Ethan MacKenzie was at home in Peachland, B.C. watching the NHL draft on Saturday when his phone started buzzing.
“I decided to stay home and be around the people that helped me get to the places where I got to this year,” the 19-year-old Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman said. “I had family, my grandpa, grandma, uncle, aunts, like everyone over. I had a bunch of my close family and friends and I was just sitting in the living room and ended up getting texts from some people that are at the draft that said, ‘Congrats,’ and my name wasn’t up on the screen yet, so I didn’t even know. I was like, all right, well, who’s next?”
The Toronto Maple Leafs were on the clock in the third round.
“I saw Toronto at 69 and I was like, well, I guess I’m going to Toronto,” MacKenzie told TSN with a big smile. “I was pretty, pretty honoured and it was so special.”
After being passed over in the previous two NHL drafts, MacKenzie finally heard his name called.
“A great story, and a good testament to the scouts to continue evaluating players,” said Leafs assistant general manager (player evaluation) Judd Brackett. “It is not just in their first year. Ethan obviously had a great year with [making] the World Junior team. He is a player we had some familiarity with. We had him at our rookie camp last year. There is a personal connection there, too. But he earned it. He had some injury history in his WHL years. He has continued to grow and expand his game.”
MacKenzie produced 22 goals and 58 points in 59 games in the Western Hockey League last season and earned a spot on Canada’s World Junior team. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound left-shot never lost hope that his draft moment would come.
“My first year through the draft, I knew it wasn’t going to happen because I had an injury that lasted the whole year,” he said. “I didn’t really get to play hockey. And then last year I thought I had a pretty good chance and after I went through that draft, I kind of told myself and my coach, family members, I’m going to prove it wrong to everyone else and that it’s a mistake they didn’t pick me. I just wanted to have another strong year and show I’m good enough and I want to be playing in the NHL someday. I wanted to show that all the teams made a mistake by not picking me. All throughout the year it was in my head that I wanted to get picked in this draft. I’m just happy that it actually came true.”
During a conversation with TSN, MacKenzie reflected on his journey to this point, shared some insight on World Junior teammate and fellow Leafs draft pick Gavin McKenna and also explained why the University of North Dakota will be a perfect spot for him next season. The following is an edited transcript of the interview.
TSN: What’s it feel like to finally achieve this big milestone?
MacKenzie: It’s definitely a weight off my back and just a relief that it actually happened. I know there’s a ton more work to come. My goal is not done with just getting drafted. I got a lot more work to do, but [it’s significant] just being able to have that reassurance that whatever I was doing before worked out. So, I’ll just continue to keep doing that and keep working. And that’s kind of how I’ve been the last couple of years. I just put my head down and worked and it’s been working out. I’m just trying my best to stay level-headed and keep continuing that way.
TSN: What did you learn about yourself going through this process?
MacKenzie: It’s not easy. There’s a lot of ups and downs and twists and turns. It’s never really a straight and narrow path. Definitely you go through some dark times and you find some people in your corner and you need them around. I’ve always been a hard worker and wanted to push myself, but there were times where I had to dig really deep and, yeah, just kept my head down and just kept going as far as I could because I know there’s people, other guys that want it just as bad or even more. I needed to push myself to want it more than them and do everything I can to beat them out.
TSN: How did you celebrate after getting drafted?
MacKenzie: It was fun. Most of my family stuck around. We had some lawn games going and just hanging out in the front yard, kind of playing some music, having a good time and everyone stuck around to just enjoy the moment.
TSN: What were your expectations going into Saturday about when you might be picked?
MacKenzie: Honestly, I didn’t really know. I’d been told second to fourth round, kind of in that area, but I was just going with the flow and whenever it happened, it happened. I was just trying to enjoy the time with the family and the people that were over and close to me.
TSN: Did you have any feeling it could be the Leafs?
MacKenzie: Not really. I had good talks with them, but it wasn’t anything over the top or talking consistently. It was the one at the combine and I had one previous call before then, so it wasn’t like a lot of calls. But definitely when we did talk, we had good communication.
TSN: What stands out about the Leafs?
