Steve Shields (ice hockey)

Steve Shields
Born (1972-07-19) July 19, 1972
Toronto, ON, CAN
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 professional ice hockey goaltender, and current assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team.

Playing career

Shields grew up in North Bay, Ontario playing minor hockey until Bantam 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 The University of Michigan.

As a collegiate 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 the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres out of the University of Michigan. Shields could be best classified as a journeyman NHL goaltender over his tenure. In his NHL career, Shields would play for the Buffalo Sabres, the San Jose Sharks, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Boston Bruins, the Florida Panthers, and the Atlanta Thrashers. Shields has recently been playing in the NESHL as a center for Mutiny. Mutiny is a B division team out of the Metro Boston league.

1996 AHL Calder Cup Champion Goaltender

After starting the season with only a .500 record, the Rochester Americans rallied late in the season to go on and win the Calder Cup in game seven defeating the Portland Pirates 2-1. Steve Shields set an American Hockey League record with 15 playoff victories. John Tortorella was the coach.

1997 Playoffs

One of his career highlights was during the 1997 playoffs, when Dominik 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 the Ottawa Senators.

Shields then played the second round series against the Philadelphia Flyers, as Hašek was suspended for three games after an altercation with reporter Jim Kelley. 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.

1999–2000 Season

Shields's best season was in the 1999–2000 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.

Goalie mask design

Shields had a notable goalie mask which was designed while he was a member of the Boston Bruins. Shields's mask was a tribute to former Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers famed "stitch mask". He continued wearing the stitch mask after he was traded to the Florida Panthers.

Coaching career

Shields served under Mel Pearson as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan Tech for two seasons from 2011 to 2013 before joining the Florida 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 the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team.[1]

Awards and honours

Award Year
All-CCHA First Team 1992–93
AHCA West Second-Team All-American 1992–93
All-CCHA First Team 1993–94
AHCA West Second-Team All-American 1993–94

References

  1. ↑ "Steve Shields Joins Michigan Hockey Coaching Staff". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. May 7, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
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