page_title: Mark Olver
section_title: Amateur
hierarchical_section_title: Mark Olver / Playing career / Amateur
caption_attribution_description: English: Taken 11/30/2013 @ Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON https://www.facebook.com/devanssportspics
context_page_description: Mark Olver is a Canadian-German professional ice hockey centre currently playing under contract to Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. He previously played in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Avalanche. Mark is the younger brother of Darin, who was his teammate with Eisbären Berlin.
context_section_description: Olver originally played Midget AAA hockey in Michigan with the Marquette Electricians. In two seasons with the Electricians, Olver led the team in scoring in each season and in 2004–05 was named the Teams Most Valuable player. Following his father John, an assistant coach and his brother Darin, a junior at Northern Michigan University, he committed as a recruit of the Wildcats in 2005. Before he was eligible to attend college, Olver initially joined the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League. However, on the eve of the season, Mark was controversially released by the Chiefs, under the advice of owner Morey Keith. Ultimately seen as an act of personal retribution by Keith against John Olver, Mark was then recruited to join the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League.
  In his second season with the Lancers in 2006–07, Olver displayed offensive potential to lead the team with 29 goals 35 assists and 64 points to earn the honour as Omaha's Forward of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Graduating from Millard North High School, Olver then joined Northern Michigan Wildcats of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association as an undersized skilled forward. As a freshman in 2007–08, Mark returned from an early season concussion to lead all NCAA Rookies in goals (21) and the Wildcats in scoring with 38 points in 39 games to be selected to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. Passed over in the two previous draft years due to size concerns, Olver was selected in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth round, 140th overall. 
  Olver consolidated his offensive potential the succeeding year as sophomore, winning CCHA player of the month in January as he again led the Wildcats in scoring with 35 points in 40 games. In the 2009–10 season, as player of the month in February he helped a re-emerging NMU advance to the NCAA finals for the first time since 1999 before suffering a 4-3 defeat to St Cloud State in the West Regional semi-finals. In the wake of leading the Wildcats for a third consecutive season in scoring he was named to the CCHA First All-Star team and the NCAA West First-All American team. Mark also led the CCHA with 49 points in 40 games as a junior earning selection as a top 10 finalist in the Hobey Baker Award.
caption: Olver with Lake Erie Monsters (2013).
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