Dryden McKay

Last updated
Dryden McKay
Born (1997-11-25) November 25, 1997 (age 26)
Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S.
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
AHL team Toronto Marlies
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2022–present

Dryden Dowd McKay (born November 25, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender under contract to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). He is the son of Ross McKay, a goaltender who played one game in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers in 1991. After posting a shutout in a 1–0 win over St. Cloud State on October 8, 2021, McKay tied the record for career shutouts in NCAA DI men's hockey history with 26 career shutouts. He later won the 2022 Hobey Baker Award as the best NCAA men's ice hockey player.

Contents

Early life

McKay was born on November 25, 1997, in Downers Grove, Illinois. Father Ross McKay was a former goaltender who played one game in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers in 1991. [1] He was named after Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden and wears number 29 in his honor. [2] Although he grew up a fan of Carey Price, McKay favored Jaroslav Halák and Juuse Saros as inspirations due to their shared lack of height. [3]

Career

Amateur

On May 6, 2014, McKay was drafted by the Waterloo Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League (USHL) Draft. [4] Prior to the 2015 Corpus Christi IceRays Main Camp, the team acquired McKay in exchange for a 2015–16 goaltender and a conditional 2016 draft pick. [5] In December of that year, McKay was recalled by the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL for six games. [6]

On November 18, 2016, McKay signed a Letter of Intent to play NCAA Division I ice hockey for the Holy Cross Crusaders of the College of the Holy Cross. [7] However, after signing, he realized his family could not afford tuition and asked to de-commit but the school refused. After going through two appeals, he was allowed to de-commit and agreed to play with the Minnesota State Mavericks instead. [8] McKay later said he chose Minnesota State because of its proximity to his family, hockey facilities and coaching staff, and their business program. [9]

Collegiate

In his rookie season, McKay competed against Mathias Israelsson for the starting goaltender position. He started the first four games of the season, posting a 3–1–0 record, before sitting for seven consecutive games so Israelsson could start. [2] McKay said he and Israelsson worked together on and off the ice to improve themselves. He also praised the veteran goaltender saying: "He’s probably one of the hardest working and most prepared players — not just goalies — I’ve ever seen or played with...Just to see how hard he worked and how he treated his body, how he prepared every day, he was pretty consistent in practice." [10] Following this, he cemented the starting role and posted an 11–4–1 record with a .919 save percentage by January. [2] As the starting goaltender, McKay was the recipient of five WCHA Goaltender of the Week accolades and WCHA Goaltender of the Month and HCA National Goaltender of the Month in February. He finished the year with a .927 save percentage and 1.76 Goals against average (GAA) for an overall record of 24–7–2 through 32 starts. [11] At the conclusion of the season, McKay was named College Hockey News' 2018-19 Rookie of the Year, [12] and was selected for both the All-WCHA Second Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team. [13]

McKay returned to the Mavericks for his sophomore season, which, despite being shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was a record breaking campaign for him. During a game against the Northern Michigan Wildcats on February 8, McKay set a new Minnesota State record for most career shutouts with 12, which surpassed the previous record held by Cole Huggins. [14] He concluded the regular season ranking first in the country with 1.31 goals against average and a .942 save percentage. [11] As a result of his play, McKay was named a First Team All-American and listed as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. [15] He was also the recipient of the WCHA Goaltender of the Year, All-WCHA First Team, WCHA Scholar-Athlete, and WCHA All-Academic. As the Mavericks beat the Alaska Anchorage in their first-round playoff series, he established a Minnesota State goaltending record for wins in a season. [11]

When collegiate hockey resumed for the 2020–21 season, McKay continued to set new career and program records. After posting a shutout in a 5–0 win over Alabama–Huntsville Chargers on February 12, 2021, McKay ranked second all-time in NCAA DI men's hockey history with 22 career shutouts. [16] As a result of his play, McKay was the recipient of his second consecutive WCHA Goaltender of the Year award after concluding the season with a WCHA-record 1.07 GAA. [17]

In his final collegiate season, McKay tied Ryan Miller for the record of NCAA career shutouts with 26 after posting a 1–0 shutout over St. Cloud State on October 8, 2021. [18] He continued his dominant play throughout the regular season and by February led the country in wins with nine shutouts. As such, McKay was named a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award as the top netminder in college hockey. [19] Later, in March, McKay tied with Robb Stauber and Marty Turco for most single-season men's Division I wins with his 34th victory of the season. Upon reaching this milestone, Northern Michigan coach Grant Potulny called McKay "the best player in college hockey." [20] He subsequently helped the Mavericks qualify for the 2022 Frozen Four with a record of 38–4 and ranked second in goals against. After eliminating Minnesota in the Frozen Four semifinals, McKay won the 2022 Hobey Baker Award as the best NCAA men's ice hockey player becoming just the third goaltender to win the award after Robb Stauber in 1988 and Ryan Miller in 2001. [21]

Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, McKay announced that he had accepted a six-month ban imposed on him from the United States Anti-Doping Agency as a result of him taking a banned substance. The positive test of Ostarine was the result of him taking contaminated Quercetin vitamins as protection from COVID-19. [22]

Professional

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on Monday, April 25, 2022, that McKay would be signing as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL; this ultimately became a deal with Toronto's AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, [23] though McKay spent the majority of the first year of his two year deal with Toronto's ECHL affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGPWLT/OTMINGA SO GAA SV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
2014–15 Springfield Jr. Blues NAHL 371518221429922.77.917————————
2015–16 Corpus Christi IceRays NAHL 341514219668112.47.921————————
2015–16 Green Bay Gamblers USHL 1000112011.39.667————————
2016–17 Madison Capitols USHL 3918173229110322.70.917————————
2017–18 Madison CapitolsUSHL4919242275415503.38.907————————
2018–19 Minnesota State WCHA 34247220115941.76.927————————
2019–20 Minnesota StateWCHA373042215647101.31.942————————
2020–21 Minnesota StateWCHA262140152239101.54.924————————
2021–22 Minnesota State CCHA 433850256156101.31.931————————
2022–23 Newfoundland Growlers ECHL 331910118429413.06.90012836833122.72.901
2022–23 Toronto Marlies AHL 2101124703.38.885————————
2023–24 Newfoundland GrowlersECHL35816613867723.33.897————————
NCAA totals1401132048,250201341.46.932————————

Awards and honors

AwardYearRef
College
All-WCHA Rookie Team 2018–19 [24]
All-WCHA Second Team 2018–19
All-WCHA First Team 2019–20, 2020–21 [25] [26]
AHCA West First Team All-American 2019–20, 2021–22 [27] [28]
AHCA West Second Team All-American 2020–21 [29]
CCHA Goaltender of the Year 2021–22 [30]
All-CCHA First Team 2021–22
Hobey Baker Award 2022 [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Cavallini</span> American ice hockey player (born 1992)

Alexandria Cavallini is an American ice hockey goaltender, currently a member of the PWHPA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013–14 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 2013 and ended with the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game in April 2014. This was the 67th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and the 120th year overall in which an NCAA school fielded a team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014–15 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 2014 and ended with the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game in April 2015. This was the 68th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and the 121st year overall in which an NCAA school fielded a team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 2015 and ended with the 2016 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament's championship game on April 9, 2016. This was the 69th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and the 122nd year overall in which an NCAA school fielded a team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 2016 and ended with the 2017 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament's championship game in April 2017. This was the 70th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and the 123rd year overall in which an NCAA school iced a team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 2017 and ended with the Frozen Four in April 2018. This was the 71st season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and US college hockey's 124th year overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 5, 2019, and was intended to conclude with the Frozen Four in April 2020. This would have been the 73rd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and was US college hockey's 126th year overall. However, the postseason tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clint Joseph "C.J." Suess is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League (AHL). Prior to playing professionally, Suess played college hockey for the Minnesota State Mavericks at Minnesota State University, Mankato. At the time of his graduation, his 127 career points were tied for fifth on the school's career scoring list during the NCAA Division I era. He also represented Team USA in the 2013 World Junior A Challenge, helping them win a gold medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on November 14, 2020, and concluded with the Frozen Four on April 10, 2021. Due to the cancellation of the previous year's tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic, this was the 73rd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and was US college hockey's 127th year overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey season</span>

The 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey season began in November 2020 and ended with the 2021 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania on March 20, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey season</span>

The Bulldogs qualified for the 2021 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Tournament, ranked as the #5 seed. Defeating the Colgate Raiders in the opening round, the Bulldogs were defeated 3-2 by the #1 ranked Northeastern Huskies in the Frozen Four.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2020–21 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season was the 100th season of play for the program. They represented the University of Minnesota in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. This season marked the 31st season in the Big Ten Conference. They were coached by Bob Motzko, in his third season, and played their home games at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2020–21 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season was the 52nd season of play for the program, the 25th at the Division I level and the 22nd in the WCHA conference. The Mavericks represented Minnesota State University, Mankato and were coached by Mike Hastings, in his 9th season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 2, 2021, and concluded with the NCAA championship on April 9, 2022. This was the 74th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and was US college hockey's 128th year overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey season</span> College ice hockey season

The 2021–22 Harvard Crimson Men's ice hockey season is the 121st season of play for the program. The represent Harvard University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season and for the 60th season in the ECAC Hockey conference. The Crimson are coached by Ted Donato, in his 17th season, and play their home games at Bright-Landry Hockey Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2021–22 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey season was the 78th season of play for the program. They represented the University of Minnesota Duluth in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season and for the 9th season in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). The Bulldogs were coached by Scott Sandelin, in his 22nd season, and played their home games at AMSOIL Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season</span>

The 2021–22 Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey season was the 53rd season of play for the program. They represented Minnesota State University, Mankato in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season and for the 1st season in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). They are coached by Mike Hastings, in his 10th season, and play their home games at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.

