After growing up playing hockey in Hockey Nova Scotia\'s minor hockey system, Sheppard played for the Dartmouth Subways of the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League. (NSMMHL) in 2003–2004. He grew up in his elementary and junior high years attending Cavalier Drive School in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. In his rookie season with the Subways, Sheppard scored 92 points in 61 games. That following summer, Sheppard was drafted 1st overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. As the season progressed, Sheppard represented Team Atlantic at the World Under-17 Championship. Sheppard wore the honour of team captain and scored ten points in six games, leading his team to a bronze medal. Sheppard eventually finished the 2004–2005 QMJHL season fourth in team scoring with 45 points. In January 2006, Sheppard was one of ten QMJHL participants to represent Team Orr in the CHL Top Prospects game, where he recorded one assist. Sheppard went on to finish the 2005–06 season second in team scoring with 84 points. Sheppard wore the honour of team captain for the 2006–07 season but was omitted from Canada\'s roster for the 2006 IIHF World Under-20 Hockey Championship. Sheppard was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the first round, ninth overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.\n', '

Sheppard signed an entry-level contract with the Wild in September 2007 and began his professional career by making the jump straight from juniors to the NHL. He made his NHL debut on October 10, 2007, against the Edmonton Oilers, and in his first season with the Wild, he often played major minutes due to injuries to teammates. This helped him set a Wild record for games played by a rookie with 78. Though he produced only 19 points (5 goals and 14 assists) during his 78 games, he did play in all six games against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs.\n', '

Sheppard’s second season would be slightly better than his rookie campaign, scoring 5 goals and 19 assists for 24 points. Even with the slight improvement, he would find himself in head coach Jacques Lemaire\'s dog house. Despite scoring only 6 points in 64 games in the 2009–10 regular season, the Wild signed Sheppard to a one-year contract extension for the 2010–11 season.\n', '

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