremy Smith were traded to Niagara for draft picks. The 2009–10 season saw the Whalers led by league MVP Tyler Seguin along with other top scorers such as Myles McCauley. On December 29, 2013, the Whalers and the London Knights broke the newly set

Canadian Hockey League The Canadian Hockey League (CHL; french: Ligue canadienne de hockey ‒ LCH) is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey ...

attendance record. The Knights and Whalers, playing in the second OHL game of the evening outdoors at

Comerica Park Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It has been the home of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers since 2000, when the team left Tiger Stadium. History Construction Founded in 1894, the Tigers had played at the c ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

(also the second outdoor game ever played in the OHL), played in front of 26,384 spectators. The Whalers won the game 2–1 in a shootout. On January 14, 2015, owner Peter Karmanos announced that the Whalers would be relocated to

after a sale of the team to the owner of Flint's

Perani Arena and Event Center The Dort Financial Center (originally IMA Sports Arena and formerly Perani Arena and Event Center) is a sports, entertainment and convention venue located in Flint, Michigan, United States. It opened in 1969 and is the home of the Flint Firebirds ...

for the 2015–16 season. The OHL approved the sale, and the relocated franchise is named the

Flint Firebirds The Flint Firebirds are a major junior ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. The team plays home games at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center, and operates as a member of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team began play for the 2 ...

. On March 21, the Plymouth Whalers played their final game in franchise history losing 5–1 to the Erie Otters.

Championships

The Plymouth Whalers have won eight divisional titles, five of them consecutively. Plymouth has also won three Hamilton Spectator trophies and reached the OHL Championship Finals three times, winning during the 2006–07 season. J. Ross Robertson Cup
OHL Champion *''1999–2000'' Finalists vs. Barrie Colts *''2000–01'' Finalists vs. Ottawa 67's *''2006–07'' Champions vs. Sudbury Wolves
Wayne Gretzky Trophy
Western Conference Playoff Champion *''1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2006–07'' Hamilton Spectator Trophy
Season Champion *''1998–99'' 51 wins, 4 ties, 106 pts *''1999–2000'' 45 wins, 4 ties, 1 OTL, 95 pts *''2001–02'' 39 wins, 12 ties, 2 OTL, 92 pts

Bumbacco Trophy The Bumbacco Trophy is awarded annually to the regular season champion of the West division in the Ontario Hockey League. The trophy was inaugurated in 1994–95 season when the league realigned into three divisions. The award is named after forme ...

West Division Champion *''1998–99'', ''1999–2000'', ''2000–01'', ''2001–02'', ''2002–03'', ''2005–06'', ''2006–07'', ''2011–12'', ''2012-13''

Coaches

*1995–01 Peter DeBoer (6 seasons) - DeBoer was promoted from assistant coach to become coach & general manager of the Whalers organization in 1995. DeBoer was twice voted the OHL Coach of the Year, winning the

Matt Leyden Trophy The Matt Leyden Trophy is awarded annually to the Ontario Hockey League Coach of the Year. The award is chosen by fellow OHL general managers. Teams were not permitted to vote for a coach from their own hockey club. Coaches receive five points for ...

in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 seasons. DeBoer left to coach the Kitchener Rangers. *mid-2007-mid-2008

Greg Stefan Gregory Steven Stefan (born February 11, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently serves as the goaltending coach for the Flint Firebirds in the Ontario Hockey League. ...

(2 seasons) - Stefan began his coaching career in 1993 with the Detroit Junior Red Wings. He served as an assistant coach in Plymouth until 1998, and re-joined the Whalers as director of player development and assistant coach in 2003. Named head coach during the 2007–08 season when Vellucci moved to focus on the front office, Stefan left the Whalers in the middle of the 2008–09 season to take a scouting job with the

. *2001-mid-2007; mid-2008–pres

(8th season) - Vellucci was promoted to President of the Plymouth Whalers in 2000 and was appointed the team's general manager and head coach in 2001. In 2007, Vellucci won the

as Ontario Hockey League Coach of the Year - the first American ever to win the award. Vellucci stepped down in the middle of the 2007–08 season to focus on his GM position. He returned as head coach of the club in the middle of the 2008–09 season with Stefan's moving to the Hurricanes.

