Ethan MacKenzie celebrates his 20th birthday today, and what a way to ring it in: he’s hitting #10 in the T25U25 rankings! Talk about a birthday present. This kid, a D+2 prospect, was snatched up by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round, 69th overall, after a pretty wild path to the draft.
The Wild Ride to the Draft Board
Can you believe this guy got passed over not once, but *twice*? Seriously, MacKenzie was one of the youngest prospects for the 2024 draft, playing as a 17-year-old defender in the WHL. And get this, *nobody* had him on their radar. He got skipped again in the 2025 draft! But that’s when you gotta wonder what scouts were watching because the pieces were clearly starting to click for him, setting up that insane last season. MacKenzie is coming off an age-19 season where he absolutely balled out as his team’s top defender, even getting to suit up for Canada at the World Juniors. His age is a trip too; he’s officially D+2, but basically young enough to be a D+1 because of the September 15th draft eligibility cutoff. Think about it: Harry Nansi and Nick Robertson were in the same boat, some of the youngest in their draft classes, while Auston Matthews was one of the oldest. This kid is literally a year and a half younger than Noah Chadwick and half a year younger than Ben Danford. That age situation alone tells you he’s got upside others didn’t have when they were drafted. He’s got some size at 6’1″, 187 pounds, and they say he’s got snarl and skating as a two-way defenseman. What a steal at pick 69!
Facing the Benchmarks
Now, the big question is how MacKenzie stacks up, and the word is he’s got two solid benchmarks in Chadwick and Danford. Noah Chadwick showed off similar on-puck skills in the WHL, with his skating, passing, and shooting. I mean, they’re expecting Chadwick to get promoted to PP1 on the Marlies next season, that’s serious. And get this: both defenders had 26 power play points in their age-19 and final WHL seasons. That’s no coincidence, right? MacKenzie’s offensive game is clearly there, but he’s heading to the NCAA, and the thought is that move will really sharpen his defensive play. Because let’s be real, his defense needs work. That’s where Ben Danford comes in. Danford is an exceptional defensive defender in the CHL and crushed it in the AHL playoffs, especially with his two-way game. If MacKenzie wants to own his own zone, Danford is the bar. Brian even said in his “Getting to Know” article earlier this summer that MacKenzie has a lot to work on defensively. The voters for this T25U25 ranking definitely saw the potential, though. Hardev and Cathy had him at 7, but Zone Entry, what are you doing with a 21? C’mon!
This kid has the tools, the offensive game, and the grit. Now it’s all about the next two years, hitting those defensive benchmarks, and showing everyone why being passed over twice was a massive mistake. Can’t wait to see him prove them all wrong!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pension Plan Puppets.
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