The Houston Aeros have signed goalie Steve Shields, a veteran of 246 National Hockey League games and a former Calder Cup champion, to a professional tryout contract, the team announced this morning. Shields is expected to practice with the Aeros today.
Shields, 34, played just nine games in 2005-06 due to injury. He went 1-2-1 with a 4.28 goals-against average in five games for the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, and 2-2-0 with a 2.25 GAA in four games for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. Prior to the NHL lockout, the 12th-year pro posted a 12-13-9 mark with a 2.76 GAA in 2003-04 with Florida.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound native of North Bay, Ont., attended the University of Michigan, where he roomed with Aeros assistant coach Cam Stewart. Shields has also played in the NHL with Buffalo, San Jose, Anaheim and Boston, with a career 80-104-40 record and a 2.67 GAA. Shields, who won a Calder Cup title with Rochester in 1996, sports a 39-34-4 career AHL mark in 84 games with Rochester and Chicago.
