Getting into the Act(ing)
Another perspective on McMann’s rich career mix of fortitude and aptitude shined through during his Colgate days. He majored in economics at the Ivy League school and minored in theater.
“It was pretty cool,” said McMann, clearly happy to discuss the unusual college swerve. “I definitely didn't go into it thinking that would be a minor. I was in a Grade 5 operetta back home in Wainwright [Alberta, population 6,000]. That was my first taste of theater. I never really revisited it until I took a basic acting class at Colgate. I really liked it. I did well, and my professor was great.
“The class taught me a lot of things. It showed me how much you can explore and play and have fun with theater. I enjoyed that class, rolled into another theater course. Pretty soon I was close to a minor and just had to do a thesis and take a few English courses to complete the minor. I feel like it helped me explore outside of the typical school aspect. Hockey had been the main focus of my life. It was cool to venture out and try new things.”
One of the new opportunities was being part of a traveling troupe staging performances at elementary schools in and around Hamilton, NY. Another was a contemporary dance class that theoretically and practically translated to moves on the ice.
In one advanced acting class, McMann’s midterm project was to prepare and perform a monologue from the hit Broadway musical “Jersey Boys” about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. That will no doubt interest Kraken center Matty Beniers. Same for his lawyer mom Christine Beniers, who was a Broadway actress and a volunteer community theater director during Beniers’ youth, adding her son to casts when boys were needed. When Beniers joined the U.S. National Team Development Program as a 16-year-old, his coaches asked the newbies to each share a special talent. The Kraken center enthusiastically revealed he could sing and, of course, upon coaches’ request, belted out a tune from “Jersey Boys.”
A Hockey Career Featuring Stages Too
McMann’s first year as a pro was shortened due to COVID-19, but it didn’t deter his zest for scaling up as an undrafted NHL prospect. He signed with an ECHL team, the Wichita Thunder and played at a point-per-game average, grabbing the attention of the storied American Hockey League Toronto Marlies. He finished the season in the AHL but was back in the ECHL the next season, playing four games for the Newfoundland Growlers before the Marlies signed him. McMann made the most of it, scoring 24 goals and earning an NHL entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs that summer.
His new Kraken teammate, Jared McCann, was a first-round draft choice. When expressing excitement and respect about his new teammate, McCann noted the ECHL games as a marker for someone determined and far from deterred from making the NHL as an undrafted free agent. McCann added a lighthearted remark about the similarity of the McCann/McMann surnames, joking maybe the equipment staff will locker them next to each other.
Connie McMann joined the fun from central Illinois, where she was visiting her daughter, Cassie, and a three-week old granddaughter. She laughed when asked about confusing McMann and McCann.
“For years Bobby has been called ‘McCann,’” said Connie McMann. “It took a long time for people to learn to say McMann. So, it's kind of funny to be back to it.”
Speeding Ahead: McMann’s Skills Beyond Scoring (and Acting)
The new Kraken forward’s skating speed, which compares favorably with superstar Connor McDavid per advanced analytics, was the first thing Lambert mentioned publicly when asked about McMann’s attributes given the Kraken head coach was an assistant in Toronto last season. The Seattle head coach had plenty more to say about the upward mobility of McMann’s game.
“He's got a lot of speed,” said Lambert after Saturday’s morning skate. “He can shoot the puck. Doesn't take him very long to get it off his stick. He certainly provides us with an element of speed that is high-end. He's on pucks. He closes quickly. His speed allows him to do that. He creates [scoring chances] on the forecheck, an area that we have to get better in.
“We play a lot of teams here coming up [20 games remain in the playoff run]. Those teams are very good at breaking pucks out. [McMann] is going to help us with our forecheck and he is defensively responsible. We played the same system [in Toronto) that we play here. They made a couple of changes this season, so there might be a little bit of a learning curve for him, but not much.”
When asked about the further potential of the 29-year-old, 6-foot-2, 217-pound McMann, Kraken general manager Jason Botterill nodded and explained: “He's playing extremely well right now. We think he's a developing player, even at his age. He worked his way up from a college free agent college to the ECHL to American Hockey League and now the National Hockey League. How high he can get; it's up to him. We're looking forward to interacting with him on a daily occurrence here. It’s a real success story for how hard he's worked. That's something that Lane touched on in our discussions.”
Getting to Know New Teammates, Back with Lambert
McMann comes to Seattle knowing Lambert, which is a big plus. Also, Matt Murray from the goaltender’s Toronto days. But McMann does know Kraken 2022 second-rounder and AHL All-Star Jagger Firkus. McMann’s hometown of Wainwright is close to smaller Irma, Alberta. The two towns have staged a summer charity hockey game for the last six years. This past summer’s game was Team McMann against Team Soucy. Firkus and fellow Irma resident and original Kraken Carson Soucy won the friendly affair, 10-9.
