| Sheldon Souray | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 13, 1976 Elk Point, AB, CAN |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 237 lb (108 kg; 16 st 13 lb) |
| Position | Defence |
| Shoots | Left |
| NHL team Former teams |
Dallas Stars Edmonton Oilers Montreal Canadiens New Jersey Devils |
| National team | Canada |
| NHL Draft | 71st overall, 1994 New Jersey Devils |
| Playing career | 1995–present |
Sheldon Sharik Souray (born July 13, 1976) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, who originally drafted him 71st overall in 1994, and the Montreal Canadiens. He is best known for his heavy slapshot, setting the unofficial NHL record for the hardest recorded shot at the Oilers' 2009 Skills Competition.[1]
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Before playing in the NHL, Sheldon was a member of the Fort Saskatchewan Traders in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). He was drafted in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft in the third round (71st overall) by the New Jersey Devils where he played from 1997 to 1999 before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens on March 1, 2000, for Vladimir Malakhov.
After suffering a serious wrist 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 of the Swedish Elitserien.
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 of the New York Islanders (1974–75) and Adrian Aucoin of the Vancouver Canucks (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. During the third period of a 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars 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, 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's old unofficial record of 106.6 mph set at the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2006 Skills Competition.[1] 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 defenceman Zdeno Chára, whose 105.4 mph slapshot beat Souray's third-place 103.3 mph effort at the 2009 NHL All-Star Game later that month.[2]
Three games into the 2009–10 season, Souray suffered a concussion after Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla 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 (AHL), being loaned to the Washington Capitals' minor league affiliate, the Hershey Bears.[3] 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.[4] Souray was signed by the Dallas Stars on July 1, 2011, to a 1-year contract.[5]
Souray represented Team Canada at the 2005 World Championships in Austria. He was also on the Canadian Olympic men's hockey team's shortlist for the 2006 Winter Olympics but did not make the cut, partly due to his slow start at the beginning of the 2005–06 NHL season.
Souray was born in Elk Point, Alberta, to Richard Souray and Lillian Parenteau. He is of Métis 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.[6] Growing up, he attended Archbishop O'Leary Catholic High School with former fellow Oiler Fernando Pisani.
Souray is married to former Baywatch actress Angelica Bridges. The two were separated in 2006, but reconciled later. They have two daughters,[6] Valentina Raine and Scarlett Skye Souray.
Souray is co-owner, along with New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur and Montreal restaurateur Andrea Dell'Orefice of a Rivière des Prairies pizzeria.[7]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1992–93 | Tri-City Americans | WHL | 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 | WHL | 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Prince George Cougars | WHL | 32 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | 27 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 94 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1995–96 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1996–97 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 70 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 160 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 47 | ||
| 1997–98 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | New Jersey Devils | 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 | 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 | Färjestads BK | 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 | NHL | 26 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 81 | 23 | 30 | 53 | 98 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 37 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 40 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 85 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16 | ||
| NHL totals | 650 | 96 | 166 | 262 | 1020 | 34 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 65 | ||||