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One of the most experienced Bruins is heading to Division III Adrian College.

Jaden Shields, 20, who ranks ninth all-time in games played for the Bruins with 147, recently made his commitment to play hockey at Adrian. The Royal Oak, Michigan native began his junior career playing two games for the Bruins in 2015-16 following a three-year career with the Little Caesars AAA program. He found steady playing time starting in 2016-17 as a stalwart for head coach Steve Howard’s defensive unit, registering 43 games in his rookie season. During that same year, Shields earned his first call-up to the USHL where he played in two games for the Sioux City Musketeers.

Shields played 57 games for the Bruins in the 2017-2018 season and he led all Bruins defensemen in goals (12) and points (29). He spent all of the following season in the USHL split between Chicago, Omaha, Sioux Falls, and Lincoln.

The 5-11, 190-pound defenseman returned to Austin for his final year in juniors in 2019-20. He tallied four goals and added 21 assists in a regular-season that was cut nine games short due to COVID-19. Despite the abbreviated season, Shields managed to have a career-high in helpers and came only four points shy of breaking his highwater mark of 29 points in a season.

At Adrian College, Shields will join former Bruins defenseman Terry Ryder who manned the blue-line for Austin in 2018-19 and former Bruins forward Matt Eller.

As for the current Austin Bruins, they get set for the NAHL regular season which is slated to being in less than a month on October 9. The Bruins schedule has not yet been announced but is expected in the coming weeks.