It's the new year, and as "Auld Lang Syne" says, it's time for old acquaintances to be forgotten.
That motto rings especially true nowadays for the MSU hockey team, which saw two defensemen leave the team in December. Sophomore Duncan Keith, 19, and freshman Evan Shaw, 18, both quit the team before the holiday Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit.
Shaw left first, deciding soon after the fall semester that MSU wasn't the right place to further his hockey career. The Cumberland, R.I., native played nine of MSU's first 15 games, registering no points, two penalty minutes and a minus-1 plus/minus rating.
He was MSU's spare defenseman this season, and he acknowledged the lack of playing time contributed to his decision.
"It was part of it, but there were a lot of other things too," said Shaw, who declined to identify other factors. "I just felt a different route was necessary - that I'd be better somewhere else. It was nothing against Michigan State."
The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder said he still hasn't decided whether to transfer to another university or play for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
MSU head coach Rick Comley said Shaw's decision was best for both parties.
"Evan Shaw can't play at Michigan State because he's not good enough," Comley said. "I think it would be a mistake for him to go to Quebec. I think he should transfer and pick a school he can play for."
Keith, unlike Shaw, apparently didn't really want to leave MSU.
At the urging of his father and family adviser, Keith signed a contract with the Kelowna (British Columbia) Rockets of the Western Hockey League near Christmas. By the end of the day, Keith decided he wanted to return to school instead of playing for Kelowna, but because he signed a contract, the NCAA declared him ineligible to play for MSU.
Keith was traveling with the Rockets this weekend and couldn't be reached for comment. His best friend and roommate, sophomore left wing Kevin Estrada, said Keith would rather be in East Lansing.
"He was forced into it, I think, by his dad," Estrada said. "We talked about everything, and I kind of knew exactly what he was thinking. He tries to please everybody, and in a way, his dad was the biggest influence on him, and he used that to his advantage and got Dunc to sign.
"Dunc was crying on the way home from signing, and I guess his dad didn't know he didn't want to go so bad. By then it was too late. It's unfortunate, but hopefully he does well down there."
Keith, a 6-foot, 173-pounder, was one of MSU's most electrifying players - which was both good and bad. He scored a goal in "The Cold War," his first collegiate game, but only notched two others last season. This year, he had three goals, six assists and a minus-4 rating in 15 games.
The Penticton, B.C., native was one of MSU's best skaters, but he was often careless with the puck in his own zone and prone to turnovers.
"He's a talented young man," Comley said. "If you lose a player of that caliber, it's going to hurt your program. When he left school, he was not intending to leave. He was a very distraught young man when he realized he couldn't come back to school."
The Spartans now have only five true defensemen on their roster. Senior Steve Clark has switched from forward to defense to fill the void. Shaw said he wouldn't have stayed at MSU even if he knew Keith was about to vacate a defensive slot.
