Brock McGinn Makes Canes Debut Friday

Brock McGinn makes NHL debut for Canes vs. Red Wings on Friday in Detroit

Brock McGinn is the younger brother of NHLers Tye McGinn and Jamie McGinn, being the only one of the three yet to make his NHL debut. That all changes Friday night when the Carolina Hurricanes head into mo-town to play the Red Wings, with Canes prospect Brock McGinn lining up next to Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg. Coach Bill Peters said the reasoning for this was to better balance the four lines, and because McGinn had earned it with his solid play to begin the AHL season.

Posted by San Luis Abisto’s The Tribune via Chip Alexander of The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C):

Canes coach Bill Peters said part of that decision came in trying to better balance the four lines. But the other, he said, was that McGinn had earned it.“He played real well opening weekend at the American League level, had a good (training) camp for us and deserves the opportunity to play,” Peters said. “Tenacious, gritty, two-way guy. He plays the game the right way.”Brock McGinn was called up because of an injury to forward Joakim Nordstrom, who was hurt blocking a shot Saturday in the Canes’ home opener against the Wings. Nordstrom played Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, but the injury worsened and he did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, although he did some individual work Thursday at Raleigh Center Ice.“It’s an exciting moment for me,” McGinn said Thursday. “You dream of this moment growing up playing hockey and for sure it’s a special moment for me and my family, just to get this opportunity. I want to come up here and play the best I can and run with it.”And being put on Eric Staal‘s line? McGinn smiled.“That’s a pretty cool experience,” he said. “Not exactly what I expected. But it’s pretty cool, first call-up, first practice, and you’re with two high-caliber players like that.”The other lines Thursday had Victor Rask centering Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm, Jordan Staal with Nathan Gerbe and Andrej Nestrasil, and Jay McClement at center with Chris Terry and Brad Malone.The defensive pairings were Ron Hainsey–Justin Faulk, John-Michael Liles–Michal Jordan and Noah Hanifin–Ryan Murphy. Brett Pesce, also called up Wednesday from the Checkers, is the seventh D-man.Brock McGinn, a second-round draft pick by the Canes in 2012, played four seasons for the Guelph Storm of the OHL, scoring 43 goals in 58 regular-season games in 2013-14, then notching six goals and six assists in 12 playoff games as Guelph captured the OHL championship.McGinn made the jump to the AHL last season, closing with 15 goals and 27 points in 73 games for the Checkers. He had two goals last weekend as Charlotte opened the 2015-16 season with a pair of victories over Iowa.“I think I’ve gained some confidence, figuring out the pro-style game last year in Charlotte,” Brock McGinn said.“I think that year down there really helped me out, figuring that out. I think this year I came into (camp) with a better understanding of the game, and I think it’s helped out a lot.”

Heading into the 2015-16 NHL season, The Hockey News had Carolina’s Brock McGinn ranked third on the organizational depth chart for prospects, thought to have a good shot at making the roster out of training camp. He’s a gritty power forward that doesn’t have an enormous offensive upside, but has the potential to be a top-six shut down forward.

Hockey’s Future’s Talent Analysis for Brock McGinn:

McGinn has the competitive demeanor to play at the NHL level. He is not a skilled forward, but instead a hard-working player who is willing to get his nose dirty. He put up big offensive numbers in his final season of junior hockey and chipped in with 15 goals in his first AHL season. McGinn is at his best, however, when shutting down opposition offensive players.

Comparable players for Brock McGinn on the very high-end would be Winnipeg’s Andrew Ladd, while on the low-end Flames Lance Bouma comes to mind. Either way, fans who are unfamiliar with this young man can expect a hard-nosed highly-intense player. He’s an extremely responsible defensive forward who as noted above, can be largely depended upon to shut down the oppositions best. He could quickly become a fan favorite if he finds a way to earn more time with the big club. Lets not forget that older brother Jamie once said, Brock might just be the best of the three (brothers).

For those interested, you can find Brock McGinn’s pre-NHL stats below courtesy of hockeydb:

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