Drew Shore
American center who played for Florida, Calgary, and Vancouver.
Drew Shore is a former American professional ice hockey center who appeared in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Florida Panthers picked him in the second round, 44th overall, at the 2009 NHL entry draft, and he spent parts of two seasons with Florida before being traded to Calgary. He also represented the United States internationally, including at the 2014 IIHF World Championship.
Growing up in Littleton, Colorado, Shore played in the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a Colorado Avalanche minor team. After a season with Detroit Honeybaked in 2006–07, he was drafted by the Chilliwack Bruins of the Western Hockey League but chose instead to join the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) in 2007. With the USNTDP Under-17 team in 2007–08, he put up 13 goals and 25 assists in 54 games, and at the 2008 World U-17 Hockey Challenge he recorded seven points in six games, helping the Americans win silver. The following season, playing for the USNTDP Under-18 team across NAHL and exhibition games, he scored 17 goals and led the team with 32 assists. NHL scouts took notice, and International Scouting Services ranked him as high as 11th overall, while NHL Central Scouting ranked him 32nd among North American skaters. Florida picked him 44th overall in 2009, but Shore opted to play college hockey at the University of Denver.
As a freshman in 2009–10, Shore scored 5 goals and 18 assists for Denver, which won the WCHA regular season title. He led the Pioneers in scoring with 46 points in 2010–11 and was named a WCHA Second Team All-Star. At the 2011 World Junior Championship, he played six games and scored two goals. In his junior season of 2011–12, he again made the WCHA All-Star team after leading Denver and finishing fourth in NCAA Division I scoring with 53 points. He then left college early, turning professional and being assigned to the Panthers’ AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. He earned his first professional point—an assist—on March 31, 2012, against the Rockford IceHogs.
In his first full pro season, 2012–13, Shore scored 30 points in 41 games with San Antonio and played in the AHL All-Star Game. After the NHL lockout ended, he was recalled and made his NHL debut on January 22, 2013, against the Montreal Canadiens. He scored his first NHL goal on February 12 against Washington’s Braden Holtby in a 6–5 loss.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 6 ft 3 in
- Weight
- 205 lb
- Position
- Center
- Shoots
- Right
- Born
- 29 January 1991
- Birthplace
- Denver, Colorado, U.S.
- Draft
- 44th overall
- Drafted by
- Florida Panthers
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Shore played youth hockey with the Colorado Avalanche minor team at the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He chose to join the USA Hockey National Team Development Program over the Chilliwack Bruins of the WHL. After two seasons at the University of Denver, where he led the Pioneers in scoring and was named a WCHA Second Team All-Star, Shore turned professional with the Florida Panthers' AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. He made his NHL debut on January 22, 2013, against the Montreal Canadiens and scored his first NHL goal on February 12, 2013, against Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals. Shore was traded to the Calgary Flames on January 9, 2015, in exchange for Corban Knight. After parts of two seasons with Calgary, he signed with EHC Kloten of the Swiss National League A. During the 2016–17 season, he was suspended one game and fined CHF 1,230 for slew-footing. He played as a loan player for HC Davos in the Spengler Cup and was named to the tournament's all-star team. On March 12, 2017, Shore was granted a release from his contract with Kloten to join the Vancouver Canucks for the remainder of the season, registering 2 assists in 14 games. He later returned to Switzerland with the ZSC Lions, then moved to Kunlun Red Star of the KHL. Shore returned to North America on a one-year, two-way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on October 21, 2020, but due to the delayed season, he and his brother Nick signed a short-term loan with HK Dukla Trenčín of the Tipsport Liga, collecting 10 points in five games before returning to North America. He retired on June 15, 2021, to join the Wasserman Hockey Agency.
Reader's Guide
Drew Shore's career illustrates the path of a skilled American forward who excelled at the collegiate and AHL levels but struggled to secure a permanent NHL role. His selection 44th overall by Florida in 2009 reflected high scouting rankings—as high as 11th overall by International Scouting Services. At Denver, he led the Pioneers in scoring twice and was named a WCHA Second Team All-Star. In the AHL, he was an All-Star in 2012–13 and again in 2014–15, when he was 12th in league scoring at the time of his trade to Calgary. However, his NHL production never matched his minor-league output; he totaled 10 goals and 14 assists across parts of three NHL seasons. His move to Switzerland revitalized his offense—he led Kloten with 24 goals and 48 points in 50 games—and earned him a late-season NHL opportunity with Vancouver. That stint produced only 2 assists in 14 games, and he returned to Europe. Shore's career also included international representation for the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Championship and the 2011 World Junior Championship. His retirement at age 30 to join a hockey agency marked a transition from player to agent, a common second career for former professionals.
Did You Know?
- Shore was ranked as high as 11th overall by International Scouting Services before the 2009 NHL entry draft.
- His younger brothers Nick, Quentin, and Baker are also hockey players.
More in Vancouver Canucks Players 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced