Bryan Helmer is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played as a defenseman. He was born on July 15, 1972, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Helmer began his hockey career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Belleville Bulls in 1989. He played for the Bulls for three seasons before being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.
Helmer made his NHL debut with the Sabres in the 1995-96 season, playing in 11 games. He spent most of his time in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Rochester Americans, where he played for four seasons. In 1999, Helmer signed with the Phoenix Coyotes and played in 67 games in his first season with the team. He played for the Coyotes for three seasons before being traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2002.
Helmer played for the Blues for one season before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 2003. He played for the Canucks for two seasons before being traded to the San Jose Sharks in 2005. Helmer played for the Sharks for one season before being traded to the Washington Capitals in 2006. He played for the Capitals for three seasons and was named the team's captain in 2008.
In 2009, Helmer signed with the Hershey Bears of the AHL. He played for the Bears for two seasons and helped lead the team to back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2009 and 2010. Helmer retired from professional hockey in 2011 at the age of 38.
Throughout his career, Helmer was known for his leadership and defensive skills. He played in a total of 146 NHL games, scoring 5 goals and 23 assists for a total of 28 points. In the AHL, Helmer played in 1,117 games, scoring 129 goals and 435 assists for a total of 564 points. He was named to the AHL All-Star team four times and won the Eddie Shore Award as the league's best defenseman in 1999.
After retiring from hockey, Helmer became a scout for the Washington Capitals and later served as the team's director of player development. In 2018, he was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding career in the league.
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