Dryden McKay

Dryden McKay
Born (1997-11-25) November 25, 1997 (age 26)
Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S.
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
AHL team
Former teams		 Ontario Reign
Toronto Marlies
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2022–present

Dryden Dowd McKay (born November 25, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender under contract to the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL). He is the son of Ross McKay, a goaltender who played one game in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers in 1991. After posting a shutout in a 1–0 win over St. Cloud State on October 8, 2021, McKay tied the record for career shutouts in NCAA DI men's hockey history with 26 career shutouts. He later won the 2022 Hobey Baker Award as the best NCAA men's ice hockey player.

Early life

[edit]

McKay was born on November 25, 1997, in Downers Grove, Illinois. Father Ross McKay was a former goaltender who played one game in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers in 1991.[1] He was named after Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden and wears number 29 in his honor.[2] Although he grew up a fan of Carey Price, McKay favored Jaroslav Halák and Juuse Saros as inspirations due to their shared lack of height.[3]

Career

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Amateur

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On May 6, 2014, McKay was drafted by the Waterloo Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League (USHL) Draft.[4] Prior to the 2015 Corpus Christi IceRays Main Camp, the team acquired McKay in exchange for a 2015–16 goaltender and a conditional 2016 draft pick.[5] In December of that year, McKay was recalled by the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL for six games.[6]

On November 18, 2016, McKay signed a Letter of Intent to play NCAA Division I ice hockey for the Holy Cross Crusaders of the College of the Holy Cross.[7] However, after signing, he realized his family could not afford tuition and asked to de-commit but the school refused. After going through two appeals, he was allowed to de-commit and agreed to play with the Minnesota State Mavericks instead.[8] McKay later said he chose Minnesota State because of its proximity to his family, hockey facilities and coaching staff, and their business program.[9]

Collegiate

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In his rookie season, McKay competed against Mathias Israelsson for the starting goaltender position. He started the first four games of the season, posting a 3–1–0 record, before sitting for seven consecutive games so Israelsson could start.[2] McKay said he and Israelsson worked together on and off the ice to improve themselves. He also praised the veteran goaltender saying: "He’s probably one of the hardest working and most prepared players — not just goalies — I’ve ever seen or played with...Just to see how hard he worked and how he treated his body, how he prepared every day, he was pretty consistent in practice."[10] Following this, he cemented the starting role and posted an 11–4–1 record with a .919 save percentage by January.[2] As the starting goaltender, McKay was the recipient of five WCHA Goaltender of the Week accolades and WCHA Goaltender of the Month and HCA National Goaltender of the Month in February. He finished the year with a .927 save percentage and 1.76 Goals against average (GAA) for an overall record of 24–7–2 through 32 starts.[11] At the conclusion of the season, McKay was named College Hockey News' 2018-19 Rookie of the Year,[12] and was selected for both the All-WCHA Second Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team.[13]

McKay returned to the Mavericks for his sophomore season, which, despite being shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was a record breaking campaign for him. During a game against the Northern Michigan Wildcats on February 8, McKay set a new Minnesota State record for most career shutouts with 12, which surpassed the previous record held by Cole Huggins.[14] He concluded the regular season ranking first in the country with 1.31 goals against average and a .942 save percentage.[11] As a result of his play, McKay was named a First Team All-American and listed as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.[15] He was also the recipient of the WCHA Goaltender of the Year, All-WCHA First Team, WCHA Scholar-Athlete, and WCHA All-Academic. As the Mavericks beat the Alaska Anchorage in their first-round playoff series, he established a Minnesota State goaltending record for wins in a season.[11]

When collegiate hockey resumed for the 2020–21 season, McKay continued to set new career and program records. After posting a shutout in a 5–0 win over Alabama–Huntsville Chargers on February 12, 2021, McKay ranked second all-time in NCAA DI men's hockey history with 22 career shutouts.[16] As a result of his play, McKay was the recipient of his second consecutive WCHA Goaltender of the Year award after concluding the season with a WCHA-record 1.07 GAA.[17]