MacKenzie: An Original Six team. It started the whole NHL. I’m so honoured and so happy to be a part of that and to be able to be in Canada still. To be able to wear a Maple Leaf on my chest, it’s so special.
TSN: What was the initial call with the Leafs like after getting picked?
MacKenzie: It was about five minutes after I got picked, I got a call and I went outside. I talked to the GM [John Chayka]. He was saying they’re happy to have me a part of the team. I don’t know, I was just trying to take it all in. I was kind of still starstruck at the time. When I got the call, it definitely hit me that it actually happened and that’s when it really sunk in that I got drafted by the Leafs.
TSN: What type of player are the Leafs getting?
MacKenzie: A two-way defenceman, who is hardworking and super competitive. I like getting feisty. I like getting gritty. I like the hard areas, making it tough for the other team and making it a pain for them, but also being able to help out offensively and generate in the rush and putting some points up too.
TSN: Who’s your NHL role model?
MacKenzie: Lately it’s been Bowen Byram. Watching him during the playoffs and everything, he was pretty awesome. I feel like we have a similar style. I also say Sean Durzi. I kind of play similar to those two. I watch a lot of their games and look up to them.
TSN: Watching Byram in the playoffs, what impressed you?
MacKenzie: Just his skating and how calm he is with the puck. He’s just so good. With his stickhandling, he knows where it has to go. He knows where every guy’s at and his breakouts, just how clean he is with his passes and everything.
TSN: You played with first-overall pick Gavin McKenna at the World Juniors. What did you learn about him?
MacKenzie: He’s unreal. He’s a special player. You know that you always have the high-end talent when you’re going to one of those camps, but just the way he can excel and prove that he is the best even in that camp and with all those guys there, it was pretty cool to watch him. It’s just so, so special his hands, his feet, his IQ and how he sees the ice is unreal.
TSN: You got paired up at times at the World Juniors with Leafs 2024 first-round pick Ben Danford. What stood out?
MacKenzie: Just his defensive game, how calm he is, how responsible he is defensively and how he was able to shut down key guys and big guys on other teams. It was pretty impressive and I learned a lot from how he defends and how hard he defends.
TSN: In Edmonton, you played with Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka. What was that like?
MacKenzie: Oh, I loved it. Our first year, when he came, he barely could speak any English. It was a couple sentences at a time and you had to be pretty slow and methodical the way you talk to him. But over the past couple of years, we got super close and his English got a lot better and we just were able to joke around and just have a great time. I loved every second being with him, so I’m super pumped to be able to play with him again.
TSN: What did your phone look like after you got picked?
MacKenzie: (Smile) I don’t like sitting on my phone too much, so it wasn’t too fun. I had about, I don’t know, 100 texts and I don’t even know how many adds and snaps and all the other social media things. But about a 100 texts from friends, family, past coaches, like everything. It was just blowing up.
TSN: Any messages surprise you?
MacKenzie: Ah, not really. A lot of them are just the same, like, ‘Hey, congrats,’ and that stuff. I had a couple of coaches from when I was five, six that reached out and it was pretty nice to hear from them. I haven’t talked to them for a little while, so it was pretty, pretty awesome to hear from them.
TSN: What are you focusing on this summer?
MacKenzie: I’m just going to Toronto’s development camp [this week] and trying to put my best foot forward and then I head down to North Dakota four days after I get home. It’s just a lot about getting bigger, getting stronger, being able to up my game to be able to play against guys who are older. I just want to keep continuing the way I kind of finished the year this year.
TSN: Why is the University of North Dakota a good fit?
MacKenzie: Just their history of how they’ve made NHLers and everyone that they’ve kind of helped develop and move to that next level. When I went there last summer, they told me the way they wanted to play and how they wanted to do it and it kind of fit my game style and how I like to play too. I just feel like it was the best fit for me. Their organization and how they run their facilities and all the new stuff they get each year, just how good the gym is, their shooting area, their rink, like everything they do is pretty much a pro team already. Going from Edmonton to North Dakota, it’s pretty much pro to pro and I feel like that’s the next best step for me to be able to further my career.
