Steve Shields
Shields with the Chicago Wolves in 2005
Born (1972-07-19) July 19, 1972
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 19942006

Steven Charles Shields (born July 19, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his playing career, which lasted from 1994 to 2006, he played ten seasons in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Atlanta Thrashers.

Playing career

Shields grew up in North 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 the University 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 the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres out of the University 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, and Atlanta Thrashers.

1996 AHL Calder Cup champion

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. 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.

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 during the 2002-03 season. Shields's mask was a tribute to former Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers famed "stitch mask".[1] He continued wearing the stitch mask after he was traded to the Florida Panthers, and being signed by the Atlanta Thrashers.

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.[2]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPWLTOTLMINGASOGAASV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1988–89 North Bay Trappers NOJHL
1989–90 St. Marys Lincolns WOHL 26151212104.80
1990–91 University of Michigan CCHA 372663196310603.24.878
1991–92 University of Michigan CCHA 37277220909912.84.885
1992–93 University of Michigan CCHA 39306220277522.22.909
1993–94 University of Michigan CCHA 36286119618702.66.892
1994–95 Rochester Americans AHL 133806735304.72.830 10020309.00.824
1994–95 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 21115211585222.69.912 3021441104.58
1995–96 Buffalo Sabres NHL 201075403.19.875
1995–96 Rochester Americans AHL 4320172235714013.56.891 1915311274712.50.912
1996–97 Buffalo Sabres NHL 133827893902.96.913 10465702612.74.922
1996–97 Rochester Americans AHL 23146213316012.70.914
1997–98 Buffalo Sabres NHL 163647853702.83.909
1997–98 Rochester Americans AHL 101059303.04.885
1998–99 San Jose Sharks NHL 371511821628042.22.921 10160606.00.833
1999–00 San Jose Sharks NHL 6727308379716242.56.911 12576963603.10.889
2000–01 San Jose Sharks NHL 2168511354722.48.911
2001–02 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 33920217777902.67.907
2002–03 Boston Bruins NHL 361213921129702.76.896 202119603.03.897
2003–04 Florida Panthers NHL 163617324203.44.879
2005–06 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 51212661904.28.853
2005–06 Chicago Wolves AHL 4220240902.25.902
2006–07 Houston Aeros AHL 1000103017.65.750
NHL totals 2468010439113632606102.67.907 2591614447413.07.901

Awards and honours

Award Year
College
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. "Goalie Masks Honoring Goalies". SI.com. Sports Illustrated. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  2. "Steve Shields Joins Michigan Hockey Coaching Staff". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. May 7, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
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