Last night (Jan 20), David Shantz, goalie for the Victoria Salmon Kings participated in his second ECHL AllStar game, this time as the starter for the National Conference. Born in Burlington, Ontario on May 5,1986, Shantz was with the nearby Hamilton Midget Reps in the 2001-02 season. He had impressed the scouts of the OHL Mississaugua Ice Dogs enough for them to select him 121st overall in that springs OHL Priority Draft. Before making the jump to major junior, he spent a year with the Thorold Blackhawks Jr B team, where he posted a sparkling 1.79 average in 36 games with 3 shutouts and 30 wins. Fall of 2003 found him suiting up with the Ice Dogs. He played 43 games with an average of 2.90 plus a 2.04 average in 24 playoff games. His play was earned him a spot on both the OHL and the all-Canadian CHL Rookie Teams. Once again scouts noticed, this time it was the NHL Florida Panthers who would select him in the 2nd round (37th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Things seemed to unravel for the Burlington boy the season of 2004-05 and he would be benched for the entire month of January. Current Las Vegas Wrangler Micheal Ouzas beat out Shantz for the starting role. In the offseason he was traded to the legendary Peterborough Petes. He won an OHL championship with the Petes and led them to a Memorial Cup berth. Although the Petes did not succeed there, David Shantz was his teams star of the game in the tournament opener. His professional career began with the AHL Rochester Americans but soon was on his way to complete the season with the ECHL Florida Everblades. His play earned him a spot in the 2007 ECHL AllStar Game as one of the goalies for the American Conference team. In 2007-08 he was with Rochester for a longer period, but once again was sent to finish the season with the Everblades. Last sason (2008-09) he was in the ECHL again, with the Dayton Bombers and then the Elmira Jackals. Another NHL organization's scouts liked what the saw and in the offseasom the Calgary Flames came calling, He would then become property of the Flames new AHL affiliate, the Abbotsofrd Heat. In October he was challenging for a starting role at SOFMC based Salmon Kings training camp. Named to the season starting roster, he was about to play with Victoria in their opening game in Anchorage, Alaska when the Abbotsford Heat recalled him. A month later the Heat sent Matt Keetley over to Victoria for what turned out to be a successful goalie "injury rehab" assignment. Now with a "goalie arrangement" in place between the ECHL Salmon Kings and the AHL Heat, Keetley returned to the Fraser Valley and David Shantz was sent to the British Columbia capitol. Shantz would become a key component of the 15 game winning streak that reversed the fortunes of the Salmon Kings and his play has helped the Victoria Salmon Kings to rise up to a points tie with the Bakersfield Condors for 2nd place in the National Conference. His "technically sound" style plus good hockey sense with an ability to read and react well helped him to once again be selected for an ECHL All-Star game. Last night in Ontario, California he became the second Salmon King goalie (Julien Ellis was the first) to start in the ECHL's showcase of prospects. Like previous outstanding netminders such as Marcel Pelltier, Grant Fuhr, and Jordan Sigalet who are part of Victoris hockey history, David Shantz is staking a strong claim to join such illustrious company.