Ice Re-Sign Star Goaltender Silver
June 10, 2003 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Indianapolis Ice News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, IN-- The Indianapolis Ice announced today the signing of goaltender Shawn Silver for the 2003-2004 season. The all-star netminder joins forward Jason Baird and defensemen Bernie John, Ryan Aikia and Nate Elliott as the first five players inked for the upcoming year.
The 27-year-old Silver was an award-winning machine in his North American pro debut with the Ice last season. He finished the year with a 29-12-4 record to go along with a 2.21 goals-against-average, six shutouts and a .919 save percentage. His GAA and shutout totals were second best in the CHL, while he finished third overall in wins. Yearly honors included an all-star appearance, two CHL Goaltender of the Month awards and five CHL Goaltender of the Week selections.
"Obviously, Shawn was a huge asset to our hockey club last season," said Ice Head Coach Ken McRae. "As evidenced in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere and New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, goaltending is definitely the key to success. We won 18 one-goal games last year and that started with Shawn between the pipes.
Silver's season to remember also included several record shatterings. He set the new CHL and all-time Ice record for consecutive scoreless minutes by not allowing a goal in 222:01 during a stretch from late November to early December. Other Ice gems included a franchise-best ten game winning streak and the new single season benchmark for GAA (2.21) and shutouts (6).
"He adjusted well in his first full season in North America with the lengthy travel and longer schedule," added McRae. "What's also great about Shawn is his composed demeanor on and off the ice. He's sort of that silent leader in the dressing room.
The native of Thunder Bay, Ontario played three seasons professionally in two of the elite leagues in Europe. He posted a 28-12-3 record, 2.44 goals-against-average and a league-leading .917 save percentage during the 2001-2002 season with the Fife Flyers of the British National League. Before his stint in the BNL, Silver played two seasons for London and Sheffield of the British Superleague and posted a combined record of 20-14-1.
"Things went pretty well for our team last year," said Silver. "The league has a lot of parity so we had to show up every night and we did. As for the city, there are a lot of friendly people in Indianapolis and I look forward to seeing the great fans come fall.
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Central Hockey League Stories from June 10, 2003
- Blazers Sign Blair Manning - Oklahoma City Blazers
- Bucks Re-Sign Playoff Hero - Laredo Bucks
- Experience in Amarillo Helps Players Move to Europe - Amarillo Gorillas
- Ice Re-Sign Star Goaltender Silver - Indianapolis Ice
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