.JPG;w=960)
On the heels of a strong sophomore season with his hometown Ontario Hockey League team, Soo Greyhounds forward Cole MacKay made strides that put the Sault product on the map as the National Hockey League draft approaches.
MacKay scored 27 goals and 61 points in 65 games as a key forward for the Greyhounds and the 17-year-old is a potential mid-round pick heading into the draft in Vancouver.
SooToday recently sat down with MacKay for a Q&A to get to know him a little more off the ice.
Q: What was your first sports memory?
CM: Being on the backyard rink. I think that’s pretty typical for a kid growing up here, but my dad always used to build a rink for me and my brother. I think I was two or three going out there. I didn’t let anyone watch me until I was good at it so that’s a little funny thing (about it).
Q: What other sports are you interested in aside from hockey?
CM: I played soccer growing up with my friends and I played one year competitively just to keep in shape when I was younger. I played a couple years of high school soccer before making the Greyhounds. (Making the Greyhounds) put a stop to that but soccer was always my second sport.
Q: Who are three people, dead or alive, that you would like to have dinner with and why?
CM: Gordie Howe is a guy that I learned about a lot through reading and obviously the kind of player he was for as long as he (played). I’d like to pick his brain about he maintained his body and how he was so great for so long.
Sidney Crosby. He grew up in a small town in Canada and just see how he did it and how he got to where he is now and how he maintains that level. He’s been one of the best players for 10-plus years and he’ll continue to do that.
And Michael Phelps. The swimmer he is, all the medals he has, he’s one of the greatest athletes ever.
I’m really into that stuff. Just to see how they maintained their bodies and how they be great for so long. And the mental side of things. Those guys, I’m sure they use mental trainers and that type of stuff so it’s something I’m learning a lot about right now. Those guys would be great to sit down with and pick their brain a little bit.
Q: Aside from something in sports, what would be a non-sports related career that you could be interested in?
CM: (Something) dealing with business or finances. I’ve always been really good with math and good with numbers. To be able to analyze stats. When I’m playing hockey, I like to know guys stats and all the percentages. When I grow up, if hockey doesn’t work out, I think a career in business managing money (would be it).
Q: Who is the one person, dead or alive, that you admire most?
CM: My grandfather. He’s always been a guy who has shown me the path. Growing up, he was always there with my parents, showing me the ropes and giving me some old-school tips that he used growing up. He’s just successful. He was always into school and hockey. He lives the right way, he has fun. He pours his heart into his family. I really admire how much he loves his family and how much he’s there for me and his other grandchildren.
Q: If you could be the NHL commissioner for one day, what’s one change you would make to the sport?
CM: Right now, the reviewable plays.
If it’s that close and you can’t be 100 per cent sure, you can only say that it looks that way, but you don’t know (for sure).
Maybe change camera angles (for the reviews) but that’s something that will develop with technology. It bugs me when you’re watching a game, a nice goal happens, and it gets reviews for maybe a centimetre over the line so it would probably be that.
Q: What’s the most important life lesson you have learned so far?
CM: My dad always used to say, ‘Just do your best in everything you do and then you can’t have any complaints.’
If you give your all, your best is good enough and nobody can be mad at you for that in anything, whether it’s school, hockey, soccer or just life.
If you do that, you can’t have any regrets. That’s a big lesson I’ve learned.
Q: What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
CM: There’s a lot.
I like to go to camp. I’m just a regular kid. I like to fish, golf.
I really like to watch the Food Network. I’m really into that. Cutthroat Kitchen, Chopped, everything like that.
I like food and I like cooking sometimes even though I’m not very good at it, but I like to learn.
I’m always learning. I’m a guy that’s really curious about everything. If I see something that I don’t know, I like to look it up to make sure I understand what’s going on.
Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
CM: Probably strength. If you’re big and strong, you can take over anything.
(On the ice), if you’re big and strong, a Superman kind of deal, you can really make an impact on the game.
And just being a good guy, Superman was a really good guy and he was a guy that the community in the movies just relied on.
To be super strong and be able to dominate is something I’d like to be.
Q: You’re stranded on an island, what three things would you bring with you?
CM: I’m going to bring some sort of meat. I would bring a lot of chicken with me. I’ll bring something like a phone or tv or a playstation. Let’s go with a playstation. It’s something you can kick back with. And then iced tea.