Thank you for tuning in to today’s edition of the LBC All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown. For a quick refresher on how the list was compiled, click here.
Yesterday, we recapped the career arcs of short-time Florida Panthers Igor Larionov (26 games, five goals, six assists), Krys Barch (41 games, two goals, three assists), Christian Berglund (10 games, three goals, one assist), and Peter Ratchuk (32 games, one goal, one assist).
In today’s romp, we check out two Canadians, a goalie and a left winger, and two defensemen, one Russian, and one American.
To read more, follow the jump.
176. Steve Shields
Shields was a 6’3″ goaltender from Toronto. He was playing with the Wolverines of Michigan University when the Buffalo Sabres selected him in the fifth round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft with the 101st overall pick. In four collegiate seasons of backstopping, Shields accrued an incredible 111-25-8 record, graduating with the Class of 1994.
Shields would make his professional debut in 1994-95 with the AHL Rochester Americans (3-8-0, .830, 4.73), splitting the season with the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays (11-5-2, .912, 2.69).
After opening the 1995-96 season with the Americans (20-17-2,.891, 3.56), Shields earned his first NHL callup in December, winning his first NHL decision with a 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on December 23rd. In parts of three seasons splitting time between the Americans and the Sabres, Shields posted an NHL record of 7-14-6 record with a .910 save percentage and a 2.91 GAA. The Sabres traded him to the San Jose Sharks on June 18, 1998 with a second, fourth, and fifth round pick for Kay Whitmore.
Shields opened the 1998-99 season as the San Jose Sharks second goaltender, and was their first option in net the following season. In three years with the Sharks, he posted a 48-49-21 record, ranking sixth on the Sharks all-time win column. He also collected a .914 save percentage and a 2.44 GAA. He ranks third on San Jose’s all-time list with 10 shutouts.
San Jose packed Shields off to the Anaheim Ducks on March 5th, 2001 with Jeff Friesen and a second round pick for Teemu Selanne. As the Ducks second goaltender, he posted a 9-20-2 record his only season in San Jose, with a 2.67 GAA and a .907 save percentage. The Ducks sent him off to Boston for a third round pick after the season.
In Boston, Shields posted a 12-13-9 record as the Bruins primary goaltender with an .896 save percentage and a 2.76 GAA. He was traded to the Panthers for “future considerations” the day before the 2003-04 season.
For the Panthers, Shields backed up Roberto Luongo, who earned 72 decisions through the season. Shields posted a 3-6-1 mark in 16 appearances (with six “no-decisions”). He posted a 3.44 GAA with an .879 save percentage.
Shields didn’t play anywhere in 2004-05 when the NHL season was cancelled. He played five games with the 2005-06 season with the Atlanta Thrashers, posting a 1-2-1 record to close out his NHL career.
All-Time Statline: One season, 16 games, 3-6-1 record, 732 minutes, 346 shots faced, 304 saves, .879 save percentage, 3.44 goals against average, 0.5 APS.
175. Yan Golubovsky
Golubovsky was a 6’4″ defenseman from Novosibirsk, Russia. He was picked up in the first round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft with the 23rd overall pick. He made his professional debut in 1994-95 with the Adirondack Red Wings, spending the entirety of his first three seasons with the AHL franchise, totalling 11 goals and 29 assists in 190 contests.
In 1997-98, Golubovsky opened the season with Adirondack (52 games, one goal, 15 assists). He played his first 12 NHL games with Detroit from December through January, finishing with two assists, both in a 5-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils on December 19th.
Over the next two seasons, Golubovsky split his time between Detroit (38 games, one goal, three assists) and Adirondack (43 games, two goals, two assists). He was traded off to Florida for Igor Larionov on December 28th, 2000. (D’oh!)
Golubovsky played a total of six NHL games with the Panthers in January of 2001, finishing with two assists and failing to score on four shots on goal. He skated an average of 21 shifts per game while with the club. He was sent to Florida’s AHL franchise in Louisville (30 games, one goal, 12 assists), never to appear in the NHL again.
