GRAND FORKS — UND has added to its pipeline on the back end.
Ethan MacKenzie, a 6-foot, 174-pound tenacious defenseman from the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League, has committed to play at UND.
MacKenzie is expected to come to campus in 2026.
MacKenzie also had interest from Arizona State, Omaha and Colorado College. He visited UND last week.
“It was unbelievable,” MacKenzie said. “I knew coming in kind of what to expect because I watched the (Spittin’ Chiclets) YouTube video and talked with my coaches. But being there and seeing the facilities and the town, it blew my expectations out of the water. It was a pretty unreal experience.”
MacKenzie scored five goals and tallied 32 points in 54 games last season for the Oil Kings. But he makes his mark on the defensive side.
“Fearless,”
EliteProspects’ scouting report
said. “No amount of contact deters him from making a play. Stepping up into bone-crushing hits, beating down opponents at the net front and throwing reverse hits on retrievals. He’s always looking to make a play, whether that’s a quick, short-range pass after stealing possession or faking out the forecheck before connecting with a stretch pass.”
MacKenzie said he enjoys watching and studying Josh Morrissey, Gustav Forsling, Victor Hedman and Sean Durzi.
“I’m a two-way defenseman,” MacKenzie said. “I’m not afraid to mix it up and get more physical. Being on the smaller side of defensemen nowadays, I like playing the grittier game, playing hard in the corners and tight areas. Getting into the offensive zone, I like getting shots through and using my skating. Skating is one of my strongest assets.”
MacKenzie said UND got in touch with his advisor at the end of his season in the WHL. He began speaking to the staff on the phone a month or two ago.
He only made one NCAA visit — to Grand Forks and UND.
“I like the small-town feel and that the hockey team and school is the main focus of it,” MacKenzie said. “All my family is from a small town. I liked being there. It’s a tight-knit community and I liked the feeling of that.”
MacKenzie will return to the Oil Kings for one more season. It will be his fourth year with Edmonton.
“I had a pretty strong start to (last) season,” MacKenzie said. “We had a tough ending. We were in the playoffs and lost in Game 7. That’s a pretty tough way to go. I thought I had a good season overall. I had one injury before the playoffs. It set me back, but luckily, I got back in time to finish strong.”
MacKenzie joins Garrett Lindberg as UND’s two committed defensemen. Lindberg is playing for the Fargo Force in the United States Hockey League. Both players are expected to come to UND in 2026.
MacKenzie is the fifth UND recruit from the Western Hockey League and the fourth since Dane Jackson took over as head coach in late March.
Forward Josh Zakreski committed under former head coach Brad Berry. Cole Reschny, Keaton Verhoeff, Cooper Williams and MacKenzie have committed under Jackson.
Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald’s circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year twice. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.