Shannon Szabados

1.1. Childhood and Education

Szabados was born on August 6, 1986. Her parents are Gary and Sharyl Szabados, and she has one brother named Matthew. She is of Hungarian descent, and her last name, Szabados, is an old Hungarian term meaning "liberated," referring to a person freed from serfdom.

Her journey in ice hockey began at a young age. At nine years old, Szabados became the first girl to play in the prestigious Brick Super Novice Tournament held at the West Edmonton Mall. She later pursued higher education, majoring in physical education at MacEwan University.

2.1. Minor and Junior Hockey

Szabados's early career was marked by significant milestones, often as the first female player in boys' and men's leagues. In 2001, at the age of 15, she made history as the first female to play in the Calgary Mac's AAA midget hockey tournament, suiting up for the Edmonton Maple Leaf Athletic Club. During this tournament, she competed against future notable players such as Zach Parise.

In 2002, at the age of 16, Szabados became the first female to play in the Western Hockey League (WHL), one of Canada's major junior hockey leagues. She participated in four exhibition games for the Tri-City Americans. During her time in the Americans' training camp, she even split an exhibition game with future Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price, famously recalling that Price allowed four goals in his half while she conceded two, with one in overtime. After being released from Tri-City, she returned to Alberta to play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), a move that followed a vote among the league's general managers regarding the eligibility of female players.

In her debut game with the AJHL's Sherwood Park Crusaders on October 2, 2002, Szabados not only won the game but also recorded a shutout. Her AJHL career saw her play for the Crusaders, the Bonnyville Pontiacs, and the Fort Saskatchewan Traders. While with Sherwood Park, she played in the AJHL All-Star game and was named co-MVP of the 2004-05 game. That same season, she was also named co-MVP of the Sherwood Park club. During the 2006-07 season, Szabados led the Fort Saskatchewan Traders to the top record in the AJHL and came within one game of winning the AJHL championship against the Camrose Kodiaks. She was named to the AJHL North Division All-Star Team for the 2007 All-Star Weekend. Following the 2006-07 season, Szabados was honored with the Friends of Alberta Junior Hockey League Trophy as the AJHL's Top Goaltender, becoming the first female recipient of the award. She was also named MVP of the Fort Saskatchewan club.

2.2. Collegiate Hockey

Due to her participation in a WHL training camp, Szabados was ineligible to play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a common path for female hockey players. Instead, she chose to play for the men's team at MacEwan University in Alberta. She played two full seasons with the MacEwan Griffins from 2007-08 and 2008-09 before taking a break to join Hockey Canada's program in preparation for the Olympics. During the 2007-08 season, Szabados helped MacEwan earn a silver medal at the 2008 Alberta College Athletic Conference (ACAC) championship. She returned to the Griffins for the 2010-11 season.

For the 2011-12 season, Szabados transferred to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and joined the NAIT Ooks men's team. In her second season with the Ooks in 2012-13, she set a regular season record with five shutouts, leading the team to an ACAC Championship.

2.3. International Career

Szabados has proudly represented Canada at both the Under-22 and Senior international levels, achieving significant success with the Canadian national team. She made her debut for Team Canada in 2006, contributing to a gold medal win at the 2006 4 Nations Cup, held in Kitchener, Ontario. In the opening game of that tournament, Szabados recorded a 3-0 shutout victory against the United States. She also debuted with Canada's Under-22 women's team in 2006, where she won three consecutive gold medals at the Air Canada Cup between 2006 and 2008.

Szabados served as an alternate for Team Canada at the 2008 IIHF World Women's Championships and was named to the roster for the 2009 tournament, though she did not play. In 2009, she participated in the 2009 4 Nations Cup, playing in the gold medal game where Canada secured a 5-1 victory over the United States.

Leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Szabados was initially considered Canada's third goaltender behind veterans Kim St. Pierre and Charline Labonté. However, in pre-tournament play, including a series of games against midget boys' teams from Alberta, Szabados posted the best statistics among the three goalies, with a record of 10 wins and 1 loss, a 1.99 GAA, and a 0.936 SV%. She also recorded three wins against the American women's team before the Olympics, including at the 4 Nations Cup. Szabados was a crucial member of the 2009-10 Hockey Canada national women's team that won the gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She earned two shutouts during the tournament, including the final game against the United States. Following the 2010 tournament, she was named the Top Goaltender and was selected to the Tournament All-Star Team. On March 31, 2012, Szabados made 24 saves in a 1-0 shutout victory against the United States in an exhibition game at the Ottawa Civic Centre.

During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Szabados was again a member of the Canadian women's hockey team. She won all three of her starts, including the gold medal game which went into overtime, securing her second consecutive Olympic gold medal.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Szabados was once more in goal for the gold medal game against Team USA. The game was tied after regulation and an overtime period, ultimately going into a shootout, where Canada lost to the U.S. This loss ended the Canadian team's impressive streak of four consecutive gold medals won since the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Despite the loss, Szabados was recognized as the tournament's leading goaltender with a 94.94% save percentage and was awarded the tournament's Best Goaltender title. In addition to her Olympic successes, Szabados has won one gold, four silver, and one bronze medal at the IIHF World Women's Championship.

2.4. Professional Career

Shannon Szabados has also ventured into professional ice hockey, making notable appearances in both men's and women's professional leagues.

4.1. Family and Other Activities

Shannon Szabados's parents are Gary and Sharyl Szabados, and she has a brother named Matthew. She was teammates and friends with Canadian ice sledge hockey player Matt Cook during her time in the AJHL. At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Szabados notably had "FLM" (Fight Like Matt) on her goalie mask in Cook's honor, as he was a cancer survivor. She appeared on the cover of Hello! Canada in March 2010.

Szabados married Carl Nielsen, a former college and minor pro defenceman, in September 2019. In March 2020, she announced that they were expecting a baby girl, who was due in August 2020. Their daughter, Shaylyn Nielsen, was born on August 20, 2020. Prior to her marriage to Nielsen, Szabados was married to Alex Ritchie, who was also a former junior goalie. In December 2020, Szabados announced the publication of a children's book she both wrote and illustrated, titled Every Bunny Loves to Play.

5.1. Regular Season

5.2. Playoffs

5.3. International Competitions