2001-02 would see Golubovsky open the season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Russian League. He spent the next four seasons in Russia, collecting eight goals and 30 assists in 145 games. He played 2005-06 in Sweden with Leksands IF (31 games, one goal, one assist).
All-Time statline: One season, six games, zero goals, two assists, two points, plus-3 rating, two PIM, 0.6 APS.
174. Joe Callahan
Callahan was a 6’3″ defenseman from Abington, Massachusetts. He was selected by the Phoenix Coyotes out of Yale University in the third round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft with the 70th overall pick. In three seasons of collegiate hockey, Callahan scored 11 goals and 33 assists in 94 games. He graduated with the Class of 2004.
After four AHL seasons with the Springfield Falcons (13 games, four assists), the Utah Grizzlies (75 games, four goals, seven assists), and the San Antonio Rampage (158 games, two goals, 18 assists), Callahan signed a free agent contract with the Anaheim Ducks in the 2007 offseason. He would continue to play solely in the AHL in 2007-08, with the Portland Pirates (65 games, one goal, 23 assists).
Prior to the 2008-09 season, Callahan signed on with the New York Islanders. He spent most of the season with the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers, earning his first of three NHL callups that season in December. In 18 total NHL contests that year he earned two assists playing in 15 minutes per game. After the season he signed a deal with the San Jose Sharks.
In 2009-10, Callahan played 35 games with the Worchester Sharks, scoring four goals and 11 assists in 35 games. He only appeared in one NHL game with the Sharks, Earning an assist in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on November 5th.
On August 3rd, 2010, Callahan signed on with the Panthers. After starting the season with the Rochester Americans (48 games, four goals, nine assists), he was called to Florida in November for a couple of games, joining the club permanently (temporarily) in late January. He performed well on a largely replacement roster to close out Florida’s year, posting a collective minus-1 rating in 27 NHL games, making one assist and not scoring in 21 shots on goal. He averaged around 16 minutes a night for the Cats.
In 2011-12, Callahan spent the entire season on the Montreal Canadiens AHL franchise, the Hamilton Bulldogs (60 games, three goals, 17 assists).
All-Time Statline: One season, 27 games, zero goals, one assist, one point, minus-1 rating, 12 PIM, 0.6 APS.
173. Randy Gilhen
Gilhen was a 5’11” left winger from Winnipeg. He was with the WHL Saskatoon Blades when picked in the sixth round of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft by the Hartford Whalers, 109th overall. He remained in the WHL for one more season, bringing his four year totals to 110 goals and 88 assists in 209 games. He made his NHL debut with Hartford in 1982-83, earning one assist in two contests.
Gilhen would not appear in the NHL again until the 1986-87 season with the Winnepeg Jets. In parts of three seasons with the Jets he made eight goals and five assists in 79 games, collecting a minus-21 rating. After the 1988-89 season, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins with Jim Kyte and Andrew McBain for Randy Cunneyworth, Rick Tabaracci and Dave McLlwain.
In two seasons with the Pens, Gilhen played in 133 games, scoring 20 goals and 21 assists. He added a goal in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Pittsburgh, helping the team to their first ever Stanley Cup.
Gilhen split the next two seasons between the Los Angeles Kings (33 games, three goals, six assists), the New York Rangers (73 games, 10 goals, nine assists), and the Tampa Bay Lightning (11 games, two assists). The Panthers claimed him from the Lightning in the expansion draft on June 24, 1993.
Gilhen was on the ice for the Panthers first ever game, and played in 20 of Florida’s first 22 NHL contests. He scored two points on three different occasions with Florida, scoring four goals on 52 shots and four assists while collecting 16 penalty minutes. The Panthers packed him back to Winnepeg for Stu Barnes and a sixth round draft pick. (I guess once in a while we win…)
Gilhen played parts of the next three seasons with the Jets, in 106 games scoring 10 goals and 12 assists with a minus-29 rating.
All-Time Statline: One season, 20 games, four goals, four assists, eight points, plus-1 rating, 16 PIM, 0.6 APS.
That’s it for today’s storytime. Check back tomorrow for two players from Ontario, a defenseman and a right winger, a defenseman from Massachusetts, and a left winger from Saskatchewan.