Shea Busch and the Long Road to Recovery
WHL Everett Silvertips

Shea Busch and the Long Road to Recovery

Published on April 9, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Everett Silvertips News Release


EVERETT, Wash. - Shea Busch suffered an upper-body injury on Oct. 29 that threatened his season. Nearly five months to the day, he found himself back in the Everett Silvertips' lineup just in time for Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinal.

"It was so much fun," Busch said of his first game back. "I had a smile on my face the whole game. I just missed hockey so much and playing here, being a Silvertip, it means a lot."

Being away from the team so long, Busch wanted to focus on simple details and energy for his first shifts back. His approached paid dividends, as he struck for a goal at 5:23 in the third period of Game Three. His presence helped spur the Silvertips to a pair of road victories, sweeping the Portland Winterhawks in four games.

"It was nice to get a goal in the first game just to kind of be officially 'back,'" he said. "And I mean, at the end of the day just getting those two wins was great."

"That's a long time without hockey," noted head coach Steve Hamilton. "It's not only the time away, it's five months without practice, five months without being involved in team meetings and video. There's a lot that's gone on. And now you're asking him to just jump in, and I thought he was awesome. His energy, it was so Buschy."

The Florida Panthers draftee was tallying over a goal per game in his 12 regular season outings, netting 13 with five assists including his first career hat trick on Oct. 4 against Victoria. His shot, coupled with his physicality brought on with a 6-foot-3, 214-pound frame, was integral to the team's early-season success.

His injury sidelined him for months, forcing him off-ice for months. He was not allowed to skate for nearly eight weeks prior to his surgery and for another two weeks post-surgery. After spending seemingly an eternity at his home in Vancouver, B.C., Busch finally got the clearance he was hoping for.

"I was on a zoom call with [Silvertips athletic trainer] Blake Draughon and the doctor," Busch explained, "and I was just hoping she was going to say that my wrist was all good to go. Right as I got the green light from her, I was just pumped. I drove down right away, and it's just been so nice getting back in with the guys and just being back in the mix."

Busch could not have been more eager to get back to playing hockey. "I went out here and there with a couple Everett youth teams and practiced with them when nobody was really around just because I just wanted to get on the ice. It was nice to get that feeling again."

Not only did Busch have to get back into game shape after his hiatus, he also had to prepare to jump into intensely physical playoff hockey.

"For me being a bigger guy on the team, I always want to be physical. I did a lot of hard bag skates when I was at home, I didn't want to come back here cold turkey. It's playoff hockey. It's definitely a step up from the regular season so you've always got to be ready to go.

"My trainer back home, he's so great," Busch continued. "I worked out hard three days a week. He killed my legs every week, just to get stronger. I feel like my legs got bigger, so that's been nice and I feel good on the ice. He helped me a lot."

"If there's one thing to know about Shea," praised Hamilton, "he did a lot of work when no one was watching. He did a lot of work to get himself well-conditioned. All he was waiting for was the green light from the surgeon. To be able to come in at that pace this time of year and make an impact, that says a lot about him."

Busch's motor is a big reason why he saw success in the 2025 WHL Playoffs, leading all WHL rookies in first-round goals with five against Seattle.

"Getting back into my first couple shifts my first couple games, I want to be physical and just get back into it, get the adrenaline going again. Shooting the puck I feel like is a big part of my game and for Everett. We always want to get shots on net too, so I'm always trying to do that, see how many shots I can get per period."

Fortunately, Busch said he hasn't faced too much of a learning curve despite the absence. "Our systems hadn't changed that much but there were a couple things [Coach Hamilton] had to guide me through and show me on the whiteboard. At the end of the day you just got to go out there and play hockey."

"That was my first time being on the ice with Rylan Gould," he joked. "It's crazy sometimes it feels like I've been out for five months and other times it doesn't."

Longterm injuries can be mentally challenging on any athlete. Busch's optimism for his return is what got him through his 5 months of injury. "I just tried to keep an open mind and only stay positive through things. It's easy to look at the negatives but just knowing that you're going to be back at some point... I came back at the best time of the year, so can't complain at all."

Tickets for Games One and Two of the Western Conference Semifinal against the Kelowna Rockets are available.

Article by Lindsey McClellan

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Western Hockey League Stories from April 9, 2026


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