Butler's McClaine hits road to build hockey career
HOOKSETT, N.H. — Professional hockey is his dream.
A college scholarship is more realistic.
So Butler graduate Bekk McClaine is focusing on the latter — and may be in the right place to do so.
The former Golden Tornado forward hasn't played high school hockey since the 2018-19 season. He scored 17 goals and assisted on 14 others in 32 games for Butler over two seasons.
But he also played for the Pens Elite's under-18 team.
“It just got to be too tough playing for both,” McClaine said. “It ate up too much time. I decided to focus on the higher level.
So McClaine — who just graduated from Butler in the spring — decided to play solely for the Pens Elite last season. He wound up with 10 goals and 29 assists in 55 games.
Now he's playing for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs of the 10-team National Collegiate Development Conference. McClaine is playing left wing.
“I'm off to a slow start, but I'm one of the youngest guys on the team,” the 18-year-old said. “The older guys are playing on the top lines.”
He sees action on the second power play unit and does get regular ice time during games.
NCDC players can stay in the league through age 20. McClaine could potentially play three seasons with New Hampshire.
“My hope is play two years, then get a scholarship to college,” he said. “I'd love to play Division I hockey, but there is quality hockey at the Division III level, too. I'd be more than willing to play at that level.
“Ultimately, playing hockey has been my dream. But if I can use the sport to get a scholarship, I'd be thrilled with that.”
The Junior Monarchs have sent 35 players to college hockey over the past two years.
“Bekk is a tremendous hockey player, a very flashy player,” Butler High School coach Mavrik Goepfert said. “I would have loved to have had him on our team last year.
“I understand his situation, though. He had to go develop his skills and the Pens Elite were suited for him that way.”
McClaine said he hopes to study physical therapy in college and possibly become an athletic trainer down the road.
For now, he's rooming with a few teammates in an apartment as his team tries navigating its way through COVID-19 restrictions. Host families have been scaled back.
The Junior Monarchs are 4-0-1 through five games of a 50-game schedule.
“We're already a few games behind because of postponements,” McClaine said. “Our home rink was shut down for two weeks because of COVID. We drove an hour to Massachusetts to practice and get some work in at a rink there.”
Only scouts are permitted to enter arenas and watch NCDC games so far this season due to COVID precautions. Teams are only playing in-conference games to cut down on travel.
The NCDC has teams in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York.
“Speed is a big part of my game and I have to use it,” McClaine said. “I'm a small forward, maybe 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, and this is a physical league.
“I'm still adapting to everything, but I'm confident I'll do well here.”
