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NJBadApple · 12-17-2021, 12:06 AM

From the shores of eastern Ireland, Mads McBride has made it abundantly clear his vision is to pursue a career in the SHL. Born to wealthy parents on the western outskirts of Dublin, the Palmerston native is due to arrive on North American soil on Monday and declare for the S63 SMJHL Entry Draft shortly thereafter. He will arrive with already-deep pockets ($93 million), a highly unusual position for a young prospect.

Quote:"A tremendous talent from an otherwise ignored part of Europe. Possesses game-breaking offensive ability, will make an immediate impact on any SMJHL team." -The Athletic

Having foregone his rights to Irish citizenship, he remains undecided to which country he will represent at the WJC and eventually (hopefully) the IIHF. Either way, Mads has a lot to prove on the professional level. A pure sniper by trade, McBride posted an impressive 61 goals and 34 assists in 70 games within the Irish Junior Hockey Federation (IJHF), good for league MVP and scoring champion as an underage performer at the ripe age of 16. Having turned 17 since, Mads has bulked up in preparation for transition to North American ice and the inherently more physical game; weighing in at 198lbs (14lbs heavier than last season) and standing at six feet even.

[Image: rJu8d7O.jpg]

What McBride lacks defensively, he makes up for in spades with offensive prowess. As stated above, Mads is a goal scorer at heart and possesses one of the best shots in the draft. If you're looking for a 200ft player you may want to search elsewhere; his positioning is solid among draft candidates but lacks the knowledge and know-how to clear the defensive zone. Neutral zone transition is nothing short of impressive, with a speed score of "Excellent" among scouts. Besides the offensive zone production, Mads also thrives when it comes to top-end speed & puck control and was awarded a near perfect rating of 9.5 out of a possible 10 for both categories.

Quote:"If you want touchdowns; get Brady. If you want home runs; get Trout. If you want goals; get McBride. The next goal-scoring phenom." -TSN

With the SMJHL Entry Draft still a ways down the road, McBride hopes to fine-tune his game and take it to another level beforehand. "I'm really excited for the opporunity to make an impact across the pond" says McBride. "I think it'll be a challenge adjusting my playstyle to a smaller rink & more physical play, but it's welcome and I'll be training as hard as possible to make sure I'm 100% ready to perform."

Words: 430
1 video, 1 photo

Sopath · 12-17-2021, 04:52 AM

If an Irishman doesn't choose Ireland... Ireland

ImShiny · 12-17-2021, 01:15 PM

Lets goooooo Bad Apple is back

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