Shawn Belle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shawn Belle |
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Belle with the Iowa Stars during the 2005-06 season
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| Born | January 3, 1985 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 235 lb (107 kg; 16 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Minnesota Wild Montreal Canadiens Edmonton Oilers Colorado Avalanche Adler Mannheim Färjestad BK Düsseldorfer EG |
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| NHL Draft | 30th overall, 2003 St. Louis Blues |
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| Playing career | 2005–2015 | ||
Shawn James Robert Belle (born January 3, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. A defenceman is a player whose main job is to protect their team's goal. Shawn played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for teams like the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, and Colorado Avalanche.
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Playing Career
Shawn Belle started playing hockey when he was young. In 1998, he played in a big youth hockey tournament called the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He was part of a team from his hometown, Edmonton.
Becoming a Top Prospect
Shawn was a very promising player for the Tri-City Americans. This team plays in the Western Hockey League (WHL), which is a major junior league in Canada. Because he was so good, the St. Louis Blues picked him in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 30th player chosen overall.
After being drafted, Shawn stayed with the Tri-City Americans for two more years. He also played for Team Canada's junior program. He won gold medals with the U-18 team in 2003 and played for the U-20 team in 2003 and 2004.
Moving to Professional Hockey
In the 2004–2005 season, Shawn was traded to the Dallas Stars. The next year, in 2005–2006, he started his professional career. He joined the Stars' minor league team, the Iowa Stars. He played 45 games there before being traded again.
This time, he went to the Minnesota Wild organization. He played for their minor league team, the Houston Aeros. In the 2006–2007 season, Shawn played most of his games with the Aeros. However, he also got to play his first NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, appearing in 9 games.
NHL and European Teams
On July 11, 2008, Shawn was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. He played two seasons within their organization. Then, on July 13, 2010, he signed a one-year contract with his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers.
Later that season, on February 28, 2011, the Oilers traded Shawn to the Colorado Avalanche. After his time in the NHL, Shawn decided to play hockey in Europe. On September 10, 2011, he signed a contract with Adler Mannheim in Germany. This team plays in the DEL, which is Germany's top hockey league.
After two seasons in Germany, Shawn moved to Sweden. On June 10, 2013, he signed a one-year contract with Färjestad BK in the Swedish Hockey League. He then signed with a Croatian team, KHL Medveščak Zagreb, in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2014. However, he was released due to an injury before playing any games. He returned to Germany and played for Düsseldorfer EG for the rest of the 2014–2015 season.
Retirement and Coaching
On July 23, 2015, Shawn Belle decided to end his professional playing career. He then became an assistant coach for the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Personal life
Shawn Belle's father is from Barbados, which means Shawn has Barbadian roots.
See also
