O'Neill signed as a free agent by the Colorado Avalanche on August 20, 2007.[1] He made his professional debut in the 2007–08 season with the Avalanche's affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. O'Neill spent the majority of the year with the Monsters before he was sent to the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL for their playoff run.
In the 2008–09 season, O'Neill received his first NHL recall on March 27, 2009.[2] He made his NHL debut with the Avalanche on the same day, in a 4–1 defeat to the Vancouver Canucks.[3] He was sent back down to the Lake Erie Monsters on April 4, 2009.[4]
O'Neill speaking with a referee following a penalty while with the K-Wings
Wes was assigned to Lake Erie and recorded a career-high 15 points in the 2009–10 season. Wes became the Monsters franchise leader in games played with 159 and appeared in a further two games for the Avalanche in a brief stint in January.
O'Neill was not retained by the Avalanche and was rendered a free agent at season's end. Unable to attract an NHL offer prior to the 2010–11 season, O'Neill accepted a try-out to the reigning AHL Champions, the Hershey Bears, training camp but failed to attain a contract.[5] With the season underway, Wes signed with Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL on a one-year contract on October 18, 2010.[6] As Captain of the K-Wings, O'Neill appeared in 13 games before he was signed on a professional try-out contract by AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, on November 19, 2010.[7][8]
After a second injury hit season with the Wings, O'Neill left as a free agent and signed a one-year contract with ECHL competitor the Toledo Walleye on September 4, 2012.[9] At the conclusion of the 2012-13 season, O'Neill opted to retire from hockey after 6 professional seasons.[10]
