MacKinnon hoping to continue Cole Harbour connection

The next NHL future star from Cole Harbour, NS is here.

Nathan MacKinnon, who just turned 16 on Sept. 1, has arrived in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League amid much fanfare.

The coveted prize of the 2011 QMJHL Entry Draft, MacKinnon impressed scouts last season with his great performance in the 2011 Canada Cup with Nova Scotia, and his play at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep School in Minnesota, where he scored 93 points in 40 games.

He was drafted by Baie Comeau first overall, but refused to report, and was traded to his hometown Halifax Mooseheads for Carl Gelinas, Francois Turbide and three first round picks in the next two seasons.

His pedigree and his hometown have led scouts to compare him to another Cole Harbour native son, Sidney Crosby.

“I try not to worry about [the pressure],” MacKinnon said. “I’m just focusing on the team right now and on the season coming up.”

MacKinnon slots into a young but talented forward core for the Mooseheads, alongside 17-year-olds Martin Frk, Andrew Ryan and Luca Ciampini and 18-year-olds Darcy Ashley and Brent Andrews. They are flanked by veteran 20-year-olds Alexandre Grenier, Travis Randell and captain Cam Critchlow.

MacKinnon said that this young team has made adjusting to the QMJHL easy.

“This is a fun group to play with,” MacKinnon said. “It’s a great group of guys.

“Adjusting to the speed has been the biggest thing,” he continued. “I feel like I’ve adjusted well but you can always get better.”

MacKinnon had an impressive preseason with the Moose, with four points in four games. In his season debut on Friday night, MacKinnon had two assists and scored in the shootout in a 6-5 Mooseheads come-from-behind victory over the P.E.I. Rocket. He was buzzing around the net all night, taking seven dangerous shots among his team-leading ten shots on goal.

His coach, Dominic Ducharme, believes he’s on the right track so far.

“His attitude is good,” he said. “His acceleration is good for this level. He has a great shot, and his skating is fluid. His vision is impressive.”

“He’s adapting well to the league,” Ducharme continued. “There’s much less space and time at this level. It’s all in the details. He’s doing good so far.”

Ducharme added that MacKinnon is a great complement to the young talent already on the roster.

“Nathan is a good acquisition,” he said. “He adds, certainly, to the skill here, but it’s a team effort and everyone works well together. The veterans complement the young players well.”

MacKinnon believes he’s in the right place at the right time, with a year or two of building before being, realistically, able to challenge for a title.

“Our group here is very talented,” MacKinnon added. “Our future is very strong. The Memorial Cup is the goal, of course, and we’ll grow to get there.”

MacKinnon said that he is looking to improve in all areas, mainly in his defensive game.

“I feel that my defensive zone coverage can get better,” he said. “The speed of the game makes it an adjustment. I want to work harder on that, and just generally improve. I don’t really have a set goal in mind. I just want to play well and mesh well with the guys in the room.”

You can reach Mike on Twitter @MikeRSanderson or via email at mikersanderson@gmail.ca