Neil Belland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Defense |
| Height Weight |
5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Pro Clubs | Vancouver Canucks Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Nationality |  Canada |
| Born | April 3, 1961, Parry Sound, ON, CAN |
| NHL Draft | 16th overall |
| Pro Career | 1981 – 1987 |
Neil Belland (born April 3, 1961 in Parry Sound, Ontario) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player.
[edit] Playing career
Neil Belland played his junior hockey with the Kingston Canadians of the OMJHL from 1978-1981, putting up some solid numbers, as he recorded 182 points (43 goals-139 assists) in 171 games, including a huge 1980-81 season where Belland had 82 points (28G-54A) in only 53 games. He added on 16 points (8G-8A) in 25 career playoff games. Belland went undrafted, but was signed by the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent on October 1, 1980.
Belland would start the 1981-82 season with the Dallas Black Hawks of the CHL, where in 27 games he put up 22 points (2G-20A) before being called up by the Canucks. Belland would play 28 games with Vancouver, earning 9 points (3G-6A). He would help the Canucks in the playoffs to the tune of 8 points (1G-7A) in 17 games as Vancouver would make it to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to the powerhouse New York Islanders. Belland would split the 1982-83 season between Vancouver, where in 14 games he had 6 points (2G-4A), and the Fredericton Express of the AHL, as he had 21 points (4G-17A) in 46 games, then chipped in with 3 points (1G-2A) in 7 playoff games. Once again in 1983-84, Belland would split time between the Express, where in 17 games he registered 18 points (3G-15A), before getting 20 points (7G-13A) in 44 games with Vancouver. He then added 3 points (1G-2A) in 4 playoff games with the Canucks. 1984-85 would be more of the same for Belland, as he would again spend time with both Fredericton, getting 41 points (7G-34A) in 57 games, along with 2 assists in 6 playoff games, and Vancouver, earning 6 assists in 13 regular season games, and then again in 1985-86, where Belland put up 3 points (1G-2A) in 7 games with the Canucks, and 24 points (6G-18A) in 36 games with Fredericton, then helping out with 7 points (1G-6A) in 6 playoff games with the Express. After the season, Belland became a free agent, and signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on September 29, 1986.
Belland would spend most of the 1986-87 season with the Penguins AHL affiliate, the Baltimore Skipjacks, where in 61 games, Belland recorded 24 points (6G-18A), while in 3 games with the Penguins, he would earn an assist. He would become a free agent once again after the season, and decided to head over to Finland to play with Lukko Rauma in the SM-liiga. Belland would get 22 points (8G-14A) in 44 games before going pointless in 8 playoff games, then would join the Hershey Bears of the AHL for a playoff game, getting no points.
He would then sign with Innsbruck EV of the Austrian League for the 1988-89 season, putting up 56 points (17G-39A) in 46 games, then returned for the 1989-90 season, earning 53 points (15G-38A) in 34 games. Belland would split the 1990-91 season with Innsbruck, getting 12 points (5G-7A) in 17 games, and the Canadian National Hockey Team, where in 9 games he would garner 4 assists. Belland returned to Austria in 1991-92 to play with ATSE Graz, earning 22 points (11G-11A) in 28 games, then play 1 game for EC Graz in 1992-93, getting no points, before returning for the 1993-94 season, picking up 37 points (8G-29A) in 57 games. Belland would then retire from playing hockey in the summer of 1994.
