Enjoying every minute
MacKinnon helping Oceanic contend in third QMJHL season
Carson MacKinnon has heard his new teammate Samuel DoveMcFalls tell the story about winning the President Cup last year and playing for a Memorial Cup.
“I want to make those stories of Dove-McFalls a reality (for us),” the Summerside native said Wednesday afternoon. The Saint John Sea Dogs traded Dove-McFalls to the Rimouski Oceanic during the offseason. The Oceanic also added his teammate Chase Stewart and drafted Alexis Lafreniere first overall.
The trio has helped turn the Oceanic into a contender this season. They fortified their roster by adding guys like forward Mathieu Nadeau and defenceman Tyler Higgins from Val-d’Or, and blue-liner Jordan Lepage from Halifax in separate deals during the trade period. The Oceanic entered Wednesday’s game in Saint John, N.B., with a 23-10-4-0 record and was leading the East Division.
Rimouski finished 16th last season and was swept in the first round by the Sea Dogs. Two years ago, in MacKinnon’s rookie season, the Oceanic finished the regular season eighth and lost in six games to the Islanders.
“At the start of the year nobody really expected us to be in the spot we are right now,” MacKinnon said. “But every guy in the room believed, including the coaching staff, right from the get-go.” Lafreniere hit the ground running in his rookie campaign, scoring 19 goals and setting up 19 more for 38 points in his first 31 games.
“Lafreniere has been nothing but great for us,” MacKinnon said. “It’s crazy how good he is and how young he is at the same time.” Dove-McFalls has been a point-per-game player who has brought a championship pedigree to the squad.
“He knows what it takes to win. He’s been our leader both on and off the ice,” MacKinnon said. “He’s been outstanding.” Stewart is an overage defenceman that MacKinnon said has made a big impact on the squad. “He’s been a difference maker in a lot of games with the way he plays.”
MacKinnon has six goals and nine assists for 15 points in 36 games and is playing a variety of roles, and with a number of different linemates, to try to help his team win.
“I’m not quite putting up the numbers I’d like to, but I’ve been playing good hockey since the start of the year,” he said.
He is pleased with how the first half has gone and about being able to contribute for a winning team.
“We’re not the most skillful team, but we just play the right way,” MacKinnon said.
The squad had allowed the fewest goals (90) in the league heading into Wednesday’s action and works hard to give themselves a chance to gain two points each night.
Sounds oddly familiar, doesn’t it?
Tonight, the Oceanic visits the Eastlink Centre for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Charlottetown Islanders.
“It should be an exciting game. They’ve been doing really well,” MacKinnon said. “I think both teams kind of play the same way. We don’t have crazy numbers offensively, but both play very good defensively.” It’s also an annual homecoming for MacKinnon, as he makes his lone regular season visit to P.E.I.
“It’s always fun to play in front of family and friends, but at the same time our team is going there to get two points and that’s what I am going for,” he said.
MacKinnon is at the midway point of his junior career, a fact he discussed with his parents during the Christmas break.
“It seems like yesterday my dad was driving me up to Rimouski for my 16-year-old training camp,” MacKinnon said. “It’s crazy how fast it goes by and I am just trying to enjoy every minute of it here now.”