Defenceman Selmar Odelein played a few games for the high flying Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s. A top junior prospect, he never blossomed in the NHL but was a decent player in the minors and Europe.
The older brother of NHL defenceman Lyle Odelein, Selmar hailed from Quill Lake, Saskatchewan. He scored 114 points in 70 games for the Regina Canadians of the SJHL in 1982-83. He then joined the WHL's Regina Pats where he was one of the most exciting defencemen in junior hockey. In 1984 he was Edmonton's first round pick, 21st overall, at the NHL Entry Draft. Over the next two seasons he starred for the Pats and helped Canada win the gold medal at the 1985 World Junior Championships.
During his first three pro seasons Odelein played chiefly with the Nova Scotia/Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL. When it appeared that he was going nowhere in Edmonton, Odelein opted to spend the 1989-90 season learning with the Canadian national team. After deciding to try his luck in Europe, he played one year each with the IEV Innsbruck and VEU Feldkirch teams in Austria. Following this he played a year in Britain with the Nottingham Panthers then spent the 1993-94 season with the Sheffield Steelers before retiring.