In his final collegiate season, McKay tied Ryan Miller for the record of NCAA career shutouts with 26 after posting a 1–0 shutout over St. Cloud State on October 8, 2021.[18] He continued his dominant play throughout the regular season and by February led the country in wins with nine shutouts. As such, McKay was named a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award as the top netminder in college hockey.[19] Later, in March, McKay tied with Robb Stauber and Marty Turco for most single-season men's Division I wins with his 34th victory of the season. Upon reaching this milestone, Northern Michigan coach Grant Potulny called McKay "the best player in college hockey."[20] He subsequently helped the Mavericks qualify for the 2022 Frozen Four with a record of 38–4 and ranked second in goals against. After eliminating Minnesota in the Frozen Four semifinals, McKay won the 2022 Hobey Baker Award as the best NCAA men's ice hockey player becoming just the third goaltender to win the award after Robb Stauber in 1988 and Ryan Miller in 2001.[21]

Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, McKay announced that he had accepted a six-month ban imposed on him from the United States Anti-Doping Agency as a result of him taking a banned substance. The positive test of Ostarine was the result of him taking contaminated Quercetin vitamins as protection from COVID-19.[22]

Professional

[edit]

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on Monday, April 25, 2022, that McKay would be signing as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL; this ultimately became a deal with Toronto's AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies,[23] though McKay spent the majority of the first year of his two year deal with Toronto's ECHL affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers.

At the conclusion of his contract with the Marlies, McKay left as a free agent and was signed to a one-year AHL contract with the Ontario Reign on July 12, 2024.[24]

Career statistics

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T/OT MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2014–15 Springfield Jr. Blues NAHL 37 15 18 2 2142 99 2 2.77 .917 — — — — — — — —
2015–16 Corpus Christi IceRays NAHL 34 15 14 2 1966 81 1 2.47 .921 — — — — — — — —
2015–16 Green Bay Gamblers USHL 1 0 0 0 11 2 0 11.39 .667 — — — — — — — —
2016–17 Madison Capitols USHL 39 18 17 3 2291 103 2 2.70 .917 — — — — — — — —
2017–18 Madison Capitols USHL 49 19 24 2 2754 155 0 3.38 .907 — — — — — — — —
2018–19 Minnesota State WCHA 34 24 7 2 2011 59 4 1.76 .927 — — — — — — — —
2019–20 Minnesota State WCHA 37 30 4 2 2156 47 10 1.31 .942 — — — — — — — —
2020–21 Minnesota State WCHA 26 21 4 0 1522 39 10 1.54 .924 — — — — — — — —
2021–22 Minnesota State CCHA 43 38 5 0 2561 56 10 1.31 .931 — — — — — — — —
2022–23 Newfoundland Growlers ECHL 33 19 10 1 1842 94 1 3.06 .900 12 8 3 683 31 2 2.72 .901
2022–23 Toronto Marlies AHL 2 1 0 1 124 7 0 3.38 .885 — — — — — — — —
2023–24 Newfoundland Growlers ECHL 35 8 16 6 1386 77 2 3.33 .897 — — — — — — — —
NCAA totals 140 113 20 4 8,250 201 34 1.46 .932 — — — — — — — —

