MacIntyre, who spent last season in the Toronto system, is a traveled veteran, something that he sees as a benefit that he can bring to the organization.
“I have a lot of experience,” he said. “This will be my twelfth year pro, so I’ve learned a lot through trial and error.”
The 31-year-old was drafted in the fourth round by Detroit in 2001, and has since appeared in 353 career AHL games for seven different teams. His journeyman status has not hindered his drive to succeed, and he is determined to make an impact with his new team.
MacIntyre had a strong 2013-14 season, ranking second in the AHL with 29 wins and tied for fourth in games played with 48. He also backstopped the Toronto Marlies to the Western Conference Finals, where they were ousted in seven games by the eventual Calder Cup champion Texas Stars. MacIntyre shined in those playoffs, posting a .941 save percentage, good for second in the league, and was an integral part of the Marlies sweeping their first two opponents. That deep playoff run caused the goalie to have a short offseason, but the experience was invaluable, and should prove to be a positive that he can bring into a Checkers team with little playoff experience.
“It’s not easy and it is very hard for it to happen,” he said. “We were really close to doing something special. But no complaints about having a short summer. It was a lot of fun.”
The Hurricanes’ goalie situation has been an uncertain one for the last few seasons, with injuries plaguing the organization and creating a revolving door of goalies at both levels. While MacIntyre is a proven AHL starter and would certainly be an important piece in Charlotte, his goal is to break through to the big leagues. He is using this Hurricanes training camp to prove to management that he has what it takes to make waves in the NHL.
“I’m just trying to show that I can still play at this level,” he said. “I’ve been down in the minors so long that a lot of people just kind of pegged me as a minor leaguer, so I’m just trying to show that I can play up here.”
It is expected that MacIntyre will begin the season with the Checkers, as Cam Ward and Anton Khudobin have the top two spots locked up. But that’s not to say that MacIntyre won’t get a shot. Remember, it took only one week into last season for Justin Peters to be moved up due to injuries. But as far as what MacIntyre can bring to Charlotte, his veteran experience should be a welcome addition to what is shaping up to be a very young squad. In fact, just a few days into training camp, he has already made an impression with one of the most notable Checkers, Zach Boychuk.
“He’s a veteran guy that seems to be a good leader and a good voice in the locker room,” he said. “So far in practice he’s been tough to score on.”
