Shane Saladis has pretty much always been a captain. For his travel teams, his high school team, and most recently for the D3 Men’s Ice Hockey team.
Despite his usual role as captain, the path wasn’t always easy. Growing up in a hockey family, Shane was exposed to the game at a young age. But, after stepping onto the ice at age two he “hated it apparently.”
Photo by Tisa Della-Volpe
After some time and practice he really started falling in love with the sport. At age seven he joined a travel team which is where his biggest hurdle came into play. During a game, Shane was checked too hard resulting in a broken femur. Nearly a year after a wheelchair, crutches, rehab, and concerned parents, he proved this was only a speed bump on his road to success and tried out [then made] an even better team the next season.
But it’s never been about striving to be the best for Shane: “Playing hockey isn’t so much about being good or bad, it’s mostly about the love for the game. It’s a great escape from the real world, where you just lace up your skates, grab a stick and puck and have some fun.”
As his senior year comes to a close, Shane reflected back on his time with the Blue Hens. He first tried out for D2 but was cut — “I was slightly disappointed, but mostly just excited to keep playing.” Once again, Shane never let anything knock his love for the game.
Even with not having a coach his freshman year and having to cut some practices short due to classes, Shane rallied on. He encouraged his teammates to show up to more practices proving his strong leadership character early on in his college career.
By his junior year they had really become a winning team. And with Shane filling the role as assistant captain, the team was “full of heart” and on to regionals for the first time.
Although the Blue Hens lost in that first round, Shane soldiered on so they could have a major season his senior year. Becoming the captain this past year was second nature to him.
After years in this role, he knew his responsibilities to the team. He was always giving advice and speaking his mind even as a freshman. Now, he just had to take those qualities and lead.
“Throughout both junior and senior year compared to freshmen and sophomore, we played high end teams that made it to nationals. We were always within a goal or two of some of the best teams in the country, and always knew we were capable of being that good but we could never take that step,” Shane said.
Photo by Tisa Della-Volpe
Now that it’s been a few weeks since the end of the season, Shane is thinking about his next role — and how he can still play his favorite game while in it. “I’m not too emotional about leaving and graduating because I know I’m going to play again whether it’s Men’s League, the fire department team, or pond hockey with friends and family.”
After graduation, Shane will be starting his training to become a fireman in his home state of New York. “I feel like I’m made for more than just desk work, I’d like to help my community, or make a difference in someone’s life.”
Looking back on Shane’s determination and positive outlook surrounding hockey, there’s no doubt that he’ll bring that same energy to the fire department. “I love hockey because of the memories it gave me and the life lessons it taught me regarding patience, tenacity, how to carry myself. It brought me to some of the best friends of my life.”
As for the team’s next season without him, Shane feels that they’re in a good place to take the next steps moving forward to Regionals. He even had a bit of advice for the team: “When you join, don’t join just to play; there’s more than just the game. It’s all about making memories and bonding. You’re not going to remember one shift you played together, you’re going to remember fun times in the locker room or hanging out together outside of practice. Live in the moment, because it goes by really quickly. Four years fly by.”
And in a few years, I think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing Shane again as Captain, this time of his firehouse.