By Fans of the Aberdeen Wings should recognize the name.
When Drew Mackie joined the team this year, he was following some big footsteps. His older brother Gage was the Wings team captain in the 2016-17 season, which saw Aberdeen turn its season around and advance to the Robertson Cup semifinals for the first time.
Drew visited Aberdeen to see his older brother play a few times that season. Even as a young hockey fan, Drew recalls the close-knit team his older brother captaining.
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“I remember coming to Aberdeen and watching a couple games during the regular season and even as a young kid you could tell the kind of culture they had here,” Drew said. “They all seemed really tight, and they were a great team. I mean, the Wings were the 17th-ranked team entering the playoffs and seeing them at the Robby with the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 teams in the league was pretty special.”
Drew began this season with the United States Hockey League’s Des Moines Buccaneers. That stint was brief and he found himself looking for new opportunities.
Gage advises younger brother to play for Aberdeen
It wasn’t surprising when Aberdeen became an option, leading Drew to seek input from his older brother.
Drew Mackie
“I had a couple options on where I was going to go, and when Aberdeen became one of those options, the first thing I did was call Gage and asked him what he thought, and the first thing he said was, ‘Coach (Scott) Langer was the greatest coach I ever had, and Aberdeen was the most fun year of hockey I ever had in my life.’ That meant a lot to me,” Drew said.
Based on visiting with Gage and Langer, the decision to suit up for the Wings was a no-braider, Drew said.
“I love Aberdeen. It gives you a different perspective with me being from Alaska. I think there’s a lot to be said for the kind of charm that comes from living in a small town,” Drew said. “No question this was the right decision for me.”
From Langer’s perspective, bringing Drew into the fold had to do with the type of character the defenseman inherited from his family.
“Drew’s come in as a really young defenseman, and he’s done a really good job of adjusting to the level of junior hockey,” Langer said. “He’s averaging around 22 minutes per game, which is substantial. He’s a Mackie, and what I mean by that is he’s good people. He’s a good kid, very respectful, and he’s just great to have around this group.”
Drew Mackie poses with his older brother Gage, a member of the 2016-17 Aberdeen Wings team, at left, then again this season with Drew as a member of the Wings. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo
Former Wings captain returns to Aberdeen to watch younger brother
Recently, Gage made a return trip to Aberdeen to watch his younger brother play. That was Saturday, Jan. 20 for the Wings 5-2 win over Minot.
While he said it feels “like I never left,” Gage saw a couple noticeable differences at the Odde Ice Center.
“First, there’s an updated Jumbotron, and now there are nine banners hanging from the rafters, and there were zero when I arrived here,” he said. “We got to hang one before I left, and to see that the winning culture that we helped start is still alive and well, it’s really wholesome for me and really means the world to me.”
When Gage was first recruited by Langer, he admits there was some trepidation in moving to town.
“When Aberdeen acquired my rights and I knew I was coming here, to be honest, I didn’t know what to think because I really didn’t know much about Aberdeen. At that time, they weren’t a very reputable name in the junior hockey world,” Gage said. “I heard they had this coach Scott Langer coming in who had won more games than anyone in the league and that he’s a great guy to play hockey for, and so I figured let’s go see what this team is all about.”
Finding players with character key for Aberdeen Wings
Langer and his staff are adept at identifying talent, but finding players with good character is critical. And, Langer said, it didn’t take long to see what Gage added to the roster.
Langer
“I first recruited Gage as a hockey player, but once I got to know the type of person he was, I recruited him to be our captain,” Langer said. “As soon as he arrived in Aberdeen you could see his character and willingness to take on that leadership role. He always put the team first and took it very personally, leading our team. He was a huge reason why we went from last place the year before to advancing to the Robertson Cup” semifinals.
It was hard for Gage not to reminisce about his playing days in Aberdeen and what he considers the greatest moment in his hockey career. That was his overtime goal in Game 2 of the semifinals against the Aston Rebels to force a decisive Game 3.
Aston won that game 3-2 to advance to the championship, but the memory remains a good one for Gage.
“Thinking back on all the emotion we were feeling and knowing that it wasn’t just for the 20 guys in the locker room, this is for the entire community of Aberdeen that has never seen this team win,” he said. “It was just so emotional, scoring that goal to win Game 2. Honestly, it was as emotional in Game 3, but obviously not in as good a way. To get to that point, buying into what (Langer) was telling us and seeing that carry us to the Robby, yeah, it was pretty amazing.”
As for his younger brother’s move to Aberdeen, Gage made his feelings clear from the onset.
“When I heard that Aberdeen had a spot open and that (Drew) had the chance to play there, I told him all the other options don’t matter. You need to go there, you need to play for Coach Langer,” Gage said. “He will tell you what you need to hear, he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. It will be the best thing for you. Now, whether I gave (Drew) a choice or not, here he is and it’s been great to see him learning how to play with confidence. Playing in this division is no joke, and to see Drew start to come into his own, it really excites me.”
In 38 games this season, Drew has two goals and 17 assists, which is tied for fourth-most on the roster.