Comet Tales: Matt MacKenzie
February 14, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Utica Comets News Release
Amerks defenseman Matt MacKenzie wants to play against the Utica Comets on Friday - but can't. As for Saturday's contest at The AUD, the third-year pro from New Westminster, BC will be ready to skate.
A week ago, on February 7, during Rochester's 4-1 win over the Hershey Bears at The Blue Cross Arena, MacKenzie was hit with a game misconduct penalty in the final five minutes. Because of the AHL rule that any player receiving a game misconduct in the final five minutes is suspended for one game, MacKenzie will be scouting the Comets from the press box on Friday.
Listening to the Buffalo Sabres third round draft pick in 2010 speak, you wouldn't guess that in 39 games skated this season he's collected 60 penalty minutes. This being MacKenzie's first full season on the AHL level, after splitting his first two in the ECHL with Greenville and Gwinett, he tells of being confident for playing time at the next level - NHL.
"I'm here to help Rochester win games. I try not to think about it (waiting for the call to Buffalo) too much," says MacKenzie, who has five points tallied this season. "All I can do is take care of my game down here and wait."
With the all-star break concluding on Thursday, MacKenzie is just like so many on AHL rosters, returning from much needed rest and relaxation. During our conversation on Thursday, after a late practice, MacKenzie sounds poised for the pending playoff sprint. "I had a good break. I went back home to Calgary for a few days," MacKenzie tells. "I had an early flight on Sunday. Similar to what we are experiencing here, there was a lot of snow back home and it was very cold; typical winter. It was good to be with family and friends."
Although MacKenzie grew up in Canada's pacific northwest, in the shadow's of Vancouver and being a Canucks fan, Calgary holds many special memories. The four season spent playing for the WHL's Calgary Hitmen prepared MacKenzie for the 80 games thus far in Rochester line-ups.
An added perk skating for the Hitmen was meeting up-close the person whom the team is named after - WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart. "He (Hart) would come in our dressing room and give us speeches and pep talks. They were always exciting," MacKenzie recalls. "I remember him being there when we won the league championship (WHL) and played for the Memorial Cup."
Confessing to still being a Canucks fan, MacKenzie finds it cool to play against the Comets, guys who potentially will be playing for Vancouver.
There are two special times this season that stand above others for MacKenzie. In being on the Rochester roster this season for MacKenzie and teammates, this past December meant playing in Switzerland. The Amerks participated in the Spengler Cup Tournament, hosted by Swiss team HC Davos. "We thought it was going to happen last season (going to Switzerland). Davos is one of my favorite places to have visited. They have hockey crazed fans," MacKenzie states. "We had two days off until our flight home, and saw the Alps, some guys went tobogganing, and visited some really cool shops."
But before jetting to Europe, MacKenzie was blown away to participate in the December 13 outdoor game at Rochester's Frontier Field. "The game was awesome. During my last year in juniors I was traded and missed out on playing an outdoor game," MacKenzie explains. "I was pumped for our game with Lake Erie. The big crowd (11,015), anD intense game with our rival Lake Erie, and we won, everything about it was cool."
Having fun at doing what he's wanted to since a child, committed to his Rochester teammates and dreaming of suiting up in Sabres blue and gold, Matt MacKenzie is as focused a hockey player as any in the game today.
American Hockey League Stories from February 14, 2014
- Phantoms and Pirates Love to Shoot in Record-Breaking Valentine's Game - Adirondack Phantoms
- Admirals Slug It out in 2-0 Win over Crunch - Norfolk Admirals
- Barons Extend Winning Streak to 6; Down Monsters 2-1 - Oklahoma City Barons
- Special Teams Keep B-Sens on Top of East Division - Binghamton Senators
- Rampage Rally for Shootout Win over Griffins - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Wolves Triumph in Eight Shootout Rounds at Rockford - Chicago Wolves
- Vey-Lantine's Treat - Manchester Monarchs
- Monsters Suffer Last Minute Defeat In Oklahoma City - Cleveland Monsters
- Falcons Drop Divisional Game To Wolf Pack - Springfield Falcons
- Wolf Pack defeat Falcons - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Crunch Shut out by Admirals 2-0 - Syracuse Crunch
- Sens Use Special Teams to Down Pens, 6-2 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Visentin Makes 53 Saves as Pirates Beat Phantoms in Shootout - Portland Pirates
- P-Bruins Defeat IceCaps 3-2 - Providence Bruins
- Rampage Outshine Griffins 2-1 in a Shootout - San Antonio Rampage
- Wild Sinks Admirals 3-1 - Iowa Wild
- Amerks Return from All-Star Break with 7-3 Rout of Comets - Rochester Americans
- Bears Dispatch Devils in Shootout - Hershey Bears
- Sharks Get Stood up on Valentine's Day in Manchest - Worcester Sharks
- Devils lose to Bears in shootout - Albany Devils
- OKC Energy FC Adds a Trio of Players to Roster; Individual Tickets - Oklahoma City Barons
- IceCaps Suffer Setback against Bruins - St. John's IceCaps
- Two to Toledo and One to Cincinnati - Rockford IceHogs
- Amerks to Honor Hometown Heroes on Saturday, February 22 - Rochester Americans
- Comet Tales: Matt MacKenzie - Utica Comets
- Gameday: Comets at Rochester - Utica Comets
- Promotional Advisory: Salute to Heroes and Trading Card Set on Tap - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Sound Tigers Sign Jake Newton to PTO - Bridgeport Islanders
- American Hockey League Announces Suspension - AHL
- Lovely Night for Rivalry Clash - Rockford IceHogs
- Admirals Reassign Darling to Cincinnati - Milwaukee Admirals
- Rampage Acquire D Mike Dalhuisen from Bridgeport - San Antonio Rampage
- Sound Tigers Deal Dalhuisen to San Antonio for Brace - Bridgeport Islanders
- Former Crunch Forward Brandon Sugden to Appear at February 21 Game vs. Utica - Syracuse Crunch
- Pirates Head to Glens Falls for Valentine's Date with Phantoms - Portland Pirates
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