Langdon local Kyle McDonough on his way to the WHL!

He's only 15 years old, but Langdonite Kyle McDonough is already on his way to the WHL! He signed with the Portland Winterhawks and played with them in their preseason. Joining the Winterhawks has been an incredible experience for McDonough, but he says he's just getting started.

"It's amazing, I always dreamed of it, but I never thought it would come true. It's amazing that all my work is starting to pay off, but I can't stop here. Gotta keep going," he said.

While McDonough was signed by the team, he is currently too young to be on the roster, so he is playing for the Okotoks Oilers this year. Once he turns 16 he'll be able to try out to be an official part of the Winterhawks roster, but for now he is an affiliate player and can get called up to the roster for 5 games if he is needed. While he's a member of the Oilers for now, he still got to play in the preseason with the Winterhawks.

"It was crazy (playing in the preseason), I grew up watching and getting pictures and autographs by some of the guys that I was playing against and playing with, so it was amazing. The guys out there, they're just so strong and fast and it's really cool to see where I need to get to for next year. It was an amazing experience." 

Kyle McDonough in a preseason game against the Seattle Thunderbirds on September 9, 2022
Photo Courtesy: Chris Mast

Many dream of making it this far, but few can actually get there. McDonough said it took a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where he is now.

"Every day, I've been working to get here every day. I have went through a lot of training off ice, on ice, just working out every day and doing everything I can to get here."

You may have seen McDonough in action before; as a Langdonite, he was part of many nearby teams, like Wheatland, Indus, and now Okotoks. As for what's next, McDonough's immediate future goals now shift to being an official member of the Winterhawks once he turns 16, but beyond that, he's hoping to make it to the big leagues.

"Obviously I want to get to the NHL, but if that doesn't work out, I just plan to take it as far as I can. Hopefully play pro one day, but if that doesn't work I'd like to help kids reach their goals as my job. Be a coach and a strength and conditioning coach on ice and off ice to get kids to reach their goals."

Regardless of what the future holds for McDonough, he'll have the full support of Langdon and surrounding areas cheering him on during his hockey journey!

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