Sheldon Dries

Sheldon Stephen Dries (born April 23, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey forward currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL).
==Early life==
Dries was born on April 23, 1994, to parents Todd and Erika Dries. His father Todd and uncle played NCAA hockey for Western Michigan University. His cousin Danny Dries played for Ohio State and played professional ice hockey for Ilves in the Finnish Liiga.
==Playing career==
===Amateur===
Dries began playing as a junior within the T1EHL, originally with the Detroit Honeybaked Bantom program. While with the HoneyBaked, Dries and teammate Nolan Gluchowski were selected for the ATOM AAA All-Star team.
During his under-16 year in 2010, his junior rights were selected in the United States Hockey League by the Green Bay Gamblers with the 22nd overall pick. He was also selected in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection by the Plymouth Whalers with the 275th overall selection. While playing with the T1EHL's Belle Tire in 2010–11, Dries verbally committed to play Division 1 hockey for Western Michigan University. Opting to continue his American junior career, Dries joined the Gamblers of the USHL at the end of his under-18 T1EHL season, appearing in 3 scoreless games. In his first full season with Green Bay, Dries contributed with 19 goals and 19 assists in helping the Gamblers claim the Clark Cup. He also graduated from Eisenhower High School in 2012.
Having committed to Western Michigan University of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, Dries appeared in 116 USHL games for 87 points before joining the Broncos as a freshman in the 2013–14 season. In establishing a checking role amongst the Broncos forwards, Dries contributed with 3 goals and 7 points in 39 games. Approaching his sophomore season in 2014–15, despite his size, Dries leadership qualities were noted as he was selected as the Broncos team Captain. He increased his points totals in finishing with 14 goals and 29 points in 37 games.
In his senior season with the Broncos in 2016–17, Dries as a three-year captain tallied a career-high 16 goals and 30 points in 36 games to help lead the Broncos to the NCAA Tournament. At the conclusion of the season he was selected to the NCHC Second All-Star Team. He was also named a finalist for the Defensive Forward of the Year.
===Professional===
As an undrafted free agent, Dries was signed to a one-year American Hockey League (AHL) contract with the Texas Stars on May 10, 2017. After attending the Dallas Stars 2017 NHL training camp, Dries began his rookie professional season with Texas in 2017–18. He made a quick transition to the AHL, showing a scoring touch along with a tenacity in traffic to score 19 goals and 30 points in 70 regular season games. Dries led all AHL rookies in the Calder Cup playoffs, scoring 10 goals in 22 post-season games as the Stars fell to the Toronto Marlies in the finals.
On July 2, 2018, Dries was signed to his first NHL contract in agreeing to a one-year, entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche. In the Avalanche's training camp and pre-season, Dries was a standout, taking his opportunity in surprisingly making the Avalanche's opening night roster for the 2018–19 season. He made his NHL debut on the Avalanche's fourth line, playing 6 minutes in a 4–1 home opening victory over the Minnesota Wild on October 4, 2018. He recorded his first career NHL goal on November 1 in a 6–5 loss to the Calgary Flames. Fellow rookie Vladislav Kamenev also scored his first NHL goal that game, making the pair the first Avalanche rookies to score their first NHL goals in the same game since January 27, 1995. Continuing to play in a fourth-line role, Dries made 40 appearances throughout the season with the Avalanche, posting 3 goals and 6 points. He split the year between the Avalanche and AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, adding more offense with 11 points in 25 contests. Helping the Eagles reach the 2019 Calder Cup playoffs, he recorded 1 goal in 4 playoff games.
As a restricted free agent with the Avalanche, Dries agreed to a one-year, two-way extension on July 25, 2019.
==Personal life==
Dries proposed to his girlfriend Emilee in 2018.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2010–11 	Belle Tire 	T1EHL 		36 	23 	15 	38 	92 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Green Bay Gamblers 	USHL 		3 	0 	0 	0 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011–12 	Green Bay Gamblers 	USHL 		59 	19 	19 	38 	126 		12 	1 	6 	7 	8
2012–13 	Green Bay Gamblers 	USHL 		54 	22 	27 	49 	105 		4 	1 	1 	2 	6
2013–14 	Western Michigan University	NCHC 		39 	3 	4 	7 	43 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Western Michigan University	NCHC 		37 	14 	15 	29 	37 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	Western Michigan University	NCHC 		36 	11 	7 	18 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Western Michigan University	NCHC 		36 	16 	14 	30 	34 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Texas Stars 	AHL 		70 	19 	11 	30 	53 		22 	10 	0 	10 	30
2018–19 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		40 	3 	3 	6 	26 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Colorado Eagles 	AHL 		25 	3 	8 	11 	19 		4 	1 	0 	1 	0
2019–20 	Colorado Eagles 	AHL 		50 	21 	14 	35 	69 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		5 	0 	0 	0 	0 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		45 	3 	3 	6 	26 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honours==
Award 	Year 	
USHL 	USHL 	USHL
Clark Cup (Green Bay Gamblers)	2012 	
College 	College	College
NCHC Second All-Star Team 	2017 	
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:1994 births
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:Colorado Eagles players
Category:Green Bay Gamblers players
Category:Texas Stars players
Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players
Category:Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey players
Category:American men's ice hockey centers