QMJHL, 2011-2012 Thread

[-Harlington-]

Ill just start this up with something that looks good for my city, aha


.MacKinnon will be a ‘fan favourite’: Canada Games coach


MacKinnon trade from Baie-Comeau expected announced today Carl Gelinas, Francis Turbide and three first-rounders expected price Halifax gets its man: MacKinnon officially a Moosehead

MATTHEW WUEST
METRO HALIFAX
Published: July 13, 2011 12:23 a.m.
Last modified: July 13, 2011 8:25 a.m.

So what’s the deal with this Nathan MacKinnon kid, anyway?

The 15-year-old Cole Harbour native is expected to officially become a member of the Halifax Mooseheads this morning in a blockbuster trade with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

And those who have yet to see MacKinnon play have got to be wondering what all the fuss is about.

The fuss is about the No. 1 overall pick in the QMJHL draft and a five-foot-11, 170-pound centre who The Hockey News has already pegged as a top-five prospect for the 2013 NHL draft.

“When he’s busting down the wing, you don’t have to be a hockey fan to know something special’s going on, that he’s a little better than anyone else,” said Troy Ryan, MacKinnon’s assistant coach at the Canada Winter Games. “You can hear it in the sound of the crowd.”

MacKinnon, who is coming off a 39-goal, 85-point season at Shattuck St.-Mary’s prep school in the state of Minnesota, was sensational at the Canada Games, finishing the seven-game tournament with eight goals and three assists.

“He’s a very dynamic and explosive hockey player,” said former Mooseheads associate coach Chris Donnelly, who was MacKinnon’s head coach at the Games.

“He only needs two or three steps and he’s at full flight … He’s not afraid to get in the dirty areas and he plays with an edge.”

Ryan said MacKinnon “lurks around like a shark” in the offensive zone.

“He wants the puck on his stick, he wants to be the guy that either succeeds or fails,” Ryan said.

Nobody wants to put unfair expectations on MacKinnon as a QMJHL rookie, and his linemates and ice time will in part dictate his point total. But his hard-working style is unlikely to disappoint, Donnelly said.

“He’s a guy who won’t cheat the fans one dime in the way he plays,” Donnelly said. “He’s going to be a fan favourite because of the charisma he brings and the style of game he plays … and he will be a team-first guy, there’s no question about it.”