You could argue that one season as a 16-year-old still defines MacKenzie Weegar as a hockey player and human. The 30-year-old Calgary Flames defenceman had been recognized for his hard work and talent and asked to jump to the next level.
He chose loyalty instead, and helped the Nepean Raiders to a CCHL title, and a berth in the Fred Page Cup.
That commitment and leadership led to a ceremony on Sunday, when the Raiders raised Weegar’s jersey to the rafters at the Yzerman Arena at the Nepean Sportsplex.
Those same qualities that saw him put off his promotion to the Halifax Mooseheads have helped Weegar carve out quite an NHL career. Arguably the Flames’ best overall defenceman, Weegar is coming off a stellar 20-goal, 52-point season — his personal best.
This year, the Flames are off to a shockingly strong start. And although his offensive output is well behind the career high he set last season, Weegar has been reliable in every area of the ice to help this group come together quickly.
What better case can be made for Weegar to occupy one of the seven spots on defence for the 4-Nations Face-Off best-on-best tournament scheduled for February?
Jonathan Huberdeau thinks so. He gave his Flames teammate a shout-out to make Team Canada after a win over the New York Rangers last week.
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“I think it’s the time to do that,” Huberdeau said after a game during which he earned his 500th NHL assist. “(Weegar is) such a good player; he plays hard all around the game. He deserves it.”
There are plenty with powerplay potential. Colorado’s Cale Makar and Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard can handle those duties. If they’re looking for chemistry, the Las Vegas Golden Knights pairing of Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo fit the bill, and you might add Makar’s Avs partner Devon Toews.
If those are the favourites, Weegar could be in a group with the likes of Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets), Noah Dobson (New York Islanders), Owen Power (Buffalo Sabres) and maybe Morgan Reilly (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Dougie Hamilton (New Jersey Devils) for the sixth and seventh spots.
Weegar may be the most versatile. He can play either side effectively and in any role — from shot-blocker to shot-taker.
He was extremely successful leading Team Canada to gold at the 2023 IIHF World Championships. There’s no reason to think he’d be anything but an asset this time around.
