Former St. Lawrence University men's hockey coach and Legend of Appleton Mike McShane has been selected as a 2021 John MacInnes Award winner by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA).

Established by the AHCA in 1982 to honor former Michigan Tech coach John MacInnes, this award recognizes those people who have shown a great concern for amateur hockey and youth programs. The recipients have had high winning percentages, as well as outstanding graduating percentages among their former players. The winners of this award have helped young men grow not only as hockey players, but more importantly, as men.

McShane and retired University of New Hampshire head coach Dick Umile — McShane's teammate from their playing days at UNH — are co-winners of the award this year.

""It's great to see Mike recognized by the AHCA with the John MacInnes Award for his tremendous impact on the young men that he coached and the many years of success that he had with many programs, including here at St. Lawrence," said Charles W. Appleton II Head Men's Hockey Coach Brent Brekke. "It seemed like he was receiving the national coach of the year almost every year at our national coaches convention. His longevity as a coach and the success of his teams year after year is pretty amazing."

After coaching the Saints from 1980-85, McShane went on to coach at Providence College for nine seasons and at Norwich for 23 seasons before retiring in 2018. In his time at St. Lawrence, he helped turn the program around, finishing with a 96-65-6 record in five seasons, including an NCAA tournament appearance in 1983.

Recognized as a "Legend of Appleton" in 2018, McShane joined an elite group of Laurentians who helped build the hockey tradition at St. Lawrence through their play, commitment and impact on the programs and the hockey world.

McShane joins former Saints coach Joe Marsh (2014) and Ron Mason '64 (2003), who coached at Lake Superior State, Bowling Green and Michigan State as Laurentian winners of the John MacInnes Award.

St. Lawrence University Athletic Hall of Fame member and women's hockey alumna Michele Amidon '94 is also being honored with the Women's Ice Hockey Founders Award.