Mark Bell (hockey)
Encyclopedia
Mark Bell is a Canadian professional ice hockey
forward currently signed by the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL.
and Doug Gilmour
. He played four seasons in the minor Ontario Hockey League
with the Ottawa 67's
, and was part of the Memorial Cup
championship in 1998–99
.
in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft
as the eighth overall pick, and scored his first goal against Patrick Roy
. Bell's time with Chicago was moderately successful
Bell was a bronze medalist with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in 2000.
in a three-way deal involving Chicago and the Ottawa Senators
Bell signed a US$6.5 million contract July 2006, which paid US$2 million for the first two years of the contract and US$2.5 million for the final year. He was initially placed on a line with Joe Thornton
and Jonathan Cheechoo
, however Bell never lived up to expectations and could not duplicate the numbers that he put up in Chicago, and so was demoted to the fourth line, often being a healthy scratch.
via trade at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
on June 22, 2007. After becoming part of the Leafs, Bell was then suspended the first 15 games for his DUI conviction (see below). On October 6, 2008, Bell was placed on waivers, which cleared the way for him being assigned to Toronto's AHL
affiliate, the Toronto Marlies
.
. He was then assigned to the Rangers' AHL team, the Hartford Wolf Pack
.
He was invited to Philadelphia Flyers
training camp on September 2 and signed on October 6, 2009 with Nationalliga A club Kloten Flyers
from Switzerland
. In November 2010, the Kloten Flyers announced that Bell would not receive a new contract.
Bell played for Team Canada at the 2009 and 2010 Spengler Cup
s. On July 20, 2011, Bell signed a one-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL.
weekend, in Milpitas, California
, Bell's rented Toyota Camry
was traveling an estimated 100 km per hour when it rear-ended a pickup truck at a stop sign driven by Jose Luis Villafana, the latter's vehicle being hit 15 metres up a steep hill and wrapped it around a telephone pole. The victim was uninsured and unlicensed and suffered multiple head, back and leg injuries in the crash. Bell was arrested shortly after walking away from the accident. He blew .201 in a breathalyzer test about a half-hour after the accident, and a blood test revealed a blood-alcohol level of 0.15, considerably higher than the legal limit of 0.08.
Bell was charged with hit and run
and driving under the influence
. Both are felony
offences. His arraignment was set for January 3, 2007. Bell pleaded no contest
to drunk driving causing injury and hit-and-run on August 14, 2007. Prior to sentencing, Bell had to pay restitution, including medical bills and the cost of the vehicle to Villafana, who has also filed a civil suit seeking "unlimited damages" which was later settled out of court. He was to serve six months in jail after completing the 2007–08 hockey season but later told to work in a California jail which he did from June 2, 2008 to August 15, 2008.
In addition to his conviction, Bell was placed in Stage 2 of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse Program and was suspended for 15 games without pay by the NHL on September 12, 2007. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman
justified the suspension, saying "Playing in the National Hockey League is a privilege, and with that privilege comes a corresponding responsibility for exemplary conduct off the ice as well as on it". The NHLPA disagreed, saying "there is no legitimate purpose served by adding a substantial league disciplinary suspension to the severe sanctions that have already been imposed". Leafs manager John Ferguson, Jr., who drew criticism for the trade, had anticipated that Bell would face some sort of suspension, however based upon past precedent they did not expect it to be so lengthy. This had been suggested as a sign that the NHL was imposing stricter discipline for off-ice antics of players, after Michael Vick
was expelled from the NFL as a result of his conviction for running a dog-fighting ring.
Bell has stated that as a result of the accident, realizing that his career was slipping away because of his irresponsibility, he has changed his lifestyle and has been sober since then, saying "Now, every day I wake up I realize I'm living a dream. It's taken a while for me to understand that. Now that I have, I'm going to grab it. My fun now is at the rink".
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 currently signed by the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL.
Playing career
Bell started playing hockey at four years old, and grew up admiring Wayne GretzkyWayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour
Douglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
. He played four seasons in the minor Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
with the Ottawa 67's
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:...
