James Sheppard

Crosby, MacKinnon and Alex Grant are a part of that group – 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft first overall pick Luke Green, too. Like these players, Sheppard was highly touted prospect and he was expected to go on to a successful NHL career. Getting there, however, would not come without some adversity.

Sheppard is a native of Lower Sackville. As a rookie with the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League’s Dartmouth Subways, he scored 38 goals and added 54 assists to finish the 2003-04 season with 92 points in 61 games. That performance helped Sheppard to a first overall selection by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at the 2004 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Sheppard immediately joined the Eagles out of his first training camp. Over the next three years, he would lace up in 187 games for Cape Breton and put up an impressive 225 points (77 goals, 148 assists).

The Minnesota Wild were impressed with what they saw from Sheppard during his time with Cape Breton. At the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, the Wild used a first round pick to draft the talented forward ninth overall. He joined the team during the 2007-08 season and played in 78 games, finding the back of the net four times and adding 15 assists.
Sheppard would play all 82 games with Minnesota during the 2008-09 season and 64 more the next year. During the offseason, however, his career would suffer a serious setback.

During a guided ATV tour with other NHL players in September of 2010, Sheppard was involved in an accident and suffered a broken left knee cap. The injury kept him out of pro hockey for two years.

In August of 2011, Sheppard was dealt to the San Jose Sharks by the Wild. After lots of work to rehabilitate his injured knee, Sheppard was finally able to return to the NHL. During the 2012-13 season, Sheppard played in 32 games for the Sharks and 67 more regular season games this past season. Skating alongside offensive teammates like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture in San Jose, Sheppard has re-invented himself on the ice.

Today, he has embraced a more physical, defensive role and that has made him an even more versatile player. Sheppard’s determination to battle through a serious knee injury and return to the NHL is a testament to his strong character. Good luck next season, James!