Quick, what NHL player holds the record for single-season power-play goals by a defenceman, co-holds the Edmonton Oilers record for quickest pair of goals in a regular season game and owns the unofficial record for hardest recorded slapshot?
Not sure? How about a little more help?
He was born in Elk Point, Alberta, and attended the same high school as teammate Fernando Pisani. He owns the nickname Studly Wonderbomb and loves listening to Pearl Jam.
Have you got it yet?
Alright, final clue: He is of Métis descent, his middle name is Sherrick and his player number is 44.
The answer is, of course, 13-year NHL veteran Sheldon Souray.
At 6'4", 230 pounds, Souray's claim-to-fame in the National Hockey League has been his cannon of a slapshot, yet, he dismisses the notion of having the league's hardest clapper, passing off the title to another veteran blue-liner.
"Hands down, Zdeno Chara," claimed a matter-of-fact Souray. "Chara has the hardest shot in the league."
It is hard to argue with that response, as Chara's speed of 105.4 miles-per-hour at the 2009 NHL Skills Competition earned him the official title. Souray, however, unofficially beat that speed at the 2009 Edmonton Oilers Skills Competition, recording a hellacious blast of 106.7 miles-per-hour.
How is it that Souray can hammer the puck so hard?
"I have good equipment," said Souray with a cheeky grin. "Honestly, I don't know what it is. It's something that I've just always been able to do."
After being selected in the third round - 71st overall - in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, Souray began his NHL career in 1997 as a New Jersey Devil. He played three seasons with the club before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens for defenceman Vladimir Malakhov on March 1, 2000.
Playing five seasons with the Canadiens, Montreal is where Souray established himself as one of the league's top-tier defenceman. He racked up 160 points in 324 regular season games as a Hab, including a career-high in goals (26), assists (38) and points (64) in the 2006-2007 season.
After becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2007, Souray signed a five-year, $27 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers, ending his seven-year term in Montreal.
"I had a bunch of great memories there; I have nothing negative to say about Montreal at all," said the former Canadien. "I met some great friends and played with some great teammates […] I was one of the lucky few who got to play for that organization and that city."
While no longer serving as a Canadien, Souray was happy to have the opportunity return to his native Alberta.
"It's great," said Souray of playing in Edmonton. "I have great teammates and it's a good city. We're looking to get a little better on the ice - get in the playoffs and give the fans a little more of an exciting product - but I love playing here."
With Edmonton sitting dead-last in the NHL standings, his club's performance is perhaps the least of his worries, as a career that has been marred by injuries recently took another blow when it was determined earlier this month that the 33-year-old will miss the remainder of the 2009-2010 season with a hand injury.
"It's frustrating anytime you deal with injuries - especially lengthy ones," he said. "But sometimes, there are things that just aren't in your control. Some injuries are more serious than others and take a little more time - it's just the nature of the beast. But no matter what, it's still a frustrating process to go through."
Indeed, it must be wearisome to be forced to stand on the sidelines and watch helplessly as his Oilers do battle without him. If it were up to Souray, he would no doubt suit up for the sole purpose of unleashing wicked point-bombs. After all, 106.7 miles-per-hour does translate to 171.7 kilometres-per-hour for an Elk Point native - pretty ridiculous if you stop and think about it.
"Some guys can pass the puck and have better vision, or they're faster skaters. Shooting the puck has always been something that has come easier to me than the other things," said Souray. "I've worked on it, but [it's] one of the things that comes easy for me."
Apparently, 'easy' means speeds of well over 100 miles-per-hour with every smack of the puck. With shots as lethal as that, one can't help but wonder why anyone would ever want to become a goaltender.
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