The Ducks added a human wrecking ball on Friday, selecting center Mason McTavish third overall in the NHL entry draft in an attempt to inject some much-needed punch into the league’s worst offense this past season. His style of play is, well, he explained it best during a Zoom call.
“Playoff hockey is mostly what I thrive in, heavier hockey,” McTavish said. “I use my hockey I.Q. and just kind of adapt to any situation that’s thrown toward me on the ice. I’d say I thrive more in the playoff hockey style, more rough and a bit more rowdy.”
McTavish stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 207 pounds. He isn’t related to former NHL player Craig MacTavish, but his father Dale did play with the Calgary Flames and in Switzerland and Finland. His older brother Darian played hockey, but he switched to the rough-and-rowdy world of mixed martial arts.
Mason McTavish was born in Zurich and grew up near Ottawa, Ontario.
His sturdy build and unwieldy hair, protruding from all directions from beneath his helmet, have brought to mind the menacing figure of Ogie Ogilthorpe, the churlish character from the cult classic “Slap Shot.”
“I get that one a lot,” he said in a pre-draft interview.
There’s more to McTavish’s game than physical play, though.
After all, he had nine goals and two assists in 13 games with EHC Olten of the Swiss League, leaving home after the Ontario Hockey League was shut down because of the pandemic. He also had 29 goals and 13 assists in 57 games with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL in 2019-20.
McTavish would have played more games in Switzerland last season, but he had to wait until he turned 18 on Jan. 30, before he could receive his work visa. He returned to North America in time to lead Canada to the gold medal in the U18 World Championship in May in Frisco, Texas.
Ducks general manager Bob Murray coveted a dynamic forward in the draft after the team had the NHL’s worst offense while finishing second-to-last in the overall standings with a 17-30-9 record. The Ducks averaged 2.21 goals per game and their power play clicked at only 8.9 percent, the worst in league history.
“He was a good player in Peterborough, so he was definitely on the (draft) board,” Murray said. “It was tough this year (for scouting because of COVID-19), but we got to watch him in Switzerland play with the men. We had good tape of that. There were a couple of games of adjustment and then he fit right in.
“Then we all got to see him at the U18s and we just felt he was one of the guys on the Canada team that drove the bus, that pushed the bus along. He was definitely a leader of that hockey club. … The drive and the leadership he showed in (Texas), that was what drove him ahead of a few other guys.”
McTavish could play on a line with center Trevor Zegras in the not-too-distant future if one of them shifts to the wing. Or McTavish could be teamed with left wing Max Comtois, forming a physical pairing that brings to mind the successful union of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry of yesteryear.
“He’s a really good fit for our young guys,” Murray said. “He complements our young guys really well with his leadership. He plays a little different game than the rest of our young players at the moment.”
McTavish was the Ducks’ highest pick since they selected Bobby Ryan second overall in 2005, one spot behind Sidney Crosby. The Ducks have never picked first and this was their first time picking third.
The draft continues Saturday with rounds two through seven.
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