Father, son duo reunite behind the Oswego State men’s hockey bench

For most father-son duos, hockey is a game to watch or play. For Frank and Daniel Colabufo, it’s different. Together they help develop and lead the Oswego State men’s ice hockey team, a perennial national contender at the Division III level.

Following the July retirement of legendary Oswego State men’s ice hockey coach Ed Gosek, assistant coach Jon Whitelaw was promoted to head coach, while graduate assistant Daniel Colabufo moved into an assistant’s role. With an opportunity to add experience to his staff, Whitelaw knew his former student teaching field supervisor could be the right fit — just beyond the Oswego State program itself, but with a familiar last name.

“I was driving back from my in-laws with my wife when I got a phone call from Whitey (Jon Whitelaw). He asked me to be part of the coaching staff. I was honored and flattered,” Oswego State volunteer assistant coach Frank Colabufo said. “We talked about my commitments to coaching at West Genesee (school district) and teaching full-time. As long as I could fulfill the responsibilities, I wanted to be part of it.”

Frank Colabufo comes to the Oswego State program as a legendary coaching figure at West Genesee High School. The 2024 inductee of the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame boasts over 500 wins with 16 League Championships, 16 Sectional Titles, 11 New York State Frozen Four appearances and three New York State championships over 30 years of coaching high school athletes, including his son, Daniel, with whom he will share the bench this season.

With responsibilities mounting and the accolades and awards on his mantle, it could have been easy to decline Whitelaw’s coaching offer, but Frank Colabufo could not resist the new challenge at a higher level.

“First of all, it’s a passion for the game. I don’t take it for granted,” Frank Colabufo said. “I still love going to the rink, but it is also about the people, being around the players and being part of the game. That’s what keeps me going.”

Frank Colabufo added that while he will not be on the ice for every practice due to teaching and coaching at West Genesee, he assured his contributions will still be felt through video sessions, in-game coaching, and individual player meetings.

When Daniel Colabufo saw his dad on the ice with him for an afternoon skills practice in early September, it just felt like a long-overdue reunion, this time as college coaching colleagues.

“I’ve played for a lot of coaches, but I also played for my dad from ages two to 16,” Daniel Colabufo said. “We’ve worked together at camps and with summer teams, but coaching together at this level is different because there’s more pressure to be successful. It’s a really cool new chapter in our hockey careers.”

For Daniel, the opportunity to coach alongside his father is about more than sharing a bench. Before this season, the two spent years on opposite sides of the coach-player relationship, with Frank helping shape Daniel’s game from the early days of his playing career.

“I’ve learned so much from him about habits, details, defensive play and the little aspects of the game,” Daniel Colabufo said. “More importantly, I’ve learned lessons and values that apply both in hockey and outside of it. It’s hard to put everything I’ve learned from him into words.”

Frank Colabufo preached that building relationships, trust and helping players achieve their goals is a core belief of his coaching philosophy, something he shares with Daniel and has seen him exercise early in his coaching career.

But Daniel Colabufo sees the opportunity to work alongside his father and Whitelaw as a chance to continue learning while helping the Lakers compete at the highest level.

“I’m 25 and new to this role, and I realize I have a lot to learn,” Daniel Colabufo said. “Having my dad and the rest of the coaching staff available to discuss situations and ideas is invaluable. I can ask how to approach a particular player or situation, share my thoughts and learn from their experience.”

While the two exchanged compliments and shared approaches, I just had to know if there had been any disagreement between the two, whether it was when Daniel was a player or a coach.

“Disagree might be too strong a word,” Frank Colabufo said. “We’ve had different views on how to do things, and sometimes he sees things differently than I do. But it’s usually been more about conversation and constructive criticism than any serious disagreement.”

Daniel once again agreed with his father, though he laughed as he recalled moments in high school when he found himself in the penalty box, catching his father’s “death stare” from the bench across the ice Later, he realized that competitiveness is just part of the game.

Those old memories will only get stronger the closer it gets to Dec. 11. The two will return to Camillus when the Lakers take on the Nazareth Golden Flyers at Shove Park for the Griffin’s Guardians game, bringing Daniel back to the rink where he grew up playing.

“It’s really special because that’s home for me, and it always will be,” Daniel Colabufo said. “I have a lot of great memories, championships, hard work, lessons, and special moments there. My dad was part of those teams, too, so it’s really special to return. I’m grateful that Whitey got the game on the schedule because he knows how much it means to me.”

For Frank, after 30 years behind the bench, the opportunity to coach alongside his son at the college level at a prestigious program like Oswego State is a challenge that he’s taking head-on and will not take for granted, while Daniel has gained the chance to learn just a little bit more from the person who first introduced him to the game.

“Being here and working with Whitey and Daniel, I’ve already learned a lot,” Frank said. “I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity because I love the game.”

After years spent sharing the rink as a coach and player, as well as father and son, the Colabufos now have a new chapter as coaching colleagues in a season that will give them a feeling of old for one night and a season of memories that will last a lifetime.