As the commitments continued to roll in this season, Tech Hockey Guide has tried to stay caught up, and for now, it’s safe to say, Shane Hanna is the last on a long list of commitments. Hanna is a defenseman who currently plays for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) alongside two other future Huskies in Alex Gillies and Evan Anderson. The defenseman checks in at 5’11” and will turn 19 this May.
The 19-year-old played for the Thompson Blazers in the BCMML in 2009–10 where he was 13th among d-men in scoring on a pretty bad team. He lead that team in points on the blueline with 3 goals and 16 assists. After that one season with Thompson, he moved on to the Osoyoos Coyotes in the KIJHL where he put up 50 points including 10 goals. That was enough to be second in scoring for blueliners in the league. He was recognized at Rookie and Defenseman of the Year for his efforts. He helped lead the Coyotes to 42 wins during the regular season and the top seed for league playoffs. In 20 playoff games, Hanna had 14 points and the Coyotes won the title.
Despite that amazing season with the Coyotes, it appears Hanna never caught the eye of WHL scouts because there is no record of his being drafted. There is a report that at one point he was part of the Kelowna Rockets protected list but that is unconfirmed. His great season in Osoyoos did get him noticed by BCHL scouts, though. He started the 2011–12 season with the Penticton Vees, but he didn’t see much success. In 13 games with the Vees, he had tallied only two assists, so he was traded to Salmon Arm, where he grew up, to skate for the Silverbacks. This is when he began to really blossom on the blueline. Hanna managed 22 points in the last 40 games of the season with Salmon Arm and led defenders in scoring over the span.
This season Hanna continues to improve and now leads all defenders league-wide in goals and points, and he’s 24th in points overall. His 44 points lead Salmon Arm, three ahead of future Husky Alex Gillies. The two of them have led the Silverbacks to become playoff contenders in the Interior Division. Hanna has really grown as player, turning into a force on the power play. One scout even said that Hanna should be expected to be the quarterback on the top power play for the Huskies before too long.
The plan is for Hanna to head to Houghton next season and join Marcus Ericsson and Chris Leibinger as freshmen on the blueline. The Huskies are adding more than just an athlete, they’re also getting a dedicated student who currently has a 3.5 GPA in high school. He’s also an alternate captain for the Silverbacks. GM Troy Micks was quoted, “He’s such a smooth skater, very agile and his hockey IQ is second to none, and he competes every night. We gave him the ‘A’ on his jersey and he has become a leader on and off the ice this year too!” Below is audio of Hanna after his commitment:
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/76162178″ width=”100%” height=”80″ iframe=”true” /]
*Featured Image provided courtesy of Garrett James Photography
Tim is a 2004 graduate of Michigan Tech. He is a co-founder of both Mitch’s Misfits and Tech Hockey Guide. With recent additions to the staff, Tim is again able to focus on his passion, recruiting. He currently works as an environmental engineer and resides in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Area.
