Some rookie defencemen might have shaken in their skates at just the thought of it. But 颅Victoria Grizzlies blue-liner Brady MacDonald saw them as teachable moments when facing the former Grizzlies forward line of Alex Newhook, Riley Hughes and Alex Campbell in practice sessions.
Newhook, a first-round NHL draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche, will represent sa国际传媒 at the 2021 IIHF world junior championship tournament beginning this month in Edmonton. Campbell is a third-round selection of the Nashville 颅Predators currently with Clarkson 颅University, and Hughes, playing at Northeastern now, is a pick of the New York Rangers.
You learn fast to tread or you sink in those situations. It was the former for MacDonald, who this week accepted an offer to play NCAA Div. 1 hockey in the Ivy League for Dartmouth College. It鈥檚 at career-defining moments like this a young player鈥檚 mind races to those first few steps on the ice with a new team in a new city two years ago.
鈥淚t was an eye-opener. I was out of Junior B in Ontario and next thing I鈥檓 in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League in Victoria with Alex Newhook, Riley Hughes and Alex Campbell barrelling in on me,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hey are so quick. It was hugely beneficial for me to play against them in practice. I learned so much.鈥�
MacDonald put that 颅knowledge to good use. It 颅vindicated the cross-country move to play Junior A.
鈥淚t was a huge decision at the time but my adviser told me the BCHL was the way to go,鈥� said MacDonald.
鈥淚n the end, it turned into the right decision.鈥�
On and off the ice: 鈥淭he bonus was ending up in a place like Victoria to play.鈥�
MacDonald鈥檚 progression has been steady despite injuries, the latest which kept him out of the exhibition season this fall. The strapping six-foot-four rearguard is ready to play now but the start of the BCHL regular season has been delayed to sometime in the new year due to the pandemic. Dartmouth, however, had seen enough last season to convince its recruiters and coaches.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say no to an Ivy,鈥� said MacDonald.
Asked to describe his style, the 20-year-old native of Dorchester, Ont., said: 鈥淚 consider myself a big, two-way defenceman who takes pride defensively, but who can also chip in offensively.鈥�
Although his third season with the Grizzlies will be truncated, MacDonald is looking forward to it none-the-less.
鈥淲e have a deep lineup that could do some damage when we get back,鈥� he said.
Then comes tree-dappled Ivy League campus life, which post-vaccine should be nearly back to its normal bucolic ways next fall, when MacDonald arrives as a freshman to play for the Big Green. He said he will major in Business while striving toward his dreams of pro hockey.
鈥淚 am looking forward to exploring New Hampshire,鈥� he said.
But not before he explores a few more blue lines when and if the BCHL re-starts.