The Kindersley Klippers quietly made a trade with the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League last summer and that deal that brought Scott McKenzie to the mid-western area of Saskatchewan is paying off nicely.
The 19-year-old Calgary product has averaged a point-per-game in the last five games giving him 15 points in his first 22 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League matches. His five goals and 10 assists almost equals his entire output from last year when he collected five goals and 19 assists in 54 games split between Bonnyville and the Calgary Canucks.
The 5-foot-9, 167-pound McKenzie has certainly had to have his suitcase packed since breaking from the midget ranks two years ago, but it looks like he has found a home in Kindersley.
After a 20-point campaign with the Calgary Midget AAA Buffaloes in 2016-17, McKenzie has seen action with the New Jersey Rockets of the National Collegiate Development Conference, the Three Hills Thrashers of the Heritage Junior Hockey League and the Drumheller Dragons of the AJHL in addition to the two stops he had last season.
All of that experience will bode well for him in the future and if he can draw on his scoring ability shown as a 16-year-old when he had 51 points in 34 games for the Calgary Minor Midget AAA Blackhawks then he should be able to help a Kindersley squad that has struggled through the opening stretch of the regular season.
The Klippers have a lot of ground to make up if they hope to make the post-season and if McKenzie continues to adjust to his new surroundings that will only be a benefit in the stretch run.
