Can we talk about the assumption that Shane isn’t a good captain or strong leader of the Voyagers just because he’s by nature kinda quiet, introverted, and anxious? (And autistic. And half-Asian)
“Not the most sociable” the announcer says in the first two minutes of the show.
I think everyone accepts that Shane is the Montreal captain because he’s the best player, he’s highly media-trained, he’s their first line center, he’s the star, he’s very even-tempered and unlikely to start shit or get into trouble that would reflect poorly on the team. Those are all good, reasonable, and common reasons to make someone the captain, and Shane should get credit for all that.
But I think Shane also has strong interpersonal leadership skills that we should talk about more. He’s not loud and in your face like Ilya is with the Bears. He’s not a hype man; that seems more like JJ’s role in the TV show. But there’s more than one way to be a good leader, and yes, quiet/introverted/autistic people can be good leaders.
For starters, if you think Shane wouldn’t approach leading a hockey team with the same intensity, focus, preparation and practice as he approaches all other aspects of the game, then you don’t know Shane. That man is definitely reading books about sports leadership, sports psychology, biographies of great leaders in sports, and applying those concepts. He spent his first few seasons watching his own captain and captains of other teams interact with players, refs, coaches, etc and he imitated/incorporates the behaviors that he likes into his own repertoire. He spends his time as an A practicing and refining these skills. By the time he has the C, he has an entire toolbox that he can deploy in various situations. If he fucks up a social interaction—or even if he just thinks he could’ve handled a situation better—he’s dissecting it and making adjustments just like he would if he had fucked up a pass.
This man has a 7-point leadership framework in his head and he is evaluating himself ruthlessly against all the criteria and constantly making improvements.
The second thing is that we know Shane is a very caring person. He cares about the Pikes, he cares about Ilya, and this shows up as a genuine interest in their lives and how they’re doing or feeling. Maybe he’s not the most perceptive person and he definitely has big blind spots as we see in TLG, but that isn’t for lack of caring. If we think about how this might translate in a leadership style, then maybe Shane isn’t the type to jump on a bench and scream “let’s fucking GOOOO!!!” but maybe he’s the type to sit down next to a teammate who’s been quieter than usual, give him a shoulder bump and go “hey man, what’s going on? I haven’t seen you this quiet since Coach asked which of us motherfuckers set off the smoke alarm in Detroit.” He’s not a big speech person—although he does public speaking all the time—and he’s quiet in groups, preferring to let others talk, but he’s great at one-on-ones and the guys appreciate him for that.
Third, the team trusts him and respects him. He earns their trust and respect by leading by example, holding himself to the same or higher standards as he holds his team, working harder than anyone else, and leading with integrity. He brings out the best in them because they want to earn his trust and respect in return, so they try harder. When he tells you “good job,” you know he means it and he’s not just saying it. When he glares at you, you know you fucked up majorly.
The team loves him, not because he’s their buddy who drinks and goes out to clubs with them*, but because he’s their captain and a damn good one at that.
*I firmly believe Shane does go out with his team, he buys rounds for the guys (and ginger ale for himself), he destroys them at darts, he ribs the guys when a girl approaches one of them, etc because even though clubs and bars aren’t his thing, he knows it’s part of “being a good captain” and “bonding with his team” so he takes that very seriously. The flip side is that because he’s The Captain and he’s good guy Shane Hollander, there are a subset of guys who will make different plans and go out on nights when Shane isn’t hosting a team outing because they don’t want him cramping their style or watching them do shady shit. Shane is aware of this, but there’s nothing he can do about it except remind everyone about curfew. He is not surprised when, years later, that it’s the members of this subgroup who are the most vocal haters in the Voyagers locker room.