, and was part of the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
championship in 1998–99
1998–99 OHL season
The 1998–99 OHL season was the 19th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Belleville Bulls won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the London Knights....
.
Chicago Blackhawks
He was drafted by the Chicago BlackhawksChicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft
1998 NHL Entry Draft
The 1998 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 27 at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. A total of 258 players were drafted.- Selections by round :Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :- Round two :...
as the eighth overall pick, and scored his first goal against Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
. Bell's time with Chicago was moderately successful
Bell was a bronze medalist with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in 2000.
San Jose Sharks
In the summer of 2006, he was traded to the San Jose SharksSan Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in a three-way deal involving Chicago and the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
Bell signed a US$6.5 million contract July 2006, which paid US$2 million for the first two years of the contract and US$2.5 million for the final year. He was initially placed on a line with Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton
Joseph Eric Thornton is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League . He was selected first overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play seven seasons with the club, five as its Captain. During the...
and Jonathan Cheechoo
Jonathan Cheechoo
Jonathan Earl Cheechoo is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League. During the 2005–06 National Hockey League season, he led the NHL with 56 goals and won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy...
, however Bell never lived up to expectations and could not duplicate the numbers that he put up in Chicago, and so was demoted to the fourth line, often being a healthy scratch.
Toronto Maple Leafs
He was acquired by the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
via trade at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
2007 NHL Entry Draft
The 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007...
on June 22, 2007. After becoming part of the Leafs, Bell was then suspended the first 15 games for his DUI conviction (see below). On October 6, 2008, Bell was placed on waivers, which cleared the way for him being assigned to Toronto's 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...
affiliate, the Toronto Marlies
Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Marlies is a Canadian professional ice hockey team currently playing in the American Hockey League . The top affiliate of the National Hockey League 's Toronto Maple Leafs, the Marlies play at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario...
.
Recent
On February 25, 2009, Bell was placed on re-entry waivers and claimed by the New York RangersNew York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. He was then assigned to the Rangers' AHL team, the Hartford Wolf Pack
Hartford Wolf Pack
The Connecticut Whale is a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League . They play their home games at the XL Center....
.
He was invited to Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
training camp on September 2 and signed on October 6, 2009 with Nationalliga A club Kloten Flyers
Kloten Flyers
The Kloten Flyers are an ice hockey team based in the city of Kloten in Switzerland. They originated from the EHC Kloten. The team participates in the National League A and is known for its promotion of young players....
from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In November 2010, the Kloten Flyers announced that Bell would not receive a new contract.
Bell played for Team Canada at the 2009 and 2010 Spengler Cup
Spengler Cup
The Spengler Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland. First held in 1923, the Spengler Cup is often cited as the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. The event is hosted by the Swiss team HC Davos and played each year in Davos, Switzerland, between...
s. On July 20, 2011, Bell signed a one-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL.
Legal trouble
During the 2006 Labour DayLabour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
weekend, in Milpitas, California
Milpitas, California
Milpitas is a city in Santa Clara County, California. It is a suburb of the major city of San Jose, California. It is located with San Jose to its south and Fremont to its north, at the eastern end of State Route 237 and generally between Interstates 680 and 880 which run roughly north/south...
, Bell's rented Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
was traveling an estimated 100 km per hour when it rear-ended a pickup truck at a stop sign driven by Jose Luis Villafana, the latter's vehicle being hit 15 metres up a steep hill and wrapped it around a telephone pole. The victim was uninsured and unlicensed and suffered multiple head, back and leg injuries in the crash. Bell was arrested shortly after walking away from the accident. He blew .201 in a breathalyzer test about a half-hour after the accident, and a blood test revealed a blood-alcohol level of 0.15, considerably higher than the legal limit of 0.08.
Bell was charged with hit and run
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
and driving under the influence
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
. Both are felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
offences. His arraignment was set for January 3, 2007. Bell pleaded no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to drunk driving causing injury and hit-and-run on August 14, 2007. Prior to sentencing, Bell had to pay restitution, including medical bills and the cost of the vehicle to Villafana, who has also filed a civil suit seeking "unlimited damages" which was later settled out of court. He was to serve six months in jail after completing the 2007–08 hockey season but later told to work in a California jail which he did from June 2, 2008 to August 15, 2008.
