After getting into three games as a call-up last winter, Elora native Owen MacDonald is learning the ropes as a full-time Ontario Hockey League (OHL) player in his first full season with the London Knights.
MacDonald, who scored his first OHL goal in a 3-1 win over the Erie Otters last season, has yet to find the back of the net in the current campaign, managing just two assists and 20 penalty minutes so far.
However, his stock with the team is clearly on the rise.
After playing in a few games early on, the 17-year-old rookie forward spent most of the fall as a healthy scratch on a veteran-laden London squad that is set to host the Memorial Cup tournament this spring.
However, since mid-December he’s been playing on a regular basis and has now played in 28 of the team’s 45 games. MacDonald feels several elements have combined to provide him with the opportunity to crack the line-up.
“Just hard work – and I think the world juniors have helped out, with taking a couple of our players over there and just some injuries and things like that,” he said.
“But I think I’ve been working very hard every day in practice and that’s all you’ve got to do. Hard work is going to take you long way, so I think that’s a big part of it.”
Selected in the second round of the 2012 OHL draft, MacDonald was a prolific goal scorer in minor hockey, putting up 80 points in 55 games in as a minor midget with the Guelph Junior Storm. Last season he recorded 20 goals and 20 assists in 50 games at the Junior B level with the St. Mary’s Lincolns of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Currently, the 5’8”, 155-pound winger feels his role is to “be an energizer on the fourth line and play my role and maybe chip in and produce offensively a little bit, and basically just play sound defence.”
He feels his stats will improve as he adjusts to the league.
“I’m still developing through practices and working hard. You can’t take anything for granted and I think coming here was a big stepping stone for me,” he said. “I’m used to putting up a lot of points in previous leagues … but you’ve always got to adjust and I’m still doing that.”
MacDonald says the speed of the game and overall skill level are the biggest differences he’s noticed since moving up to the OHL.
“Everyone’s a lot better in every single way. It’s a stepping stone to the NHL and everyone’s fighting for a job there and there’s no friends here. So it’s a big adjustment, but I think I’ve been handling it well,” he said, adding, “Everyone can really play up here and nothing’s easy.”
MacDonald is also adjusting off the ice, as switching schools and living away from home are all part of the OHL experience for most players. However, he notes the Knights organization does a lot to ease the transition.
“I’ve got a billet family and they’ve done great things for me and I think they’re a real key part of my success down here. They’ve been awesome, supportive … I’ve a billet brother and billet sister, so it’s pretty cool, I really enjoy myself living down here with them.”
MacDonald’s parents, Paul and Vanessa MacDonald, are regular attendees at the Knights Friday night home games and also attend most of the games in Guelph, Kitchener and Owen Sound. For games further afield, he notes, “they have the OHL package so they just catch it on TV.”
Adjusting to the new school has also gone smoothly for MacDonald, who was named Academic Player of the Month for the OHL’s Midwest Division in November. Like the two other high school-age players on the Knights, MacDonald attends a London private school, the Blyth Academy.
“It’s done great things for our players. I really enjoy my time there and the teachers are great … it’s a great opportunity,” said MacDonald, who said he is focusing on business and management-related courses.
Although fourth in the tough Western Conference, the Knights sit fifth overall in the OHL, with a record of 29-11-1-4. Playing on a top-ranked squad can be a mixed blessing for a rookie, MacDonald notes.
“I think if I play my role I’ll be fine, but it’s always got to be tougher for the young kids coming into to a league like this, and on a team like this – it’s an older team. I think we’ve adjusted well, the younger players, and I think the older players have done a great job with us. They really teach us every day and I think that plays a big role in it.”
As hosts of the Memorial Cup tournament, the Knights are guaranteed a berth in the Canadian Junior Hockey League championship event. However, MacDonald says the team’s goal is to qualify as OHL champions.
“We want to go in through the front door and I think we’re going to do that.”
As he continues to learn and adapt, MacDonald is also managing to enjoy and appreciate the opportunity.
“I think the thing biggest thing I love is just being around the guys and playing in such a great organization in a great city – and the fans are just unbelievable,” he said.
“It’s the best organization you could play for in junior hockey. They prepare players for the NHL and I think that’s the best experience I can have.”
