Shannon Szabados

Shannon Lynn Szabados (born August 6, 1986) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the PWHPA and the Canada women's national ice hockey team.

In 2001, at the age of 15, she was the first female to play in the Calgary Mac's AAA midget hockey tournament, suiting up for the Edmonton Maple Leaf Athletic Club.

Among the competition at the Mac's tournament when Szabados played were the Shattuck-St. Mary's Sabres led by Zach Parise.

In 2002, at the age of 16, she became the first female to play in the Western Hockey League (WHL).

Szabados played in four exhibition games for the Tri-City Americans.

During her time in the Americans' training camp, Szabados split an exhibition game with current Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price.

Szabados recalls, "...he let in four goals in the half he played; I let in two and one in overtime."

When she was released from Tri-City, Szabados returned to Alberta to play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), after a vote among the league's general managers regarding female players.

In her first game with the AJHL's Sherwood Park Crusaders on October 2, 2002, Szabados recorded a shutout in addition to winning the game.

During her AJHL career, Szabados spent time with the Crusaders as well as the Bonnyville Pontiacs and the Fort Saskatchewan Traders.

While playing for Sherwood Park, Szabados played in the AJHL All-Star game, and was named co-MVP of the 2004–05 game.

After the season, she was named co-MVP of the Sherwood Park club as well.

After the 2006–07 season, Szabados was named the AJHL's Top Goaltender.

During the 2006–07 season, Szabados led the Traders to the top record in the AJHL and came within a game of winning the AJHL championship against the Camrose Kodiaks.

Szabados was the recipient of the Friends of Alberta Junior Hockey League Trophy as the AJHL's Top Goaltender after the 2006–07 season, becoming the first female recipient of the award.

She was also named MVP of the Fort Saskatchewan club.

Because Szabados spent time in a WHL training camp, she was ineligible to play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which is a common path for female hockey players.

Instead, Szabados played for the men's team at MacEwan University in Alberta.

she made her Team Canada debut in 2006, helping Canada to a gold medal at the 2006 4 Nations Cup, held in Kitchener, Ontario.

In the opening game of the tournament, Szabados recorded a 3–0 shutout against the United States.

Szabados also made her debut with Canada's Under-22 women's team in 2006.

She won three straight gold medals at the Air Canada Cup between 2006 and 2008.

Szabados had played for the MacEwan University Griffins and the NAIT Ooks men's hockey teams of the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference from 2007 until 2013.

Szabados has been the first female player at several different tournaments and in several leagues, including minor, junior, and professional hockey.

While playing junior hockey, Szabados became the first female to appear in the Western Hockey League (WHL) where she played exhibition games for the Tri-City Americans.

Szabados was also the first female to play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), and recorded a shutout in her first game.

She was named to the AJHL North Division All-Star Team for the 2007 All-Star Weekend.

Szabados spent two full seasons playing with Grant MacEwan (2007–08 and 2008–09) before leaving to join Hockey Canada's program as they assembled the Olympic team.

During the 2007–08 season, Szabados helped Grant MacEwan to a silver medal at the 2008 Alberta College Athletic Conference (ACAC).

Szabados represented Canada internationally at the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Winter Olympics.

She was in goal during Canada's gold medal wins over the United States in 2010 and 2014.

After the 2010 tournament, she was named Top Goaltender and was selected to the Tournament All-Star Team.

She is returned to the Griffins for the 2010–11 season.

For the 2011–12 season, Szabados transferred to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and suited up with the NAIT Ooks.

In her second season with the team, she set the regular season record for shutouts (5) en route to an ACAC Championship.

Szabados has represented Canada internationally at the Under-22 and Senior levels.

During the 2013–14 season, Szabados became the first woman to both sign and play in the Southern Professional Hockey League.

On November 21, 2014, Szabados made 34 saves to become the first female goaltender to win an SPHL game when the Cottonmouths defeated the Fayetteville FireAntz 5–4 in overtime.

On December 27, 2015, Szabados became the first woman to record a shutout in a men's professional hockey league, in a 33-save, 3–0 win for the Cottonmouths over the Huntsville Havoc.

At nine years old, Szabados became the first girl to play in the Brick Super Novice Tournament held at the West Edmonton Mall.