Sheldon Souray
Encyclopedia
Sheldon Sharik Souray is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 professional ice hockey
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...

 defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...

 currently playing for the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...

 of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 (NHL). He has previously played for the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

, New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, who originally drafted him 71st overall in 1994
1994 NHL Entry Draft
The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Hartford Civic Center on June 28–29, 1994.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...

, and the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

. He is best known for his heavy slapshot, setting the unofficial NHL record for the hardest recorded shot at the Oilers' 2009 Skills Competition.

Playing career

Before playing in the NHL, Sheldon was a member of the Fort Saskatchewan Traders
Fort Saskatchewan Traders
The Fort Saskatchewan Traders were an ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They played in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada at the Jubilee Recreation Centre, capacity 2000....

 in the Alberta Junior Hockey League
Alberta Junior Hockey League
The Alberta Junior Hockey League is an Alberta-based Junior A hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy...

 (AJHL). He was drafted in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft
1994 NHL Entry Draft
The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Hartford Civic Center on June 28–29, 1994.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...

 in the third round (71st overall) by the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 where he played from 1997 to 1999 before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 on March 1, 2000, for Vladimir Malakhov
Vladimir Malakhov (ice hockey)
Vladimir Igorevich Malakhov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player currently under contract with the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League...

.

After suffering a serious wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...

 injury which kept him out of the entire 2002–03 season, Souray returned to play for the Canadiens and had a milestone season, amassing a breakout 15 goals and 35 points. He participated in the 2004 NHL All-Star Game and recorded the hardest shot at the Skills Competition with a 102.2 mph slapshot. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he played for Färjestads BK
Färjestads BK
Färjestads Bollklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Karlstad. Färjestad has had 18 Swedish Championship final appearances, winning nine times since Elitserien was started in 1975. The team plays in the highest Swedish league, and have done so since 1965...

 of the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...

.

In 2006–07, Souray emerged as a top-tier defenceman in the league with 26 goals and 64 points, placing second in team-scoring in both categories. On April 5, 2007, Souray broke the NHL single-season record for most powerplay goals scored by a defenceman, with his 19th of the season. The record was previously shared by Denis Potvin
Denis Potvin
Denis Charles Potvin is a former defenseman and team captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League and cornerstone for the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship teams in the early 1980s. His brother, Jean Potvin, was also an NHL defenseman and the brothers were teammates for...

 of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 (1974–75) and Adrian Aucoin
Adrian Aucoin
Adrian Aucoin is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...

 of the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

 (1998–99). He was named to his second NHL All-Star Game that season and posted the second hardest slapshot at the Skills Competition with a 100.4 mph shot.
In the off-season, Souray became an unrestricted free agent and, on July 12, 2007, he signed a 5-year, $27 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

. During the third period of a 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...

 on December 3, 2008, the Stars' broadcast team referred to Souray as "Studly Wonderbomb." It has since become a popular meme amongst Oilers fans. His debut season with the Oilers was, however, marred by injuries and he only suited up for 26 games. The next season, in 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

, he bounced back from the injury-shortened campaign to record 23 goals and 53 points. During the Oilers' 2009 Skills Competition, on January 4, Souray set the unofficial NHL record for the hardest shot. Clocked at 106.7 mph, his slapshot beat Chad Kilger
Chad Kilger
Chad William Lawrence Kilger is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played for several National Hockey League teams, most recently the Toronto Maple Leafs.-Playing career:...

's old unofficial record of 106.6 mph set at the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

' 2006 Skills Competition. The record is deemed unofficial as the league does not recognize individual team Skills Competition and instead goes by the NHL All-Star Game's Skills Competition results. As such, the official record is held by 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...

 defenceman Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenseman. He is the captain of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and won the Norris Trophy while playing for them in 2008–09. At 6 ft 9 , he is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL...

, whose 105.4 mph slapshot beat Souray's third-place 103.3 mph effort at the 2009 NHL All-Star Game later that month.

Three games into the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...

