In many ways, Aidan Spellacy '16 is a trailblazer.
Plenty of talented Ice Cats have walked the halls of Saint Ignatius High School. But none had earned a college scholarship to play hockey.
The path to college hockey and the National Hockey League is a long and difficult one. The road requires young icers to forgo a college education in favor of playing for a junior league team. The journey exacts every ounce of energy and resilience, as the player spends a year or two far away from home with strangers.
Naysayers told Spellacy he could not do it. But Spellacy achieved his goal -- attaining a Division I college scholarship, and paving the way for current and future Ice Cats to follow in his footsteps. (For more on the development of the Saint Ignatius hockey program, see the feature story in the Saint Ignatius Magazine, mailing this week.)
On Tuesday, May 15, Spellacy announced his commitment to Robert Morris University. In doing so, Spellacy became the first Saint Ignatius varsity hockey player to earn a college hockey scholarship at a D1 school.
Spellacy's journey began at Saint Ignatius in the fall of 2012. Following his freshman year, Spellacy burst onto the scene as a sophomore. He notched 18 goals along with a team-best 36 assists in 2013-14, playing a key role in the program's second OHSAA Division I championship. Spellacy enjoyed a strong 2014-15 campaign as a junior, tallying 19 goals and 20 assists for 39 points, second on the team.
"Aidan was always a leader here, even before he became a 2-time captain," said O'Rourke. "He was focused at lifting, during practice drills, and during games. He tried to do things the right way, and he understood that while we always want to 'play fast,' that every drill wasn't a race or just something to get over with so we could move onto the next drill.
"Aidan truly tried to get better with every rep he took in practice, with every shift he took in a game. He played hurt, he inspired his teammates, he took the will out of the opponent with his relentlessness. Wow, did I love coaching him! When you have a player like that on your side, you know you're going to be tough to beat. Some of it he was born with, but most of it he earned by taking the approach he did, by working his tail off and getting better every day."
As a senior, Spellacy proved to be unstoppable. The Lakewood native topped the team with 34 goals and 61 points in a special season, helping to orchestrate another OHSAA Championship with Head Coach Pat O'Rourke '90 and the Ice Cats.
"Aidan chose to play for his beloved high school with his friends and classmates," said O'Rourke. "Many people told him that he could never achieve his hockey dreams if he didn't walk away from us and take a different route. Aidan proved them all wrong and he ended up getting the best of both worlds."
The talented Ice Cat soon showed the naysayers how it's done.
An undrafted, untendered free agent after completing his Wildcat career, Spellacy attended a camp with the Lone Star Brahmas of the North American Hockey League. A junior league team, the Brahmas took interest in Spellacy and signed him as a forward.
"I learned so much from Saint Ignatius," said Spellacy. "You develop into a complete person. Then you take what you've learned at Ignatius and apply it. I learned how to work hard and developed into a leader from Coach O'Rourke. I also learned how to win."
Spellacy applied the lessons learned from Wildcat High in his first year of juniors. Living a cool 1,200 miles away from home in Fort Worth, Texas, Spellacy had to adjust to the real world quickly.
Fortunately for Spellacy, all junior players are matched with a billet family. Spellacy bonded with his host family, Jordan and Sarah DeArmond and their two sons Justice (9) and Ryder (3). Spellacy became a son to Jordan & Sarah, and a brother to young Justice and Ryder. You can read the full story on Spellacy and his billet family here.
The DeArmond family eased Spellacy's adjustment off the ice. Meanwhile, Spellacy worked hard on the ice to improve quickly.
"There was an adjustment to the pace of the game," said Spellacy. "You're playing against older, more skilled guys. I also didn't know anyone. I met people from different parts of the world -- Russia, Sweden, the Czech Republic. I met a lot of Michigan guys and guys from all over the United States."
At the end of his first season, Spellacy won the Robertson Cup with the Brahmas. Following an offseason of training, Spellacy entered his second year as an alternate captain and found his groove in year #2.
