Growing up in upstate New York, it is no surprise that Shayne Stockton took a liking to hockey. It is certainly easier to keep that passion when you are thriving.
A center, he developed well in the youth ranks and eventually made his way up to the Junior B level. Feeling that he had more to prove, he sought to keep advancing. "There wasn’t a Junior A program in Rochester, at that point, so I knew I had to go somewhere," Stockton said.
For him, the best route was Canada, so he went north to play for the Brock-ville Braves. Things changed little for him in Canada. He continued to hone his game each year and would lead his team in scoring during his third, and final, season in Ontario. He finished that stint with 98 points in 57 games.
That production put him in the top 10 in the league in the three major offensive categories. His strong play also would help the Braves to the finals, as well as a championship in the Fred Page Cup, a CHL-type tournament between the top junior teams from different leagues.
Now, it was time for Stockton to up his competition again.
Paul Pearl (Winthrop, Mass.), then coaching at Holy Cross, had little doubt Stockton could step in right away given the success he had up north. "He had played some real high-level hockey before coming to us," Pearl noted of Stockton’s time in the CJHL. Attracted also by his good size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds at that time), the Crusaders were hoping he would play a big role. Right from the get-go, he did. Pearl called him the "Holy Cross version of Joe Thornton," and Stockton seemed to live up to the title. He finished fourth on the team in scoring as a freshman and was a consistent scorer throughout his four years. He played on Crusader teams that beat both BU and BC (both of whom were ranked No. 7 nationally at the time). He finished with less than 20 points just once (with 19), but an injury his senior year might have kept him from the 100-point club for his career. All in all, it was a strong career in the purple and white.
Having dedicated so much to hockey, Stockton wasn’t ready to hang up his skates and put his economics degree right to work. Not overly intrigued by grinding his way through North America, he consulted some of his hockey network and found an opportunity to play in France. He jumped on it, joining the Amiens club. Once more, he found success. Stockton put up 27 points in 25 games for a solid professional debut. He would tack on 10 more points, leading the team, in the postseason.
Always seeming to be looking for that next challenge, Stockton signed with Fife in Britain’s Elite Ice Hockey League the next season. He was excited about the change. "I like to keep the doors open," he said. "I had a good year in France, but let’s take on another adventure."
As customary, he made a strong first impression. He finished third on the team in scoring. It proved to be a crucial debut. Last season, Stockton suffered an early, season-ending injury which held him to just six games. Yet, having seen what he was capable of, the Fife Flyers still decided to bring him back for a third, redemptive season. Stockton appreciated the gesture.
"That was a huge relief," he said. "The club and Todd (Dutiaume) and Jeff (Hutchins) and them were a huge support system for me. The way they’ve treated me through all of this has been great. It was that much more motivation for me to get back healthy and to work hard this summer."
Stockton rewarded their confidence. He had another strong season (48 points in 51 games) as Fife led its conference. In the playoffs, Stockton would play a key role in the team’s advancement. The opening round is an aggregate scoring system, as seen often in soccer. The Flyers dropped the opening leg 4-1, thus digging themselves quite the hole to climb out of in game two. However, early in that tilt, Stockton made a slick backhanded, backdoor pass to start the Fife scoring early in the game. Fife finished regulation ahead 4-1. This meant overtime would have to decide the winner. Stockton, again proved vital. Off of his offensive zone, faceoff win, teammate Carlo Finucci turned and buried the game-winner, sending Fife to the semifinals.
Unfortunately, Stockton and his teammates would be silenced then. The eventual champion Cardiff Devils shut out the Flyers. While the team failure hurt, the season was another success for Stockton.
While he might not know where his future lies yet, he surely has merited one thanks to his strong showing. Whether he stays in Britain or ventures to a new league, Stockton, now 29, has made it clear he still has plenty to bring to the table.
