Barons' Bryan Helmer Makes AHL History

The OKC Barons defenseman made history in the win over Peoria.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:09 pm

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Jan 14, 2011 4:10 PM CDT

Layna Dewell
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer
PEORIA, Illinois—Oklahoma City Barons defenseman Bryan Helmer made American League Hockey history Thursday by scoring three goals to take his career point total to 520 in OKC’s 7-2 win over Peoria.

The 6-foot-1 native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario joined the Barons late last week when he signed a professional tryout contract.

In the second period of Thursday’s game, he tied the record with a power-play goal, then later in the third period broke the record with another power-play goal.Helmer is now the top scoring defenseman in AHL history with 520 career points. He has racked up 122 goals and 398 assists in 986 regular season AHL games.

The previous record holder was John Slaney, who recorded 519 points during his 12 year career in the AHL.

Since signing with the Barons, Helmer has picked up seven points (2-5-7) in four games.

Helmer’s three points (2-1-3) on the night, combined with Alex Giroux’s four points (2-2-4) paced the Barons to a 7-2 win over the Peoria Rivermen.

Helmer, who was already the AHL’s career leader among defensemen in assists with 398, is only 14 games short of becoming the seventh player in league history to reach the 1,000 plateau.

A former First Team AHL All-Star (1998) and Second-Team AHL All-Star (2006), Helmer has appeared in an AHL-record 138 Calder Cup Playoff games. Helmer is also a veteran of 146 National Hockey League contests with Phoenix, St. Louis, Vancouver, and as recently as the 2008-09 season, Washington.

The Barons will take the ice again Friday night at the Carver Arena in Peoria at 7:05 p.m.