Since its establishment in 2009, the Toledo Walleye hockey organization has not only entertained fans with thrilling games, but established a foundation for players to build families and careers. 

With 16 seasons under its belt, Walleye hockey welcomed hundreds of players from different parts of the world. Some of these players joined the team, retired, and moved on, but others found a home in Toledo. 

Simon Denis’ skates took him much farther than past center ice, bringing opportunities to play overseas, color commentate games part-time, start a full-time position, and become a father and husband. 

Denis started his career with the Toledo Walleye in 2016, just after graduating from Ferris State University. The defenseman sported the Walleye jersey until 2018, then moved to Japan to play overseas. However, Denis could not part with T-Town Hockey for long, and returned in 2022 for his final season before retiring from the game. 

“I can't say enough good things, that's the best way to put it, I guess,” Denis said in regards to the Walleye. “When they reached out to me about playing for them, it was kind of a no-brainer. It was beyond all of my wildest dreams, and I had such an amazing experience here with the fans and with the organization.” 

The Burnaby, British Columbia, native played nearly 170 games in his career with the Walleye.

Denis also shared part of his college hockey career at Ferris State with former Walleye forward, Kyle Bonis, who played off and on for the Fish between 2014 and 2020. 

Like Denis, Bonis grew up in Canada, stating that although he had a choice to play whichever sport he desired, hockey was “almost like a requirement” and he “kept coming back to the sport.”

“I have nothing but unbelievably positive feelings towards the Walleye,” Bonis said. “Whether you play 300 games for them or play three games for them, players are treated first class.” 

Bonis’ hockey career and time with the Walleye ended in an unexpected way with the rise of COVID-19 in 2020. Bonis said he prepared to play the 2020-21 season, but after having an 18-month break because of the shutdown, he decided to retire. 

“One thing I was very adamant on is I never wanted to play a season as a lesser version of myself physically,” Bonis said. “If we had played the following season, I knew that would have been my last, and I would have enjoyed having that entire year to make sure I was truly taking in every single experience.” 

Denis said he chose to retire when his son was about one-years-old, as he “missed” some of his child’s “milestones.” Settling down in Toledo was an easy decision, as Denis’ career with the Walleye connected him to the city. 

“I love being in this area, I think it's just awesome,” Denis said. “It's so special … I didn’t ever think I was going to end up in Toledo but let alone the fact I got to play across the world, I got to play internationally, and then to be able to come back here and now have a life here … I couldn’t be more thankful.” 

Evan Rankin, former Walleye forward, played off and on for the Fish, starting his first season out of the University of Notre Dame with the team in 2009 and playing his last in 2017. 

Growing up in Portage, Michigan, Rankin spent his time skating and watching University of Western Michigan hockey games, as his dad worked for the school. Down the road, Rankin earned the nickname “Mr. Walleye” and was elected into the Toledo Walleye Hall of Fame in 2025. 

“I loved the Walleye,” Rankin said. “It was one of the best places you could possibly play and a huge part of that is the fans. It's not every rink that your team has 8,000 fans every single night. It just brings an environment that players dream of.” 

Denis, Rankin, and Bonis took different paths after retirement and raised families in Toledo. 

Denis landed a full-time position with CampusGuard, a cyber security and compliance solutions company. He also works part-time with Matt Melzak, play-by-play commentator for the Hens and Walleye, during the hockey season. 

Rankin and Bonis went into medical sales with different companies. Rankin said he is in the “fast healing medicine” line of work, with Bonis focusing on products that aid in the detection of lung cancer. 

“It is very urgent, so I am on call 24/7,” Rankin said about the company he works for, Penumbra Inc. “I’m very honored to work in this field, you are constantly helping people and saving their lives in some situations.” 

Bonis said working at the company, Initiative, is “incredibly gratifying.” 

“Our focus every single day is so much more than just a product, which is really rewarding,” Bonis said. “I was so fortunate that when I was playing, it was always a group of individuals working towards a common goal. I needed to be in an industry and with a company that mirrored those things because it was all I really knew.” 

The transition from hockey to homelife and working full-time was a change of pace. 

“It was hard and definitely a big difference,” Denis said. "In all honesty, I didn't miss playing the game, I think I missed the lifestyle and the relationships you build with your teammates and your staff.” 

“It is tough for any hockey player to identify outside hockey,” Rankin said. “You can’t know until you are in it.”

As CampusGuard’s director of business development of the entire Midwest Region, Denis said he utilizes a multitude of skills he learned as a professional hockey player. 

“Through hockey, you're not just learning things on the ice, but you're learning a lot about life off the ice,” Denis said. “When you're in a field with sales, you have to be able to handle rejection and criticism. You deal with the same in hockey, where you make mistakes. You have to flip the script.” 

Rankin said hockey helped him learn how to deal with “high pressure situations.” 

“When you're dealing with surgery, things may be going right or wrong,” Rankin said. “Both careers help you battle through adversity, then hopefully when the time is right, give you a chance to succeed.” 

Some former Toledo Walleye players retire their skates, but remain on the bench. Alden Hirschfeld played off and on for the Walleye from 2013 to 2018, and became the team’s assistant coach directly after he stopped skating. 

“I wanted to continue to be a part of the game and help younger players grow and develop,” Hirschfeld said. “It was awesome. You learn just as much coaching as you do playing.” 

Hirschfeld stepped down as assistant coach in 2025, after the opportunity to work in a family business with his brother and father presented itself. The company, Power Brushes, designs and builds engineered brushes for different applications. 

Hirschfeld works in the shop and is learning about the brush making process and customers. 

"It's been great,” Hirschfeld said. “I'm a big family guy, so being with them on an everyday basis is pretty cool. Wanting to learn in hockey is the same as wanting to learn in this position and job. I’m motivated everyday, competitive to get new customers, make new products, and be the best I can be.” 

The Toledo Walleye and Toledo Mud Hens effort to create “fans for life” applies to not just people walking through the ballpark or arena doors, but to the players on the ice and field. 

“My family was built in Toledo because of the Walleye,” Rankin said. “The job that I ended up getting, my first boss in the medical sales world, he had a kid that was playing hockey and at one of the Toledo Walleye hockey camps, and that's how I met him. This city is extremely special.” 

Bonis said he was surprised he ended up in Toledo to start a family, but would not trade his life for the world. 

“I would have never guessed when I signed and was moving to the city of Toledo, that the organization, the city, and the people would have had the impact on my life that they did,” Bonis said. “It was so impactful that it eventually became home.” 

Written By: Gina Napoli