'I'M A LOT BETTER NOW'

CalgaryFlames.com takes a closer look at some of our young prospects - today, it's Connor Mackey.
When you start with dessert, vegetables don't sound so appealing.
So you can forgive Connor Mackey if he was taken aback for a second when it came time to ditch the cake and dive in to the cauliflower.

Since signing with the Flames prior to the team hitting the bubble for the 2019-20 postseason, all he'd known was life in the NHL. He was with the Flames throughout the stay in the Edmonton bubble. He had a strong preseason camp in 2020-21 and earned a spot with the big club to start the campaign.
Then, he found out he was going to head to the Heat.
"I played those first three games and thought I did alright," said Mackey. "I got sent to Stockton, and at the time I didn't know how to handle it. I got sent down and honestly was a little disappointed. I was just in the NHL, but now I had to refocus. 'Okay, let's get my game together here and just play some hockey.'
"Probably the best thing for me was going down to Stockton."

On the farm, Mackey could learn what it meant to be a professional unencumbered by the do-or-die atmosphere that comes with life at the highest level. He could make mistakes and grow from them. He could play big minutes in all situations and acclimate to playing against bigger, faster, stronger, more skilled opponents than the ones he'd faced during his collegiate career.
He had the benefit of being paired with veterans for the majority of the 30-game AHL slate, starting the year alongside Alex Petrovic, then a match with Zac Leslie and was coupled briefly with Michael Stone.
If there was going to be learning on the job, at least he'd have steady hands to help guide him.
"I was fortunate to play with all of those guys," said Mackey. "They've all been pros for a while. The consistency with them, that they bring to the game day-in and day-out, just really bearing down on every shift, executing, playing a full three periods and never being able to take a shift off. Even little things on the bench that they'd say to me that I'd pick up and I'd try to soak in, it made a huge difference for me."

He was also able to develop his game on both ends of the ice. Defensively, Mackey was a standout as expected. He earned AHL All-Star recognition for his play on the back end, but also in the offensive zone where he led Heat rookies and finished fourth on the club in scoring with 16 points, all at even strength, in 27 games. He paced Stockton defencemen in overall offensive output and with 13 assists.
Down the stretch of the Flames' season, Mackey's number was once again called. There were differences this time around, a new head coach in Darryl Sutter. It was a chance to show his growth, and that was an opportunity the young rearguard relished.
"The comfort level was night-and-day for me (compared to the first three NHL games)," said Mackey. "When I played my first NHL games, I hadn't played in almost a year. I hadn't played in a while. Getting my reps in Stockton, playing and learning a lot, and then coming back up, I was hungry knowing I was getting another shot and was a lot more comfortable. The last go-round for me, I was more ready to go."
After wrapping up his time in Calgary on the year, Mackey had a chance to represent the United States at the World Championship, skating in seven games and finishing with a plus-3 rating and an assist. He left Latvia with a bronze medal, but more importantly with added momentum to carry into the offseason.
In a weird year by all accounts - empty arenas, safety protocols, constant testing and the like - Mackey laid a solid foundation to build on. He heads into the off-season having shown he can play in the NHL, tallying two points and going plus-2 in his last three games while capping his second stint with the Flames with his first NHL goal and nearly 20 minutes of ice time.
"I'm a different player. My confidence level is definitely higher now," said Mackey. "A lot happened from last January to now. I had never played a pro game. Getting my reps in with Stockton, getting called back up I was way more ready. I had learned how to play against pros. Going to Worlds, I was playing against the best in the world. It's night and day. I pride myself on getting better every year.
"I'm a lot better now than I was when I started."