By Ella Tsotsos, The Hockey News Intern
Rob Pearson, a former OHL and NHL player, recently announced his departure as the head coach of the Pickering Panthers in the Ontario Jr. A League. Pearson played for several teams during his junior and professional career, including the OHL’s Belleville Bulls, which was the team he played for when he was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1989.
Growing up, Pearson‘s parents had season tickets for Toronto and being able to watch the Leafs from a young age kept the franchise close to his heart. The 1989 NHL draft was held in Minnesota, and Pearson’s experience was unforgettable. After being selected 12th overall, Pearson recalls going out for dinner with Leafs legend George Armstrong. Pearson was informed by Armstrong that it was the first time that a draft pick had ordered two steaks at dinner.
The 1989 draft was the first time – and only time – in which three players from the same OHL team were selected by the same NHL team in the first round. The Leafs drafted Scott Thornton at No. 3 overall, followed by Pearson at 12th overall and Steve Bancroft at 21st overall, the final pick in the first round. All three players had suited up for Belleville during the 1988-89 OHL season.
“We were fortunate,” Pearson said. “It was Scottie, then I went 12th, and Steve Bancroft went 21st. So, as friends and guys on the same team, it was awesome. We really enjoyed it.”
Pearson played parts of six NHL seasons from 1991-92 to 1996-97, getting into 269 NHL games. After that, he spent a few years in the AHL and IHL before a final season in Germany with the Frankfurt Lions in 2001-02.
Pearson shared that it was a difficult transition adjusting to life after hockey. He said he took a break from everything and learned how to take care of a home until he began making calls to figure out what he wanted to do next.
Michael Boyer, a Chevrolet dealer located in Pickering, Ont., represented a new chapter for Pearson. He joined the car dealership, and Pearson now holds the title of Business Elite Manager. And once he had his post-playing career in order, with hockey still in the back of his mind, Pearson began coaching and becoming a mentor.
Pearson coached various teams, and one in particular was the Pickering Panthers in the OJHL. Pearson coached the team from 2019 through this season before announcing his departure at the end of the campaign. From playing professionally to coaching, this transition is common with many players. His son, Luke, is a goalie for Yale University. To have the privilege to learn from a professional player goes a long way.
"You just felt it was a good opportunity to be able to give back and help these kids out, that maybe a path that you took was wrong or a path that you took was right, that I could go and help them individually,” Pearson said.
Pearson’s hockey career was well travelled, as he played for Belleville and Oshawa in the OHL, Toronto, Washington and St. Louis in the NHL, Portland and Worcester in the AHL, ...
