Former Avalanche centerman left the NHL to join team in a different league

Mark Olver will join the Idaho Steelheads this season with loads of NHL experience and a champion attitude. At 36 years old, Olver has had a very long and varied professional career, and the next stop is another chapter in an already amazing hockey journey. The Steelheads announced he has signed a contract for the 2024-25 ECHL season, marking his first in Idaho. He will be counted on to provide both on-ice and off-ice leadership from fans and teammates.

Olver's pedigree mixes skill with deep roots in hockey. Originally drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to play 73 games in the NHL from 2010-13, picking up 22 points along the way. He was even more productive in the American Hockey League. Olver recorded 122 points in 180 games with the Lake Erie Monsters and appeared in the AHL All-Star Game during the 2010-11 season. He has shown he can perform at various levels of the game.

After spending time in North America, Olver moved overseas to log seven years in the DEL, Germany's premier league. Notably, he was pivotal in the championship Eisbaren Berlin earned in 2021. In total, he played 246 games and reached 132 points over the time he spent in Germany, proving him to be a reliable and effective player on the international stage. Whether in a home market or abroad, Olver has proved capable of adapting to different competitive environments.

Before he turned pro, Olver starred as one of the top collegiate players at Northern Michigan University, regularly placing among the leaders for scoring. His amateur career also took him through the USHL, adding to what was already a rich playing history. Wherever Olver has gone, he's left a mark with his performance and leadership, a valuable addition to any roster.

With the Steelheads, Mark Olver will also be bringing a small amount of family legacy into his first full season. Olver's father, John Olver, was an instrumental part of Idaho hockey history when he coached the Steelheads to their first-ever ECHL championship in 2004. Now, Mark gets the chance to add to the family legacy in his way. With that experience and the proven track record he took with him, he's set to be a big asset for Idaho in its quest to go deep this season.