Roland McKeown
Canadian defenceman, Calder Cup winner, former NHL draft pick.
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Roland McKeown is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the San Jose Barracuda in the American Hockey League. He was drafted 50th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
Junior
McKeown began his junior career with the Kingston Frontenacs, who selected him second overall in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. He made his OHL debut on September 21, 2012, and scored his first goal on October 4 against Brampton. In his rookie season, he put up seven goals and 29 points in 61 games, helping Kingston reach the playoffs, and was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team. The following year, he improved to 11 goals and 43 points in 62 games with a plus-38 rating, and participated in the 2014 CHL Top Prospects Game.
He scored his first career playoff goal in overtime on March 23, 2014, against Peterborough. McKeown was named captain of the Frontenacs for the 2014–15 season, posting seven goals and 32 points in 65 games. He returned as captain in 2015–16, recording seven goals and 42 points in 59 games, and helped Kingston reach the second round of the OHL playoffs for the first time since 1998.
Professional
After being drafted, McKeown’s NHL rights were traded by the Kings to the Carolina Hurricanes on February 25, 2015, along with a conditional first-round pick, in exchange for Andrej Sekera. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with Carolina on April 1, 2015, and joined their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, on an amateur try-out. He made his AHL debut on April 11, 2015, and recorded his first professional point the next night. In 2016–17, he scored his first AHL goal on November 27 and finished with one goal and 11 points in 71 games.
McKeown made his NHL debut with Carolina on November 4, 2017, and earned two assists in his second game. He appeared in 10 NHL games that season, collecting three assists, while spending most of the year in Charlotte, where he scored seven goals and 23 points in 65 games and finished third in the AHL in plus-minus at plus-34. He played the entire 2018–19 season with the Checkers, scoring four goals and 25 points in 70 games, and helped the team win the Calder Cup.
During the pandemic-delayed 2020–21 season, McKeown was loaned to Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League.
Lore & Background
McKeown began his major junior career with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), selected second overall in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. He was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team after his first season and later served as captain of the Frontenacs for two seasons. His NHL rights were traded by the Kings to the Carolina Hurricanes in February 2015, and he signed an entry-level contract with Carolina that April.
McKeown made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes in November 2017, appearing in 10 games and recording three assists. He spent most of his time with Carolina's AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, where he was a plus-34 in the 2017–18 season and won the Calder Cup in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, McKeown was loaned to Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League, recording 9 points in 24 regular season games.
He later signed with the Colorado Avalanche but played exclusively for their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. McKeown signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Nashville Predators on July 13, 2022. After his contract with the Predators concluded, he signed an AHL contract with the San Diego Gulls, and later with the San Jose Barracuda.
Reader's Guide
Roland McKeown's career illustrates the path of a high-profile junior player who transitioned to professional hockey primarily in the AHL. Drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Kings, he was traded before ever playing for them, a common occurrence in the NHL. His most notable professional achievement is winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers in 2019, where he contributed three assists in ten playoff games.
McKeown's NHL experience is limited to ten games with the Carolina Hurricanes, in which he recorded three assists. His time in the SHL during the pandemic-delayed 2020–21 season shows his adaptability, as he helped Skellefteå AIK reach the championship semi-finals. After leaving the Hurricanes, McKeown signed with the Colorado Avalanche but did not play for the NHL club, instead playing for the Colorado Eagles.
He then signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators, again on a two-way deal. Following that, he moved to the AHL with the San Diego Gulls and later the San Jose Barracuda. His career demonstrates the reality that many drafted players spend the bulk of their careers in the minor leagues, with occasional NHL call-ups.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Gold 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships
- Gold 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
- Bronze 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2012–13 | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | 61 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2013–14 | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | 62 | 11 | 32 | 43 | 61 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 2014–15 | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | 65 | 7 | 25 | 32 | 57 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 2014–15 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015–16 | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | 59 | 7 | 35 | 42 | 49 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 6 |
| 2016–17 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 71 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 2017–18 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 65 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 36 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2017–18 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018–19 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 70 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 56 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2019–20 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 61 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21 | Skellefteå AIK | SHL | 24 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 2021–22 | Colorado Eagles | AHL | 61 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 49 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 18 |
| 2022–23 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 60 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 40 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022–23 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 69 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 56 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 19 |
| 2024–25 | San Diego Gulls | AHL | 69 | 15 | 23 | 38 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025–26 | San Diego Gulls | AHL | 71 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| NHL totals | 16 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SHL totals | 24 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Canada Ontario | U17 | 6th | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 2013 | Canada | U18 | Gold | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | Canada | IH18 | Gold | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2014 | Canada | U18 | Bronze | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2016 | Canada | WJC | 6th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Junior totals | 29 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 16 | |||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| OHL | ||
| First All-Rookie Team | 2013 | |
| CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game | 2014 | |
| Third All-Star Team | 2016 | |
| AHL | ||
| Calder Cup (Charlotte Checkers) | 2019 | |
| International | ||
| World U18 Championship Gold Medal with Team Canada | 2013 | |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Roland McKeown (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Did You Know?
- He won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Roland McKeown (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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