Over the summer, the Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team brought in six new recruits to improve their roster: Matt Barberis, Mark Grametbauer, Jaeger White, Cole Carter, Parker AuCoin, and Kody McDonald.
Most of them are entering unfamiliar territory with new teammates, facilities, and coaches, but the case is different for McDonald. His first year on the team comes with the chance to reunite with his former Prince George Cougars teammates Brogan O’Brien and Aaron Boyd.
The trio first began playing with each other four years ago but McDonald’s bonds began earlier than that. With Boyd being drafted into the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2012 and McDonald in 2013, their draft years gave them the chance to both play for the Cougars during the 2014-15 season.
“He was 16, I was 17, so we were both part of the same rookie class. We went to school together and we had to do all our rookie duties together too. So I got to know him pretty well,” Boyd said.
The following year, in the 2015-16 season, O’Brien joined the Cougars and would spend the next two-and-a-half years with McDonald, until McDonald was traded to the Prince Albert Raiders.
Throughout the time of being on the team with McDonald, O’Brien and Boyd both noticed the type of player he is.
“Kody’s a really great player. I played with him for a while, so we got some good chemistry going. He’s smart, he makes a lot of plays, power play, PK, a good all-around player,” O’Brien said.
Following McDonald’s trade to the Raiders halfway through the 2017-18 season, O’Brien and Boyd continued to play for the Cougars until the end of the season.
Starting in the 2018-19 season, O’Brien and Boyd would join the Ravens as McDonald continued to play in the WHL for the Raiders and the Victoria Royals.
As the 2018-19 season wound down for McDonald he had to choose which university to commit to. He chose Carleton in large part due to O’Brien and Boyd playing there.
“They honestly couldn’t say one negative thing about this place. They’ve always seemed to make good decisions, so they’re good guys to trust,” said the Lethbridge, A.B. native.
Having former teammates around can also help with the decision process for new recruits, O’Brien said.
“It’s a lot easier for him to get a feel for the school hearing it from guys on the team rather than just coming on a visit and talking to the coaches,” he said. “I think it was nice for him to hear two sides of how it is here from us and the coaches, and it made his decision a lot easier for him.”
“Especially away from the rink having somebody to already hang out with. It makes the transition to get to know everybody else a lot easier,” O’Brien said.
The Ravens exhibition trip to Europe will give McDonald the chance to bond with the rest of his new teammates.
“You get 30 guys together like that and you’re on an airplane, you’re together 10 to 11 days before the season starts, it’s just a great way to bond,” he said. “Traveling through Europe and seeing other countries, so, I’m excited.”
The feeling is mutual for O’Brien and Boyd.
“We already had a relationship before, and it’s just going to grow stronger throughout the next four years as we’ll be playing together,” said Boyd.
“I’m excited to see how this year is going to pan out and in the years after to come.”
After the tour in Europe, McDonald and company return to action in Canada on September 19, 2019 at 7 p.m. as they take on the Royal Military College Paladins in Kingston, Ont.
