James Sheppard
Encyclopedia
James Sheppard is a Canadian
professional ice hockey
player, currently playing for the San Jose Sharks
in the NHL
.
's minor hockey system, Sheppard played for the Dartmouth Subways of the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League. (NSMMHL) in 2003–2004. He grew up in his elementary and junior high years attending Cavalier Drive School in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
. In his rookie season with the Subways, Sheppard scored 92 points in 61 games. That following summer, Sheppard was drafted 1st overall in the QMJHL
draft by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
. As the season progressed, Sheppard represented Team Atlantic at the World Under-17 Championship. Sheppard wore the honour of team captain and scored 10 points in 6 games, leading his team to a bronze medal. Sheppard eventually finished the 2004–2005 QMJHL season 4th in team scoring with 45 points. In January 2006, Sheppard was one of ten QMJHL participants to represent Team Orr in the CHL
Top Prospects game, where he recorded one assist. Sheppard went on to finish the 2005–2006 QMJHL season 2nd in team scoring with 84 points. Sheppard wore the honour of team captain for the 2006–2007 season but was left off the roster of Team Canada for the 2006 IIHF World Under-20 Hockey Championship
. Sheppard was drafted by the Minnesota Wild
in the first round (9th overall) in the 2006 NHL draft
.
. Sheppard would make his NHL debut on 10/10/07 against the Edmonton Oilers
, and in his first season with the Wild Sheppard often played major minutes due to injuries to teammates. This helped him set a Wild record for games played by a rookie - he appeared in 78 games. Though he produced only 19 points (5 goals and 14 assists) during his 78 games, he did play in all 6 games vs. the Colorado Avalanche
in the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
.
Sheppard’s second season would be slightly better than his rookie campaign, scoring five goals and nineteen assists (for a total of twenty-four points). Even with the slight improvement, he would find him self in then-coach Jacques Lemaire
’s dog house. Hopes were high for Sheppard to start the 2009-10 season as the Wild brought in Todd Richards
and a new more offensive style, but he has yet to fulfill those expectations. Despite a very underwhelming 2009-2010 regular season where Sheppard scored only six points in sixty-four games, the Wild resigned James Sheppard to a 1 year contract for the 2010-11 season.
On August 6, 2011, was traded to the San Jose Sharks for a 3rd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
accident which fractured his patella on September 7, 2010. Sheppard and "several other NHL players" were on a guided tour in Vail, Colorado
when Sheppard was forced to swerve off the ATV course due to an oncoming truck and eventually hit a tree. Sheppard has knee surgery the following day, but was suspended by the team due to a no ATV riding clause listed in his contract. Because of Sheppard's non-hockey related injury, it was announced on October 6, 2010 that Sheppard will be designated as an "injured non-roster player" for the 2010-2011 season.
Ten weeks after the accident, Sheppard appeared to the media to discuss the incident, saying that he was not fooling around on the ATV and that it was on a guided tour. Sheppard was able to return to skating in mid-December, but was back off the ice again in late February due to soreness in his kneecap.
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...
player, currently playing for 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...
in the NHL
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...
.
Junior career
After growing up playing hockey in Hockey Nova ScotiaHockey Nova Scotia
Hockey Nova Scotia is the governing body of all ice hockey in Nova Scotia, Canada. Hockey Nova Scotia is a branch of Hockey Canada.-Leagues:*Maritime Junior A Hockey League Tier II Junior "A"*Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Junior "B"...
's minor hockey system, Sheppard played for the Dartmouth Subways of the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League. (NSMMHL) in 2003–2004. He grew up in his elementary and junior high years attending Cavalier Drive School in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Sackville, Nova Scotia
Sackville can refer to several different communities in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia located along the Sackville River. No community has simply "Sackville" as an official name.* Lower Sackville* Middle Sackville* Upper Sackville...
. In his rookie season with the Subways, Sheppard scored 92 points in 61 games. That following summer, Sheppard was drafted 1st overall in the QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
draft by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are a major junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Their home rink is Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.-Franchise history :...
