Two years ago, Ben MacDonald was in a whirl of excitement. After being drafted in the third round by Seattle in the 2022 Draft, he headed to the first-ever Kraken Development Camp to start to get to know the organization. Now, coming off his first full season playing for Harvard (5-10-15, 32 GP), the forward is preparing to take part in his third straight camp. We asked him to share what the experience is all about and what it means to be not just part of the Kraken, but also one of the “veteran” voices at camp.
I’ve always loved hockey. It’s something that my family really enjoys (Ben’s dad, Lane, won the Hobey Baker Award while playing at Harvard in 1989; his grandfather played in the NHL), and it’s always been super fun for me and super important.
When I’m on the ice, I try to be a playmaker. I feel like my best asset is my hockey IQ and my hands, so I feel like I'm a pretty good passer and I like to set my teammates up and create space for them, and last season I moved from the BCHL to college hockey – it was a bit of an adjustment. It’s definitely a lot faster and everybody is bigger and stronger, but it was fun, I enjoyed it.
But when the season is over at Harvard, I take just a week or two off and then I’m back in the gym starting up in June. I’m thinking about development camp and how I can work out in the gym most effectively and I skate as much as I can to be prepared for this week with the Kraken.
Since this is my third year coming to development camp, it’s easy to get excited for it. It’s definitely a little easier than your first year – there’s not as many nerves. Our first year was a little different because it was the first development camp in Seattle Kraken history. It was just our draft class and the draft class before us. It was a pretty small group, and we got to know each other really well. I think that's something that’s a little different and a little special about this group.
Now, it’s fun to be back with a lot of the guys that I don’t see very often because they play in the CHL or in other leagues than mine. It's good to reconnect with those guys…some of my buddies are Barrett Hall, Justin Janicke, Jagger Firkus, and David Goyette. And I'm rooming with Ty Nelson this year, who I have known for a while, too, which is nice.
It's definitely a little different being the older group here now. Even last year there were still a bunch of older guys at camp. So, it's hasn't really set in to be the older group yet. But I was talking with a couple of guys from my draft class, and it definitely feels a little different and there's definitely a little more weight on our shoulders to set a good example and be good to the young guys.
So, when I see some of the newer faces here at camp, I try to introduce myself. I know a lot of the CHL guys have played against them or have relationships those guys so it's probably a little easier for them to connect, but I just always try to do my best to be nice. I know I've been in those shoes before…a lot of guys are pretty nervous. I think you just have to be nice to everybody.
If they ask for my advice, I’d say, “just have fun. It's a fun week; it's cool to see the city; and there's a lot of fun stuff ahead. So just make sure you're having a good time.”
For me, to be a part of the Kraken has been unbelievable. It's probably the best in the business and they treat us like pros. It's definitely the best I've been treated in a hockey space ever, and I always look forward to coming back.
This narrative was lightly edited for brevity and clarity
