Most players have their “pinch me” moment when first breaking into the National Hockey League.
Devils forward Shane Lachance was lining up for a faceoff last Saturday in his NHL debut at Washington when he had his.
“One thing I’ll remember forever, going out there for my first shift and I look behind me and (Alex) Ovechkin lines up right next to me,” he smiled. “That’s something I’ll remember forever. If I don’t remember anything else from that game, that’s one thing that I’ll take with me forever.”
Lachance, 22, arrived at training camp in the fall with the hopes of earning a spot on the Devils’ roster. He showed well during exhibition play. But due to the team’s plethora of depth up front, he ended up starting the season with Utica of the American Hockey League.
It was probably best that way since Lachance is starting his first full season of pro hockey – he dipped his toe last year in two games with the Comets. On the current campaign, Lachance has appeared in 11 games while producing one assist.
“The biggest thing is it’s a hard league,” he said. “It’s not easy to go down there and produce. And I’m not just saying that because I haven’t. There are a lot of players in that league that deserve to be playing in the NHL. You can see that every single night. I think just keep working and understanding how hard it is down there, things will start going in the right direction.”
While Lachance – who stands at a hulking 6-foot-4, 195 pounds – would like to chip in more on the offensive side, the Devils are mostly interested in how he develops his overall game at that level for his future NHL prospects.
“I’m sure he’ll be the first tell you that he wishes he saw a little more in the stats column,” said Devils Sr. VP, assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon said. “But it’s not for lack of effort, coachability, compete. Everything we’re projecting him to be, a heavy low offensive zone guy, keeps plays alive below the dots, net front, he’s been doing it all year.
“In terms of his commitment to his identity and what he’s hearing from the coaches, he’s been doing it.”
Last Friday, Lachance heard from the coaches as he was getting ready for a morning skate in Utica before playing the Belleville Senators. That’s when he learned that he had to catch a ride instead.
“I was actually taping my stick for morning skate,” he said of when he found out about his callup to the NHL. “Our skate was 10 o’clock in Utica and it was 9:45. I was about to start getting ready. They called me into the office and told me I was going up. I just packed my stuff, made the drive to Jersey and got on a flight.”
It wasn’t until halfway through his drive to Jersey that he was told that it wasn’t just a callup. Lachance was going to make his NHL debut against the Capitals the following day.
“The rest of that drive my mind was everywhere,” he laughed. “I can’t say I remember much of that drive.”
Lachance played 7:25 minutes in the contest and handle himself well against a fast, heavy and physical Capitals squad as the Devils won the game 3-2 in a shootout.
“I thought he did a good job,” Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “It’s a tough game to come in and play your first game against Washington. They’re fast, they’re physical, they’re deep. And we were a shorthanded team. You’re asking a lot more of anyone that comes up.
“I thought he held up well. He had some good plays along the wall. Positionally, he was sound. He’s a guy we really like. We saw in training camp and preseason in the short time he was available, there’s lots to like. We saw signs of that the other day.”
Lachance, who played for Boston University the last two years, has come a long way in a short time. He understands he has a long way to go until he establishes himself in the NHL, but he has the right mindset.
“It’s getting there. A lot still to work on,” he said. “There’s never enough stuff to work on. I just keep doing my thing and doing extra work, either before practice or after practice. Just do extra stuff and trust in that process and everything will be okay.”
Had it not been for an influx of healthy forwards Tuesday night, Lachance would have continued to play. But regardless of whether he’s playing or not, Lachance has the same mentality.
“Doing whatever I can to get in the lineup and if I’m not, making sure I’m watching the guys around me,” he said. “I’m learning a lot of things from guys that have been here for a long time or guys who haven’t. These guys are all really good players and they’re here for a reason. I think whatever I can take from them, on and off the ice habits or work ethic, it’ll benefit me in the future.”
Lachance is ready to make the most of his next opportunity. In the meantime, he’s enjoying his time with the big club and soaking it all in.
“It’s been a lot of fun just being around these guys, coming up here and getting an opportunity to play in that game was a dream come true,” he said. “A pretty special moment all around. It was a long week with going to the Hall of Fame, getting called up and playing in that game. It was awesome. I enjoyed it.”
