Mason McTavish

Mason McTavish
McTavish with the Anaheim Ducks in 2023
Born	(2003-01-30) January 30, 2003 (age 21) Zürich, Switzerland
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	213 lb (97 kg; 15 st 3 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Anaheim Ducks
National team	Canada
NHL draft	3rd overall, 2021 Anaheim Ducks
Playing career	2020–present

Mason McTavish (born January 30, 2003) is a Swiss-born Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). McTavish was selected third overall by the Ducks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut with the Ducks in 2021. Internationally McTavish played for the Canada national team at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Playing career

McTavish with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2022.

McTavish played minor ice hockey for the Pembroke Lumber Kings, where he was coached by his father, Dale McTavish, who also owned the team. He was selected fifth overall in the 2019 OHL Priorityy Selection by the Peterborough Petes, the same junior team his father played for. ^[1] In the 2019–20 season, he finished second among under-17 players in goals before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the season down. The following season, with the 2020–21 OHL season suspended due to the pandemic, McTavish returned to Switzerland, though he was unable to get a work visa until he turned 18 years old, eventually joining second division side EHC Olten on January 29, 2021, ^[2] where he would play 13 games before returning home to play in the under-18 World Championships, where he served as captain and scored eleven points in seven games as Canada won the gold medal. ^{[3] [4]}

McTavish was selected third overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. ^[5] He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks on August 13, 2021. ^[6] He was initially scheduled to not play in the team's opening day game against the Winnipeg Jets but was added to the lineup just hours before the contest. In his NHL debut, McTavish scored his first career goal and recorded an assist in a 4–1 win. At 18 years, 256 days old, he surpassed Oleg Tverdovsky as the youngest Duck to score a goal. ^[7] McTavish skated in three games before a lower-body injury forced him out of the lineup. He was assigned to the Ducks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, on a conditioning loan on October 28. ^[8] He recorded two points in three games for the Gulls while with the club. McTavish finished with two goals and one assist in nine games overall for the Ducks before being re-assigned to the Petes on November 20. With not having exceeded the nine-game mark, the Ducks did not burn a year off of McTavish's entry-level contract. ^[9] McTavish appeared in five games with the Petes, posting six goals and seven points before he was traded to contending club, the Hamilton Bulldogs, in exchange for two prospects and six draft selections on January 9, 2022. ^[10]

International play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing   Canada
World Junior Championships
	2022 Canada
World U18 Championships
	2021 United States

McTavish made his international debut with Canada under-18 team at the 2021 World under-18 Championships. He tallied five goals and six assists in seven games, while Team Canada won the gold medal. Later in the year he was invited to join the roster for the Canada junior team in advance of the 2022 World Junior Championships. ^[11] However, the tournament was cancelled after Canada had played two games, as a result of the spread of the Omicron variant. ^[12] Shortly afterward, McTavish was selected to play for Canada senior team at the 2022 Winter Olympics, the NHL having declined to allow its players to take part. ^{[13] [14] [15]} He was part of the team's first line alongside veteran Eric Staal and AHLer Josh Ho-Sang, but the Canadian team struggled in the tournament and was eliminated in quarterfinals. ^[16] When the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) revived the cancelled 2022 World Junior Championships in August 2022, McTavish was again on the roster, and this time was named captain of the team in the absence of Kaiden Guhle. ^[17] In an August 11 group stage game against Slovakia junior team, McTavish scored four goals as part of an 11–1 victory, tying a record for most goals scored by a Canadian player in a single World Junior Championships game. ^[18] Canada advanced to the gold medal game against Finland junior team, where McTavish had his most significant moment of the tournament in overtime, using his stick to knock Finnish defenceman Topi Niemelä's potential game-winning shot out of midair onto the goal line, preventing a loss. Dubbed "the McTavish Miracle," ^[19] it was considered an exceptionally skilled defensive play, and facilitated Canada's victory minutes later. ^{[20] [21]} McTavish was named the tournament MVP and one of Canada's three best players. ^[22]

