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Jun. 26—GRAND FORKS — Ethan MacKenzie was eligible for the last two NHL Drafts.
He was not selected.
This year, MacKenzie left little doubt.
The UND incoming freshman defenseman had a breakout year with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League, turning into one of the league’s top blue liners. He played so well that he earned a spot on Canada’s World Junior Championship team.

Now, he’s firmly on NHL Draft boards.
MacKenzie is expected to go on Day 2 of the NHL Draft, which begins at 10 a.m. Saturday (NHL Network) in Buffalo, N.Y.
“What I did this year, I put myself in a good place and it has given me a little more thought that I might get picked,” MacKenzie said. “It’s definitely exciting. It’s what you dream of when you’re a kid — getting your name called in the draft. It’s just a start. It’s not the full thing. I’ve still got a lot more goals and aspirations I want to complete.”
MacKenzie will watch the draft with family members and friends at his home in Peachland, B.C.

MacKenzie scored 22 goals and tallied 58 points in 59 games for the Oil Kings.
He finished fourth among WHL defensemen in goals and ninth in points.
“His skating is elite,” UND associate head coach Matt Smaby said. “To be able to play at our level and the next level, you have to be a good skater. Skating is one of his biggest assets. I think he had a tremendous year. He should be coming in with a lot of confidence. He’s going to have to learn how to defend at this level. He’s going to have to continue to learn how to move the puck at this level and not overcook it. But he’s starting in a great place with his skating. I think he is going to be a tremendous college hockey player.”
MacKenzie was one of 90 players invited to the NHL Combine earlier this month in Buffalo, N.Y.

He met with 10 NHL teams at the Combine.
“It was a lot of fun,” MacKenzie said. “I met a lot of good guys. I got to run into Keaton (Verhoeff) again. It was good to see him and (Carson) Carels, too. It was a lot of fun hanging with the guys, going to meetings. The fitness testing in the end was a bagger. It was a solid week.”
UND head coach Dane Jackson said assistant Dillon Simpson recently met up with MacKenzie.
“Ethan was beaming with excitement about coming to North Dakota,” Jackson said. “Those are the guys you’re fired up to have — really high-end players with high-level skill and skating ability, and a fire to play for North Dakota and help us win. That’s such a huge part of our culture — not being a stepping stone to the next place, but guys who really want to win here.”

MacKenzie said he plans to come to Grand Forks during the second week of July.
“I’m super pumped about it,” he said. “I’ll get to use The Ralph and the training facilities they have at the rink there. It’s one of the best places facility-wise. They have unreal trainers. They’re going to do a lot of fun things so you can get close as a team. It will definitely be a different feeling for this summer, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
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