BY RANDY SCHULTZ –
To anyone over 50 who is from the Buffalo, NY area, hearing the name Spahn has significant meaning. To most it conjures up the image of Baseball Hall of Famer Warren Spahn.
Spahn is the winningest left-handed pitcher in baseball history. He won 20 or more games 13 times and was a Cy Young Award winner.
Today, in the 21st century, the name Spahn has a bit of a different meaning. To anyone who follows boys high school hockey or college hockey in the Western New York area the last name today means Paul Spahn.
Is there a connection?
“Warren Spahn was my great-uncle,” said Paul, a freshman goalie on the Erie Community College men’s hockey team. “I never really had a chance to meet him because he passed away when I was about two or three years old.
“But over the years I’ve heard all about the great things he did and how great of a baseball player he was and how great a person he was.”
Knowing about his great-uncle, did Paul ever have any thoughts about playing baseball or concentrating on a baseball career?
“I played the game when I was younger,” recalled Paul, the son of Paul and Wendy Spahn of East Aurora, NY. “But I got too busy with hockey and football.”
So just how did young Paul get started in hockey?
“I started playing hockey in my grandma’s kitchen with a spoon,” remembered Paul, a 2018 graduate of East Aurora High School, where he played hockey and football. “When I got to my third or fourth birthday my parents got me a pair of skates.
“I took skating lessons and since that time I’ve been playing hockey.”
Paul has been a goalie in hockey since he was six.
“I like the game being on your shoulders,” said the 5-9, 230-pound netminder for the ECC Kats. “If you play well the team will do good. If you don’t, well, the responsibility falls back on you.
“You have to deal with the ups and downs of the game and the pressure that goes with it. I like the pressure.”
While growing up Paul played for several different hockey organizations in the Western New York area including the Southtowns Stars Amateur Hockey Association, Cazenovia Park Hockey Association and the Bud Bakewell Bruins (now known as the Ice Hawks), as well as high school hockey while attending East Aurora HS.
Interestingly, Paul was going to take a year off from school after his high school graduation. But a funny thing happened to Paul while riding in a car on his way back after his East Aurora/Holland hockey team had won the New York State Club School Small School State Championship for 2017-18.
“On the car ride back from Jamestown, I began asking myself if I really wanted to quick playing hockey at this point in my life,” commented Paul, who is a criminal justice major at ECC. “So I decided that I was going to go and play college hockey.
“My sister had gone to ECC. So I thought I could go to ECC for a couple of years and if that worked out I could go on to a four-year college. And I could continue playing hockey at the same time.”
Paul is very proud to carry the name Spahn.
“I did a report on Warren Spahn back in third grade,” said Paul. “It was like his life story. So I’ve always had a pretty good idea of what he accomplished.
“When I was real small, he sent me a couple of baseball cards and a letter that was signed by him. I think it is cool that while I never knew him, he knew about me.
“And I have to admit that he has been an inspiration for me along the way. He’s inspired me to try and do the best I can at anything I try.”
