WHL NOTEBOOK: McCartney thankful for Brandon experience

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This article was published 29/12/2021 (1383 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ben McCartney has already gone a long way since leaving the Brandon Wheat Kings, but he’s not about to forget the Western Hockey League team that prepared him for the next step.

The 20-year-old Macdonald product made his National Hockey League debut on Nov. 5 with the Arizona Coyotes, and is currently back with the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners.

“Words can’t even explain it,” McCartney said of his bond to the Wheat Kings and the Wheat City. “Brandon is my home, and it will always be. I started there at 16, and it’s unbelievable, the lifelong friends I made there, and the coaches. I can’t thank Brandon enough. It’s hard to explain. It’s a home away from home.”

The Wheat Kings selected him in the second round of the 2016 Western Hockey League draft with the 43rd overall selection, their next pick after Braden Schneider.

He spent his entire four-year WHL career in Brandon, putting up 151 points and 238 penalty minutes in 205 regular season games. McCartney led the Wheat Kings in scoring in the Regina hub with 37 points in 24 games after being drafted by the Coyotes in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL draft.

The organization thought McCartney might be back for his overage season, but he had other plans, heading down in early August with the goal of making an impression on Coyotes management, and potentially playing with the Roadrunners. He certainly didn’t think he had accomplished anything in advance.

“I didn’t go in thinking I had a spot,” McCartney said. “I went there to show them what I have. I didn’t really know if I was going to be there or not.”

In 17 games with the Roadrunners the season, the six-foot, 182-pound McCartney has six goals, four assists and 15 penalty minutes, which puts him sixth in team scoring.

He’s content with how it’s gone so far.

“It’s been good,” McCartney said. “It’s been challenging obviously. The first year playing pro, you learn a lot, just like your first year (of) junior. It’s another step all over again. I’ve been lucky enough to have a great group of guys here and great staff to help me and older guys helping me out and taking me under their wing.”

The Roadrunners are in fourth place in the nine-team Pacific Division with a record of 10-9-2-0.

McCartney said making the move to the AHL is a similar step to moving up to the WHL as a 16-year-old.

“Obviously it’s bigger, stronger, faster, but it’s the decision making,” McCartney said. “You have to play within the structure, that’s really important. It doesn’t matter how much skill you have, it’s all about playing smart hockey. That was the biggest transition, making sure your ‘A’ game is good but your ‘B’ game is also good. You have to be consistent.”

Off the ice, he’s faced a similar transition. It’s his first year without a billet or his parents, but thankfully he has a roommate, 22-year-old Ontario Hockey League graduate Ryan McGregor, who is in his third season with Tucson.

“He’s been pretty helpful,” McCartney said. “I don’t really know how to cook food at all and he’s been cooking a few meals. They have a nutritionist down here so he’s set me up with some meal prep. It’s been good. You have to take care of yourself on and off the ice.”

It apparently worked.

In early November, McCartney was called up by the Coyotes and his NHL debut came in Anaheim against the Ducks. In 15 minutes one second of action over 19 shifts, he took a minor penalty.

“I was definitely nervous but at the end of the day you have to play hockey, the game you fell in love with when you were a kid,” McCartney said. “I think I handled it pretty well in terms of the nerves aspect but the reality hits hard when you’re on the ice with some of those pros.”

He said former Calgary Hitmen star Ryan Getzlaf of the Ducks was a player he looked up to as a kid, and found it neat to be on the ice against him.

His parents and maternal grandparents were able to fly down for the debut, which he considered quite fortunate in the pandemic era.

He said it was important he was able to share the moment with him.

“It meant a lot to me,” McCartney said. “Growing up on a farm in Macdonald and all the time I spent with them — a little bit too much time I think — it’s special. They’ve done everything for me and even my grandparents being able to come out, that’s something I won’t forget.”

He was able to briefly get home over the Christmas break. 

On Nov. 6, the Coyotes hosted the Seattle Kraken, and McCartney again was called for a penalty in 13:04 of action and 15 shifts.

“It was a cool atmosphere,” McCartney said. “It was also the first win of the season, so that was a really cool experience. Everyone was really happy.”

He said his NHL debut showed him what’s possible, and now he wants to make it more permanent.

It’s the next path in a hockey journey that took a giant step forward in Brandon.

“It’s crazy,” McCartney said. “It’s crazy to even think about it. It was something I’ll never forget and something I worked for my entire life. At the same time, it makes you even hungrier. I don’t just want to play two games, I want to be an NHLer and there’s a lot more work I have to do to do that.

“Going up there, I found out what my weaknesses are and what I have to improve on.”

• • •

No announcement has been made yet by the Wheat Kings or WHL on how the new provincial restrictions will be handled for their upcoming games. 

On Monday afternoon, the province dropped new restrictions aimed at combatting the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19. The toughest part for sports teams, including the Wheat Kings and the National Hockey League’s Winnipeg Jets, was that crowds were limited to just 250 people.

The restrictions last until at least Jan. 11.

In that time frame, the Wheat Kings were scheduled to face the Edmonton Oil Kings on Thursday, Red Deer Rebels on Saturday and the Calgary Hitmen next Friday. 

Also on Monday, the WHL said in a release that 36 players or hockey operations staff have entered the league’s COVID protocol, including two in Brandon.

Each member of the Wheat Kings did a test at home during the Christmas break, and another upon arrival back in Brandon. Both positives came before the team returned on Boxing Day.

The league and its teams aren’t naming players because many are minors.

With results pending for two organizations, only three of the other 20 teams — Edmonton, Calgary and the Prince Albert Raiders — don’t have at least a single case. The Victoria Royals and Spokane Chiefs each have four.

All WHL roster players, team staff and league office personnel have to be fully vaccinated. 

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