Dadie’s Journey From Italy to Hamilton

When people think of countries that produce hockey players, Italy is usually not near the top of the list.

Simone Dadie ’28 dreams of changing how people view Italian hockey.

Dadie, a forward on the Colgate men’s hockey team, hails from Cortina d’Ampezzo, a town in northern Italy. Located within the Dolomites, Cortina is a hotspot for winter sports. Skiing and curling are popular. And so is hockey.

In addition, Cortina is hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“Hockey is not the first sport when people think of Italy and I take pride in helping to change that perception,” Dadie said. “Especially in Cortina and most of northern Italy, there is a huge hockey culture, and if you look closely you can see that even non-hockey traditional countries can produce good hockey players.”

Italians who want to play the sport on a professional level normally follow the same path — they work their way up the different age groups until they reach U20. Afterward, they either get an offer from a pro team or they don’t.

Dadie was 5-years-old when he discovered hockey. He used to visit the local ice rink with his older sister, who was into figure skating. After her skating lessons were over, Dadie watched youth hockey players take the ice. 

That’s when he told his parents he wanted to play hockey. He began playing in youth leagues, and moved up the age groups over the years. 

Unlike other Italians, however, Dadie eventually took a different route in hopes of playing pro hockey in Europe or North America. 

It happened at age 13, when he enrolled at an Austrian prep school that offered the opportunity to complete his high school education while playing hockey.

Four years later, he began looking at North America to continue playing hockey. He was drawn to the idea of continuing his development through junior hockey in the U.S. or Canada. Then he’d move on to a D-I school. 

The decision to leave Europe brought him to a place far different than Austria: Iowa.

Dadie had been drafted by the North Iowa Bulls of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), his first taste of junior hockey. His new home was Mason City, Iowa.

Shifting from high school hockey to junior hockey is often a big change because of the improved level of competition. That proved to be true for Dadie. But moving to Iowa also brought significant culture shock.

“Landscape and culture wise, the big difference was the food,” Dadie said. “Another really big change was not having a car. Usually in Europe, the cities are very walkable. In Iowa, it’s not possible to walk anywhere.”

After two years in Iowa, Dadie’s next stop was Powell River, British Columbia, a city north of Vancouver on the Sunshine Coast. There, Dadie was part of the Powell River Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). 

He was in a new league with stiffer competition and more opportunities to grow. He was also coached by NHL Hall of Fame right winger Glenn Anderson.

“I had the best junior hockey experience at Powell River,” he said. “There, it’s where I developed the most as a player.”

It was at Powell River when Colgate coaches found Dadie. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Dadie possessed size and skill. His character also appealed to Raiders’ coaches. 

Now Dadie calls Hamilton, N.Y., his home. As a Raider, he is having the time of his life playing college hockey while working on a degree in economics. 

“My experience at Colgate has been unbelievable,” Dadie said. “The level of hockey is great. We are playing tough teams. Every game is hard. I’m loving every day. Every day I’m getting better.”

As a sophomore, Dadie said he has seen his game improve since his rookie year. But there are still things he wants to work on. For instance, his first three steps are not the fastest, and he wants to do a better job of finding free ice around the net to score, he said.

Playing under head coach Mike Harder ’97 has also been a pleasant experience. 

“I love him,” Dadie said of his coach. “He rewards players when they are playing well. I really like playing for him.”

Dadie said he looks forward to watching the Winter Olympics and hopes his fellow countrymen can tally a few wins.

And he hopes to one day play among them at the pro level.

“My path to playing professional hockey is very unconventional, for European and Italian standards,” he said. “But it was the best decision for me and I don’t regret it at all. It has been a wonderful journey so far.”

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