Chalk Talk with Comets Rookie, Shane Lachance
Oct 28, 2025Utica, NY – A late arrival last year, Comets’ forward Shane Lachance is soaking in his first full season of professional hockey.
Lachance was raised in Andover, MA and in a family where hockey runs deep. His father, Scott, had a lengthy career in the NHL which totaled 819 games with the New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets. Shane’s grandfather, Jack Parker, played collegiately at Boston University (BU) and then went on to coach the Terriers for 40 years.
Despite being virtually born into hockey, Lachance said he never felt pressured to play and that his love for the game developed naturally. In addition to learning a great deal from his dad and grandfather, he recalls having the opportunity to go into the locker room at BU and meet some of the players who served as role models for him at a young age.
Lachance grew up as the middle child amongst two brothers, both of whom played hockey as well. His older brother got the opportunity to play Division III at Wesleyan University and his younger brother, whom Shane says has the “smarts” in the family, played through high school and is currently a student at BU.
Leading up to his arrival on the professional hockey scene, Lachance spent two years at Andover High and two years at Tabor Academy, a prep school in Marion, MA. During his freshman year at Andover High, he had the privilege of playing with his brother who was a senior. After his sophomore year, Shane and his family decided that Tabor was a better fit for him from both an athletic and academic standpoint. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred at the end of his first year at Tabor and with just two games being played the following year, his hockey career there was short-lived. Lachance, however, was able to earn a spot on the Boston Jr. Bruins during his senior year, which served as a steppingstone for what came next.
Like many of his current teammates, Lachance headed to the US’s top tier junior hockey league, the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he spent two seasons with the Youngstown Phantoms. Having been a boarding student for two years at Tabor, he had already experienced life on his own, which made the transition to Ohio easier. When asked about his billet family in Youngstown, Lachance said, “(The family) was awesome. They had three young kids. It was nice to come home after days at the rink, whether it was a good day or a bad day, and just kind of forget about hockey. Obviously, you miss your own family, but they were just like a second family to me and we still keep in touch to this day.”
After being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft and racking up 54 points in 62 games in his second season with the Phantoms, Lachance’s childhood dream of playing at Boston University came true the following year. “Getting there was surreal and those first couple games were awesome. Making that jump and becoming captain the next year, I wasn’t sure it would happen my sophomore year, but I was comfortable in that role and I feel like it’s a role that I thrive in. We had great teams both seasons who went far and I have some great memories from those years.”
Lachance led the Terriers all the way to the 2024-25 National Championship where they unfortunately lost 6-2 to Western Michigan. Despite the heartbreak, there was no time to hang his head as he made his professional debut with the Comets less than a week later. To say he adjusted well to the pro game would be an understatement, recording a goal and an assist in the last two games of the season.
Lachance earned a spot on the New Jersey Devils’ training camp roster prior to the start of the 2025-26 season and hopes to join the squad full-time in the near future. His father, Scott, who has worked for the Devils since the 2007-08 season, is the Head of US Scouting for the team and continues to serve as a mentor to Shane. “He’s awesome. Like a lot of dads who played, he gets it and understands the process. He’s a great resource for me. Even after the last game, he sent me a couple clips, just little things that guys might not pick up on if they didn’t play the game.”
With his pro career just beginning, Lachance is making the most of every opportunity he gets to hone his craft. Veteran and Comets captain Ryan Schmelzer, he says, has been the perfect guy to play alongside as he continues to learn about and adjust to the pro game.
Lachance and the Comets are gearing up for another busy weekend as they get set to play the Crunch on the road on Friday at 7pm and host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday at 6pm. For more information on tickets for Saturday’s game, please visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.