Steve Shields (hockey player)
Encyclopedia
Steven Charles Shields is a Canadian former professional ice hockey
goaltender
.
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. In the summer of 2011, Steve was on the market to resume his goalie career. His agent offered Steve, to the Swedish third tier team Asplöven HC. Asplöven declined the offer, stating they were looking for a younger goaltender.
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.
. 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
and signed with the Atlanta Thrashers
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
.
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 U. Michigan.Shields was drafted in the fifth round (#101 overall) in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft
1990 NHL Entry Draft
The 1990 National Hockey League Entry Draft was the 28th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Vancouver Canucks at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 16, 1990...
by the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
out of the University of Michigan
Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey
The Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Earning varsity status in 1922, the program is competing in its 90th season...
. 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
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, 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. In the summer of 2011, Steve was on the market to resume his goalie career. His agent offered Steve, to the Swedish third tier team Asplöven HC. Asplöven declined the offer, stating they were looking for a younger goaltender.
1996 AHL Calder Cup Champion Goaltender
After starting the season with only a .500 record, the Rochester Americans (AHL)rallied late in the season to go on and win the Calder Cup in game seven defeating the Portland Pirates 2-1. Steve Shields was the goaltender, John Tortorella was the coach and Dixon Ward was named MVP.1997 Playoffs
One of his career highlights was during the 1997 playoffs, when Dominik HašekDominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
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
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Shields then played the second round series against the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, as Hašek was suspended for three games after an altercation with reporter Jim Kelley
Jim Kelley
James Thomas "Jim" Kelley, Jr. was a professional sports news columnist whose 30-year career focused primarily on the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League, and the greater Buffalo area...
. 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 of that year.Goalie mask design
Shields had a notable goalie mask which was designed while he was a member of the Boston BruinsBoston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. Shields's mask was a tribute to former Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers
Gerry Cheevers
Gerald Michael "Cheesey" Cheevers is a former goaltender in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association between 1961 and 1980, most famous for his two stints with the Boston Bruins, where he backstopped the team to Stanley Cup wins in 1970 and 1972...
famed "stitch mask". He continued wearing the stitch mask after he was traded to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
and signed with the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
.