Etobicoke’s ANGUS MacDonell is well on his way to becoming a top hockey prospect. Courtesy photo.
By CRAIG CHRISTIE
The 2021 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection took place June 4-5, with 299 players selected from 83 different teams across Ontario and parts of the U.S.
For Etobicoke resident Angus MacDonell it was another step toward his ultimate goal of playing professional hockey. MacDonell was selected in the first round, 13th overall by the Sarnia Sting which set off a huge celebration at his home. “We were set up in my backyard with some family. I heard my name called and everyone went crazy,” he said. “Being drafted was one of my goals and something I will never forget.”
“He is a player that we targeted in this draft,” said Sting General Manager Dylan Seca. “A skilled two-way centre that our fans will really enjoy watching on the ice.”
For the past seven years, MacDonell was a member of the Toronto Marlboros organization which had 14 players taken in the draft; three in the first round. “It shows how dominant they have been over the years and how great a program they are to produce so many players. It’s an unreal program with great people but unreal coaches.” In his final year with the Marlboros U15 AAA team he scored 23 goals with 9 assists in 27 games but acknowledges he still has a lot of work to do. “I’d like to work on being able to cut in and out of checks and come out of the boards with ease and continue to work on my shot so that I can be an elite scorer at the next level.”
With the draft out of the way, the 5’10” centre’s focus is on getting bigger, stronger, faster and improving all aspects of his game so that he can make the Sting’s opening night roster. This includes working out every day in the gym, shooting pucks in his backyard, and watching and analyzing NHL games to see what he can incorporate into his game.
An offensive-minded player, MacDonell likes to make plays in the offensive and defensive zone. In fact, he prides himself on his ability to play “a 200 ft. game,” patterned after NHL players he admires such as Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) and Mathew Barzal (New York Islanders).
Along with being an exceptional hockey player, MacDonell has been playing lacrosse in Mimico since he was only three and it has played a significant role in his development as a hockey player. The long lacrosse season gives him the opportunity to be in top cardio shape for the shorter shifts in hockey and he believes the aggressive play and hand-eye coordination from that sport will only work to his advantage on the ice.
As a first-round pick MacDonell is aware of the high expectations and he is excited and looking forward to heading to Sarnia and being a part of the community. The Sting have already started to put things in place to make his transition from Etobicoke seamless. This includes the billeting process of finding a host family he will live with and enrolling him in a local high school.
And what can the fans in Sarnia expect from him? “They can anticipate a player that’s going to come out every night and go 100% and hopefully score some goals, do what the fans want and put on a show.”