Calgary Kids - Will McLaughlin

Hockey runs deep in the McLaughlin family.

From an early age, Will McLaughlin looked up to his father and brother, Kyle and Finn, wanting to be just like them in pursuit of his hockey dreams.

“My dad and brother were definitely the biggest help in supporting me through my whole hockey journey and they’ll continue to be 100%,” McLaughlin said. Growing up in small town Canmore, when you got one team through every age group and being here now, I think it's fun looking back.

“Through all the hard times and all the good times as well, it's awesome just to reflect on that.”

McLaughlin was continuously one of the top players in his age group which led him to take on new challenges playing with the Little Caesars U15 squad in Detroit before a stint in the AJHL with the Drumheller Dragons.

“Moving away at 15-years-old, it's not very easy especially going to a different country and on the far side of the country too,” he said. “It taught me a lot about how to handle myself and be by myself. It allowed me to play freely, to work on things that make out my game and find who I am as a player.

“Going to the AJHL last year in Drumheller was good for me to get that junior experience and get that first taste of what the next level is. Both of those experiences helped me this year to get used to the speed of the game, be able to play my way and be effective in it as well.”

In his first season with the Portland Winterhawks, McLaughlin looked right at home in the WHL posting 30 points (9G, 21A) and appeared in all 68 games along with four postseason tilts.

The smooth skating defenceman showcased his offensive prowess, unafraid to jump in and lead the attack which earned him a rank of 57th among North-American skaters.

“I think the biggest growth I had this whole year was probably my play-making, agility and deception,” he said. “I thought once I got going, I found my role on our team and really started to excel throughout the whole year especially into the first round of playoffs."

And a lot of that growth can be credited to being a student of the game. 

For years McLaughlin has studied a handful of NHLers closely, looking for new elements to add to his skill set.

“I always loved watching P. K. Subban when he played for Montreal,” he said. “Now I like to study a whole bunch of different players like Matthew Schaefer and his skating. Try to replicate his style and how he's able to accelerate into those pockets.

“Just watching hockey and being diligent every time I'm on the ice, writing down different strategies, different forms that helps make me even more explosive and smooth on the ice has been the biggest thing as well.”

With the NHL Draft coming up this week, McLaughlin and his family will eagerly wait and see what’s to come all while the 18-year-old continues his off-season regimen.

His hockey journey is just getting started with the next chapter being the NCAA, set to play for Colorado College this upcoming campaign.

“They've been big supports of me, even before I committed,” McLaughlin said. “The coaches there are fantastic, the facilities, brand-new arena, plus the campus itself. It's a smaller school, right in the mountains of Colorado, so it kind of reminds me of home.”

“My dad played against Colorado College back with his time at St. Cloud. He knows the program's legacy and the campus itself, my family were all super excited for me.”