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| Steve Shields | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Shields with theChicago Wolves in 2005 | |||
| Born | (1972-07-19)July 19, 1972 (age 52) Toronto,Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Buffalo Sabres San Jose Sharks Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Boston Bruins Florida Panthers Atlanta Thrashers | ||
| NHL draft | 101st overall,1991 Buffalo Sabres | ||
| Playing career | 1994–2006 | ||
Steven Charles Shields (born July 19, 1972) is a Canadian former professionalice hockeygoaltender. During his playing career, which lasted from 1994 to 2006, he played ten seasons in theNational Hockey League with theBuffalo Sabres,San Jose Sharks,Mighty Ducks of Anaheim,Boston Bruins,Florida Panthers, andAtlanta Thrashers.
Shields grew up inNorth Bay, Ontario, playing minor hockey until bantam level with the local Athletics AA program of the NOHA. At age 16, Shields moved to southern Ontario to play for the St. Marys Lincolns Jr. B club of the OHA, before accepting a scholarship to theUniversity of Michigan.
As a collegiate player, Shields became the first goalie in NCAA history to record 100 career victories and was a two-time All American.
Shields was drafted in the fifth round (#101 overall) in the1991 NHL Entry Draft by theBuffalo Sabres out of theUniversity of Michigan. Shields was a journeyman NHL goaltender over his tenure. In his NHL career, Shields would play for the Buffalo Sabres,San Jose Sharks,Mighty Ducks of Anaheim,Boston Bruins,Florida Panthers, andAtlanta Thrashers.
After starting the season with only a .500 record, theRochester Americans rallied late in the season to go on and win theCalder Cup in game seven defeating thePortland Pirates 2–1. Steve Shields set an American Hockey League record with 15 playoff victories.John Tortorella was the coach.
One of his career highlights was during the 1997 playoffs, whenDominik Hašek was injured. Hašek had been the team MVP and the league's best goalie during the regular season and he had been considered crucial to the Sabres' playoff hopes. With Hašek leaving in the midst of game three of the first round, Shields was forced to step in but he helped the Sabres to rally and defeat theOttawa Senators.
Shields then played the second round series against thePhiladelphia Flyers, as Hašek was suspended for three games after an altercation with reporterJim Kelley. A line brawl between the two teams broke out in game one that resulted in a memorable goaltender fight between Shields and the Flyers'Garth Snow. Hašek was set to return in game four with the team down by three games in the series, but he told the Sabres' coaching staff he felt a twinge in his knee and left the ice after the pregame skate. Shields turned in another season-saving performance as Buffalo staved off the almost inevitable sweeping elimination with a win. Again before the fifth game, Hašek declared himself unfit to play and Shields would finish the series with Buffalo losing 6–3 and being eliminated.
Shields's best season was in the1999–2000 season, when he played in 67 games for the San Jose Sharks while posting respectable goaltending numbers for the team (27 wins, 30 losses, four shutouts, a 2.56 GAA, and a .911 save percentage). San Jose made it to the second round of the playoffs that year.
Shields had a notablegoalie mask which was designed while he was a member of theBoston Bruins during the 2002–03 season. Shields's mask was a tribute to former Bruins goalieGerry Cheevers's famed "stitch mask".[1] He continued wearing the stitch mask after he was traded to theFlorida Panthers, and being signed by theAtlanta Thrashers.
Shields served underMel Pearson as a volunteer assistant coach atMichigan Tech for two seasons from 2011 to 2013 before joining theFlorida Panthers as a goaltending consultant in the summer of 2013.
On May 7, 2015, it was announced that Shields was named a volunteer assistant coach for theMichigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team.[2]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1988–89 | North Bay Trappers | NOJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | St. Marys Lincolns | WOHL | 26 | — | — | — | — | 1512 | 121 | 0 | 4.80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 37 | 26 | 6 | 3 | — | 1963 | 106 | 0 | 3.24 | .878 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 37 | 27 | 7 | 2 | — | 2090 | 99 | 1 | 2.84 | .885 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 39 | 30 | 6 | 2 | — | 2027 | 75 | 2 | 2.22 | .909 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 36 | 28 | 6 | 1 | — | 1961 | 87 | 0 | 2.66 | .892 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 13 | 3 | 8 | 0 | — | 673 | 53 | 0 | 4.72 | .830 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 9.00 | .824 | ||
| 1994–95 | South Carolina Stingrays | ECHL | 21 | 11 | 5 | 2 | — | 1158 | 52 | 2 | 2.69 | .912 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 144 | 11 | 0 | 4.58 | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 75 | 4 | 0 | 3.19 | .875 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 43 | 20 | 17 | 2 | — | 2357 | 140 | 1 | 3.56 | .891 | 19 | 15 | 3 | 1127 | 47 | 1 | 2.50 | .912 | ||
| 1996–97 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 13 | 3 | 8 | 2 | — | 789 | 39 | 0 | 2.96 | .913 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 570 | 26 | 1 | 2.74 | .922 | ||
| 1996–97 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 23 | 14 | 6 | 2 | — | 1331 | 60 | 1 | 2.70 | .914 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 16 | 3 | 6 | 4 | — | 785 | 37 | 0 | 2.83 | .909 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 59 | 3 | 0 | 3.04 | .885 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 37 | 15 | 11 | 8 | — | 2162 | 80 | 4 | 2.22 | .921 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 6.00 | .833 | ||
| 1999–00 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 67 | 27 | 30 | 8 | — | 3797 | 162 | 4 | 2.56 | .911 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 696 | 36 | 0 | 3.10 | .889 | ||
| 2000–01 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 21 | 6 | 8 | 5 | — | 1135 | 47 | 2 | 2.48 | .911 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 33 | 9 | 20 | 2 | — | 1777 | 79 | 0 | 2.67 | .907 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 36 | 12 | 13 | 9 | — | 2112 | 97 | 0 | 2.76 | .896 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 119 | 6 | 0 | 3.03 | .897 | ||
| 2003–04 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 16 | 3 | 6 | 1 | — | 732 | 42 | 0 | 3.44 | .879 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 5 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 266 | 19 | 0 | 4.28 | .853 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Chicago Wolves | AHL | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 240 | 9 | 0 | 2.25 | .902 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 3 | 0 | 17.65 | .750 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 246 | 80 | 104 | 39 | 1 | 13632 | 606 | 10 | 2.67 | .907 | 25 | 9 | 16 | 1444 | 74 | 1 | 3.07 | .901 | ||||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-CCHAFirst Team | 1992–93 | |
| AHCAWest Second-Team All-American | 1992–93 | |
| All-CCHAFirst Team | 1993–94 | |
| AHCAWest Second-Team All-American | 1993–94 | |