Ranked #70 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #53 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #104 by THN/KENNEDY
Ranked #48 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #58 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS
Ranked #56 by DAILY FACEOFF
Ranked #62 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #64 by SPORTSNET/BUKALA
Ranked #55 by HPR/MALLOY
MacKenzie is 19 years old, which means he was passed over in the draft twice but became one of the rare stories of an undrafted player making the Canadian World Junior team. A Oil King teammate of promising Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka, MacKenzie participated in the Leafs‘ development camp as an undrafted invitee, so there is plenty of familiarity with the player within the organization, among the scouting staff as well as Hayley Wickenheiser and her player development team.
In his draft+2 season, the BC native produced just under a point per game in the WHL (57 in 58) and added five points in seven games for Team Canada at the WJC tournament.
MacKenzie was a surprise addition to Canada’s World Junior team, and he didn’t disappoint. It was a solid enough stretch that helped ensure he would be selected this year after being passed over twice.
MacKenzie’s ability to win individual battles and shut guys down makes him intriguing. His maturity and hockey sense have really blossomed over time, and he can kill plays and log a lot of minutes if needed (as proven with the Oil Kings).
MacKenzie never stops working and battling. He plays an ultra-aggressive defensive game, closing on opponents as they receive the puck, throwing crushing hits, beating down net-front attackers, and constantly scanning and moving.
Assistant GM Judd Brackett on Ethan MacKenzie
Brackett: 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.
Zach Olsen to Toronto.
Olsen was one of my favorite WHLers this year, and opponents cited him as one of the toughest players to go up against in the WHL. He’s smart, nimble and has a powerful wrister he loves to show often. Olsen is a hard-working forward who has really…
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) June 27, 2026