Players

Retired numbers

14 - Pat Peake is the only number retired by the Whalers organization. Peake (who played in the Junior Red Wings era) was a two-season captain, the first MVP for the franchise in 1992–93, as well as Canadian Hockey League player of the year, and OHL Most Sportsmanlike player of the year. He has the most career points in franchise history.

Team captains

*1990–91 Paul Mitton *1991 Mark Lawrence (traded) *1991–93 Pat Peake *1993–95

Jamie Allison James E. Allison (born May 13, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played for the Calgary Flames. Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers of the National ...

*1995–96 Bryan Berard *1996–97 Mike Morrone *1997–98

Andrew Taylor Andrew or Andy Taylor may refer to: Sport * Andrew Taylor (footballer, born 1986), English footballer * Andy Taylor (footballer, born 1986), English footballer * Andy Taylor (footballer, born 1988), English footballer * Andrew Taylor (Austral ...

*1998–00 Randy Fitzgerald *2000–02 Jared Newman *2002–03 Nate Kiser *2003–04

James Wisniewski James Joseph Wisniewski (born February 21, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Kassel Huskies of the German DEL2. He has previously played in the Na ...

*2004–05 Tim Sestito (home) & John Mitchell (away & playoffs) *2005–06 John Vigilante *2006–07 Steve Ward *2007–08 Andrew Fournier (home & playoffs) & Chris Terry (away) *2008–09 Chris Terry *2009–10 AJ Jenks *2010–12 Beau Schmitz *2012–13 Colin MacDonald *2013–14 Nick Malysa *2014–present Alex Peters

Award winners

*''1997–98'' - David Legwand:

Rookie of the Year, Emms Family Award OHL Rookie of the Year, Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player of the Year *''1998–99'' - Robert Holsinger &

Rob Zepp Robert Zepp (born September 7, 1981) is a Canadian-born German former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 10 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2014–15 season. The rest of his career, wh ...

: Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA *''1998–99'' -

Scholastic Player of the Year, Bobby Smith Trophy OHL Scholastic Player of the Year *''1999–2000'' -

and Bill Ruggiero: Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA *''2000–01'' -

and Paul Drew: Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA *''2001–02'' -

Jason Bacashihua Jason Bacashihua (born September 20, 1982) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender who last played for Manchester Storm in the UK Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). He has played in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues, ...

and Paul Drew: Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA *''2001–02'' -

: F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy Best Rookie GAA *''2002–03'' -

Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the best overage player in the Ontario Hockey League, as selected by the teams' general managers. The trophy was donated by the trainers of the league in memory of Leo Lalonde, former chief s ...

Overage Player of the Year *''2002–03'' - Paul Drew and Jeff Weber: Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA *''2003–04'' -

Defenceman of the Year, Max Kaminsky Trophy OHL Defenceman of the Year *''2006–07'' - Michal Neuvirth &

: Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA *''2006–07'' - Michal Neuvirth: F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy Best Rookie GAA *''2008–09'' - Chris Terry:

Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy The Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy is an award in the Ontario Hockey League which is given to one team captain every year. The award was introduced on February 4, 2009, at the 2009 OHL All-Star Classic hosted at the WFCU Centre in Windsor. The a ...

Captain of the Year *''2008–09'' - Chris Terry:

Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy The Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to an Ontario Hockey League player who is a positive role model, and makes a notable humanitarian contribution within his community. Originally known as the OHL Humanitarian of the Year award, it ...

OHL Humanitarian of the Year *''2009–10'' - Ryan Hayes:

Humanitarian of the Year *''2009–10'' - Tyler Seguin: Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy Most Points in the OHL *''2009–10'' - Tyler Seguin: Red Tilson Trophy OHL Most Outstanding Player of the Year *''2009–10'' - Tyler Seguin:

Top Prospect *''2012-13'' -

Vincent Trocheck Vincent Trocheck (born July 11, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey center for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round, 64th overall, of the 2011 NHL Entry Draf ...

: Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy Most Points in the OHL *''2012-13'' -

Alex Nedeljkovic Alexander Nedeljkovic ( ', born January 7, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nedeljkovic was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round (37th over ...