, Souray suffered a concussion after Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

 captain Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...

 checked him into the boards head-first on October 8, 2009. The injury limited him to 37 games, scoring 4 goals and 13 points in the campaign. After he requested a trade from the Oilers in the 2010 off-season, the Oilers placed Souray on waivers with the hope that he would be claimed. After clearing waivers, he was told not to attend the Oilers' training camp. On October 6, 2010, Souray was assigned to the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 (AHL), being loaned to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...

' minor league affiliate, the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...

. Leading up to the NHL trading deadline, the Oilers once again placed Souray on waivers, attempting to unload his salary; he cleared a second time. Souray was signed by the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...

 on July 1, 2011, to a 1-year contract.

International play

Souray represented Team Canada at the 2005 World Championships
2005 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2005 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held March 7 - May 15, 2005, in 7 cities in 6 countries: Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria ; Debrecen, Hungary ; Eindhoven, the Netherlands ; Zagreb, Croatia ; Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ; Mexico City, Mexico...

 in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

. He was also on the Canadian Olympic men's hockey team's shortlist for the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

 but did not make the cut, partly due to his slow start at the beginning of the 2005–06 NHL season.

Personal life

Souray was born in Elk Point, Alberta
Elk Point, Alberta
Elk Point is a town located in the east central part of the Canadian province of Alberta. It is located on Highway 41.A number of oil related businesses have located in Elk Point. Agriculture is also important in the Elk Point area....

, to Richard Souray and Lillian Parenteau. He is of Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...

 descent and has one sister, two years older. At a young age, Souray moved with his family from Fishing Lake Métis Settlement to a small community in Alberta in order for his sister to attend school. In another two years, they moved again so that Souray could play organized sports. While still in elementary school, Souray's parents divorced; he first lived with his mother before moving in with his father at age nine. Growing up, he attended Archbishop O'Leary Catholic High School
Archbishop O'Leary Catholic High School
Archbishop O'Leary is a high school located in central Edmonton just north of the downtown core. Archbishop O'Leary is known for its diverse teaching ways...

 with former fellow Oiler Fernando Pisani
Fernando Pisani
Fernando Antonio Pisani is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who is currently a free agent.-Playing career:...

.

Souray dated model actress Kylie Bax
Kylie Bax
Kylie Bax is a New Zealand born model and actress. She has appeared on international magazine covers, including Vogue and Marie Claire. Since 1999, Bax has appeared in several movies, including Get Over It .-Modelling career:...

before meeting former Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...

 actress Angelica Bridges
Angelica Bridges
Angelica Bridges is an American actress, model and singer. She was discovered by the president of Elite Model Management when she was singing at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida....

, whom he married. The two were separated in 2006, but reconciled later. They have two daughters, Valentina Raine and Scarlett Skye Souray. Souray and Bridges remain very close friends.

Souray is co-owner, along with New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 goalie Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...

 and Montreal restaurateur Andrea Dell'Orefice of a Rivière des Prairies
Rivière des Prairies
The Rivière des Prairies is a delta channel of the Ottawa River in southwestern Quebec, Canada....

 pizzeria.

Awards

  • Played in the NHL All-Star Game in 2004, 2007 (starter) and 2009.
  • Won the Hardest Shot at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition in 2004.
  • Won the Hardest Shot at the Edmonton Oilers
    Edmonton Oilers
    The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

     Skills Competition in 2009.

Records

  • NHL record for most single-season power-play goals by a defenceman- 19 in 2006–07 (surpassed Denis Potvin
    Denis Potvin
    Denis Charles Potvin is a former defenseman and team captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League and cornerstone for the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship teams in the early 1980s. His brother, Jean Potvin, was also an NHL defenseman and the brothers were teammates for...

     and Adrian Aucoin
    Adrian Aucoin
    Adrian Aucoin is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...

     - 18)
  • Unofficial NHL record for hardest recorded slapshot - 106.7 mph at the 2009 Edmonton Oilers
    Edmonton Oilers
    The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

     Skills Competition
  • Edmonton Oilers team record for fastest 2 goals ever scored in a regular season game: span of 7 seconds (shared with Aleš Hemský
    Ales Hemsky
    Aleš Hemský is a Czech professional ice hockey forward and alternate captain currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League .-HC Pardubice:...

