Shane Gersich
American winger drafted by Capitals, won Stanley Cup in 2018.
Shane Gersich, an American professional ice hockey winger, currently plays for HC Bolzano in the ICE Hockey League. He was picked 134th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2014 NHL draft.
Gersich was born on July 10, 1996, in Chaska, Minnesota, to Frank and Sharlene. His uncles Neal, Aaron, and Paul Broten all played in the NHL, so hockey ran in the family.
He started at Holy Family Catholic High in Minnesota, then moved to the Omaha Lancers in the USHL and later the U.S. National Team Development Program. Coach Noel Rahn recruited him to Holy Family Catholic in eighth grade to help build the program rather than join an established one. That season, he put up 16 goals and 23 assists. The team’s success pushed them from Class 1A to 2A the next year. He also played for Team USA at the first Winter Youth Olympic Games. As a freshman, he scored 30 goals and 30 assists, but turned down a spot with the NTDP for 2012–13. Instead, the Omaha Lancers drafted him first overall in the 2012 USHL Futures Draft. That summer, he won gold with Team USA at the U-17 Five Nations tournament, though he hurt his shoulder. He still played for Team Southwest in the Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League but missed the last few weeks.
Back at Holy Family Catholic for his sophomore year, Gersich shared the scoring lead by December 2012 with 15 points in seven games. Many Division 1 programs recruited him, and he committed to the University of North Dakota. He finished the season with 62 points in 24 games, also playing six games for the Lancers (one goal) before joining the NTDP for 2013–14. He was invited to the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. With the NTDP, he had 14 goals and 27 points by March 2014, crediting coaches Danton Cole and John Gruden for the smooth transition. After graduating from the University of Nebraska High School, the Capitals drafted him.
He spent the 2014–15 season with the Omaha Lancers, leading the team with 24 goals in 39 games by February, ranking sixth in the USHL. He then started his college career at North Dakota, majoring in communication. In exhibition games, he scored twice in 12 seconds against Manitoba. His first collegiate goal came in the home opener against Lake Superior State. As a freshman, he had nine goals in 37 games, helping the team win the national championship.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 5 ft 11 in
- Weight
- 185 lb
- League
- ICEHL
- Team
- HC Bolzano
- Former teams
- Washington Capitals; Hershey Bears; Västerås IK; Iserlohn Roosters
- Born
- 10 July 1996
- Birthplace
- Chaska, Minnesota, U.S.
- Position
- Left wing
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Gersich was born into a hockey family in Chaska, Minnesota; his uncles Neal, Aaron, and Paul Broten all played in the NHL. He attended Holy Family Catholic High School, recruited in the eighth grade by coach Noel Rahn to help build the fledgling program. As an eighth grader he tallied 16 goals and 23 assists in the regular season. He was selected to represent Team USA at the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games. Gersich turned down an offer to join the USA Hockey National Team Development Program for the 2012–13 season and was drafted first overall by the Omaha Lancers in the 2012 USHL Futures Draft. He later joined the NTDP for the 2013–14 season and was invited to the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. He committed to the University of North Dakota and played collegiate hockey for the Fighting Hawks while majoring in communication. In his freshman season he scored his first collegiate goal against Lake Superior State and helped lead the team to the national championship.
Reader's Guide
Shane Gersich's significance lies in his path from a Minnesota high school program he helped build to an NHL debut and Stanley Cup victory with the Washington Capitals. Drafted in the fifth round, 134th overall, in 2014, he developed through the USHL with the Omaha Lancers and then at the University of North Dakota, where he contributed to a national championship. He signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Capitals in March 2018 and made his NHL debut on March 28, 2018, earning his first NHL point on April 7. During the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, after Tom Wilson was suspended, Gersich played in Games 4 and 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins as the Capitals won the Stanley Cup. He later re-signed with the Capitals on a one-year, two-way contract and spent five seasons with the AHL affiliate Hershey Bears, helping them win the Calder Cup in 2023. He then signed his first contract abroad with Swedish second-tier club Västerås IK before joining HC Bolzano. His career illustrates the development of a late-round draft pick into a contributor on a championship team.
Did You Know?
- He scored twice in 12 seconds during an exhibition game for North Dakota against Manitoba.
- Gersich played in Games 4 and 5 of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins after Tom Wilson was suspended.
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