Growing up in upstate New York, it is no surprise that Shayne Stockton took a liking to hockey. It is certainly easier to keep that passion when you are thriving.
A center, he developed well in the youth ranks and eventually made his way up to the Junior B level. Feeling that he had more to prove, he sought to keep advancing. "There wasn’t a Junior A program in Rochester, at that point, so I knew I had to go somewhere," Stockton said.
For him, the best route was Canada, so he went north to play for the Brock-ville Braves.
Things changed little for him in Canada. He continued to hone his game each year and would lead his team in scoring during his third, and final, season in Ontario. He finished that stint with 98 points in 57 games. That production put him in the top 10 in the league in the three major offensive categories. His strong play also would help the Braves to the finals, as well as a championship in the Fred Page Cup, a CHL-type tournament between the top junior teams from different leagues. Now, it was time for Stockton to up his competition again.
