By Matt Wah
Staff Writer
Former Mira Costa student Shane McColgan, who would be a senior this year, ignites the ice with high-level hockey skills. He is expected to be drafted tenth overall by draftsite.com in the National Hockey League Draft in June 2011 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
McColgan has come a long way from his first introduction to the sport to his current success on the ice.
“The first time I skated was when I was three years old, and I honestly just loved it for no particular reason. Now I’ve been playing hockey for 12 years,” McColgan said.
The hard work of a budding hockey player first begins in the amateur hockey level, which is available to participants from the age of six to 18. One step above the amateur hockey level is the junior league. It is from the junior leagues that a player can receive college offers or, in rare cases, be drafted into the NHL.
“Shane was always a few years ahead of everyone his age. The guy eats, drinks and sleeps hockey,” former teammate and Costa senior Frasier Haber said. “On the ice, he makes the players around him better and is an extremely talented playmaker. He has done an excellent job dealing with the pressure of being a young phenomenon.”
McColgan was accepted into the Western Hockey League, one of the strongest of the junior leagues in the United States. He moved to Canada in order to pursue his dream of becoming an NHL player.
“I moved to Canada because it is where the Western Hockey League team that drafted me resides. It is in Kelowna British Columbia where I practice every day with my team, the Kelowna Rockets,” McColgan said.
Simply being drafted into the Western Hockey League does not guarantee a player a spot in the NHL. During some games and practices with Western Hockey League teams, the NHL sends scouts to search for talent within the junior league players. McColgan has impressed several scouts with his abilities.
“Shane is really devoted to hockey and his dedication to the sport really shows in how far he has gotten in his early career,” fellow hockey player and Costa senior Patrick Fuesterer said.
Interestingly enough, neither of McColgan’s parents played. However, his talent for the game was no surprise. His dad played football and lacrosse and his mom was a swimmer and gymnast. His success did nonetheless influence and interest his brother, Luke, who is a sophomore hockey player at Mira Costa.
“Having parents who are athletic really just helps the development of any player in any sport,” mother Kelly McColgan said.
With the draft slowly approaching, McColgan is ecstatic with his current position and only looks forward to doing what he loves in the future.
“I plan to play hockey in the NHL until I feel like I should retire. I have a lot of passion for the game, and I have fun doing it,” McColgan said.
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