20 questions with Hawks forward MacKenzie Entwistle originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
In our latest series of 20 questions, I go 1-on-1 with Blackhawks forward MacKenzie Entwistle:
1. Favorite NHL team growing up and why?
Toronto, just because I’m from there and it was the closest games that I could go and watch.
2. Favorite NHL player growing up and why?
It was either Mats Sundin or Darcy Tucker, just because they were Leafs guys and they were both great players.
3. What was your welcome to the NHL moment?
You know what, I’ll never forget. Something that always stuck with me was going out for my first warmup and we were all here in the locker room giving fist bumps and stuff before the game and Calvin de Haan said: ‘Entsy, don’t be nervous, it’s just the best league in the world!’ That’s something I’ll never forget.
4. Favorite road city in the NHL and why?
I think New York City is pretty cool. Just a big city and I had never been to New York City, so that was pretty cool.
5. Favorite road arena in the NHL and why?
Vegas is pretty cool. Just how loud the music is, and you kind of feel like you’re in a Vegas show.
6. Favorite all-time teammate and why?
Oh, that’s tough. I’m going to go with Quinn Hughes. I played with him growing up, my whole life, and I was always over at their house. I pretty much lived with him throughout minor hockey. He was always making guys laugh. He was really funny.
7. Why do you wear No. 58?
I wish I could switch. *Laughs.* I actually didn’t pick 58. Normally I wear 44. Growing up, I actually wore 4 just because of Bobby Orr. And then when I got to the Marlboros they didn’t have 4, so I went 5, and then when I got to junior they only had 44, so I put two 4’s together.
When I played in Rockford, I was 44, and then with the COVID year, they switched and you could only wear your camp number and my camp number was 58 and ever since then I haven’t switched. I probably will switch eventually to try to get 44 at least.
8. Favorite activity to unwind from hockey?
This one’s either golf or I spend a lot of time at the cottage on the water either fishing or doing water sports, surfing, stuff like that.
9. What’s your stick flex number?
85. I actually just went up. It used to be 80 and I switched. As you grow and you get a little bit stronger and bigger, I think your stick sometimes feels like a wet noodle so I went up a little bit this summer.
10. What’s one thing you have to do on a game day?
Nap. I’m a big nap guy.
11. Best hockey prank you’ve witnessed
Last year, Marc-Andre Fleury, we all were out at dinner on the road having a couple drinks and I went home a little early. We had a day off the next day and the guys were out late. I’m sleeping and it’s like 2 a.m. and I hear someone come in my room and I thought it was the maid, so I was like: ‘No, no, I’m good, I’m OK!’ And it was Flower. He comes and he flips my bed, and I’m so tired, and there’s like four of them there and they all start hanging out in my room, my mattress is off my bed and sure enough, I didn’t even notice, but Flower goes to my washroom while were all talking — I don’t know how he did it — but he unclips my toilet so that when I flush it next, it sprays out. So later at night, at like 3 a.m., I go to take a pee and I go to flush and the water starts spraying all over my floor, I’m like, ‘What the …’ That’s probably one I’ll never forget.
12. Hardest player you’ve had to defend
Probably Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon. We were lined up against MacKinnon a couple times last year.
13. Current or former player you’d want as your linemates?
I’d probably going with Patrick Kane and maybe, that’s tough, I mean you could go Wayne Gretzky, you could go Mario Lemieux, maybe Jaromir Jagr or Alex Ovechkin too. That’s a tough one, I don’t even know, there’s so many.
14. Build your 3-on-3 overtime lineup
I would go Connor McDavid, Patrick Kane and Cale Makar. And maybe Marc-Andre Fleury in goal.
15. Favorite TV show or movie
I’m not a massive movie or show guy, I like more documentary stuff. I actually just watched this movie called Captain Jack. It’s about pirates and they go and take over like a massive cargo ship and it just runs through the whole store, the Seal Team Six is called and stuff, it’s pretty crazy, and it’s a real story, it’s a true story. There’s a couple Seal Team Six ones that are pretty cool. I like real stuff like that.
16. Favorite vacation spot in the summer
That’s a good one. I’ve been to a couple. Saint Martin I went to and that was awesome man. That was really cool, just the water and the beaches were great. I still want to go to a couple more places, but right now, that would probably be my go-to.
17. Favorite sport outside of hockey?
Golf.
18. What’s your golf handicap and which 3 teammates would you want in a foursome?
My handicap is like a 10-13. I’m not that great. I’ll probably pick Sam Lafferty, Taylor Raddysh and Jonathan Toews.
19. Favorite non-hockey athlete ever?
Conor McGregor. I don’t know, I think he does some stupid things but coming up and watching all of his fights when he was winning, that was pretty crazy to watch. I still think even now whenever he goes and if he’ll fight again, it’s like a big day, everyone’s always watching it. I just love the excitement I get from watching him. What he did for the UFC was pretty remarkable.
20. If you weren’t a hockey player, what would you be?
Real estate really interests me, so maybe a real estate agent. I don’t know. Being a general manager would interest me too. If it was a sport, I would be a golfer, but if not probably a real estate agent or something like that.
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