The 2021–22 CCHA season was the 43rd season of play for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and part of the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. The regular season began on October 2, 2021, and concluded on February 26, 2022. The conference tournament began on March 4 and ended on March 19, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Smith (ice hockey, born 1998)</span> American ice hockey player

Nathan Smith is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Tucson Roadrunners in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Utah NHL team of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a member of United States national team at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers represented the University of Minnesota in WCHA women's ice hockey during the 2021-22 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey season. They won the WCHA regular-season title, but lost to Ohio State 3–2 in the conference tournament finals on home ice.

References

  1. ↑ "Dryden McKay". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Frederick, Shane (January 17, 2019). "Mavericks' Dryden McKay is living up to his name". The Free Press. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  3. ↑ Baruch, Ben (February 1, 2021). "DRYDEN MCKAY AIMS AT RYAN MILLER'S SHUTOUTS RECORD AT MSU". drive4five.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  4. ↑ Nelson, Jim (May 6, 2014). "Waterloo adds 30 in USHL's two drafts". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  5. ↑ "IceRays Acquire Goaltender Dryden McKay". oursportscentral.com. July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  6. ↑ "DRYDEN MCKAY RECALLED BY GREEN BAY GAMBLERS". goicerays.com. December 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  7. ↑ "MEN'S HOCKEY SIGNS THREE TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT". goholycross.com. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  8. ↑ Goudie, Chuck; Tressel, Christine (May 3, 2018). "NCAA National Letter of Intent can be a nightmare for some families". abc7chicago.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  9. ↑ Messing, Jacob (February 5, 2019). "Minnesota State Freshman Goalie Dryden McKay Among NCAA's Best". flohockey.tv. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  10. ↑ Hittinger, Jack (January 22, 2020). "'Not too excitable' McKay leading national powerhouse Minnesota State from between the pipes with video game-like numbers". uscho.com. USCHO. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 "29 DRYDEN MCKAY". msumavericks.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  12. ↑ "CHN Tabs McKay National Rookie of the Year". msumavericks.com. March 27, 2019. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  13. ↑ "WCHA ANNOUNCES 2018-19 ALL-LEAGUE TEAMS". wcha.com. March 14, 2019. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  14. ↑ "McKay Establishes School Career Shutout Record as #3 Minnesota State Downs #15 Northern Michigan 1-0". msumavericks.com. February 8, 2020. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  15. ↑ "McKay, Michaelis Named USCHO First Team All-Americans". msumavericks.com. March 23, 2020. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Mavericks Overpower Chargers 5-0 Friday". msumavericks.com. February 12, 2021. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Minnesota State leads way with four WCHA men's hockey individual awards for '20-21 season". uscho.com. March 11, 2021. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  18. ↑ Dudley, Kevin (October 8, 2021). "McKay ties shutout record as Mavericks down St. Cloud". Mankato Free Press. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  19. ↑ Clark, Rob (February 22, 2022). "Minnesota State's McKay named semifinalist for Richter Award". KEYC. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  20. ↑ Dudley, Kevin (March 12, 2022). "Updated: MSU downs Northern to reach CCHA championship game". Mankato Free Press. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Minnesota State star goalie Dryden McKay wins Hobey Baker Award". ESPN. April 9, 2022. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  22. ↑ Friedman, Elliotte (April 18, 2022). "Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay discusses suspension for banned substance". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  23. ↑ Friedman, Elliotte (April 25, 2022). "Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay signs two-year deal with Marlies". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022.
  24. ↑ "WCHA Announces 2018-19 All-League Teams". WCHA.com. March 14, 2019. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  25. ↑ "WCHA Announces 2019-20 All-League Teams". WCHA.com. March 16, 2020. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  26. ↑ "WCHA Announces 2020-21 All-League Teams". WCHA.com. March 10, 2021. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  27. ↑ "2019-20 CCM/AHCA Division I men's hockey All-Americans announced". NCAA.com. April 12, 2020. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  28. ↑ "McKay and Smith Named 2022 CCM/AHCA West First Team All-Americans". Minnesota Mavericks. April 7, 2022. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Boston College, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin lead way with three All-American college hockey players apiece for '20-21 season". USCHO.com. April 9, 2021. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Six players earn All-CCHA First Team honors". CCHA. March 15, 2022. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by WCHA Goaltender of the Year
2019–20, 2020–21 		Succeeded by
Award Discontinued
Preceded by WCHA Player of the Year
2020–21 		Succeeded by
Award Discontinued
Preceded by CCHA Goaltender of the Year
2021–22 		Succeeded by
Preceded by CCHA Player of the Year
2021–22 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Hobey Baker Award
2021–22 		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.