NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Owen MacNeil lines up for a face-off in the Tigers last pre-season game against the Swift Current. MacNeil joined Medicine Hat at the beginning of the pre-season in a trade from the Spokane Chiefs.
From being the new guy to one of the go-to guys, Owen MacNeil has had a big first few weeks with the Tigers.
He came over in one of two Tigers trades with the Spokane Chiefs during the preseason, officially joining the club Sept. 14 in exchange for two draft picks. When he arrived in Medicine Hat, MacNeil embraced the idea of being one of the Tigers No. 1 guys up the middle this season and cited it as one of the reasons the Chiefs moved him — to give the 18-year-old a chance to play a top-six role on a good team.
He’s only been a Tiger for a little over two weeks and already MacNeil seems to have seized the opportunity during the preseason. He has centred what could be Medicine Hat’s top line with Oren Shtrom and veteran Corson Hopwo, and has seen a fair share of minutes on both special teams units. An opportunity to be a top guy is something MacNeil says he would embrace, but he will do whatever the team needs.
“My line mates have helped me out a lot, and moving forward I will just try to do whatever I can for the team. Wherever that is in the lineup I will try to bring my best possible that I can to produce and help the team out,” he said.
Tigers associate coach Joe Frazier says MacNeil has played really well since he arrived in Medicine Hat and has played any role he’s been asked to.
“He’s really good positionally, great defensively, we’ve tried him on the power play and he’s been really good down low, a good net front guy. He’s shown some real good leadership qualities so, we’re really excited to have him,” Frazier said. “Whether it’s first line, second line, third line, that will all sort itself out as we go here. But we’re real happy with him and what he’s brought so far.”
The Calgary native and his line mates, Shtrom and Hopwo, were in the Broncos end for the majority of the Tigers last preseason game. That line kept applying pressure throughout the game and danced the line of scoring multiple times to no avail in the Tigers 8-2 loss. They were involved in a lot of the back and forth chirping with the Broncos as the game continued to become a more physical affair.
MacNeil thinks highly of how well their line works together and says he sees it as something that could excel come the season.
“They’ve been great,” he says. “Everyone knows their role on the line and throughout the whole lineup. I think we gelled together pretty quick and with me being the new guy they helped me out with knowing systems and everything. I think it showed on the weekend that we can play together and it’ll be good moving forward.
“Just the way we feed off of each other in the O-zone, kind of support all over the ice, know where each other are with communication being key and we communicate well”
Frazier says it could be a line they rely on but that the Tigers don’t have any set lines yet as they may look to juggle their combinations all season. It’s a stark change from last season where Medicine Hat had guys like Ryan Chyzowski and Brett Kemp anchoring their top two lines.
Their departure this off-season has opened the path for a guy like MacNeil to seize the opportunity and slot into the top six. It’s something he is looking to capitalize on as he gets comfortable with his new club.
“It’s been nothing but welcoming with open arms, the guys are unbelievable. I was super excited to get here and to be a Tiger. I think all you hear about the organization is true. It’s unbelievable inside the dressing room, outside the dressing room. From the staff to the trainers to everybody, it’s been great so far. “
