Getting to know one of the newer additions to the team...Peter MacIntosh

This article, titled MacIntosh to play jr. hockey in U.S. loop, first appeared in The Daily Gleaner. It was written by Bruce Hallihan.

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Peter MacIntosh hopes to earn a Division 1 hockey scholarship by going through Des Moines, Iowa.

MacIntosh missed his prom and Leo Hayes High School graduation ceremony to attend a June training camp in Des Moines, but it was worth the trip.

He landed a roster spot on the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League.

Longtime hockey coach Tom Coolen helped MacIntosh get the invite and the six-foot-one, 195-pound defenceman took care of the rest.

"The camp started out with six teams," MacIntosh said. "By the time it got down to two, there were fast-paced games and high intensity.

"I'm hoping to do well and get seen by a few people. I'm hoping this leads to a Division 1 deal in the states."

The Buccaneers are coached by former Ottawa Senators' bench boss Dave Allison. Ex-NHLer J-P. Parise is the team's general manager and director of hockey operations.

"Dave was up front and honest," MacIntosh said. "I felt really appreciated by him. He seems like a real good guy, but at the same time a demanding coach. That's something you look for."

MacIntosh, who turned 17 on May 19, knows he'll have to prove himself all over again at the main camp in September.

"You talk somewhat about (potential) roles," he said, "but until you get down there and prove what you've got, everyone's in the same boat. I'm just going to show them what I've got and hopefully it leads to a major role on the team."

MacIntosh played the past two seasons for the Woodstock Slammers of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League - although he was sidelined more than half of last season.

"Last year was a tough year," he said. "I had two freak plays where I happened to break my wrist in the same spot, the growth plate."

He had his right wrist broken during an open-ice collision Nov. 2. Six games after he returned, he had his left wrist broken when he was checked against the boards at the end of January.

"Those are the first two injuries that ever made me miss any games. I feel 100 per cent now," said MacIntosh, who was drafted in the sixth round (109th overall) by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the 2008 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League entry draft.

"I talked to Bathurst off and on the past few years," he said, "but I never went to camp. I really want to play college in the states and I'm sticking to that."

MacIntosh attended both Woodstock and Leo Hayes high schools, averaging 87 over four years.
"I pride myself on my defence, but I feel I play an all-around game," MacIntosh said. "I think my mental game is a strength. I feel like I play a smart game and make good decisions; try to break things up before they happen.

"But I'm always working to try to get better," he said. "To say you're not working on anything sounds crazy. You've got to be working on everything all the time."

MacIntosh played for New Brunswick's under 15 and 16 provincial teams. He also represented Team Atlantic at the 2008 world under-18 hockey challenge in London, Ont.

"That was a tremendous experience," MacIntosh said. "You're playing against some phenomenal hockey players - the best players in the world in your age group. We placed seventh or eighth but we lost a lot of close games."

He was New Brunswick bantam AAA league MVP - and team captain - when Fredericton won the title in 2005-06 and helped the midget AAA Canadiens win the provincial crown the following season.

In 2007-08, he was team rookie of the year for the Slammers, contributing a goal and four assists in 44 games. He also had 69 penalty minutes.

In his abbreviated 2008-09 campaign, he had a pair of power play goals, nine assists and 62 PIM in 23 games.

"I'm grateful to the Woodstock Slammers organization for giving me the opportunity to step in as a 16-year-old and play," MacIntosh said, thanking head coach Jason Tatarnic, owner Andrew McCain "and all the staff."

"Woodstock's a great organization and I loved it there," he said. "It was just time to move on in my hockey career."

Tatarnic says MacIntosh should do fine in the USHL.

"Peter's a quality defenceman," Tatarnic said. "The USHL is a pretty good league, a step up from our league. So in terms of exposure for U.S. colleges, he's going to be seen quite a bit."

Scouts should like what they see, the coach said.

"He's a very responsible defenceman in the defensive zone," Tatarnic said. "He makes a very good first pass. He doesn't jump up into the play all the time, but when he does he picks the right moments.''