Whether it’s been as a player, a coach or an owner, the McTavish name is well-known among the Canadian hockey community.
Dale McTavish is a former player and coach and his son, Mason, is one of the top NHL prospects. Fans of hockey in Ontario are particularly familiar with the two.
Both Mason and Dale dressed for the Pembroke Lumber Kings, as well as the Peterborough Petes. When Mason was playing with the Lumber Kings, his dad was at the helm of the bench, coaching Mason when he was 16 years old.
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Now, Mason will be headlining Team Canada the next week and a half as their captain, with the goal of winning a gold medal in his sights at the 2022 World Juniors.
Here is a look at the McTavish family tree.
Mason McTavish
The Ducks have a number of bright young stars in their organization with Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. Add Mason McTavish to that list.
The No. 3 pick from the 2021 draft is a strong, brutish center who has a high motor and knack for finding loose pucks. He also has an excellent shot in his arsenal, making him a weapon with the puck on his stick.
Mason was originally born in Switzerland where Dale was playing hockey at the time, but grew up in Ontario. He played for the Pembroke Lumber Kings, a junior “A” level hockey team playing in the Central Canada Hockey League, where his dad coached him. He was selected fifth overall by the Peterborough Peters in the 2019 OHL Draft.
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He played the 2020-21 season over in Switzerland, as the OHL did not have a season due to COVID-19 and then bounced around this past season. He started in the AHL, was called up to Anaheim after three games, then sent back to the OHL. After just five games with Peterborough, he was traded to the Hamilton Bulldogs, where he helped the team win the OHL championship and make a run at the Memorial Cup.
Mason also dressed for Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics, recording an assist for the country. Now, he is captain for his country in Edmonton as he and his fellow Canadian teammates aim for a gold medal at the World Juniors.
Dale McTavish
Mason’s father, Dale, was a longtime hockey player himself.
Born in Eganville, Ont., McTavish played for four seasons with the Peterborough Petes, helping lead the team to an OHL championship in 1993 and a berth at the Memorial Cup.
After he was not drafted to the NHL, he spent two years playing Canadian college hockey with St. Francis Xavier where he began to get attention from NHL clubs. He signed a deal with the Flames in 1996, but subsequently spent the majority of the next seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Saint John Flames.
He skated in nine NHL games, recording a goal and two assists. After the 1996-97 season, McTavish went over to Europe where he played the next 15 seasons bouncing from Finland to Switzerland and then back to Finland. He retired from hockey in 2011.
McTavish bought the Pembroke Lumber Kings in 2013 from now-Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe. he eventually sold the team in 2019 to Alex Armstrong.
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