This year’s edition of the prestigious Mac’s Midget AAA Tournament proved as a showcase for 24 Midget teams from across the country, as well as the lone international team, the New York Jr Islanders.
Eight Swift Current Broncos prospects were sprinkled across seven Midget rosters in the tournament.
Kye Buchanan, an unsigned forward brought over to the southwest from Spokane in the Noah King trade, was the lone Broncos prospect able to hoist the championship trophy. Buchanan’s St. Albert Raiders squad edged the Lethbridge Midget Hurricanes 4-3 in the final held at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
The @RaidersAAA are your 2018/19 Mac’s Tournament Champions! The Raiders defeated the @LethMAAACanes 4-3 in a hard fought New Years day battle.#MacsTourney #MacsBuildingLeaders #AAAHockey #StrongerTogether #YYC #Calgary #Hockey pic.twitter.com/6RYiRiXOWM
— Mac's Tournament (@MacsTournament) January 2, 2019
Congratulations to #SCB prospect Kye Buchanan and @RaidersAAA for winning the Mac's AAA Midget Invitational Tournament! https://t.co/PUc19KaET2
— SC Broncos (@SCBroncos) January 2, 2019
Across all eight players, just two (Alex Thacker, Sam Schofield) are signed.
Breaking down the Bronco prospects’ showings, in descending order of team record:
St. Albert Raiders (6-1-0 record, 1st place Pool 3, Mac’s Champions):
- F – Kye Buchanan – ’01 - (Acquired from Spokane) – 2 G, 1 A in four round-robin games – 7 G, 4 A in 16 league games
Lethbridge Hurricanes (5-1-1 record, 1st place Pool 4, lost in final):
- F – Dawson Leroux – ’02 - (Listed Spring, 2018) – 1 G, 1 A in Four round-robin games – 8 A in 21 league games
Saskatoon Blazers (5-1-0 record, 1st place in Pool 1, lost in semi-final):
- F – Carter Stebbings – ’02 - (listed September, 2018) – 2 G, 1 A in four round-robin games - 10 G, 27 A in 32 league games
Vancouver NE Chiefs (2-2-1 record, 2nd place Pool 3, lost in quarter-final):
- F – Sam Schofield – ’02 - (Listed Fall, 2017) – 2 A in four round-robin games – 9 G, 12 A in 24 league games
Calgary Flames (1-1-2 record, 4th place in Pool 4):
- F – Tyson Gross – ’02 - (Listed Spring, 2018) – 1 G, 2 A in four round-robin games – 2 G, 8 A in 23 league games
Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (1-2-1 record, 4th place in Pool 5):
- F – Alex Thacker – ’02 - (Drafted 6th round, 2017) – 2 G, 2 A in four round-robin games – 8 G, 15 A in 23 league games
- F – Ashton McNelly – ’03 - (Drafted 10th round, 2018) – zero points in four round-robin games – one goal in 22 league games
Okanagan Rockets (1-3-0 record, 4th place in Pool 1):
- D – Connor Elliott – ’03 - (Listed November, 2018) – DNP (Affiliated Player) – zero points in four league games