MacDonald raises expectations
Cornwall native looking to finish rookie season strong with Capitals
Josh MacDonald admits the first half of the 2017-18 Maritime Junior Hockey League season has been an adjustment period.
“It’s been a bigger transition (to junior A from major midget) than it was for bantam to midget,” explained the first-year forward with the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals. “Now I’m going into corners with big men, and it’s been a big change.”
The 16-year-old MacDonald, who is from Cornwall, played his way onto the Caps’ roster in training camp after playing last year with the Luke Beck-coached Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Pride of the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League. MacDonald was the Caps first selection (a second round pick) at the 2017 draft.
“He’s been in my top six (forwards) most of the year,” Caps head coach Billy McGuigan said in assessing MacDonald’s play. “It’s been a good first half for him. I’m really impressed and happy with his play.”
MacDonald acknowledged the adjustment period to junior A is over, and has challenged himself to improve his production in the second half. He has recorded six goals and six assists for 12 points in 29 regularseason games.
“I think I can produce a little more offensively, and there’s only so much you can blame on the adjustment (to junior),” he said emphatically. “I’m hoping to start kicking things into gear in the second half, because I have a lot of catching up to do.”
MacDonald, who played centre earlier in the season, was recently placed on left wing with recently signed centre Chris Chaddock and sophomore Kallum Muirhead. MacDonald noted he “has lots to learn” from both his linemates.
“Josh has come a long way, and I really like his game right now,” offered McGuigan. “We expected he would have some offensive upside to him coming out of midget, and knew he was a hard worker.
“He’s rounded into a very nice 200-foot player. He works both sides of the puck, he plays on the (penalty killing) pretty well every night now and still gets some (power play) time. I’m really liking his game.”
MacDonald said he has enjoyed his first year with the Capitals (16-12-1-0), who are in a three-way race for second place in the Eastlink North Division.
“It’s been great,” said MacDonald. “You are at the rink every day, and there’s never a bad day at the rink.
“You are always looking forward to showing up for practice and it’s been a lot of fun so far. It doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any time soon.”
The Capitals host the Truro Bearcats Sunday at 6 p.m.
Tayler Read of Wilmot Valley is in his rookie season with the Bearcats.
Read, who was drafted by the Bearcats in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, entered Friday’s play with eight points – four goals and four assists – in 23 regular-season games.
Read played the three previous seasons with the Kyle Dunn-coached Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild of the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League, and was team captain for the 2016-17 campaign.