The black band Shaw sports on his right wrist tells you a lot about his playing style.
The band, which reads "Ironworkers Local 721," was given to him by a pal when Shaw was playing junior hockey. He wears it in support of a labor union, but it serves as a symbol of the Belleville, Ontario, native's blue-collar approach to the game.
The black band Shaw sports on his right wrist tells you a lot about his playing style.
The band, which reads "Ironworkers Local 721," was given to him by a pal when Shaw was playing junior hockey. He wears it in support of a labor union, but it serves as a symbol of the Belleville, Ontario, native's blue-collar approach to the game.
Shaw's performance in the 2011 Memorial Cup with Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League got him noticed by Chicago Blackhawks scouts. His numbers - two goals and seven points in four games - were eye-catching, but it was his style of play, his toughness and willingness to do the dirty work that was the real hook.
The Blackhawks selected Shaw in the fifth round (No. 139) of the 2011 NHL Draft. He split his first pro season between Rockford of the American Hockey League and Chicago. Upon his call-up, Shaw's pugnaciousness was an immediate smash in Chicago.
In 2013, he played all 23 playoff games as Chicago won the Stanley Cup. In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins, Shaw scored on a deflection off his leg at 12:08 of triple overtime to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 victory.
Two years later, Shaw again played in all 23 playoff games as the Blackhawks won another title.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville called Shaw "irreplaceable," but the Blackhawks, facing salary-cap issues, traded the restricted free agent to the Montreal Canadiens on June 24, 2016. Three days later, the Canadiens signed him to a six-year contract.
