Former Bulldog hockey stars join CYH coaching ranks

By Jay Turner

For 2020 Canton High graduates Owen Lehane and Jack Connolly, hockey has been a way of life for as far back as they can remember.

Starting out as toddlers in Canton’s learn-to-skate program, the two lifelong residents rose through the youth hockey ranks and blossomed into all-star defensemen for the two-time state champion CHS boys varsity squad. Together they have racked up thousands of hours of ice time and hundreds of hockey wins, making countless friends and memories along the way.

Coach Owen Lehane works with a Canton Squirt player at practice.

So when their college plans for the fall semester were upended due to COVID-19 and Canton Youth Hockey had a need for coaches this season, both Lehane and Connolly saw an opportunity to give back while also staying close to a sport that they love.

“Playing hockey has been a great experience for me and Canton is definitely one of the powerhouses of the youth and high school levels on the south shore,” noted Connolly in a recent telephone interview. “And I love how a lot of these young guys who played in the program continue to give back — and I hope to do the same with these kids.”

A talented multi-sport athlete who is headed to Brown University to play football for the D1 Bears, the 6’4”, 290-pound Connolly has signed on as an assistant for the 8-and-under Canton Mite A squad, teaming up with his former Pee Wee coach, Chris Sykes.

Meanwhile, Lehane, who is also bound for the gridiron at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, has taken on a head coaching role with the 10-and-under Squirt B Black team, volunteering at the suggestion of his neighbor Steven Findlen, Canton’s Squirt director. John Peplau, a fellow CHS ’20 grad and Canton Youth Hockey alum, is also an assistant coach on the team, along with parent coaches Lance Cohen, Paul Thalheimer and James Downey.

“I was a little uncertain at first, but I’ve gotten more comfortable and the other coaches have been great,” said Lehane. “It helps that they’re younger kids and it’s more of a focus on the basics, but I know the game pretty well and I definitely feel at home out there.”

While there is currently no youth hockey being played statewide — the Department of Public Health announced a two-week ‘pause’ on Friday due to rising COVID clusters — both Connolly and Lehane said they had a lot of fun in their first month as coaches and have enjoyed getting to know the players and their families.

“I’ve been [volunteering with] learn-to-skate since seventh grade so I have a lot of experience working with young kids and have always gotten along with kids,” said the perpetually upbeat Connolly. “I’m very close with Chris’s son Eddie Sykes; he kind of took a shine to me during our state championship run and we really connected.”

Both he and Lehane said they also take seriously their position as role models and find that the players generally appreciate getting instruction and advice from younger coaches who are not too far removed from their own experiences.

Lehane said one of the parents shared recently that his child “loves” the idea of a younger person coaching and has even expressed an interest in becoming a coach herself. And kids on the Mite A’s have taken to “shooting an arrow” after goals — mimicking Connolly’s trademark celebration that was made famous during the 2019 title game on the Boston Garden ice.

“They bring such a fresh perspective to the kids and an energy and an exuberance that they can definitely identify with,” remarked CYH President Nick Maffeo. “And the kids can relate to the younger coaches — it’s not mom or dad — and sometimes it’s good for the kids to have a different role model.”

Maffeo, himself a former Canton hockey player who started coaching at a young age, noted that Canton Youth Hockey has a long history of alumni returning to the ranks as coaches. “That’s a proud tradition that these kids are taking on and furthering,” he said.

“With Jack and Owen, you have two really outstanding and accomplished hockey players,” Maffeo added. “And not only are they carrying on a tradition; they’re also bringing a newfound sense of maturity to the program. They’re still young kids themselves, but they’re quickly taking on some adult responsibilities.”

Findlen, who helped nudge Lehane to consider a coaching gig, echoed Maffeo’s sentiments wholeheartedly. “As an organization, it is so rewarding to see the coaches who grew up playing in the town giving back to Canton Youth Hockey,” he said. “It’s a win-win situation for the kids and the coaches. The players really look up to them and the coaches get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment working with the kids.”

Jack Connolly (left) does his trademark ‘arrow’ celebration after scoring a goal in the 2019 state championship game. (Mike Tureski photo)

Connolly said coaching also gives him an excuse to lace up his skates and helps him feel connected to hockey, serving as his “pick-up game” of sorts. He said it is especially meaningful to be back out on the ice after the way that last year’s high school season ended — canceled abruptly due to COVID concerns just days before the Bulldogs were set to play in their second consecutive state championship game.

“It’s really been tough; obviously not playing that 2020 state championship game has really taken a toll,” he said.

While the Bulldogs were subsequently declared co-state champions, giving them a second D2 crown in as many seasons, Lehane said there is nothing that can quite make up for missing out on another Boston Garden trip.

“It was a big deal for us, especially getting a chance to play against the only team we had lost to the past two years (Lincoln-Sudbury),” he said. “[Not playing] does eat away at you still, but one of the biggest things that our coach said to us was, ‘Control the things you can control,’ and obviously that was something we couldn’t control. I’ve kind of just come to terms with it, but I look forward to the future playing competitive hockey at the club level at WPI.”

Both Lehane and Connolly are also excited about continuing their football careers, and they are hopeful that there will at least be some spring practices when they arrive on campus for the spring semester.

In the meantime, both are trying to make the best of their extended summer vacations, finding fulfillment in the little things and taking advantage of new opportunities, such as their coaching gigs.

“I’m really enjoying it,” Lehane said. “I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job, and I’m seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces, which is the most important thing.”

Connolly added that he’s having a “blast” coaching the Mites and being out there with the newest generation of Canton hockey talent. And while nothing that’s happened since March is what he expected or envisioned, he has gained perspective and is choosing to dwell on the many blessings in his life.

“The way I see it is I’m going to a great school and going to play D1 football,” he said. “I have a ton of my friends home with me right now and I get to spend time with my family and especially my grandfather. And on top of that I get to give back to a community and an organization that has done so much for me. So I’d consider myself pretty fortunate.”

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