Darin Olver

Did You Know?

• His father, John, played in college and coached many teams, including two years as an assistant coach for Northern Michigan University while Darin played there.
• Olver's maternal grandparents immigrated from Germany to Canada; he received a German passport in 2007.

Playing career

Darin Olver got his start in Minnesota, playing high school hockey at Eastview High School under coach Mike Gibbons. A highly recruited player from Canada, he helped Eastview reach the state tournament in 2001. He then played college hockey at Northern Michigan University and was selected by the New York Rangers in the second round, 36th overall, of the NHL draft. After finishing college, he joined the Rangers' AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, on an amateur tryout to close out the 2006–07 season. When the Rangers didn't offer him a contract, Olver moved to Germany, signing a one-year deal with the Fischtown Pinguins of the 2nd Bundesliga. He led Fischtown with 56 points in 52 games, which earned him a spot with the DEL's Straubing Tigers. An injury-marred season there limited him to just 11 points, so he signed a one-year contract with the Augsburger Panther on March 2, 2009. In the 2009–10 season, Olver broke out, putting up 60 points to rank among the DEL leaders. He helped an unlikely Augsburg team reach the league finals for the first time in their history, and he quickly earned a one-year extension on March 17, 2010. The following season, Olver solidified his status among Germany's elite. Even though Augsburg fell back to the bottom of the DEL, Olver led the entire league with 47 assists and 70 points, earning the DEL Player of the Year award. On May 2, 2011, he left Augsburg to sign with the reigning champions, Eisbären Berlin. With Berlin, he won back-to-back German championships in 2012 and 2013. After the 2016–17 season, he left Berlin and signed with fellow DEL side ERC Ingolstadt. Following three seasons there, he left as a free agent and signed a one-year contract with the Schwenninger Wild Wings on August 20, 2020, continuing his career in the DEL.