Music: {allcanada} Mackenzie, Beach back with Hitmen

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

{allcanada} Mackenzie, Beach back with Hitmen

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Cody Beach (notes) isn't what you'd call a grizzled veteran.

But in the Calgary Hitmen dressing room this season, the 18-year-old Kelowna native is one of the elderstatesmen on the young, squad. Beach, a six-foot-six, 188-pound right winger and Hitmen defender Matt MacKenzie (notes), 19, both returned to the Western Hockey League champions Monday after an extended stay at their respective National Hockey League training camps.

"Well, I feel old," sighed Beach, a fifth-round selection of the St. Louis Blues. "I feel like a 20-year-old."

Heading into his second full season with the Calgary Hitmen, Beach might be considered experienced compared to the rest of the roster - which includes three 16-year-olds and five 17-year-olds. But days ago, he was a wide-eyed rookie.

While his junior team opened their WHL season on Friday - a 5-3 loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes - Beach was busy logging minutes in his first NHL exhibition game. In a 5-0 victory over the Minnesota Wild, he had the time of his life on a line with former Hitman Brett Sonne (notes) and Anthony Nigro (notes) - and nearly scored on his first shift.

"I had the celebration all ready but it just didn't cross the line," Beach said. "I had drank a Red Bull and that was way too much for me. I didn't need that, I couldn't sleep the night before or the night after.

"But it was a highlight just being there, really."

Meanwhile, MacKenzie, a third-round selection of the Buffalo Sabres this June was enjoying himself at his first twirl at an NHL training camp.

Unlike Beach, who couldn't pull the trigger, he managed to score on 2010 Vezina Trophy-winner and Sabres goalie Ryan Miller (notes) on a two-on-one with Thomas Vanek (notes).

"That was probably the highlight of the week for me, for sure," MacKenzie said, beaming. "I didn't know how long I'd be there for. I sure wasn't expecting to be there as long as I was. I tried to take all I could from it, learn from the older guys and tried to be a sponge.

"I've been kind of anxious for a couple days now, when I found out I was flying back. I've been excited to come back for a while now."

And, likely, the feeling is mutual.

In addition to missing Friday's home opener, Beach and MacKenzie also were gone for Saturday's 4-0 road loss to the Kootenay Ice on Saturday night.

Beach will surely add some extra firepower up front while MacKenzie provides an experienced body on the blueline as one of the team's top shutdown D-men.

"It's great to have them back," said Hitmen head coach Mike Williamson, whose team hosts the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday. "They both were big parts of our team last year.

"It's important for them to come back and bring the things they learned and experienced at the NHL camp."

They also returned with a wiser perspective on the team's 0-2 record to kick off the season.

"It's not the end of the world," MacKenzie reminded. "We have a week of practice here, so we can get our systems down and get everyone on the same page.

"I think this week's going to be a pretty tough week at practice."