Canucks prospect winger willing to do the work to take his emerging game to the next level

Photo by Gerry Kahrmann / PNG

VICTORIA — Zack MacEwen may have found the answer to a pressing question.

The big and skilled Vancouver Canucks prospect winger needs explosiveness in his first few strides to get up to NHL speed. It’s often the separator for those who flourish in the minors but can’t quite make the leap to the NHL.

During a Saturday camp scrimmage in which MacEwen was aligned with Brandon Sutter and Tanner Pearson, it was obvious his skating has improved, but is there another level he can reach?

MacEwen answered the query by training with David (Eli) MacEachern, who teamed with Pierre Lueders of Team Canada to share Olympic gold with Italy in the 1998 two-man bobsleigh at Nagano.

Think about it. Those bobsleigh starts are all about power and weight transfer and endurance.

“I’m just trying to get more speed in my footwork and more power in my legs and it has helped me make a big jump in the last two years,” said the undrafted 23-year-old MacEwen. “I had a good summer and I feel great and playing with those guys today, it was good because you can see the work that they put in and how helpful they are for me on the bench.

“You need this to get your intensity level back and your timing.”

MacEwen had 52 points (22-30) in 69 AHL games last season with the Utica Comets and also made his regular-season debut with the Canucks. He had one assist in four outings, but the big take-away was showing what he had learned and the willingness he has to get to the next level.

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“It was getting that taste and knowing what I have to strive for,” recalled MacEwen. “You have to get a feel for the lifestyle and everything that it takes to get there and stay there.

“It’s a good feeling to be noticed because it keeps me on my toes to develop all aspects of my game. They’ve put the time and effort into me to develop and I’m taking in as much as I can.”

All that is not lost on an organization that took a chance on a raw prospect whose 6-3, 205-pound frame is tailored for the NHL game, especially in the post-season.

“He has to just play his game, be rambunctious, be aggressive and good with the puck,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “Has he gotten a little quicker to play in the NHL? I know he works extremely hard and has become one of our better pros in a short time period and has really high character.

“He wants to be an NHL player and is willing to do a lot to be one. His overall skating is close and it was close last year. He’s a smart kid and understands what he has to do to make the next level. The onus always comes back to the player.”

Comets coach Trent Cull lauded MacEwen’s willingness to be a consummate pro at the minor-league level and do the tough stuff away from the ice.

“The work that he put in has changed his body,” Cull said. “He’s done a great job and is hungry to learn. He’s doing a better job at (defensive) zone coverage and when he protects pucks, he’s a tough guy to play against.”

If that isn’t enough of a ringing endorsement, Comets teammate Guillaume Brisebois had this to say of the winger’s continuing progress: “He’s an amazing player. He’s been really important for us in Utica because he has played big minutes and he really presents himself every game. Big player. Power forward. He brings everything.”

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