It was pretty obvious from the beginning that Tanner Spink was going to be a hockey player.

Spink’s dad, Kenton, is the assistant general manager of the Cornwall Colts in the Central Canada Hockey League. Spink’s twin brothers — Tyson and Tylor — both played for Cornwall, then went on to Colgate University and now play professionally in Germany.

Growing up, Spink, Tyson and Tylor played pond hockey in their hometown of Williamstown, Ontario, Canada. Eventually, Tyson and Tylor both became examples to follow for Spink in “hockey life” after midget hockey.

“My family is hockey crazy,” Spink said. “[Tylor and Tyson] were my role models with what I was going to do and how I was going to do it.”

Tyson and Tylor, who are a little less than four years older than Spink, helped “pave the way” by the time junior hockey came around for Spink. All three of them played for Cornwall. Tyson and Tylor played four years with the Colts from 2009-2012, while Spink played five seasons from 2012-2017.

Tyson played in 169 games for Cornwall and Tylor was not far behind with 141 games played. But Spink, including that extra season, played in 274 games. Spink said he believes he is top-three in all-time games played for Cornwall and could have been No. 1 had it not been for injuries.

Spink’s older brothers made their way to college hockey in the United States at Div. I Colgate University, ironically just an hour and a half away from Oswego State. Having the “Spink” name brought some opportunities for the youngest brother, but Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek said the coaching staff was on him pretty hard during the recruiting process in the last couple years of Spink’s time in junior hockey.

“He had some Div. I interest because of his brothers’ success. Both of them being very good players, he had the name and he was a very good student,” Gosek said. “He committed [to Oswego State], but if he got something Div. I, obviously he was going to take it, which we understood.”

Choosing Oswego State was easy for Spink. He talked to a few different Oswego State alumni he was familiar with, including Williamstown native Chris Ayotte, who graduated from Oswego State in 2013, as well as Stephen Johnson, a 2017 graduate who played in Cornwall. 

Spink mentioned he essentially knew “the ins and outs” of what Oswego State hockey was and what the program was like. Plus, players like Mitch Herlihey, who was a senior when Spink was a freshman, with open arms, Spink added.

Once the games rolled around, having a packed Marano Campus Center every weekend, Spink started to get more and more settled in.

“Mitch was my favorite captain I’ve ever had … He made it very easy to step in as a freshman,” Spink said. “You would be out in the community shopping for groceries with your hockey jacket on, and they’d stop and talk with you and ask you how things were going, sharing their excitement for the weekend ahead. It made it easier being here.”

As a freshman, Spink made an immediate impact on the Oswego State squad, playing in 22 games and leading the freshmen class in goals with seven.

Throughout Spink’s entire career in junior and college hockey, he was plagued with several injuries. Early in his time at Cornwall, Spink experienced some shoulder injuries that reoccurred while playing for the Lakers.

Gosek said that Spink worked hard to rehabilitate his injury and gave “everything he could” during his three years.

“You weren’t going to out-work Spinker. He’s not the beast-looking specimen like Carter Allen. But he was always in great shape,” Gosek said. “He was always in the training room and working out to try to get an advantage. He’d come early to practice or stay late. You respect a guy like that.” 

Within a six-year period, Spink had surgery on his left shoulder three times. 

Spink said that before the injuries, especially in midget hockey, he was more of a “grinding player,” getting into the “dirty areas” of the ice. Afterward, he was forced to change his style of play in order to avoid further injuries.

“I don’t really want to look back and think about what could have, should have or would have happened without the injuries, but it definitely was a factor for sure,” Spink said. “You have to evolve your style of play to prevent the injury from happening again. It doesn’t affect the way you play as much, just the style.” 

Spink finished his three seasons with 74 games played, amassing 41 points. However, he was not able to have what could have been his “breakout year,” according to Gosek, since the 2020-2021 season was canceled.

For his senior year, Spink was named one of the assistant captains. Gosek mentioned that Spink’s leadership grew after his freshman year, while Spink “watched and observed guys that did the right thing and guys that didn’t always do the right thing.”

“Certain guys establish themselves as guys that you can say, ‘OK, he could be a leader if he keeps going on this path because [he] does the right thing, says the right things,’” Gosek said. “Spink, you never had to worry about him. If he had a bad practice, it was a lack of execution not a lack of effort.”

He was one of only five seniors on the roster this season. Gosek said that between Spink’s health and “great shape,” plus “being out of the shadow” of the 13-player senior class from last season, his senior year could have been special.

“I feel like it was yesterday that it happened. I’m still trying to get over it,” Spink said. “You can’t control what life throws at you. It only makes us a better person.”

Now, Spink is looking ahead. Just like the other four seniors, Spink said he wishes he could play just one more game with his classmates. He was looking forward to having a strong senior season in order to pursue a professional career overseas, similar to his twin brothers.

If pro hockey does not work out, Spink said he is currently in the process of becoming a firefighter in his hometown of Williamstown, something he has always had an interest in but just never had the time due to hockey and school.

Spink said he will always remember his three years at Oswego State.

“Just, all around, it was very fun playing for Oswego for three years. I wish I could play with the rest of the seniors for a fourth year. But what can you do, right?” Spink said. “I have nothing but good things to say about this organization … It’s probably the most fun three years and a month that I’ve had in my entire life.”

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The Oswegonian file photo from 2019