BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Buffalo Beauts announced the team has agreed to terms with goaltender Shannon Szabados (ZAH-bah-dos).
“This is a monumental signing for our team and for the NWHL, and we cannot wait to see Shannon in a Beauts jersey,” General Manager Nik Fattey said. “Her international pedigree and unprecedented success in men’s leagues demonstrate the quality play she’ll bring to our crease this season.”
Szabados (5’8”, 8/6/1986) joins the Beauts for her first season in the NWHL after representing Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. In three games during the Olympics, Szabados captured a silver medal after allowing four goals and recording a .949 save percentage, and was named the tournament’s best goaltender.
During her Olympic career, the Edmonton, Alberta native has an 8-1-0 record and captured the gold medal in 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia and again in 2014 in Sochi, Russia. In 2010, she was named the tournament’s best goaltender after allowing one goal in three starts. In addition to her Olympic experience, Szabados has participated in four IIHF World Championships. She won gold with Team Canada in 2012 and has captured the silver three times (2011, 2013 and 2017).
Szabados has also played professionally in men’s leagues during parts of five seasons. She became the first female goaltender to record a shutout in a men’s professional league when she stopped all 33 shots faced against the Huntsville Havoc (SPHL) on Dec. 26, 2015. During her first full SPHL season in 2014-15, Szabados finished the season among the league’s top 10 goaltenders in wins (T-7th, 15), saves (9th, 753) and save percentage (10th, .907).