The 5'11", 175-pound forward developed an identity as a two-way forward. Spellacy's strong defense combined with offensive prowess made him a critical piece of the Brahmas. Spellacy proved to be a crucial member of the penalty kill while tallying 15 goals and recording 17 assists.
"I definitely grew a lot from last year to this year," Spellacy said in the Brahmas' article on his commitment to RMU. "From the mental side of seeing plays and slowing things down and being able to make plays and have a lot of ice time helped a lot. Being in a leadership role, guys kind of look to you and you gotta lead by example and that's what I pride myself on -- leading by example."
Coach O'Rourke first glimpsed Spellacy's intangibles years ago at Saint Ignatius.
"While he is certainly very talented, Aidan will be the first to tell you he is not the tallest, heaviest, or most skilled hockey player in the country," O'Rourke said. "But what he has in spades are all the intangibles you love to see as a coach - toughness, character, humility, insatiable work ethic, and so on."
Towards the end of the 2017-18 season, Robert Morris began to show keen interest in Spellacy. RMU scouted Spellacy several times, taking note of his skillset and work ethic on the ice.
This past Monday, RMU Head Coach Derek Schooley, entering his 15th season with the Colonials, called Spellacy to offer him a scholarship. On Tuesday, Spellacy called him back to commit.
"It's pretty crazy," said Spellacy. "You look for good people. I talked to the coaches for a while. I came to the conclusion -- they were good people, RMU is a dominant program, and it's a great school. Plus, the school is close to home for a change vs. Texas."
Looking back, Spellacy will never forget his time in juniors.
"It was a great experience," Spellacy said. "I met great people and developed as a person. Everyone made me feel comfortable, especially my billet family. An unbelievable experience with great people."
Now, Spellacy's focus will turn forward to college hockey. Playing at RMU will have its advantages, including an opportunity for his family to watch him play. Just outside of Pittsburgh, RMU is only about a two-hour drive.
Much work still awaits the young man from Lakewood. But Spellacy is ready for the challenge.
"I'm thrilled about the hockey," said Spellacy. "There is plenty of hard work to put in. The hockey will be fun with a lot of good guys. I'm excited to get back to school. I missed it, I'm excited for school."
Spellacy plans on majoring in business at RMU as he enters as a college freshman. In the meantime, Spellacy is back at home, skating and working out 3-4 days a week while also holding down a side job.
Spellacy could not be more thankful to Coach O'Rourke and the coaching staff at Saint Ignatius for helping him achieve his dreams and reach this stage of his journey.
"I just want to thank Coach O'Rourke and the Ignatius hockey program for everything they have done for me," Spellacy said. "I would not be here without Coach O'Rourke. He's a stern coach on the bench and on the ice, but he's a great guy off of it. I also want to thank my parents. They have supported me so much over the last couple years, I'm very thankful for them."
The commitment to RMU is certainly spectacular news for Spellacy. The news also holds promise for the Ice Cats. It shows the myriad of current Saint Ignatius hockey players currently trying out for NAHL and USHL teams that the juniors path can lead to success. And Spellacy is just getting started.
"I don't think this is the end of Aidan's journey - it's just the beginning," O'Rourke said. "I can't wait to make the 2-hour drive to Pittsburgh to watch him play, and you can be sure I will tell my players about him often as more and more of them aspire to play junior and college hockey after playing for Saint Ignatius.
"Aidan is living proof that it can be done, and he will be our role model for many years to come," O'Rourke continued. "We still haven't assigned his #8 jersey to another prep player since he's left, and honestly, I don't know that we will any time soon. I call that respect and I tip my hat to him. Aidan set himself a goal and he wouldn't be denied until he achieved it. I talk all the time to my children and my Latin students and my players about surrounding yourself with winners. Anyone who comes into Aidan's sphere of influence will be in good hands, that's for sure. He comes from a great family, a great Ignatius family, and we couldn't be more happy for him and more proud of him. Congrats, Aidan!"
As for Spellacy, he's excited for the future, but taking it one step at a time.
"I'm a short-term, year-to-year thinker," said Spellacy. "I'm going to play as long as I can. I want to graduate college. If I can play hockey for a little while, then that's great."