    )

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

Team League GP G
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

A
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

Pts
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

PIM
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

GP G A Pts PIM
1992–93 Tri-City Americans
Tri-City Americans
The Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center...

WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...

2 0 0 0 0
1993–94 Tri-City Americans WHL 42 3 6 9 122
1994–95 Tri-City Americans WHL 40 2 24 26 140
1994–95 Prince George Cougars
Prince George Cougars
The Prince George Cougars are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. The team is based in Prince George, British Columbia, and plays its home games at the CN Centre...

WHL 11 2 3 5 23
1994–95
1994–95 AHL season
The 1994–95 AHL season was the 59th season of the American Hockey League. The All-Star Game is revived, with All-Stars grouped into "Team Canada" and "Team USA." Sixteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule...

Albany River Rats
Albany River Rats
The Albany River Rats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.- Founding to 2010 :...

AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

7 0 2 2 8
1995–96 Prince George Cougars WHL 32 9 18 27 91
1995–96 Kelowna Rockets
Kelowna Rockets
The Kelowna Rockets are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Rockets play in the Western Hockey League , out of the Canadian Hockey League . They play their home games at Prospera Place....

WHL 27 7 20 27 94 6 0 5 5 2
1995–96
1995–96 AHL season
The 1995–96 AHL season was the 60th season of the American Hockey League. The AHL expands by two teams and realigns into two conferences, and four divisions. The Northern Conference includes the North and Atlantic Divisions...

Albany River Rats AHL 6 0 2 2 12 4 0 1 1 4
1996–97
1996–97 AHL season
The 1996–97 AHL season was the 61st season of the American Hockey League. The league renames its divisions due to relocating teams. The Northern Conferences consists of the Atlantic Division becoming the Canadian Division, and the Central Division becoming the Empire State Division...

Albany River Rats AHL 70 2 11 13 160 16 2 3 5 47
1997–98
1997–98 AHL season
The 1997–98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. The AHL shifts teams in their divisions, and the Canadian division reverts to being named Atlantic division. The Northern conference is renamed the Eastern conference, and the Southern conference renamed the Western...

Albany River Rats AHL 6 0 0 0 8
1997–98 New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 60 3 7 10 85 3 0 1 1 2
1998–99 New Jersey Devils NHL 70 1 7 8 110 2 0 1 1 0
1999–00 New Jersey Devils NHL 52 0 8 8 70
1999–00 Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

NHL 19 3 0 3 44
2000–01 Montreal Canadiens NHL 52 3 8 11 95
2001–02 Montreal Canadiens NHL 34 3 5 8 62 12 0 1 1 16
2003–04 Montreal Canadiens NHL 63 15 20 35 104 11 0 2 2 39
2004–05
2004–05 Elitserien season
The 2004–05 Elitserien season was the 30th season of Elitserien. It started on September 20, 2004, with the regular season ending March 1, 2005. The playoffs of the 81st Swedish Championship ended on April 11, with Frölunda HC taking the championship....

Färjestads BK
Färjestads BK
Färjestads Bollklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Karlstad. Färjestad has had 18 Swedish Championship final appearances, winning nine times since Elitserien was started in 1975. The team plays in the highest Swedish league, and have done so since 1965...

SEL 39 9 8 17 117 15 1 6 7 77
2005–06 Montreal Canadiens NHL 75 12 27 39 116 6 3 2 5 8
2006–07 Montreal Canadiens NHL 81 26 38 64 135
2007–08 Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

NHL 26 3 7 10 36
2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

Edmonton Oilers NHL 81 23 30 53 98
2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...

Edmonton Oilers NHL 37 4 9 13 65
2010–11
2010–11 AHL season
The 2010–11 AHL season is the 75th season of the American Hockey League. An all-time high of thirty teams will play 80 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on October 8, 2010 and ended on April 10, 2011...

Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...

AHL 40 4 15 19 85 6 1 1 2 16
NHL totals 650 96 166 262 1020 34 3 7 10 65

External links

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