McKenzie back in the game with Moose

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This article was published 09/12/2019 (2188 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Skyler McKenzie didn’t have an off-season to work on his game, but you’d never know it by watching his recent play.

The former high-scoring forward for the Portland Winterhawks, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL draft by the Winnipeg Jets, has registered seven points in his last eight games with the Manitoba Moose. McKenzie, who’s in his second professional season, has four goals and eight assists in 25 games for the Jets’ AHL affiliate this season.

“Last year, I was new to the league and just trying to learn all the systems,” McKenzie said after the team’s Monday morning practice at Bell MTS Iceplex. “This year, I’m playing out there without having to think the game, and I think that has a lot to do with it.”

McKenzie found success last season in his first pro season, with his eight goals and eight assists leading all Moose rookie forwards in scoring. Unfortunately for the 20-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., he was only able to play 47 games, as he was shut down in early March after undergoing hip surgery.

“It was really disappointing, for sure. Before last year, I hadn’t missed any games in a couple of years there. It was a huge adjustment for me, and I think the mental side of it was the biggest thing,” McKenzie said. “Coming back, I didn’t have a summer of training or anything like that. It was tough for me to adjust to that, and I’ve kind of been playing catch-up a little bit, but now I’m feeling myself again.”

McKenzie isn’t the only second-year player on the Moose who’s had to fight through adversity. Forward Kristian Reichel only played four games this season before a blocked shot caused an injury that put him on the shelf for 21 games. Reichel, the son of former NHL player Robert Reichel, made his return on Saturday and scored in the team’s 4-2 loss to the Chicago Wolves at Bell MTS Place. The Litvinov, Czech Republic, native scored twice and added eight assists in 55 games during his rookie season a year ago.

“It felt really good. Always, when you score in your first game back after injury, it helps your confidence,” said Reichel, who signed with the Moose as an undrafted free agent. “I think it just helped me and pushed me forward.”

Reichel said the injury took a toll on him mentally, but teammate Ryan White, a veteran forward who played 313 games in the NHL, helped him get through it.

“Ryan White (told me) to be in the moment, be with the team, don’t rush it too fast, be patient and make sure it’s 100 per cent and then show your best.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31