Sheldon Souray Sheldon Sharik Souray ( born July 13 , 1976 ) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Defenseman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) for the New Jersey Devils , Montreal Canadiens , Edmonton Oilers , Dallas Stars , and Anaheim Ducks . He was best known for his heavy slapshot , once setting a previous unofficial NHL record for the hardest recorded shot at the Oilers ' 2009 Skills Competition . Playing career . New Jersey Devils ( 1997 - 2000 ) . Before playing in the NHL , Sheldon was a member of the Fort Saskatchewan Traders in the Alberta Junior Hockey League ( AJHL ) . He was drafted in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft in the third round ( 71st overall ) by the New Jersey Devils . Souray reported to his second Devils training camp overweight and out - of - shape , prompting general manager Lou Lamoriello to call him embarrassing , and that he would never play for the team if it happened again . Souray credits Lamoriello for calling him out , and says it was exactly what he needed to succeed at such a high level . He made his NHL debut in the 1997 - 98 season . He finished his rookie season with modest scoring totals of three goals and ten points in 60 games , but most importantly established that he was capable of being an NHL regular . He scored his first NHL goal on a powerful slapshot late in a December 16 , 1997 , game against the rival New York Rangers to break a 3 – 3 tie late in the third period and send the Devils to a 4 – 3 win . Souray played in New Jersey from 1997 to midway through the 1999 - 2000 season , earning a reputation as a big , steady , physical defender with a mean streak and a hard shot . However , with the Devils preparing to make their Stanley Cup run late in the 1999 – 2000 season and believing they needed more offence from the blue line . Souray was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on March 1 , 2000 , for Vladimir Malakhov . Montreal Canadiens ( 2000 - 2007 ) . Souray ' s offence began to improve following his trade to the Canadiens . At the time of his trade from the Devils , he had just eight points , all assists . He finished with three goals in 19 games as a Canadien to tie his career best for goals in a season , and establish a new career best for points ( 11 ) in 71 combined games . More importantly , he began using his dangerous shot more often once he arrived in Montreal . In 2000 - 01 , injuries limited him to just 52 games , 19 less than the previous year , but Souray still managed to match his previous season ' s career bests in goals ( 3 ) , assists ( 8 ) and points . He got off to a good start in 2001 - 02 , threatening to surpass his previous offensive highs , as he tallied three goals and five assists in just 34 games while fighting through an injury - plagued campaign . 2001 – 02 also saw him record his first career power play goal , as the Canadiens began to realize the value of having a player on the point who could consistently shoot the puck as hard as Souray . However , he suffered a wrist injury that plagued him throughout the year , and though he would play through it much of the season , Souray would eventually shut it down at the end of the season . The severity of the wrist injury kept him out the entire 2002 - 03 season while he recovered and regained his strength . However , in 2003 - 04 , Souray returned to play for the Canadiens and had a breakout season , amassing a surprising 15 goals and 35 points . He had exceeded expectations with the sudden development of his offensive game , especially given his reputation as a defence - first rearguard throughout his NHL career up to that point . This was of course possible because his powerful slapshot had returned along with his health , he was using his shot more often than ever before , and the Canadiens were giving him plenty of scoring opportunities by using him on the power play and increasing his overall ice time . During this season , he participated in the 2004 NHL All - Star Game for the first time , and shared a win in the Skills Competition ' s hardest shot contest . Both he and Adrian Aucoin recorded blasts of 102 . 2 mph in the event . During the 2004 - 05 NHL Lockout , he played for Färjestad BK of the Swedish Elitserien . While in Sweden , Souray wrote a correspondence in the Montreal Gazette with the assistance of hockey writer Dave Stubbs . The correspondence chronicled Souray ' s experience in a new country , and the different style of play that is popular overseas compared to the North American style of play . He also had the chance to represent his home country internationally by playing for Team Canada in the 2005 IIHF World Championship . Due to the lockout , this tournament featured a much higher percentage than usual of NHL players , of which Souray was one . Souray returned from the lockout to post a successful 2005 - 06 with 12 goals and a new career best 39 points . However , in 2006 - 07 , Souray emerged as a top - tier defence man in the NHL with a career - best 26 goals , 38 assists and 64 points , placing second in team - scoring in both goals and points , and third in assists , a remarkable achievement for a defenceman . His slapshot ' s reputation continued to grow throughout the League , to the point it could inspire fear in opposing players . It was so successful that season , Souray even used it in a shootout as a decoy in a December 2 , 2006 game . That goal , scored on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft in the shootout , stood as the eventual winner in a 4 – 3 Montreal victory . On April 5 , 2007 , Souray broke the NHL single - season record for most powerplay goals scored by a defenceman with his 19th of the season . The record was previously shared by Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders ( 1974 - 75 ) and Adrian Aucoin of the Vancouver Canucks ( 1998 - 99 ) . Souray was named to his second NHL All - Star Game that season , this time as a starter , and posted the second - hardest slapshot at the Skills Competition with a 100 . 0 mph shot , finishing as runner - up to event winner Zdeno Chára ( 100 . 