Awards and honors

[edit]
Award Year Ref
College
All-WCHA Rookie Team 2018–19 [25]
All-WCHA Second Team 2018–19
All-WCHA First Team 2019–20, 2020–21 [26][27]
AHCA West First Team All-American 2019–20, 2021–22 [28][29]
AHCA West Second Team All-American 2020–21 [30]
CCHA Goaltender of the Year 2021–22 [31]
All-CCHA First Team 2021–22
Hobey Baker Award 2022 [21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Dryden McKay". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Frederick, Shane (January 17, 2019). "Mavericks' Dryden McKay is living up to his name". The Free Press. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Baruch, Ben (February 1, 2021). "DRYDEN MCKAY AIMS AT RYAN MILLER'S SHUTOUTS RECORD AT MSU". drive4five.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Nelson, Jim (May 6, 2014). "Waterloo adds 30 in USHL's two drafts". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "IceRays Acquire Goaltender Dryden McKay". oursportscentral.com. July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "DRYDEN MCKAY RECALLED BY GREEN BAY GAMBLERS". goicerays.com. December 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "MEN'S HOCKEY SIGNS THREE TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT". goholycross.com. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Goudie, Chuck; Tressel, Christine (May 3, 2018). "NCAA National Letter of Intent can be a nightmare for some families". abc7chicago.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Messing, Jacob (February 5, 2019). "Minnesota State Freshman Goalie Dryden McKay Among NCAA's Best". flohockey.tv. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  10. ^ Hittinger, Jack (January 22, 2020). "'Not too excitable' McKay leading national powerhouse Minnesota State from between the pipes with video game-like numbers". uscho.com. USCHO. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "29 DRYDEN MCKAY". msumavericks.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  12. ^ "CHN Tabs McKay National Rookie of the Year". msumavericks.com. March 27, 2019. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  13. ^ "WCHA ANNOUNCES 2018-19 ALL-LEAGUE TEAMS". wcha.com. March 14, 2019. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  14. ^ "McKay Establishes School Career Shutout Record as #3 Minnesota State Downs #15 Northern Michigan 1-0". msumavericks.com. February 8, 2020. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  15. ^ "McKay, Michaelis Named USCHO First Team All-Americans". msumavericks.com. March 23, 2020. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  16. ^ "Mavericks Overpower Chargers 5-0 Friday". msumavericks.com. February 12, 2021. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  17. ^ "Minnesota State leads way with four WCHA men's hockey individual awards for '20-21 season". uscho.com. March 11, 2021. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  18. ^ Dudley, Kevin (October 8, 2021). "McKay ties shutout record as Mavericks down St. Cloud". Mankato Free Press. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  19. ^ Clark, Rob (February 22, 2022). "Minnesota State's McKay named semifinalist for Richter Award". KEYC. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  20. ^ Dudley, Kevin (March 12, 2022). "Updated: MSU downs Northern to reach CCHA championship game". Mankato Free Press. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Minnesota State star goalie Dryden McKay wins Hobey Baker Award". ESPN. April 9, 2022. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  22. ^ Friedman, Elliotte (April 18, 2022). "Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay discusses suspension for banned substance". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  23. ^ Friedman, Elliotte (April 25, 2022). "Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay signs two-year deal with Marlies". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022.
  24. ^ "Reign sign Goaltender Dryden McKay". Ontario Reign. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  25. ^ "WCHA Announces 2018-19 All-League Teams". WCHA.com. March 14, 2019. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  26. ^ "WCHA Announces 2019-20 All-League Teams". WCHA.com. March 16, 2020. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  27. ^ "WCHA Announces 2020-21 All-League Teams". WCHA.com. March 10, 2021. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  28. ^ "2019-20 CCM/AHCA Division I men's hockey All-Americans announced". NCAA.com. April 12, 2020. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  29. ^ "McKay and Smith Named 2022 CCM/AHCA West First Team All-Americans". Minnesota Mavericks. April 7, 2022. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  30. ^ "Boston College, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin lead way with three All-American college hockey players apiece for '20-21 season". USCHO.com. April 9, 2021. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  31. ^ "Six players earn All-CCHA First Team honors". CCHA. March 15, 2022. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by WCHA Goaltender of the Year
2019–20, 2020–21 		Succeeded by
Award Discontinued
Preceded by WCHA Player of the Year
2020–21 		Succeeded by
Award Discontinued
Preceded by CCHA Goaltender of the Year
2021–22 		Succeeded by
Preceded by CCHA Player of the Year
2021–22 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Hobey Baker Award
2021–22 		Succeeded by
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