: F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy Best Rookie GAA *''2013-14'' -

: OHL Goaltender of the Year

Notable players

First round NHL Entry Draft picks

''Players who were drafted in the first round of the

while playing for the Whalers franchise.'' *

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

: Pat Peake, 14th Overall,

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...

* 1993: Todd Harvey, 9th Overall,

Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and were founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minne ...

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

: Bryan Berard, 1st Overall,

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

: David Legwand, 2nd Overall,

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

: Justin Williams, 28th Overall,

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...

: Stephen Weiss, 4th Overall,

Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and initially played their home g ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

: Tyler Seguin, 2nd Overall,

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

Stefan Noesen Stefan Noesen (born February 12, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing career Noesen grew up playing hockey in the Dallas suburbs; one o ...

, 21st Overall,

Rickard Rakell Rickard Lars Gunnar Roland Rakell (born 5 May 1993) is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). While playing for the AIK IF in Sweden, Rakell was drafted 41st overall by ...

, 30th Overall,

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center ...

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

: Tom Wilson, 16th Overall,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

Ryan Hartman Ryan Hartman (born September 20, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hartman was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round (30th overall) of the 2013 NHL E ...

, 30th Overall,

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...

Second round NHL Entry Draft picks

''Players who were drafted in the second round of the

while playing for the Whalers franchise.'' * 1993:

, 44th Overall,

: Nic Beaudoin, 51st Overall,

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

Harold Druken Harold Druken (born January 26, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was drafted 36th overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. He played for the Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs du ...

, 36th Overall,

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce ...

Tomas Kurka Tomas may refer to: People * Tomás (given name), a Spanish, Portuguese, and Gaelic given name * Tomas (given name), a Swedish, Dutch, and Lithuanian given name * Tomáš, a Czech and Slovak given name * Tomas (surname), a French and Croatian surna ...

, 32nd Overall,

: Libor Ustrnul, 42nd Overall,

Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...

Kris Vernarsky Kristopher Todd Vernarsky (born April 5, 1982) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played 17 games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins between 2003 and 2004. The rest of his career, which lasted from 2002 to ...

, 51st Overall,

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

David Liffiton David "Dave" Liffiton (born October 18, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche. Playing career Liffiton began his junior car ...

, 63rd Overall,

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...

: James Neal, 33rd Overall,

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...

, 54th Overall,

NHL alumni

''List of Plymouth Whalers alumni who have played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

.'' *

Yuri Babenko Yuri Ivanovich Babenko (russian: Юрий Иванович Бабенко; born 2 January 1978) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He most notably played for Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and br ...

Brett Bellemore Brett Bellemore (born June 25, 1988) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who most recently played with Esbjerg Energy in the Metal Ligaen (DEN). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Carolina Hur ...

* Bryan Berard * Jared Boll *

Jesse Boulerice Jesse Boulerice (born August 10, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey forward. Primarily playing in an enforcing role, Boulerice played the majority of his National Hockey League (NHL) career for the Carolina Hurricanes. Back ...

Fred Brathwaite Fredrick Brathwaite (born November 24, 1972) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. Brathwaite played as a goaltender, and spent his career with the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets in the NH ...

* Evan Brophey * Kevin Brown *

Eric Cairns Eric Cairns (born June 27, 1974) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman and current director of player development for the New York Islanders. His last season (2006) was with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL. Playing career Drafted in t ...

* Gregory Campbell * Connor Carrick * Jamie Devane *

* Robert Esche *

* Todd Harvey * Sean Haggerty * Cole Jarrett * Michal Jordan *

* Mark Lawrence * David Legwand *

* Paul Mara * Eric Manlow * Philip McRae *

Sonny Milano Frank "Sonny" Milano (born May 12, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey left winger who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first r ...

* J. T. Miller * Mike Minard * John Mitchell * James Neal *

* Michal Neuvirth *

* Pat Peake * Justin Peters *

* Keith Redmond * Mike Rucinski * Tyler Seguin * Tim Sestito *

Tom Sestito Tom Sestito (born September 28, 1987) is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He most recently played with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL). He has previously played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philade ...

Karl Stewart Karl Stewart (born June 30, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League before finishing his career with the Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Playing career Born in Au ...

