EDMONTON -- There are worse jobs than being the right-hand man to Macklin Celebrini, who was selected by the San Jose Sharks with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Make that the left wing, which is where Shane Lachance played alongside Celebrini on the top line at Boston University last season, when he had 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 40 games. Now, the 20-year-old, who was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round (No. 186) of the 2021 NHL Draft, is looking to carve his own niche.
“He’s a very intelligent hockey player,” Boston University coach Jay Pandolfo said of Lachance. “He understands his identity as a player and what makes him successful. He’s a big body, he understands how to use his size (6-foot-4, 195 pounds) and that he needs to be strong on the puck and on the walls. He needs to make sure he gets to the net.
“And he’s intelligent. He has a high hockey IQ where he can really play with anyone in your lineup. We saw that this year. We used him in all sorts of different roles, and toward the end, obviously found his way to play on the top line with the best player in college hockey. He fit in really nicely because he has the hockey IQ to play with him.”
Although Celebrini is about to write the next chapter of his hockey career, Lachance’s path to the pros hasn’t been nearly as direct.
Earlier this month, the native of Andover, Massachusetts, attended his third development camp with the Oilers. He would like nothing more than to be able to follow in the footsteps of his father, Scott Lachance, who played 13 seasons as a defenseman after being selected by the New York Islanders with the No. 4 pick in the 1991 NHL Draft.
Shane already took the initial step in that direction by playing at Boston University, his father's alma mater. But there are more family ties to the school and the game. Shane Lachance's grandfather is Jack Parker, the U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer and legendary former BU coach.
“He grew up watching and learning the game through his dad and his grandfather,” Pandolfo said. “It seems like he was born to be a hockey player and he’s continued to develop, and at some point I think you’re going to see Shane Lachance play in the National Hockey League.”
Although he may be following his family members, Lachance has grown into more of a leadership role when it comes to delving into all things Oilers.
“I’m trying to be a leader here. Obviously, there’s a lot of new guys, new faces who are at their first development camp,” he said. “And for me being my third, it’s just remembering how it was my first time. You’re walking into an NHL facility, you’re nervous, you don’t really know what to expect, you don’t know where you’re going.
“So, I just try to help out where I can.”
