Mark Wotton
Encyclopedia
Mark A. Wotton is a Canadian ice hockey
defenceman
who currently plays for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
of the AHL
.
by the Vancouver Canucks
. Despite his low draft position, Wotton improved his stock considerably over the next few seasons with his intelligent positional play, leadership, and excellent work ethic. Turning pro in the 1994–95, he would score 41 points for the Syracuse Crunch
of the American Hockey League
and earn a one-game late-season callup to the Canucks. He would also feature in 5 playoff games for the team, before his season was ended on a vicious high-stick from St. Louis Blues winger Glenn Anderson
which detached his retina
.
Wotton would earn an extended audition with the Canucks in 1996–97, playing largely as a regular in the second half of the season, and finishing with 3 goals and 9 points in 36 games. He would crack the Canucks' roster out of training camp in 1997–98, but a coaching change would alter his fortunes as new Canuck coach Mike Keenan
decided to go in a different direction with larger, tougher players like Jamie Huscroft
and Enrico Ciccone
. Wotton was sent back to the AHL where he spent the next two seasons.
Wotton left the Canucks organization in 1999 to sign with the Dallas Stars
. He would spend 5 seasons in the Stars organization, but played only a single NHL game for them in the 2000–01 season. He was, however, valued for his experience on the farm and his work with younger defenders.
In 2004, Wotton signed in Russia with SKA Saint Petersburg
. He would spend a year there before returning to North America, signing with the Washington Capitals
. After spending the 2005–06 season with the Hershey Bears
, the Capitals' AHL farm club, he signed with the New York Islanders
organization for 2006–07. He was then assigned and named captain to the Islanders' AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
.
Wotton has appeared 43 career NHL games, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points. He has also made more than 800 appearances in the American Hockey League in his 16-year professional career.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who currently plays for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in...
of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
.
Playing career
Considered small for an NHL defender, Wotton was selected 237th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft1992 NHL Entry Draft
The 1992 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 20 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. A total of 264 players were drafted.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...
by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. Despite his low draft position, Wotton improved his stock considerably over the next few seasons with his intelligent positional play, leadership, and excellent work ethic. Turning pro in the 1994–95, he would score 41 points for the Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
and earn a one-game late-season callup to the Canucks. He would also feature in 5 playoff games for the team, before his season was ended on a vicious high-stick from St. Louis Blues winger Glenn Anderson
Glenn Anderson
Glenn Christopher Anderson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger in the National Hockey League who played for the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues...
which detached his retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
.
Wotton would earn an extended audition with the Canucks in 1996–97, playing largely as a regular in the second half of the season, and finishing with 3 goals and 9 points in 36 games. He would crack the Canucks' roster out of training camp in 1997–98, but a coaching change would alter his fortunes as new Canuck coach Mike Keenan
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
decided to go in a different direction with larger, tougher players like Jamie Huscroft
Jamie Huscroft
Jamie Huscroft is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who spent parts of ten seasons in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
and Enrico Ciccone
Enrico Ciccone
Enrico Ciccone is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Ciccone was drafted in 1990 by the Minnesota North Stars. After playing just 31 games with the North Stars, he was traded to the Washington Capitals prior to the 1993–94 NHL season. After just 51 games, he was traded to the Tampa Bay...
. Wotton was sent back to the AHL where he spent the next two seasons.
Wotton left the Canucks organization in 1999 to sign with the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
. He would spend 5 seasons in the Stars organization, but played only a single NHL game for them in the 2000–01 season. He was, however, valued for his experience on the farm and his work with younger defenders.
In 2004, Wotton signed in Russia with SKA Saint Petersburg
SKA Saint Petersburg
SKA Saint Petersburg is a Russian professional ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. SKA is an abbreviation for "Sports Club of the Army"...
. He would spend a year there before returning to North America, signing with the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
. After spending the 2005–06 season with the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
, the Capitals' AHL farm club, he signed with the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
organization for 2006–07. He was then assigned and named captain to the Islanders' AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in...
.
Wotton has appeared 43 career NHL games, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points. He has also made more than 800 appearances in the American Hockey League in his 16-year professional career.
Awards & achievements
- 1993–94 WHLWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
East Second All-Star Team - 1993–94 CHLCHL-Ice hockey:* Canadian Hockey League , the umbrella organization for Canadian major junior hockey* Central Hockey League, now the Central Canada Hockey League , a Junior A ice hockey league...
Plus/Minus Award
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1989–90 | Saskatoon Blades Saskatoon Blades The Saskatoon Blades are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League. They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195 seat Credit Union Centre.-History:... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
51 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 | ||
| 1990–91 | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | 45 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | 64 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 92 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 22 | ||
| 1992–93 | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | 71 | 15 | 51 | 66 | 90 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 18 | ||
| 1993–94 | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | 65 | 12 | 34 | 46 | 108 | 16 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 32 | ||
| 1994–95 1994–95 AHL season The 1994–95 AHL season was the 59th season of the American Hockey League. The All-Star Game is revived, with All-Stars grouped into "Team Canada" and "Team USA." Sixteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule... |
Syracuse Crunch Syracuse Crunch The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
75 | 12 | 29 | 41 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1995–96 | Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 80 | 10 | 35 | 45 | 96 | 15 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 20 | ||
| 1996–97 | Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 27 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1996–97 1996-97 NHL season The 1996–97 NHL season was the 80th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years. The regular season saw a decline in scoring and rise in the... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 36 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 1997–98 AHL season The 1997–98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. The AHL shifts teams in their divisions, and the Canadian division reverts to being named Atlantic division. The Northern conference is renamed the Eastern conference, and the Southern conference renamed the Western... |
Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 56 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 80 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | ||
| 1997–98 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 1998–99 AHL season The 1998–99 AHL season was the 63rd season of the American Hockey League. Nineteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Providence Bruins finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 72 | 4 | 31 | 35 | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Michigan K-Wings | IHL | 70 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Utah Grizzlies Utah Grizzlies The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play out of West Valley City, Utah, United States, with their home games at the Maverik Center.- Franchise history :... |
IHL | 63 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 2001–02 AHL season The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion... |
Utah Grizzlies | AHL | 57 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 68 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2002–03 | Utah Grizzlies | AHL | 69 | 8 | 26 | 34 | 68 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | Utah Grizzlies | AHL | 23 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | SKA St. Petersburg | RSL Russian Superleague The Russian Superleague , commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was considered the second best league in the world, after the National Hockey League of North America... |
50 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
Hershey Bears Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of... |
AHL | 69 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 58 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Bridgeport Sound Tigers Bridgeport Sound Tigers The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in... |
AHL | 78 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 69 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:... |
Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 73 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 40 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 AHL season The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11... |
Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 77 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 71 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 43 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||
| AHL totals | 896 | 87 | 278 | 365 | 820 | 52 | 1 | 17 | 18 | 52 | ||||