Samuel “Sammy” Crane '23 Recruiting Profile

I have officially committed to play NCAA D1 Hockey at the United States Air Force Academy. I am tendered in the NAHL with the St. Cloud Norseman.

I'm a power forward who has developed a reputation in Tier 1 Hockey as a 200-foot hockey player. I attend Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep-School in Minnesota for 4 years.  I was on the Shattuck U-18 Prep-Team and  won the 2023 USA Hockey National Championship Scoring 2 goals and 1 assist. 

I have been skating since I was 3 years old and have played AAA Hockey since my 1st year of eligibility at the age of 10, starting with the Chicago Fury AAA Team for 3 years.  Then, in my last year before committing to Shattuck-St. Mary's, I was recruited by Tom Newton (former Coach at Michigan State for 26 years) to play at Team Illinois. I was extremely excited to be coached by Coach Newton as he has held multiple positions with the Michigan State program and I felt I could learn so much. Coach Newton has impacted my life in both, hockey and my personal development.

I'm consistently used on both penalty kills and power play situations. In these situations, primarily I'm used as a winger but I do see some shifts as center. Throughout my hockey career I've consistently been recognized for my leadership on and off the ice.  I have strong hockey sense and vision which I will continue to develop. I understand the philosophy and importance of making the players around me better to win. My coaches have said that "I'm extremely coachable, and I can adapt to hockey situations quickly".  My coaches rely on me to act as a leader for our team, both on and off the ice. Team and winning are values I've adopted early in my career.  I often use my Midwest-values and work ethic both on-ice and off-ice (gym). I am determined to always perform at the highest level while exceeding expectations! I’m one of, and always will be the hardest workers on both sides of the puck and off the ice.

I am a straight “A” student at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. I understand the importance of academics as I move towards future opportunities within a D1 College Hockey program.

My short-term hockey development plan at Shattuck is to continue to create more scoring opportunity Junior Hockey. Establish myself as a impact player with the St Cloud Norseman and transition to D1 Hockey with the Air Force Academy. my plan is to continue to develop my speed, scoring ability  and leadership. Finally, if fortunate enough, my goal is to play in the NHL And defer my Air Force Commitment where after hockey I have interest in law or aviation.

Coaches, teammates, friends, and family would say I'm a mature, hardworking person who you can always count on to do the right thing!  I'm continuously focused on leadership. This year at Shattuck- St. Mary’s I have a job as a dormitory proctor.  This means I live as a “resident assistant” in the underclassman dormitory and assist our dorm parents with the daily workings of dorm life, including checks ins, study halls, and orientations.  I was very honored to be recommended and selected by teachers at SSM for this role at our school.

Currently, I am putting up at least a point a game and aim to be a top scorer at Shattuck this year. I have my mindset on winning a National Championship! 

As I move forward, my non-hockey interests are diversity, politics, and law. I also have interest in a military career, perhaps in aviation or law (JAG Corps)

This last summer I was asked to be a summer 2021 Shattuck-St. Mary's youth hockey camp counselor/coach. This is a great leadership opportunity supervising youth hockey players age 10-13.  My responsibilities include; dorm proctor, team coach, and on-ice and off-ice (weight room) guidance and teaching. I am also in charge of day-to-day logistics of the hockey campers in my dorm.  I saw this as a great opportunity to develop and foster my leadership skills, and definitely look forward to this opportunity again next summer.