Ethan MacKenzie Didn’t Hear His Name Called Until His Third NHL Draft. That Might End Up Working in Toronto’s Favour.
Before the 2026 NHL Draft, Ethan MacKenzie wasn’t concerned about where he would be selected.
He simply wanted another opportunity.
“My first year I had no chance. The second, I thought I had a decent chance but didn’t get my name called. This time, it doesn’t matter to me where I go as long as I go… I won’t stop until I make my way onto an NHL team somehow.”
That quote perfectly captures the path MacKenzie took to becoming a Toronto Maple Leaf.
After going undrafted in each of the previous two NHL Drafts, the Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman responded with the best season of his junior career. He scored 22 goals and added 36 assists for 58 points in 59 games, earned a spot on Canada’s World Junior Championship team, committed to the University of North Dakota and, finally, heard his name called when Toronto selected him 69th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.
For many players, being overlooked twice marks the end of their NHL dream.
For MacKenzie, it became motivation.
Skating Is the Foundation of Everything He Does
If there is one NHL-calibre skill that defines Ethan MacKenzie, it’s his skating.
Not simply because he’s fast, but because everything else in his game begins there.
MacKenzie is an outstanding transition defenceman who consistently turns defensive-zone recoveries into controlled exits. Whether he’s making a crisp first pass or carrying the puck through the neutral zone himself, he has the mobility to escape pressure without rushing decisions.
Watching Edmonton throughout the season, it became clear that many of the Oil Kings’ best offensive possessions started with MacKenzie. His ability to retrieve pucks, evade pressure and quickly move play north allowed Edmonton’s forwards to attack with speed instead of chasing loose pucks.
His offensive production was a reflection of that impact.
The 58 points weren’t built solely on power-play opportunities. They came from a defenceman who consistently drove possession and put his teammates in better positions to succeed.
Just as importantly, he rarely sacrificed structure in search of offence. He understood when to activate, when to stay above the play and trusted his skating to recover if a rush broke down.
That balance is what separates him from many offensive-minded junior defencemen.
More Than Just an Offensive Defenceman
It’s easy to look at 58 points and label MacKenzie as an offensive defenceman.
That doesn’t tell the whole story.
His game is built around being effective in all three zones.
Offensively, his vision allows him to identify passing lanes early and distribute the puck with confidence. He processes the game well and rarely forces plays that aren’t there. Rather than trying to beat defenders one-on-one, he relies on timing, skating and intelligent puck movement to create opportunities.
Defensively, he plays with composure. His gap control is strong, his skating allows him to erase mistakes before they become scoring chances, and he uses positioning more often than physicality to separate players from the puck.
Stylistically, it’s easy to understand why MacKenzie has compared aspects of his game to Bowen Byram. Both rely on skating, transition play and puck movement more than physical intimidation. That’s not to suggest MacKenzie will become the next Byram, but the similarities in the way they influence the game are noticeable.
The biggest area left in his development is handling bigger forwards below the goal line.
At 6-foot-1 and roughly 187 pounds, MacKenzie competes hard and doesn’t shy away from contact, but stronger opponents can still establish body position during extended defensive-zone shifts. That’s less about effort than it is physical maturity, something that should improve over the next few years.
Why Toronto Believed
MacKenzie’s draft stock wasn’t built on projection alone.
It was built on improvement.
Each season in Edmonton added another layer to his game. His skating became more explosive, his offensive confidence grew and his decision-making with the puck continued to mature. By the end of the 2025-26 season, he looked like a far more complete player than the one NHL teams had previously passed on.
Toronto had another advantage.
This wasn’t the first time the organization had evaluated MacKenzie.
He attended the Maple Leafs’ development camp as an undrafted invitee in 2025, giving the club an opportunity to see him both on and off the ice before ultimately investing a third-round pick in him a year later.
Assistant General Manager Judd Brackett acknowledged that familiarity after the draft.
“A great story, and a good testament to the scouts to continue evaluating players. It is not just in their first year. Ethan obviously had a great year with the World Junior team. He is a player we had some familiarity with; we had him at our rookie camp last year. There is a personal connection there, too. But he earned it. He had some injury history in his WHL years. He has continued to grow and expand his game. Obviously, with a chance to go to the NCAA now, it gives him a little more runway.”
Those comments reinforce what showed on the ice.
Toronto wasn’t simply betting on upside.
The organization had already watched MacKenzie develop firsthand and believed his progression was far from over.
The World Juniors Changed Everything
Statistics helped elevate MacKenzie’s draft stock.
Representing Canada at the World Junior Championship confirmed it.
Making Canada’s roster is difficult under any circumstances. Doing it after going undrafted twice speaks to how much his game had progressed over the previous year.
Looking back on Canada’s selection camp, MacKenzie admitted there was an adjustment period.
“The first couple of days are fast, but everyone is trying to get used to each other’s playing styles. Going out today was another step up.”
He didn’t simply make the team.
He proved he belonged.
For NHL organizations, those performances provided another level of confidence that his breakout WHL season wasn’t an outlier.
Why North Dakota Makes Sense
Rather than jumping directly into professional hockey, MacKenzie will continue his development at the University of North Dakota.
For a player with his skill set, it’s difficult to imagine a better fit.
North Dakota has produced NHL defencemen for decades and offers an environment where skating, puck movement and hockey IQ are emphasized while players continue adding strength.
That’s particularly important for MacKenzie.
The biggest area left in his game is defending bigger, stronger forwards during extended defensive-zone shifts. College hockey provides more time for strength development while still exposing players to older, more physically mature competition.
From Toronto’s perspective, there is no need to rush the process.
Patience could ultimately maximize his long-term potential.
What Leafs Fans Should Expect
Defencemen rarely develop overnight.
MacKenzie is no exception.
The encouraging part is that he already has an NHL identity.
He’s an excellent skater.
He drives transition.
He moves the puck efficiently.
He plays with poise under pressure.
One scouting report may have summarized him best:
“There’s a lot to like here, and plenty of teams will be kicking themselves for not taking him with a late-round pick a year ago.”
It’s a sentiment that’s easy to understand.
If everything goes according to plan, MacKenzie projects as a reliable top-four NHL defenceman capable of contributing in every situation. While he may never quarterback a first power-play unit, his skating, transition game and hockey sense give him the tools to become an important even-strength contributor while adding value on a second power-play unit.
Final Thoughts
Every draft has players who eventually outperform where they were selected.
Whether Ethan MacKenzie becomes one of them remains to be seen.
What is clear is that his development has consistently trended in the right direction.
Rather than allowing two disappointing draft years to define his career, he used them as motivation to become one of the WHL’s best defencemen, earn a place on Team Canada and convince one of the NHL’s biggest organizations that he was worth investing in.
The next step begins at North Dakota.
If his progression over the past three seasons is any indication, Leafs fans have every reason to be excited about what comes next.