Shawn Wheeler
Encyclopedia
Shawn Wheeler is a retired professional ice hockey
forward and coach. He was born in Mount Vernon, New York
on June 8, 1966.
Wheeler played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
, where he helped lead the Pointers in back-to-back National Championships in 1989 and 1990. Wheeler led the team in penalty minutes in all four of his seasons and averaged over a point a game, compiling 76 goals and 78 assists in 136 games. His professional playing career consisted of time in the East Coast Hockey League
with the Hampton Roads Admirals, Greensboro Monarchs and Charlotte Checkers; the American Hockey League
with the Providence Bruins and Hershey Bears; and as a noted power forward
for the Peoria Rivermen of the International Hockey League
. He scored 30 goals in four different seasons in the ECHL, despite high totals in penalty minutes each season. In 1991-92, his 301 penalty minutes were the fifth-highest total in the league, while he scored a career-high 36 goals. Wheeler was notable as the most prominent African-American player in the ECHL at the time; this, combined with his rough playing style, made him an occasional target of hostility from opposing fans.
In 1995, Wheeler signed as a free agent, moving from the Hampton Roads Admirals
to their rival the Charlotte Checkers, where he began his coaching career as a player/assistant coach under head coach John Marks
. The following season, he played a key role in the Checkers' championship title. Following his retirement from playing in 1996-97, he took on the role of the Checkers' assistant coach. He was named head coach in 1998 after Marks accepted the same role with the Greenville Grrowl.
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...
forward and coach. He was born in Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
on June 8, 1966.
Wheeler played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point is a public university located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin...
, where he helped lead the Pointers in back-to-back National Championships in 1989 and 1990. Wheeler led the team in penalty minutes in all four of his seasons and averaged over a point a game, compiling 76 goals and 78 assists in 136 games. His professional playing career consisted of time in the East Coast Hockey League
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
with the Hampton Roads Admirals, Greensboro Monarchs and Charlotte Checkers; 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...
with the Providence Bruins and Hershey Bears; and as a noted power forward
Power forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, power forward is a loosely applied characterization of a forward who is big and strong, equally capable of playing physically or scoring goals and would most likely have high totals in both points and penalties...
for the Peoria Rivermen of the International Hockey League
International Hockey League
The International Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1945 to 2001. The IHL served as the National Hockey League's alternate farm system to the American Hockey League . After 56 years of operation, financial instability led to...
. He scored 30 goals in four different seasons in the ECHL, despite high totals in penalty minutes each season. In 1991-92, his 301 penalty minutes were the fifth-highest total in the league, while he scored a career-high 36 goals. Wheeler was notable as the most prominent African-American player in the ECHL at the time; this, combined with his rough playing style, made him an occasional target of hostility from opposing fans.
In 1995, Wheeler signed as a free agent, moving from the Hampton Roads Admirals
Hampton Roads Admirals
The Hampton Roads Admirals were an American professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They played in Norfolk, Virginia at the Norfolk Scope Arena....
to their rival the Charlotte Checkers, where he began his coaching career as a player/assistant coach under head coach John Marks
John Marks
John Marks may refer to:*John Marks , mayor of Tallahassee, Florida*John Marks , former NHL player for the Chicago Black Hawks*John Marks , Australian tennis player*John B. Marks , a political figure in Upper Canada...
. The following season, he played a key role in the Checkers' championship title. Following his retirement from playing in 1996-97, he took on the role of the Checkers' assistant coach. He was named head coach in 1998 after Marks accepted the same role with the Greenville Grrowl.