In addition to his conviction, Bell was placed in Stage 2 of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse Program and was suspended for 15 games without pay by the NHL on September 12, 2007. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman
Gary Bettman
Gary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League , a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association...
justified the suspension, saying "Playing in the National Hockey League is a privilege, and with that privilege comes a corresponding responsibility for exemplary conduct off the ice as well as on it". The NHLPA disagreed, saying "there is no legitimate purpose served by adding a substantial league disciplinary suspension to the severe sanctions that have already been imposed". Leafs manager John Ferguson, Jr., who drew criticism for the trade, had anticipated that Bell would face some sort of suspension, however based upon past precedent they did not expect it to be so lengthy. This had been suggested as a sign that the NHL was imposing stricter discipline for off-ice antics of players, after Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
was expelled from the NFL as a result of his conviction for running a dog-fighting ring.
Bell has stated that as a result of the accident, realizing that his career was slipping away because of his irresponsibility, he has changed his lifestyle and has been sober since then, saying "Now, every day I wake up I realize I'm living a dream. It's taken a while for me to understand that. Now that I have, I'm going to grab it. My fun now is at the rink".
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 | ||
| 1996–97 1996–97 OHL season The 1996–97 OHL season was the 17th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Oshawa Generals won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's... |
Ottawa 67's Ottawa 67's The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
65 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 40 | 24 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 13 | ||
| 1997–98 1997–98 OHL season The 1997–98 OHL season was the 18th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Eighteen teams each played 66 games. The Guelph Storm won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's. The Toronto St. Michael's Majors name is re-activated when they are awarded a franchise, they would play in the... |
Ottawa 67's | OHL | 55 | 34 | 26 | 60 | 87 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 14 | ||
| 1998–99 1998–99 OHL season The 1998–99 OHL season was the 19th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Belleville Bulls won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the London Knights.... |
Ottawa 67's | OHL | 44 | 29 | 26 | 55 | 69 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 8 | ||
| 1999–00 1999–2000 OHL season The 1999–2000 OHL season was the 20th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Barrie Colts won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Plymouth Whalers.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:-Scoring leaders:... |
Ottawa 67's | OHL | 48 | 34 | 38 | 72 | 95 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2000–01 2000–01 AHL season The 2000–01 AHL season was the 65th season of the American Hockey League. The league realigns its divisions again. The Atlantic division is renamed the Canadian division. The Empire State division is replaced by the South division, with many teams shifting from the Mid-Atlantic division.Twenty... |
Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:... |
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... |
61 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 126 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 2000–01 | Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
NHL | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 80 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 124 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 2002–03 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 113 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 21 | 24 | 45 | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 25 | 23 | 48 | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 71 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 83 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 35 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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:... |
Toronto Marlies Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies is a Canadian professional ice hockey team currently playing in the American Hockey League . The top affiliate of the National Hockey League 's Toronto Maple Leafs, the Marlies play at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario... |
AHL | 56 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford Wolf Pack The Connecticut Whale is a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League . They play their home games at the XL Center.... |
AHL | 18 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 | Kloten Flyers Kloten Flyers The Kloten Flyers are an ice hockey team based in the city of Kloten in Switzerland. They originated from the EHC Kloten. The team participates in the National League A and is known for its promotion of young players.... |
NLA | 39 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 69 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 29 | ||
| 2010–11 | Kloten Flyers | NLA | 41 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 58 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 60 | ||
| OHL total | 212 | 105 | 102 | 207 | 291 | 48 | 16 | 18 | 34 | 35 | ||||
| AHL total | 145 | 33 | 50 | 83 | 191 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 14 | ||||
| NHL total | 445 | 87 | 95 | 182 | 597 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||||
| NLA total | 80 | 29 | 23 | 52 | 127 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 89 | ||||