Personal life

McTavish was born in Switzerland while his father, Dale, was playing for SC Rapperswil-Jona. He first began playing ice hockey in Zug before the family returned to Canada when Mason was eight years old following Dale's retirement. The family settled in Carp, Ontario. He has one older brother, Darian. ^[4] His father is current a scout in the Ottawa Senators organization. ^[23]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2018–19	Pembroke Lumber Kings	CCHL		5	3	4	7	6		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Peterborough Petes	OHL		57	29	13	42	31		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	EHC Olten	SL		13	9	2	11	6		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		9	2	1	3	2		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	San Diego Gulls	AHL		3	1	1	2	4		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Peterborough Petes	OHL		5	6	1	7	11		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Hamilton Bulldogs	OHL		24	14	26	40	20		19	16	13	29	26
2022–23	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		80	17	26	43	44		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		64	19	23	42	86		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				153	38	50	88	132		—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2020	Canada White	U17	N/A		6	2	1	3	8
2021	Canada	U18			7	5	6	11	10
2022	Canada	OG	6th		5	0	1	1	2
2022	Canada	WJC			7	8	9	17	2
Junior totals					20	15	16	31	20
Senior totals					5	0	1	1	2

Awards and honours

Award	Year
OHL
OHL Second All-Rookie Team	2020	[24]
International
World U18 Championship – Top 3 player on team	2021
World Junior Championships – Tournament MVP	2022	[25]

References

1. "Like Father, Like Son: Dale and Mason McTavish – Peterborough Petes" . Retrieved October 20, 2021.
2. "Mason McTavish zum EHCO". ehco.ch (in Swiss High German). January 29, 2021. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
3. "NHL Draft profile: Mason McTavish". NHL.com. July 13, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
4. Wheeler, Scott. "From Switzerland and back: The unique hockey story of Ducks' 2021 NHL Draft pick Mason McTavish" . The Athletic. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
5. "Ducks Nab McTavish with Third Overall Pick of NHL Draft". Anaheim Ducks . Retrieved July 23, 2021.
6. "McTavish, No. 3 pick in 2021 Draft, signs entry-level contract with Ducks". National Hockey League . Retrieved August 13, 2021.
7. Reedy, Joe (October 14, 2021). "McTavish, 18, scores in NHL debut as Ducks beat Jets 4-1". CTV News Winnipeg. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
8. "Ducks Assign Carrick, McTavish to San Diego". Anaheim Ducks . October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
9. "Ducks Assign McTavish to OHL Peterborough". Anaheim Ducks . November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
10. "Bulldogs acquire Mason McTavish from Petes". Hamilton Bulldogs. January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
11. Davis, Greg (December 1, 2021). "Mason McTavish invited to Team Canada world junior selection camp". Global News . Retrieved August 12, 2022.
12. "IIHF cancels remainder of 2022 world juniors due to COVID-19". Sportsnet . December 29, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
13. "Canada unveils non-NHL Olympic hockey roster with pro experience, young talent". www.cbc.ca/. CBC Sports. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
14. Nichols, Paula (January 25, 2022). "Team Canada's 25-player men's hockey roster nominated for Beijing 2022". www.olympic.ca/. Canadian Olympic Committee . Retrieved January 25, 2022.
15. Stephens, Mike (January 25, 2022). "Canada Names Men's 2022 Olympic Hockey Roster". The Hockey News . Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
16. Longley, Rob (February 17, 2022). "Here's what went wrong for Team Canada in Olympic men's hockey". National Post . Retrieved August 12, 2022.
17. Beneteau, Josh (August 2, 2022). "Mason McTavish to be Canada's captain at rescheduled World Juniors". Sportsnet . Retrieved August 12, 2022.
18. Dixon, Ryan (August 11, 2022). "In game defined by McTavish's stellar performance Canada puts forth more cohesive effort". Sportsnet . Retrieved August 12, 2022.
19. Gould, Mike (August 21, 2022). "World Juniors Medal Round Recap: The McTavish Miracle seals gold for Canada". DailyFaceoff.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
20. McGran, Kevin (August 21, 2022). "'Best I've ever seen.' The save of the year in Canadian hockey wasn't made by a goalie". Toronto Star . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
21. Sandor, Steven (August 20, 2022). "Canada defeats Finland in OT thriller for gold at world juniors in Edmonton". CBC Sports . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
22. Ellis, Steven (August 21, 2022). "World Junior Championships: Top 20 players from the 2022 summer tournament". The Hockey News . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
23. "Hockey Operations". Ottawa Senators. Retrieved February 20, 2024– via nhl.com.
24. "Petes' McTavish first OHL name off the board at 2021 NHL Draft". Ontariohockeyleague.com. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
25. Aykroyd, Lucas (August 21, 2022). "McTavish named MVP". IIHF.com. Retrieved August 21, 2022.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Eurohockey.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Jacob Perreault	Anaheim Ducks first round draft pick 2021	Succeeded by Pavel Mintyukov