Steve Ott’s passion and grit propelled him to a successful 12-year career in the National Hockey League.

A former Windsor Spitfire, Ott was the 25th selection overall of the Dallas Stars in 2000.  During his five years in Dallas, the pesky centre was a consistent double-digit goal scorer, topping out with 22 goals in the 2009-10 season.

He also played for Buffalo, St. Louis, Detroit and Montreal prior to retiring in 2017.

As a sign of his leadership ability, the Sabres named him a team co-captain just over a year after he joined the team. When fellow co-captain Thomas Vanek was subsequently traded, Ott wore the ‘C’ alone.

He played 848 NHL games, scoring 109 goals, 179 assists and racking up 1,555 minutes in penalties.  His on-ice actions led to several NHL suspensions.

Shortly after retiring, Ott was named an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues, a position he has held for seven years. He won a Stanley Cup with the team in June 2019 when the Blues defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games.

As a junior, Ott was named to Team Canada for the 2001 and the 2002 World Junior Championships, winning bronze and silver respectively.

In May 2024, he made his international coaching debut as an assistant with Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships in Czechia.

Born in Summerside, P.E.I., Ott moved with his family to Stoney Point and played minor for Sun County followed by time with the Belle River Canadiens and the Leamington Flyers.

He spent three seasons with the Spitfires, scoring 50 goals in 55 games during the 2000-01 season.

Ott has now scored a spot as an athlete with his 2024 induction into the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame.