Connor Mackey

Playing career

Mackey played two years of hockey at Barrington High School near his hometown of Tower Lakes, Illinois, serving as team captain in his final year. He then spent the 2014–15 season with the triple-A level U18 Team Illinois in the High-Performance Hockey League. Beginning in 2015–16, he played for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, where he was named an alternate captain in 2016–17. That season he led the Gamblers with 47 points in 60 games and was named USHL Defenseman of the Year and to the USHL First All-Star Team. He was recruited to join the Minnesota State Mavericks for the 2017–18 season. Before his college career, Mackey attended the Calgary Flames' 2017 summer prospect development camp as an undrafted free agent. In his debut season with the Mavericks, he earned a spot on the 2017–18 WCHA All-Rookie Team. The following summer he attended the Buffalo Sabres' annual development camp. In 2018–19 he was named a WCHA All-Academic and to the All-WCHA Third All-Star Team. During the 2019–20 season, Mackey attracted interest from 28 of the NHL's 31 teams. He led Mavericks defensemen with 24 points in 36 games and was named to the All-WCHA First All-Star Team and the AHCA All-America West Second Team. TSN's Frank Seravalli ranked him the top college free-agent on the market. On March 20, 2020, Mackey signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames for the 2020–21 season. He joined the Flames for practices in the Edmonton bubble during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. He made his NHL debut on February 13, 2021.