McKechnies share Horn connection
Former University of Lethbridge Pronghorn Dana McKechnie believes there is a little kismet at play in that the 2019 U SPORTS Cavendish Farms University Cup Men’s Hockey National Championship is being played in Lethbridge exactly 25 years after his Horns won the national title in 1994.
And for an added boost of karma his son, Sam, and the current Pronghorns are in the field as tournament hosts, March 14-17 at the Enmax Centre.
Dana couldn’t be more pleased that, Sam, a former Lethbridge Hurricane, chose his alma mater after finishing his junior hockey career.
“I was delighted Sam decided to go to Lethbridge and even more delighted they get a chance to host,” says the elder McKechnie, who has worked in Calgary for Suncor Energy for the past 10 years.
McKechnie played with the Horns for five seasons (199095) and remembers well the excitement around the championship season and the magical ride of his upstart Horns.
While the current Horns will enter the event as tournament hosts, McKechnie says no one should be taken for granted come U Cup time.
“Anything can happen,” he says. “I’m looking for a real surprise from the team. Wouldn’t that be special? When you know you’re in the tournament, that gives the coach a chance to really experiment.”
McKechnie recalls the feeling of winning at the storied Maple Leaf Gardens before it was decommissioned.
“It was amazing,” says McKechnie, the Horns beating Guelph 5-2 in the title game. “I remember after the win we didn’t have anywhere to go. We just sat around after the game and soaked it all in — we just passed the cup around.”
To this day, McKechnie says whenever he runs into an old teammate or someone involved with the program, there is a true sense of camaraderie and accomplishment.
“It’s an instant connection you have with the folks you shared that with,” he says. “It’s really special.”
As a 17-year-old, McKechnie tried out for the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League. While he failed to make the team, he made an even better connection with a girl he met at camp. He eventually married Tonya and they have been together for 25 years.
After being turned down by the Americans, McKechnie went back to his hometown and played for the Fort Saskatchewan Traders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. His focus was clearly on the future.
“I wanted to get on with my education,” says McKechnie. “And I knew the U of L was a really good school.”
They also had a hockey team, and McKechnie still had a passion for the game.
“I was kind of a walk-on,” he recalls, trying out for the Dave Adolph-coached squad. “They weren’t expecting me.”
Greg Gatto was another freshman that season and in the ensuing years, the Horns would add key pieces. Trevor Ellerman, Cregg Nicol, goaltender Trevor Kruger, Shane Roest and Jarrett Zukiwsky would all come on board but the fortunes of the team didn’t truly turn around until coach Mike Babcock took over.
“That kind of caused us all to turn a corner you might say,” says McKechnie.
McKechnie recalls during a regular season game he “floated” back to the bench after a shift. Babcock took a mental note and at the next practice, implemented the “McKechnie Drill” whereby players were encouraged to hustle off the ice.
“I think from that moment on we all realized that there wasn’t a piece of the ice that we didn’t hustle on,” says McKechnie.
As the 1993-94 season progressed, the upstart Horns continually found ways to win — beating Canada West teams they previously had no business beating.
“Mike helped all 22 guys to hit another level,” says McKechnie. “He found a way to get the maximum out of us. And he assembled a team that could roll four lines and we were very difficult to play against.”
He’s extremely proud of his son Sam and his daughter Roslyn, who both attend the U of L.
Sam is in the Faculty of Management while Roslyn is working toward a degree in social work.
This special time is not lost on Sam.
“I am extremely excited to be playing in the University Cup,” says Sam. “The fact that my dad played in the tournament and won nationals back in 1994 and our team has a chance to do the same is really special for me and my family.”
As for the tournament, McKechnie says they’ve already bought 10 or 12 Horns jerseys for people coming to watch.
“We’re bringing family in from all over,” says McKechnie. “I hope the boys make it to the final. It would be amazing to taste from the cup 25 years after we won it.”