Tanner MacMaster Shines During Whirlwind Rookie Year
Leave a commentJuly 16, 2013 by conteconfidential
It didn’t take long for Tanner MacMaster to make a name for himself on the Camrose Kodiaks.
He was the rookie all the veterans wanted to hang out with, a bundle of energy who was always quick with a joke and never seemed to slow down.
“He’s silly, he’s always joking, he’s just a blast to be around,” said Tanner Marshall, who sat next to MacMaster in the dressing room for most of the year. “A part of that’s got to do with him being 16 years old, right?”
And, despite his youth, MacMaster was as big of a presence on the ice as he was off it.
The Calgary native led his team and all rookies with 48 points (24g-24a) in 56 regular season games. For his efforts, he was named the Alberta Junior Hockey League Rookie of the Year and was also a unanimous selection to the south division all-rookie team.
“I went in there and just played my game,” MacMaster said. “I didn’t try to do anything really too special.”
But it’s clear that MacMaster’s game is special and the hockey world outside of Camrose has noticed. Most recently, he was the only AJHL player included on NHL Central Scouting’s Futures North American list.
He was also one of two non-Canadian Hockey League players invited to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp, which runs from July 25-29.
“It’s always been my goal to go try to represent my country,” MacMaster said. “I’m excited to head down to Toronto.”
The young center already has international experience on his resume. He was the only AJHL player to compete for Canada Pacific at the World Under-17 Challenge.
“There’s no better feeling than wearing that Maple Leaf on your chest,” MacMaster said. “It was an awesome experience to represent my country for the first time.”
On a team flush with Western Hockey League talent, he finished tied for second in points with seven (4g-3a) in five games as Canada Pacific came in fifth place in the tournament.
Tanner MacMaster often came through in the clutch for the Kodiaks, finishing tied with Merrimack recruit Jonathan Lashyn for the team lead with six game-winning goals. (photo from the AJHL website)
MacMaster could have played in the WHL himself. Last year, he opted to go Junior A to get more playing time and keep both the major junior and NCAA routes open.
While he was selected by the Spokane Chiefs in the first round, 19th overall, in the 2011 WHL bantam draft, he eventually came to the conclusion that going to college was the right move for him as his rookie season in the AJHL wore on.
“It’s a big decision to choose to go NCAA,” MacMaster said. “It gives you those extra couple of years to develop and I think I needed that with me being a smaller guy.”
The same week he received the Dick White Trophy as the AJHL’s top rookie, MacMaster announced that he had accepted a scholarship offer from Boston College.
“Boston College has a good reputation with smaller, skilled guys such as myself,” he said. “I think their game style of controlling the puck will suit me well.”
MacMaster fits BC’s style, and is an elite offensive talent, for a lot of reasons. His ability to read the ice is top notch, especially for his age. While his speed, soft hands and creativity make him a constant threat to score, he considers himself a pass-first player and often finishes with goal and assist totals that mirror each other.
Even though he’s only 5-foot-9, 146 pounds, MacMaster isn’t afraid to go into the dirty areas of the rink to make plays. And he can make those plays, and escape punishing hits, because of his quickness.
“The worst part is he’s hard to hit, he’s hard to track down,” Marshall said. “He’s really sneaky.”
MacMaster has been a point-producer at every level. His last season in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League, in 2010-11, was one of his most impressive campaigns to date. As part of a high-octane Calgary Bisons attack, he finished third in league scoring with 92 points (49g-43a) in only 32 games.
“He’s a performance player,” Marshall said. “He’s just an offensive threat.”
Whether MacMaster will continue to terrorize AJHL goaltenders is still up in the air because the Waterloo Black Hawks picked him during the 2013 United States Hockey League draft. He has yet to decide whether he’ll go to the USHL or stay in Canada next season.
“I have a pretty good situation in Camrose right now,” he said. “I know Waterloo is a good organization and they have a lot to offer. But right now I’m undecided.”
For now, he’s just focused on impressing at Canada’s U-18 camp. Only 22 of the 42 players invited will get to play in the 2013 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament so the competition for roster spots will be fierce.
MacMaster wants to represent his country again and is far from intimidated by all of the talent from the major juniors in attendance.
“When you to a camp like that, it really doesn’t matter where you played the season,” he said. “It’s about who’s going to go there, play their best and make the team.”
By Jen Dobias
Conte Confidential 