Connor Mackey
{{short description|American ice hockey player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Connor Mackey
| image = 2023-05-09 Deutschland gegen USA (Eishockey-Länderspiel) by Sandro Halank–051.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Mackey with Team USA in 2023
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|09|12}}
| birth_place = Tower Lakes, Illinois, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 200
| position = Defense
| shoots = Left
| league = NHL
| team = New York Rangers
| prospect_team = Hartford Wolf Pack
| prospect_league = AHL
| former_teams = Calgary Flames
Arizona Coyotes
| ntl_team = USA
| draft = Undrafted
| career_start = 2021
}}
Connor Mackey (born September 12, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Mackey became highly coveted as an undrafted free agent after playing three years of college ice hockey for Minnesota State University, ultimately signing with the Calgary Flames in March 2020. He is the son of former NHL player David Mackey, who played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota North Stars, and St. Louis Blues.{{cite web |last=Gilbertson |first=Wes |title=Flames rookie Connor Mackey aims to follow father into NHL spotlight |url=https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/calgary-flames/flames-rookie-connor-mackey-aims-to-follow-father-into-nhl-spotlight |publisher=Calgary Sun |date=January 11, 2021 |accessdate=February 13, 2021}}
Playing career
=Amateur=
After playing two years of hockey at Barrington High School near his hometown of Tower Lakes, Illinois between 2012 and 2014, serving as team captain in his final year, Mackey spent the 2014–15 hockey season as a member of the triple-A level U18 Team Illinois in the High-Performance Hockey League (HPHL).{{cite web |title=Connor Mackey – Elite Prospects |url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/316315/connor-mackey |website=Elite Prospects |accessdate=September 30, 2020}}
Mackey began playing for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2015–16. He was named an alternate captain in 2016–17 and emerged as an offensive engine on a Gamblers squad that also featured future NHL first-round pick Casey Mittelstadt. Mackey led the team with 47 points in 60 games{{cite web |title=Elite Prospects – Green Bay Gamblers |url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/901/green-bay-gamblers/2016-2017?tab=stats |website=Elite Prospects |accessdate=September 30, 2020}} and was named USHL Defenseman of the Year and to the USHL First All-Star Team.{{cite web |title=Connor Mackey - Men's Hockey - Minnesota State University - Mankato Athletics |url=https://msumavericks.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/roster/connor-mackey/8816 |website=MSUMavericks.com |accessdate=September 30, 2020}} He was recruited to join the Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey team to begin the 2017–18 season.{{cite web|title=Connor Mackey flashed potential after long road to Rangers debut: 'Snarl' and 'swagger'|author=Crane, Andrew|date=January 31, 2024|accessdate=2024-02-01|publisher=New York Post|url=https://nypost.com/2024/01/31/sports/connor-mackey-flashed-potential-after-long-road-to-rangers-debut/}}
Prior to the start of his college career, Mackey was invited to and attended the Calgary Flames' 2017 summer prospect development camp as an undrafted free agent.{{cite web |title=Flames development camp roster and schedule |url=https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flames-development-camp-roster-and-schedule/c-290246970 |publisher=Calgary Flames |accessdate=September 30, 2020}} Beginning that fall, Mackey enjoyed a successful debut season with the Mavericks which saw him earn a spot on the 2017–18 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) All-Rookie Team. In the summer of 2018, Mackey again attended an NHL prospect convention: this time, he was invited to the Buffalo Sabres' annual development camp.{{cite web |last1=Cruickshank |first1=Scott |title=From junior nobody to NHL commodity, inside Connor Mackey's journey to Calgary |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1930546/2020/07/16/from-junior-nobody-to-nhl-commodity-inside-connor-mackeys-journey-to-calgary/ |website=The Athletic |access-date=October 1, 2020}} He followed it up with a 2018–19 season during which he was named a WCHA All-Academic and to the All-WCHA Third All-Star Team.
