North Bay Battalion forward Brett McKenzie is ranked 120th among draft eligible players in this year's NHL Draft, which is set to take place June 26-27 in Sunrise, Florida. McKenzie will be attending the draft in person.
That time has come again.
With the North Bay Battalion’s playoff elimination less than two months in the past, it seems a fit time for hockey to be far from the mind, if only for a few weeks.
That is, with the exception of the world’s brightest young hockey talent, who anxiously count down the days until the big league clubs call their names at the NHL Draft in Sunrise, Florida.
For the teams and their respective scouts, what manifests in Florida on the 26 and 27 of this month will be a culmination of a year or two of work.
For the players though, it’s their entire lives.
One of those hopeful prodigies is the Battalion’s own Brett McKenzie.
With two full major-junior seasons now under his belt, McKenzie has seen his expectations and roles morph as his big league eligibility neared closer.
So now, in the dwindling days before the draft, here’s the context: after a less than stellar start to his sophomore campaign as a Troop, and a subsequent slip in the mid-season draft rankings, McKenzie gave himself a blunt four-out-of-ten rating in his all-important draft year.
From there, the second half of the regular season saw a slight increase in production and responsibility, but the offensive woes continued for the most part, drawing a few frustrated looks to the high heavens from time to time.
That analysis would, however, miss the many developments that make McKenzie’s game more compelling to the pro ranks: a strong two-way presence, sound defensive responsibility and an energetic, physical edge, among other favourable traits.
“I’m feeling good, but I’ve definitely been nervous coming into the draft,” McKenzie, 18, said while taking a break from packing his bags for Florida on Tuesday. “My sole focus has been on getting better, so regardless of where I get drafted, I just want to make a good impression and hopefully do well.”
Earlier this month, McKenzie was invited to the NHL Scouting Combine, where he participated in fitness tests, medical screenings and in-depth interviews alongside over 100 draft-eligible prospects.
Before taking off for Florida, McKenzie remained tight-lipped about the teams that he sat down with, but did say that there were multiple conversations that took place.
“It was amazing seeing all the top players in the world, so it was a good way to compare myself to them and now I know what I have to do to beat those guys and hopefully make it to the NHL,” he explained. “Overall, I’m happy with my performance at the combine.”
McKenzie’s only time off all summer came the week after the combine and has since picked up with full force after being motivated by being compared to the best players in his age group.
“I think my quickness on the ice is something I need to work on, plus my overall offensive game,” he said. “I can always do better.”
The online chatter and mock draft communities offer a broad range of guesstimates about where and when McKenzie will end up in the draft.
The official NHL Draft Prospect Rankings have him ranked 120, up four spots from his mid-season ranking, while some in the echelon of online commentary have McKenzie being picked closer to the sixth and seventh rounds; he has even been pegged as a potential deep-sleeper.
So the question of his draft status remains as pertinent as ever.
But where does he think his fate lies?
“I think with the way my year went, I’m hopeful that I will get drafted,” he said modestly. “I want to go as high as I can, but it doesn’t really matter about that; what matters is what happens after the draft and how hard you push yourself.”
Some hazard a guess that McKenzie’s offensive game has been bound within a rigid defensive regime typical under the tutelage of Battalion bench boss Stan Butler.
But that’s no excuse to stagnate.
If anything, Butler’s renowned and highly regarded ability to nurture a prospect’s multifaceted, responsible and versatile game has helped McKenzie market his game in a new way.
And when he did score in the latter stages of the season, he let you know about it with an emphatic celebration.
Make no doubt about it: the offensive flair the Battalion drafted him for in the first round of the 2013 Priority Selection is still harboured up somewhere in that 6’ 1.75” frame.
He finished the regular season with nine points through the final 12 games and, despite not registering a goal in the Battalion’s deep playoff push, his seven assists through 15 post season games were a much needed contribution on an offensively challenged squad that, at times, lacked top-line firepower.
Not to mention he only registered a minus-performance in the final elimination game against the ultimate Memorial Cup Champion Oshawa Generals.
“I think the second half of the regular season was probably a six [out of ten], but in the playoffs our line played well so it was probably a little bit higher than that,” McKenzie weighed his performance honestly.
With the departure of some of the most prolific offensive players from last year’s squad, the Battalion are expected to count on McKenzie to climb the roster ranks and fill an offensive void in the Fall.
So what have they said to him since season’s end?
“Just be better,” McKenzie said bluntly. “They said be ready to play that top role and they want to see more points out of me.
“I think I’m ready,” he added. “I really want it.”
Until then though, the focus is on Florida.
