Walleye sign two defensemen

9/4/2012

The Toledo Walleye signed two experienced defensemen today, including former Kalamazoo captain Wes O'Neill.

O'Neill, who is 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, has played in 261 pro games. O'Neill also made it to the NHL on two occasions. He played in three games with Colorado in 2008-09 and also appeared in two games for the Avalanche in 2009-10.

Toledo also agreed to terms with David Walker, a defenseman who has played in 474 pro games, including 391 in the ECHL.

O'Neill was named captain of the Kalamazoo Wings team last season and finished with two points in 29 games.

Walleye coach Nick Vitucci called O'Neill “a true, top-flight defenseman.”

“Wes has a terrific skill set and brings a ton of leadership and experience to our club,” Vitucci said. “We have had a chance to watch him up close over the past two years with Kalamazoo and like how he handles all situations on the ice. He is is extremely sound in his own end.”

Walker, who has played for Ontario and Long Beach in the ECHL, has collected 830 penalty minutes, 36 goals, and 152 assists in his career.

The 6-0 foot, 200 pound defenseman served as Ontario's captain during the 2010-11, his last season in the ECHL. He played last year in Germany.