In 2019–20, Mackey, unaffiliated with any professional club after going undrafted, emerged as a top prospect and attracted interest from 28 of the NHL's 31 teams. He led Mavericks defensemen with 24 points in 36 games en route to being named to the All-WCHA First All-Star Team and the American Hockey Coaches Association's All-America West Second Team. Mackey's performance in 2019–20 led TSN's Frank Seravalli to name him the top-ranked college free-agent on the market.{{cite web|last1=Seravalli|first1=Frank|title=Flames land two top NCAA free agents in Mackey, Poolman|date=March 20, 2020 |url=https://www.tsn.ca/calgary-flames-land-two-top-ncaa-free-agents-in-connor-mackey-colton-poolman-1.1459338|accessdate=September 30, 2020|publisher=TSN}}
=Professional=
On March 20, 2020, Mackey signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames to take effect at the start of the 2020–21 NHL season.{{cite web |title=Flames sign Connor Mackey |url=https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flames-sign-connor-mackey/c-316238398 |website=NHL.com |access-date=February 20, 2021 |date=March 20, 2020}} Despite his contract not taking effect until the following season, Mackey joined the Flames for practices in the Edmonton bubble as part of the return-to-play program in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.{{Cite web|last=Pike|first=Ryan|date=July 25, 2020|title=Flames set 31-man playoff roster|url=https://flamesnation.ca/2020/07/25/flames-set-playoff-roster/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925213849/https://flamesnation.ca/2020/07/25/flames-set-playoff-roster/ |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |access-date=October 1, 2020|website=FlamesNation.ca}} Mackey made his NHL debut on February 13, 2021.{{cite web |title=Canucks snap 6-game losing streak with 3-1 win over Flames |url=https://apnews.com/article/johnny-gaudreau-vancouver-canucks-calgary-flames-nhl-jacob-markstrom-69c07977d4278e0982ed044faedda04d |website=AP News |access-date=February 20, 2021 |date=February 13, 2021}}
During the 2022–23 season, Mackey remained on the Flames roster, primarily serving as a depth defenseman and healthy scratch. After 10 appearances with the Flames, Mackey was dealt at the NHL trade deadline along with Brett Ritchie to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Nick Ritchie and Troy Stecher on March 3, 2023.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/coyotes/news/coyotes-acquire-ritchie--mackey-from-calgary-in-exchange-for-ritchie--stecher/c-341790078 | title = Coyotes acquire Ritchie & Mackey from Calgary for Ritchie & Stecher | publisher = Arizona Coyotes | date = March 3, 2023 | accessdate = March 3, 2023}}
Following his brief tenure with the Coyotes, Mackey was signed as a free agent in the off-season to a one-year, two-way contract by the New York Rangers on July 1, 2023.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/rangers/news/rangers-agree-to-terms-with-connor-mackey-and-nikolas-brouillard/c-345158542 | title = Rangers agree to terms with Connor Mackey and Nikolas Brouillard | publisher = New York Rangers | date = July 1, 2023 | accessdate = July 1, 2023}} On March 1, 2024, he signed a two-year contract extension with the Rangers.{{cite web |title=Rangers Agree to Terms with Connor Mackey |url=https://www.nhl.com/rangers/news/rangers-agree-to-terms-with-connor-mackey |website=NHL.com |access-date=March 2, 2024 |date=March 1, 2024}}
Career statistics
=Regular season and playoffs=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em;" | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM | ||||||||
| 2015–16
| USHL | 29 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 62
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2016–17 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 60 | 6 | 41 | 47 | 93
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017–18
| WCHA | 40 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 40
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2018–19 | Minnesota State | WCHA | 42 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 55
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019–20
| Minnesota State | WCHA | 36 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 29
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2020–21 | NHL | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 20
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21
| AHL | 27 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 33
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2021–22 | Stockton Heat | AHL | 53 | 5 | 31 | 36 | 83
| 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 2021–22
| Calgary Flames | NHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2022–23 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022–23
| NHL | 20 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 39
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2023–24 | AHL | 44 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 12
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24
| NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2024–25 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 66 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 102
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024–25
| New York Rangers | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"|NHL totals ! 42 !! 4 !! 7 !! 11 !! 80 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |
{{MedalTableTop|name=}}
{{MedalCountry|{{ih|USA}}}}
{{MedalSport|Ice hockey}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}
{{MedalBronze|2021 Latvia|}}
{{MedalBottom}}
=International=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em;" | ||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM | ||||
| 2021
| WC | {{bronze3}} | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2023 | United States | WC | 4th | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="4"|Senior totals ! 17 !! 1 !! 3 !! 4 !! 10 |
Awards and honors
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats}}
- {{AHL profile|8622}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackey, Connor}}
Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
Category:American men's ice hockey defensemen
Category:Arizona Coyotes players
Category:Calgary Flames players
Category:Green Bay Gamblers players
Category:Hartford Wolf Pack players
Category:Ice hockey people from Cook County, Illinois
Category:Ice hockey players from Illinois
Category:Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey players
Category:Minnesota State University, Mankato alumni
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Sportspeople from Barrington, Illinois
Category:Stockton Heat players