. As the season progressed, Sheppard represented Team Atlantic at the World Under-17 Championship. Sheppard wore the honour of team captain and scored 10 points in 6 games, leading his team to a bronze medal. Sheppard eventually finished the 2004–2005 QMJHL season 4th in team scoring with 45 points. In January 2006, Sheppard was one of ten QMJHL participants to represent Team Orr in the CHL
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
Top Prospects game, where he recorded one assist. Sheppard went on to finish the 2005–2006 QMJHL season 2nd in team scoring with 84 points. Sheppard wore the honour of team captain for the 2006–2007 season but was left off the roster of Team Canada for the 2006 IIHF World Under-20 Hockey Championship
2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were held in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The championships began on December 26, 2005, and finished on January 5, 2006. Games were played at GM Place and the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, the Interior Savings Centre in...
. Sheppard was drafted by the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the first round (9th overall) in the 2006 NHL draft
2006 NHL Entry Draft
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....
.
NHL career
Sheppard signed an entry-level contract with the Wild in September of 2007 and began his professional career by making the jump straight from juniors to the NHLNational 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...
. Sheppard would make his NHL debut on 10/10/07 against 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 ....
, and in his first season with the Wild Sheppard often played major minutes due to injuries to teammates. This helped him set a Wild record for games played by a rookie - he appeared in 78 games. Though he produced only 19 points (5 goals and 14 assists) during his 78 games, he did play in all 6 games vs. the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
in the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 9, 2008, after the 2007–08 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions...
.
Sheppard’s second season would be slightly better than his rookie campaign, scoring five goals and nineteen assists (for a total of twenty-four points). Even with the slight improvement, he would find him self in then-coach Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
’s dog house. Hopes were high for Sheppard to start the 2009-10 season as the Wild brought in Todd Richards
Todd Richards (ice hockey)
Todd M. Richards is an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Ice hockey franchise, and the former head coach of the Minnesota Wild. He was formerly an American professional ice hockey defenceman and the head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL...
and a new more offensive style, but he has yet to fulfill those expectations. Despite a very underwhelming 2009-2010 regular season where Sheppard scored only six points in sixty-four games, the Wild resigned James Sheppard to a 1 year contract for the 2010-11 season.
On August 6, 2011, was traded to the San Jose Sharks for a 3rd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
ATV Accident
Sheppard was involved in a ATVAll-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
accident which fractured his patella on September 7, 2010. Sheppard and "several other NHL players" were on a guided tour in Vail, Colorado
Vail, Colorado
The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived...
when Sheppard was forced to swerve off the ATV course due to an oncoming truck and eventually hit a tree. Sheppard has knee surgery the following day, but was suspended by the team due to a no ATV riding clause listed in his contract. Because of Sheppard's non-hockey related injury, it was announced on October 6, 2010 that Sheppard will be designated as an "injured non-roster player" for the 2010-2011 season.
Ten weeks after the accident, Sheppard appeared to the media to discuss the incident, saying that he was not fooling around on the ATV and that it was on a guided tour. Sheppard was able to return to skating in mid-December, but was back off the ice again in late February due to soreness in his kneecap.
Personal life
- Lived with teammate Darby HendricksonDarby HendricksonDarby Joseph Hendrickson is a retired American professional ice hockey center. He played in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche, and is currently an assistant coach with the Wild.-Playing career:He was drafted in...
during his rookie season of 2007-2008. - Sheppard wore number 15 for the size of his shoe/skate, but was forced to switch numbers to 51 due to Andrew BrunetteAndrew BrunetteAndrew Brunette is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Brunette grew up in the small community of Valley East, Ontario just outside of Sudbury...
already wearing the number in Minnesota. - In addition to hockey, Sheppard also excelled at basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
throughout his high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
days.
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 | ||
| 2003–04 | Dartmouth Subways | NSMMHL | 61 | 38 | 54 | 92 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Cape Breton Screaming Eagles The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are a major junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Their home rink is Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.-Franchise history :... |
QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... |
65 | 14 | 31 | 45 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | Cape Breton Screaming Eagles | QMJHL | 66 | 30 | 54 | 84 | 78 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 12 | ||
| 2006–07 | Cape Breton Screaming Eagles | QMJHL | 56 | 33 | 63 | 96 | 62 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 14 | ||
| 2007–08 | Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
NHL 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... |
78 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 29 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 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... |
Minnesota Wild | NHL | 82 | 5 | 19 | 24 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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... |
Minnesota Wild | NHL | 64 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Minnesota Wild | NHL | Did | not | play | - | injured | |||||||
| NHL totals | 224 | 11 | 38 | 49 | 108 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||