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WHL Moose Jaw Warriors

MacIntosh Finding his Stride with Warriors

November 15, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release


Dakota MacIntosh gave Moose Jaw Warrior fans a good taste of what's to come on Tuesday night.

He found his way onto the scoresheet for the first time in the Western Hockey League, scoring twice and finishing with three points in the Warriors' 9-6 win over Saskatoon.

"I upped the expectations a little bit," MacIntosh said after practice on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old forward joined the Warriors at the start of November after putting together a blazing start to the season with the Blackfalds Bulldogs in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

MacIntosh still leads the AJHL in goals and sits third in points.

But making the jump to the WHL led to an adjustment for the Winnipeg product.

"The first four games were kind of a struggle, we were getting chances, but they just weren't falling," he said. "It was a really big relief for me and especially my line to get a couple [on Tuesday] night."

While it took him a few games to adapt to the speed of the game, with his two goals on Tuesday night, MacIntosh showed what's possible for him moving forward.

"I feel like I can really be a contributor this year on a championship winning team, so at the end of the day, fans should expect more of that from me," he said.

After signing with the Warriors, MacIntosh immediately joined the team on a two-game road trip without getting much practice time with the team.

"It wasn't easy, but it was also really fun," he said. "A bunch of new guys, great guys, and obviously jumping right into it at Rogers Place and then going into the Saddledome right after, it was an awesome experience."

MacIntosh said getting to play his first two games in the WHL in NHL arenas was definitely a 'Welcome to the WHL' moment.

"It's definitely a special rink to play in for your first game, but the whole experience being on the road for the first few games was really nice, it gave me time to spend some time with the guys and get to know them," he said.

Originally drafted by the Warriors in the ninth round of the 2019 WHL Draft, MacIntosh had started his junior career playing in the USHL, BCHL and AJHL as he considered the college route.

He said he decided joining the Warriors was the direction he wanted to go for his development.

"I always kept in touch with [Warriors GM Jason Ripplinger] and [Warriors head coach Mark O'Leary] and the Alberta League was really fun, but you've got to do what's best for you in terms of challenging yourself," MacIntosh said.

"I felt the Western League would do that, it would make me a better player at the end of the day."

Now that's settled into his new home with the Warriors, MacIntosh said he's focusing on developing his game to play at a high level in the WHL.

"I definitely put myself as a power forward, I like to go to the net, but I definitely do shoot the puck, I'm definitely very offensive and I'm working on using my frame more, so fans can expect a lot of hits and hopefully also a lot of goals at the same time," he said.

MacIntosh and the Warriors will return to action on Friday when they close out their home-and-home with the Blades at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

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Western Hockey League Stories from November 15, 2023


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