Learning From Dad: The Horcoff Advantage

Usually, Shawn Horcoff is involved with the NHL Draft in a working capacity.

He joined the Red Wings front office in 2016 after retiring from a playing career that spanned over 1,000 NHL games. He spent six seasons in player development before getting promoted to assistant GM and GM of Detroit’s AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

But this past year, Shawn wasn’t with the rest of the Red Wings staff working remotely from Little Caesars Arena. He was at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, watching his son Will get selected in the first round, 24^th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“It’s different being on that side. It's nerve-racking,” Shawn said. “You have no idea where your son's going to go. It's years of hard work culminating into one day, even though we all know that that's just the start, right? There’s a lot of work and improvement to go with all these kids. But it was an exciting day.

“For the family, it was great. Will couldn’t be more excited to go to Pittsburgh, knowing what their team’s all about, kind of where they're at and the development process that they've established there. It's just a really good fit.”

Shawn knows what goes into that process better than most, experiencing it from both the player and hockey operations standpoints. He has been an invaluable resource for Will.

“Obviously, super thankful to grow up around a dad involved in the sport,” Will said. “He’s lived it. I really like to take a lot of advice from him. He’s helped shape the hockey player I am, and not only that, but the man I am off the ice as well. So, I have a really good relationship with him, and I'm super thankful to have him as a father.”

Shawn himself was a fourth-round pick (99^th overall) of Edmonton back in 1998. After playing four years of college hockey at Michigan State, where he met wife Cindy, Shawn made his Oilers debut in the 2000-01 season.

He ended up playing there for 13 years, with Will arriving about midway through Shawn’s tenure. He was born on Jan. 23, 2007, a couple of months after Shawn scored his first career hat trick – “my only one,” he said with a laugh – which came against the Penguins at Mellon Arena.

Other highlights included Shawn being named to the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, where he won the Fastest Skater competition, and being awarded the captaincy in Edmonton.

“When I was really young, my favorite player had to be my dad, just watching him all the time,” Will said. “I would always go to his games in Edmonton and just seeing the fans and how much each game mattered and how competitive they were, I knew I wanted to play hockey since I was very young.”

By the time Shawn got traded to Dallas in the summer of 2013, Will was a rink rat, through and through.

“I would be lying to say that didn't fuel me towards the end of my career, trying to play later, because it was so great to be able to bring my son to the rink,” said Shawn, who was Stars teammates with Jason Spezza and Trevor Daley. “Just kind of having him around and soaking it all in, and be able to skate after practice or just kind of mess around in the locker rooms.

“The one thing is in pro hockey, there's a lot of ups and downs, right? And when your kids are around, your family’s around, they don't feel that, they don't see that. There's no bad days for them. I think there's a time and a place, obviously... maybe you’re in a little bit of a slump, and it’s like hey, Will, we gotta stay away today [laughs]. But for the most part, it was always really welcomed.”

Those days were hugely formative experiences for Will. What he remembers most is how much extra work those players put in, particularly his father. “Sometimes he'd be the only one there,” Will said. “He'd hop on the ice by himself and go work on his game and then go do mobility and then talk to the chef and work on his nutrition.”

That sort of work ethic came from Shawn’s upbringing in British Columbia. His dad was a teacher who also ran a 400-acre family farm, so Shawn was always up early and spending weekends helping out.

“I think my dad's philosophy was always like, if you want to (play hockey), you're going to have to be the hardest-working guy. I've tried to instill that into my son,” Shawn said.

Towards the end of his career, Shawn started training with Andy O’Brien, who has worked with Sidney Crosby since his teenage years. Shawn spent time with the Penguins captain, who was just starting out, during O’Brien’s weeklong summer camps in Colorado.

“Honestly, those are some of the best non-NHL season memories I ever had,” Shawn said. “It was a superstar crew with superstar players out there, and we’d all go to Vail for five days and train and skate and have dinners. It was just an unbelievable time.”

Shawn would share stories with Will about Crosby’s work ethic, but he also embraced another of his dad’s philosophies: encouraging his son to play different sports.

“I think too many kids today just play hockey, and I don’t think it’s the right way to do it,” Shawn said. “I think kids should be getting out there and experiencing different things. I think what it does, too, is it keeps hockey fresh for them. When I was growing up, I loved how I played soccer, and opening up the bag come September and being ready for the hockey season.

“So, it was very similar with Will. He played a ton of tennis growing up, and competitive lacrosse.”

Instead of burning out, his passion for hockey only grew.

“I think his love for the game is something that stands out,” Spezza said during development camp.

Meanwhile, Shawn and Cindy have emphasized the importance of education to all three of their children, a message that Will has taken to heart.

“He was always a very good student,” Shawn said. “He's got an incredible memory.”

Will kept his grades up despite the family moving frequently in a short period of time. They spent two years in Dallas and one in Anaheim before setting down roots in Detroit, which meant a few new schools for the two older kids, Jade (20) and Will.

“And it was at a pivotal time. They were younger, kind of pre-teen,” Shawn said. “But they don’t struggle with walking into new rooms or new environments. They're kind of used to it, and they're comfortable in that regard. I think it's kind of an important skill to have, just in life in general, to be able to do that, have confidence walking into any sort of different situation.”

Will, who got an excellent score on his SATs, was able to enroll early at Michigan after spending two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Debuting in January, he got all A’s his first semester and hopes to enroll in the Ross School of Business.

“The academics that they have to offer was intriguing to him and was intriguing to us as a family,” Shawn said. “We said Will, you just never know with sports. I know you have this goal and this dream, and I think he's on the right path right now, with plenty of time and work to go. But you can do both.

“Because even if you do have a good career and you play a long time, you're going to be done by 40 or your late 30s. You got the rest of your life to live. If you go to school and graduate with a degree, or at least get close to it, you can open up a lot of doors for yourself when you're done.”

Though, as a Michigan State alum, Shawn currently refuses to wear any maize and blue. “He said not until we win a national championship. So, I'm trying to win a national championship to get him in a hoodie or something,” Will said with a grin. “But he was totally on board (with me choosing Michigan). He always told me just to go where I felt I belonged, and really supported my decision through this whole process.”

Shawn and Cindy did so much right when raising Will, a smart, self-aware and personable young man. When meeting with Penguins management during the NHL Combine, they said Will might be the most mature kid they encountered this draft cycle.

“Super athletic at 6-5. Still very early in his development curve, and the mentorship and guidance that obviously he's got from his old man is a big benefit,” said Wes Clark, Penguins Vice President of Player Personnel. “I think that will only go leaps and bounds for Billy there as he continues to develop.”

For Will, that potential will be shaped by one piece of advice in particular from Shawn.

“Just make the most of each day,” Will said. “I'm a player who's blessed with my size, and I have a good, unique skill set. I have a high potential, so just make the most of each day.”