Draft Rewind: Zack MacEwen

For Zack MacEwen, the road to the National Hockey League was anything but conventional. Undrafted and overlooked by many scouts, the Stratford, Prince Edward Island native used determination, physicality, and steady development to climb from Junior A hockey with the Amherst Ramblers to becoming an established NHL forward.

MacEwen joined the Amherst Ramblers after being selected 45th overall in the fifth round of the 2013 Maritime Hockey League Draft. During the 2013-14 season, he appeared in 50 games, recording nine goals and five assists while gaining valuable experience at the Junior A level. The following season proved to be his breakout campaign, as he emerged as one of the Ramblers’ top offensive threats, scoring 29 goals and adding 23 assists in just 46 games. His combination of size, skill, and physical play quickly made him a fan favourite in Amherst and caught the attention of major junior scouts.

MacEwen’s development with the Ramblers opened the door to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he signed as a free agent with the Moncton Wildcats during the 2014-15 season. After spending parts of two seasons with Moncton, he was traded to the Gatineau Olympiques for the 2016-17 campaign. There, he delivered the best season of his junior career, scoring 34 goals and 43 assists for 77 points in 66 games. His outstanding performance earned attention from NHL organizations despite having gone undrafted.

On March 3, 2017, MacEwen signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks organization, beginning his professional hockey career. He quickly established himself with the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League, earning recognition as the team’s Most Improved Rookie during his first full professional season. After continued success in the AHL, MacEwen received his first NHL call-up in February 2019 and made his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks, recording an assist in his first game.

Over the following years, MacEwen built a reputation as a hard-nosed, physical forward capable of providing energy, toughness, and reliable depth. He spent parts of three seasons with Vancouver before being claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2021. During his time in Philadelphia, he appeared in 75 games during the 2021-22 season and recorded a career-high nine points while becoming a regular fixture in the lineup.

Following his tenure with the Flyers, MacEwen had brief stops with the Los Angeles Kings and the Ottawa Senators before joining the New Jersey Devils organization. Throughout his professional career, he has appeared in more than 200 NHL games, a remarkable accomplishment for a player who was never drafted and began his path through Junior A hockey.

MacEwen’s journey remains one of the Amherst Ramblers’ greatest success stories. His rise from a fifth-round MHL draft pick to an NHL regular serves as a testament to perseverance, hard work, and the opportunities that Junior A hockey can provide. For young players in Amherst and across Atlantic Canada, Zack MacEwen stands as proof that there is no single path to achieving the dream of playing professional hockey.