After captaining the Canisius College hockey team to its first Atlantic Hockey Championship in 2013, forward Preston Shupe (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) is set to continue his career with the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL.
“Preston is coming off a big year in college last season, was a captain for his team, and came highly recommended from his college coach Dave Smith,” said Condors head coach Troy Mann. “We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do this season.”
A two-year captain at Canisius, Shupe appeared in 142 career games with 86 points, 38 goals and 48 assists. The Weyburn, Saskatchewan native finished his collegiate tenure ranked 12th in the program’s Division I history with his 86 career points and ninth with his 38 career goals.
Shupe enjoyed his most successful season as a senior, helping the Griffs to their first conference championship. He ranked second on the team and set career highs with 29 points and 16 goals during the 2012-13 campaign and was also a key member of the team’s school-record penalty kill unit. The captain matched a program record with three short-handed tallies, while anchoring the unit that posted the 11th-best rate in NCAA history at 90.1 percent.
Shupe totaled five points during the Griffs’ Atlantic Hockey Championship run, recording three goals and two assists. He matched a career high with two tallies in a 4-0 win over Bentley, while recording a season-best two assists in the title game against Mercyhurst. Overall, Shupe recorded 12 points (six goals and six assists) in 13 career postseason games with the Griffs.
Bakersfield is the ECHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL and the Oklahoma City Barons of the AHL.
