By Owen Sienko
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Every hockey team has its worker bee -- the player who loves showing up to the rink for every practice and every game, strapping on their equipment, and putting in a full effort.
Luke Caddo is Syracuse’s worker bee.
“I would definitely want to be remembered as a guy who shows up with his hard hat on, just ready to help the team,” he said.
From the moment Caddo came into this world, his path was set out for him. His father, Tim Caddo, played four years of Division 1 NCAA hockey with Notre Dame, followed by a year of professional hockey in Finland’s 2 Divisioona league.
Luke was born to be a hockey player.
When he was just three years old, his dad strapped a pair of skates to his feet and set him loose on the ice. He said the first time did not go so well.
“First time I was out there, I actually fell, scraped my face up, my mom was horrified. I never wanted to skate again,” Caddo said.
Luckily, his dad convinced him to give it another try the very next day. Sure enough, Caddo fell in love with hockey, and 15 years later, he was approached by Assistant Coach Andrew Wolinski about playing for Syracuse. Caddo said his mind was made up after his first visit.
“Pretty much everything but the weather, I would say, was a positive when I visited,” he said jokingly.
Upon arriving at Syracuse, Caddo impressed the coaches with his responsible defensive play and instantly became a staple on the back end. In just his freshman year, he suited up for all 36 games while registering only 17 penalty minutes, both of which are still career-best marks.
In his senior year, Caddo’s contributions to the team on and off the ice earned him a letter on his jersey, but he says the alternate captaincy did not change his approach to the game or his role on the team.
“I just try to really focus on [...] trying to be a good leader, a good teammate, and a good friend, because that’s what we really are at the end of the day,” Caddo said.
When the puck drops on Senior Night this weekend, Luke Caddo will cement his name in Syracuse Club Hockey history. By the time he steps off the ice in his final game with the Orange, Caddo will hold the club’s record for most games played with 123.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” he said after learning about his upcoming milestone. “I’ll hold that close to me forever, I think.”
Caddo says he plans to put his Marketing and Supply Chain Management major to good use right after graduation. After all, he already has a job lined up with ALDI Foods as a district manager for Central New York.
“I’m going to be managing a number of stores in the area, kind of overseeing operations and personnel and things like that, which I’m super excited about,” he said.
From his leadership in the locker room to his record number of games played on the ice, Luke Caddo has had an immeasurable, lasting impact on the Syracuse Men’s Club Ice Hockey program.
Through each and every one of his 123 games with the Orange, Caddo has been a worker bee, a heart-and-soul player, and a model teammate.
Contact Me:
By Email: oasienko@syr.edu
By Twitter: @OsienkO
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