4 mph ) . It was a banner year for Souray , as he led all NHL defencemen in goals and finished third in points , behind only Scott Niedermayer and Sergei Gonchar . Entering into the 2007 off - season , it was clear that Souray would be one of the top available defencemen as an unrestricted free agent . Edmonton Oilers ( 2007 - 2011 ) . In the off - season , Souray became an unrestricted free agent and , on July 12 , 2007 , he signed a 5 - year , $ 27 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers . During the third period of a 5 - 2 victory over the Dallas Stars on December 3 , 2008 , the Stars ' broadcast team referred to Souray as " Studly Wonderbomb . " It has since become a popular meme amongst Oilers fans . His debut season with the Oilers was , however , marred by injuries and he only suited up for 26 games . The next season , in 2008 – 09 , he bounced back from the injury - shortened campaign to record 23 goals and 53 points . During the Oilers ' 2009 Skills Competition , on January 4 , Souray set the unofficial NHL record for the hardest shot . Clocked at 106 . 7 mph , his slapshot beat Chad Kilger ' s old unofficial record of 106 . 6 mph set at the Toronto Maple Leafs ' 2006 Skills Competition . The record is deemed unofficial as the league does not recognize individual team Skills Competition and instead goes by the NHL All - Star Game ' s Skills Competition results . As such , the official record is held by Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chára , whose 105 . 4 mph slapshot beat Souray ' s third - place 103 . 3 mph effort at the 2009 NHL All - Star Game later that month . Three games into the 2009 – 10 season , Souray suffered a concussion after Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla checked him into the boards head - first on October 8 , 2009 . The injury limited him to 37 games , scoring 4 goals and 13 points in the campaign . After he requested a trade from the Oilers in the 2010 off - season , the Oilers placed Souray on waivers with the hope that he would be claimed . After clearing waivers , he was told not to attend the Oilers ' training camp . On October 6 , 2010 , Souray was assigned to the American Hockey League ( AHL ) , being loaned to the Washington Capitals ' minor league affiliate , the Hershey Bears . Souray accepted his demotion to the minors and posted a solid AHL season , as he battled and slowly recovered from his nagging injuries . Leading up to the NHL trading deadline , the Oilers once again placed Souray on waivers , attempting to unload his salary ; He cleared a 2nd time , leaving him under contract to Edmonton as relations between Souray and the Edmonton camp remained testy at best . Finally , in the summer of 2011 , Edmonton bought - out the fifth and final year of Souray ' s contract . This allowed Souray to become a free agent and again pursue playing at the NHL level with another team . Dallas Stars ( 2011 – 2012 ) . After becoming a free agent , Souray was signed by the Dallas Stars on July 1 , 2011 , to a one - year contract . Having recovered from his injuries , Souray made a successful comeback with the Stars , taking on more of a defensive role than in the recent past , particularly at even strength . However , he continued to still see plenty of ice time on the power play , where his slapshot could wreak havoc for opposing goaltenders , and was encouraged to use his shot as before . The Stars , meanwhile , while recognizing Souray ' s physical style , also openly declared that in order to preserve his health , they did not want him fighting very often , although they did not go so far as to dictate directly for him to never do so . On November 4 , 2011 , Souray reached a milestone when he scored the 100th NHL goal of his career in a 7 – 6 win over the Colorado Avalanche . Fittingly , it was a power play goal scored with a slapshot . Souray earned the respect of fans , teammates and local media in Dallas very quickly for his physical style of play and booming shot , and restored some of the goodwill that had been lost due to his spat with the Oilers . Most importantly , Souray was regularly healthy again . Despite missing a handful of games after sustaining an ankle injury blocking a shot in a December 23 , 2011 , win over the Nashville Predators , he had returned to the Dallas lineup by early January and was again a contributing member of their blueline corps . He finished the 2011 - 12 season with six goals , 15 assists and 21 points in 64 games . Anaheim Ducks ( 2012 – 2013 ) . On July 1 , 2012 , Souray signed a three - year , $ 11 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks During the lockout - shortened 2012 - 13 season , he remained healthy and carried his strong defensive play over from Dallas , posting a career - best plus - minus rating of + 19 . He also continued to use his powerful shot to the tune of seven goals and ten assists in 44 games as the Ducks qualified for the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs . For Souray , this was the first time since 2005 – 06 that he was part of the Stanley Cup playoffs . His final point of the regular season , an assist in a 3 – 2 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 17 , 2013 , was also a personal milestone for Souray , his 300th career NHL point . Souray announced his retirement on June 30 , 2015 , after two years of being an unrestricted free agent . International play . Souray represented Team Canada at the 2005 World Championships in Austria . He was also on the Canadian Olympic men ' s hockey team ' s shortlist for the 2006 Winter Olympics but did not make the cut , partly due to his slow start at the beginning of the 2005 – 06 NHL season . Personal life . Souray was born in Elk Point , Alberta , to Richard Souray and Lillian Parenteau . He is of Métis descent and has one sister , two year older . At a young age , Souray moved with his family from Fishing Lake Metis Settlement to a small community in Alberta in order for his sister to attend school . In another two years , they moved again so that Souray could play organized sports . While still in elementary school , Souray ' s parents divorced ; he first lived with his mother before moving in with his father at age nine . Growing up , he attended Archbishop O ' Leary Catholic High School with former fellow Oiler Fernando Pisani . Souray dated model actress Kylie Bax before meeting former Baywatch actress Angelica Bridges , whom he married . The two were separated in 2006 , but reconciled later . They have two daughters , Valentina Raine and Scarlett Skye Souray . Souray and Bridges remain very close friends . Souray married former WWE professional wrestler Barbara Blank , better known as Kelly Kelly , in February 2016 . Souray is co - owner , along with New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur and Montreal restaurateur Andrea Dell ' Orefice of a Rivière des Prairies pizzeria .