Damian Surma Damian M. Surma (born January 22, 1981) is an American retired professional ice hockey left winger. Biography Surma was born in Lincoln Park, Michigan. As a youth, he played in the 1995 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the De ...

* Chris Terry *

Chris Thorburn Chris Thorburn (born June 3, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He played over 800 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). Thorburn was known for his physical play and capabilities as a fighter. Early life Tho ...

* Nikos Tselios *

* Jason Ward *

Scott Wedgewood Scott Wedgewood (born August 14, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). Wedgewood was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the third round (84th overall) of the 2010 N ...

* Stephen Weiss * Derek Wilkinson * Justin Williams * Tom Wilson *

Chad Wiseman Chad Wiseman (born March 25, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. As a player, he played 9 games in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers between 2003 and 2005. After retiring in ...

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Yearly results

Regular season

Legend: OTL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss

Playoffs

*1997–98 - Defeated

Sarnia Sting Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron fl ...

4 games to 1 in division quarter-finals.
Defeated Belleville Bulls 4 games to 2 in quarter-finals.
Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 0 in semi-finals. *1998–99 - Defeated

Windsor Spitfires The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975� ...

4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to London Knights 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals. *1999–2000 - Defeated Guelph Storm 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (often shortened to Soo Greyhounds) are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the GFL Memorial Gardens. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in th ...

4 game to 1 in conference finals.
Lost to

4 games to 3 in finals. *2000–01 - Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated Erie Otters 4 game to 1 in conference finals.
Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 2 in finals. *2001–02 - Lost to London Knights 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals. *2002–03 - Defeated

Owen Sound Attack The Owen Sound Attack are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. Based in Owen Sound since 1989, and operating under the current name since 2000, the Attack play their home games at the Harry L ...

4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated London Knights 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 3 in conference finals. *2003–04 - Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals. *2004–05 - Lost to Owen Sound Attack 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals. *2005–06 - Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals *2006–07 - Defeated Guelph Storm 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated London Knights 4 games to 1 in conference finals.
Defeated Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 2 in finals. OHL CHAMPIONS
Finished tied for third place in Memorial Cup round-robin.
Defeated Lewiston Maineiacs in tiebreaker round.
Lost to Vancouver Giants in semi-finals. *2007–08 - Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals. *2008–09 - Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals. *2009–10 - Defeated Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals. *2010–11 - Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Owen Sound Attack 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals. *2011–12 - Defeated Guelph Storm 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals. *2012–13 - Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Owen Sound Attack 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to London Knights 4 games to 1 in conference finals. *2013–14 - Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals. *2014–15 - Out of playoffs.

Uniforms and logos

In 2009 all

teams came out with new

Reebok EDGE Players in the National Hockey League wear equipment which allows their team affiliation to be easily identified, unifying the image of the team. Currently, a NHL uniform consists of a hockey jersey, hockey pants, socks, gloves, and a helmet. ...

Jerseys The Plymouth Whaler logo features an angry hockey stick-wielding whale, blowing a puck and spout of water out its blow hole. The name Whalers is superimposed on the image surround by a circle of green and blue with waves in the background. The Whalers white Jersey has the whaler logo in the center with 3 even stripes on the sleeves and bottom of the jersey. The stripes are evenly spaced with two navy outer lines and one green inner line. The Whalers blue Jersey has the whaler logo in the center with a white space and green space going down the sleeves

Mascot

The Plymouth Whalers had a

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as ...

named Shooter. His first game appearance was on December 11, 2003 against the Peterborough Petes.

Arena

Peter Karmanos arranged to build the Whalers a new home in Plymouth Township, Michigan as soon as the 1995–96 season ended. The

was constructed in six months' time, ready for the 1996–97 season, with a

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile tha ...

of 3,807. In addition to the NHL-sized rink, there is an Olympic sized rink also in the building.http://www.ohlarenaguide.com/whalers.htm Compuware Arena

References

{{Defunct OHL Ontario Hockey League teams Ice hockey teams in Detroit Amateur ice hockey teams in Michigan Ice hockey clubs established in 1997 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2015 Sports in Plymouth Township, Michigan 1997 establishments in Michigan 2015 disestablishments in Michigan