The New Jersey Devils announced today that they have re-signed forward Shane Bowers to a two-year contract. Details of the contract are as follows: 2024-25: $775,000 at the NHL level, $200,000 at the American Hockey League (AHL) level. 2025-26: $775,000 NHL / $225,000 AHL ($250,000 guaranteed). The announcement was made by President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and Dan McKinnon, Devils Assistant General Manager and Utica Comets General Manager.
Bowers, 24, joined New Jersey's AHL affiliate in Utica this season and tallied eight points (6g-2a) in 36 regular season games. He is 6 feet 2 inches and 180 pounds. The forward was acquired from Boston in a trade on June 26, 2023, in exchange for defenseman Riley Walsh. The Devils recalled Bowers from Utica on January 9, 2024, and he made his New Jersey debut at Tampa Bay on January 11, 2024.
Bowers' two short-handed goals rank third on Utica this season with 70 shots on goal. The left-handed shot appeared in 37 games with the Colorado Eagles of Colorado's American Hockey League (AHL) from 2022 to 2023, totaling 14 points (4g-10a). He was traded to Boston on February 25, 2023, and appeared in 20 AHL regular season contests with Providence.
Overall, Bowers recorded 74 career points (37g-37a) in 210 contests split with Colorado, Providence, and Utica at the AHL level. He made his NHL debut with Colorado on November 10, 2022.
Born July 30, 1999 in Halifax, New South Wales, he was selected by Ottawa in the first round at the age of 28.th Overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. Bowers played in the NCAA for Boston College from 2017-18 to 2018-19, finishing in the Terriers' top five in scoring both seasons. He totaled 53 career points (28g-25a) in 77 contests with Boston and helped the Terriers win the Hockey East title in 2018. Bowers was also named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2017-18. He played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with Waterloo from 2015-16 to 2016-17, where he tied for the team's lead in points with 51 points in 2016-17 (22g-29a).
Bowers represented Canada on the international stage at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) 2019 World Junior Championship, recording two assists in five games.
