Sault Ste Marie’s Keegan Steveson and Cole Mackay along with Soo Greyhound Zack Trott have signed to amateur tryouts with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. 20 year old Stevenson played three season for the OHL Guelph Storm while 20 year old Mackay and Trott played for Soo Greyhounds for the last three seasons in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.
Selected sixth round of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection draft, Stevenson played from the fall of 2017 – 2020 with the Storm. In 179 regular season games in Guelph, the 6’0” and 190 lbs forward had 45 goals and 42 assists while tallying 41 minutes in penalties. In 29 post season games in 2018 and 2019, Keegan sank four goals and contributed on four goals with the Storm while also hoisting a national championship Memorial Cup with Guelph in the spring of 2019. Stevenson first OHL goal came on January 7, 2018 in front of his hometown crowd in Sault Ste Marie against the Greyhounds at the Memorial Gardens. In 2016 – 2017, Stevenson played for his hometown Soo Thunderbirds in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League where he had 12 goals and 23 assists in 54 regular season junior ‘A’ games.
Stevenson told Saultsports that “I’ve always wanted to play professional hockey since I was a kid, so it definitely feels amazing to sign an amateur tryout contract with the Marlies. When I got the call, I couldn’t believe it. This is a step closer to fulfilling my dream. Being able to watch what the guys do on the team and how they play definitely helps me out to get better.”
In 171 regular games in his hometown red and white with the Soo Greyhounds, Mackay scored 57 goals and had 69 assists from 2017 – 2020 in the OHL. Cole accumulated 90 minutes during the regular season with the Soo in three seasons with the Greyhounds. The 5’11” and 185 lbs forward found the back of the net for two goals and three assists in 28 playoff matchups in 2018 and 2019 in a Greyhound jersey while tallying 18 minutes in penalties for the Soo. Mackay was selected in the 2017 OHL Priority Selections in the fifth round by the Greyhounds.
“I feel blessed to have been given this opportunity to be able to have a chance with this organization. Playing professional hockey has always been a dream of mine and getting a feel for what it is like will be a great experience for me, added Mackay.
Soo Greyhound Zack Trott has also signed with the Toronto Marlies as a 20 year old. The Honeywood, Ontario native played the last three season with the Soo from 2017 – 2020. In 168 regular season games with the Greyhounds, Trott sank 40 goals and registered 66 helpers in Sault Ste Marie. With the Soo, the 5’10” and 185 lbs forward added three assists in the 2018 and 2019 post season. The Honeywood, Ontario was drafted in 2016 in the 14th round of the OHL Priority Selection Draft with the Greyhounds.
