AUSTIN, Minn. – The Austin Bruins, proud members of the North American Hockey League, are thrilled to announce the commitment of Jaden Shields to Adrian College (NCAA DIII).
Shields, 20, played parts of four seasons with the Bruins and ranks ninth all-time in games played for the black-and-gold with 147. The Royal Oak, MI, native began his junior career playing two games for the Bruins in 2015-16 following a three-year career with the Little Caesars AAA program. He found steady playing time starting in 2016-17 as a stalwart for Head Coach Steve Howard’s defensive unit, registering 43 games in his rookie season. During that same year, Shields earned his first call-up to the USHL where he played in two games for the Sioux City Musketeers.
Following a 57-game venture with the Bruins in 2017-18, a season which saw Shields not only register his first junior goal but go on to lead all Bruins defensemen in goals (12) and points (29), Shields would spend all of the following season in the USHL split between Chicago, Omaha, Sioux Falls, and Lincoln.
The 5-11, 190-pound defenseman returned to Austin for his final year in juniors in 2019-20. For the Bruins, he tallied four goals and added 21 assists in a regular-season that was cut nine games short. Despite the abbreviated season, Shields managed to have a career-high in helpers and came only four points shy of breaking his highwater mark of 29 points in a season.
At Adrian College, Shields will join former Bruins defenseman Terry Ryder who manned the blue-line for Austin in 2018-19 and former Bruins forward Matt Eller.
As for the current Austin Bruins, they get set for the NAHL regular season which is slated to being in less than a month on October 9, 2020. The Bruins schedule has not yet been announced but is expected in the coming weeks as the black-and-gold look to be playoff-bound for yet another season.
