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10-27-05, 8:17 PM
Sportsnet.ca (http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/shownews.jsp?content=h102717A) says
Thrashers sign veteran goalie Steve Shields to $575,000 US, one-year contract
posted October 27 @ 14:42, EST
(CP) - The Atlanta Thrashers, desperate for goaltending help, have signed veteran Steve Shields to a $575,000 US, one-year contract and handed him the start in Thursday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"I met him this morning. I said: 'Hi Steve, it's Don Waddell, good luck, you're starting tonight,"' the Atlanta GM said Thursday from Pittsburgh. It's a two-way deal which pays Shields $75,000 if he's sent back to the AHL's Chicago Wolves, Atlanta's farm team, where he played for the past week on a tryout.
He allowed only three goals in two AHL starts, sporting a 1.47 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
That was all Waddell needed to see. With groin injuries to goalies Kari Lehtonen and Mike Dunham and young callups Adam Berkhoel and Michael Garnett not doing the job, Waddell decided he couldn't wait any longer.
"Before we even had all the injuries, we were talking about a third guy anyways, but these type of guys weren't taking two-way deals back in September," Waddell said. "We already had Dunham and Lehtonen and we weren't going to sign another guy to a one-way deal. But then we started the season and one guy got hurt and then the second guy got hurt. We've been talking to several of the guys who were out there and finally about 10 days ago (focused on Shields).
"He went down to Chicago, played last Saturday and was the first star. He played Tuesday night and they won 5-1 and he was very sharp. And meanwhile our situation did not get any better," Waddell continued, referring to Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Islanders.
"Tuesday night we let in a few shady goals and it's not (Berkhoel's) fault because he's in a bad spot. But Wednesday I called (Shields' agent) and asked if they were ready to make this deal."
Lehtonen, who was expected to have a major impact in his rookie year, will be out another two to four weeks, Waddell said, while the veteran Dunham could be ready to come back this weekend.
But Waddell said Shields will get a fair shot at staying with the big club.
"I told him I thought there was an unbelievable opportunity here," Waddell said. "And at the end of the day, if and when everybody gets healthy, we're going to keep the best two guys. I mean, if Lehtonen is out another month, he's not going to be able to jump right back in here, he'll have to go down and play some games."Let's hope Shields can save the Thrashers' butts for the short term. Looking up his stats, Shields has been a career backup except for the 99 - 00 year, when he started for the Sharks. Regular season career stats, he is 79-102-39 with a 2.64 GAA. He should be able to win a few for the Thrashers and hold the fort until Kari Lehtonen and Mike Dunham return.
Thrashers sign veteran goalie Steve Shields to $575,000 US, one-year contract
posted October 27 @ 14:42, EST
(CP) - The Atlanta Thrashers, desperate for goaltending help, have signed veteran Steve Shields to a $575,000 US, one-year contract and handed him the start in Thursday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"I met him this morning. I said: 'Hi Steve, it's Don Waddell, good luck, you're starting tonight,"' the Atlanta GM said Thursday from Pittsburgh. It's a two-way deal which pays Shields $75,000 if he's sent back to the AHL's Chicago Wolves, Atlanta's farm team, where he played for the past week on a tryout.
He allowed only three goals in two AHL starts, sporting a 1.47 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
That was all Waddell needed to see. With groin injuries to goalies Kari Lehtonen and Mike Dunham and young callups Adam Berkhoel and Michael Garnett not doing the job, Waddell decided he couldn't wait any longer.
"Before we even had all the injuries, we were talking about a third guy anyways, but these type of guys weren't taking two-way deals back in September," Waddell said. "We already had Dunham and Lehtonen and we weren't going to sign another guy to a one-way deal. But then we started the season and one guy got hurt and then the second guy got hurt. We've been talking to several of the guys who were out there and finally about 10 days ago (focused on Shields).
"He went down to Chicago, played last Saturday and was the first star. He played Tuesday night and they won 5-1 and he was very sharp. And meanwhile our situation did not get any better," Waddell continued, referring to Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Islanders.
"Tuesday night we let in a few shady goals and it's not (Berkhoel's) fault because he's in a bad spot. But Wednesday I called (Shields' agent) and asked if they were ready to make this deal."
Lehtonen, who was expected to have a major impact in his rookie year, will be out another two to four weeks, Waddell said, while the veteran Dunham could be ready to come back this weekend.
But Waddell said Shields will get a fair shot at staying with the big club.
"I told him I thought there was an unbelievable opportunity here," Waddell said. "And at the end of the day, if and when everybody gets healthy, we're going to keep the best two guys. I mean, if Lehtonen is out another month, he's not going to be able to jump right back in here, he'll have to go down and play some games."Let's hope Shields can save the Thrashers' butts for the short term. Looking up his stats, Shields has been a career backup except for the 99 - 00 year, when he started for the Sharks. Regular season career stats, he is 79-102-39 with a 2.64 GAA. He should be able to win a few for the Thrashers and hold the fort until Kari Lehtonen and Mike Dunham return.