Due to a national youth tournament dominating the ice time at Extreme Ice Center, the Checkers’ practice facility in Indian Trail, the 19-year-old’s first practice came at the highly irregular hour of 7 a.m. Instead of soaking in what it means to be at the next level, one could forgive the Hurricanes prospect for having more of a flashback to his peewee days.
“It was definitely a shock,” said McGinn upon first getting his schedule. “We didn’t have many of those in Guelph.”
Guelph is the Ontario Hockey League team that McGinn, Carolina’s second-round pick in 2012 (47th overall), played for until it was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last weekend and will likely play for again next season. Until then, he’ll be in Charlotte for the remainder of the current campaign to, at the very least, skate with the team. He will definitely not be in the lineup for the team’s next game against Milwaukee on Saturday, but anything beyond that has yet to be determined.
“I just want to get that experience and get to know how it is at this level,” said McGinn, who has at least seen older brothers Jamie (Colorado Avalanche) and Tye (Philadelphia Flyers) go through the process of turning pro. “I’m expecting to come to practice every day and do what I can.”
Though the Checkers have never had a player as young as McGinn join their team on a late-season tryout, it’s not entirely uncommon around the league. It does require some fortunate timing, as the player’s season must be over while the AHL affiliate of the team that holds his rights is still playing.
At least one Charlotte veteran went through a similar experience, joining the Hurricanes’ former AHL club in Albany as an 18-year-old less than a full year after his 2007 draft.
“I was in Albany for a month and only played one game, but it was definitely an eye-opener,” said Chris Terry, who has gone on to become the Checkers’ all-time leader in a handful of statistical categories and score his first NHL goal this season. “You have other priorities in junior, but there it was all hockey. It was good to get a feel for the pace of the play.”
Even if McGinn sees a comparably small amount of ice time to start things off, the organization hopes to see plenty more of him down the road. Although he played only 33 games during his draft year, the Hurricanes, with some advice from former player and current Guelph coach Scott Walker, saw enough to select him with a high pick.
The early returns on that investment have been good, with McGinn scoring 54 points (28g, 26a) and racking up 71 penalty minutes for the Storm this season. However, it’s not just his offensive touch that makes him an exciting prospect. For a player without a great amount of size (5-foot-11, 174 pounds), he’s turned heads with his physical play.
In announcing McGinn’s first NHL contract on Wednesday, Jason Karmanos, the Hurricanes’ assistant general manager, gave a quote more lively than those typically seen in written press releases.
“Brock is a gritty, skilled forward who skates well and hits everything,” he said.
“Being the youngest of three brothers definitely helps,” said McGinn, laughing. “We had a rink in the backyard and would always have friends over, and the snow banks around it would be in use.”
What started in his hometown of Fergus, Onatrio, has become a key component of his game.
“I’m not afraid to get into the dirty areas and I’m not afraid to go up against anyone,” was the first thing he said when asked to describe himself as a player.
With that kind of mentality, it’s no wonder that Walker, who racked up over 1,100 penalty minutes over the course of an 800-game NHL career, has taken a shining to him. According to McGinn, Walker has maintained that intensity over the course of his first three seasons as a coach.
“He was an energetic player and he brings that to the bench too,” said McGinn. “If we’re down he’s down our throats, and even if we’re winning no lead is ever big enough. He wants us to keep pushing.”
For now, that’s all McGinn can do in practice, as he would have to unseat a much more experienced player for a spot in the lineup at a time of year when games are at their most important. With Justin Shugg thought to be close to returning from a month-long injury, he may have as many as 13 players ahead of him in the pecking order.
That said, it may take an injury or two to get him in the lineup, as it did with teammate Brody Sutter last season. Or he could end up like Brian Dumoulin, a top prospect who joined the team just in time for a crucial stretch of games late last season but has since departed via a trade with Pittsburgh, who did not a get a chance to play.
Long story short, there are no guarantees.
“We’ll see how it goes,” said Daniels.
