Who is Mackenzie Gallagher?

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Mackenzie Gallagher started playing for the Newcastle Northstars in the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) in 2022.  As a Northstars junior, Gallagher has progressed through the system and says he was a late starter to the hockey game, at just 11 years old.
 
Gallagher shared how his journey started, “I got into hockey the same way many Australians are introduced to the sport, and that was by watching the film The Mighty Ducks. After watching the movie, I knew immediately that I wanted to play the sport. From then on, I started attending Learn 2 Play at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium”.
 
To continue building his skills, Gallagher travelled to Canada to play at Banff Hockey Academy in the 2016-17 season before returning to Australia to play with the Sydney/Northern Wolf Pack in the Australian Junior Ice Hockey League (AJIHL) in 2018, and then joining the Northstars East Coast Super League (ECSL) in 2019.
 
In the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, we saw the rise of a couple of players in Newcastle who progressed through junior development and had the opportunity to join the AIHL team at a time when the imports were limited to two per team.
 
Starting in 2022 alongside friends Hunter Ellen, Riley Tonks and Ethan Hawes, Gallagher shares, “Hockey is always more fun with friends, so having people I was close to going into the AIHL was extremely helpful, knowing others were experiencing the same thing as I was”.
 
Gallagher travelled to Sweden to play in the 2022-2023 season for Hasselby Kalvesta J20, and shared his experience with us, “I came to play in Sweden mostly through the help of my then teammate Riley Tonks who had played there for several seasons’ prior. Through his assistance and the additional help of his father (our equipment manager, Craig) and Dave Ferrari (Northstars Assistant Coach and Assistant General Manager), we were able to find an opportunity for me to play there for my last season of junior hockey”.
 
Gallagher says playing in Sweden and experiencing another country and culture was a pleasure, and with these new experiences and challenges he improved as a person and an athlete.
 
“I am fortunate enough to have played seasons in two foreign countries both Sweden and Canada,” began Gallagher, “I feel as if I developed more as a hockey player in Canada having the privilege to be coached by former NHL players, and coaches who have worked at the highest level of the sport.
 
“In Sweden I feel I developed more as a person and improved the ability to deal with the mental sides of the game which can be equally if not more important at times”.
 
Reflecting on the past three years with the Northstars, it was hard to pick one favourite memory but Gallagher shared, “Initially what stands out as a fond memory is the entire 2021-22 season. We had such a great group, and the atmosphere in the room was always positive, although it ended in heartbreak for us and the fans, I think it’s my favourite season in hockey to date.”
 
“Another moment that sticks out has to be the road trips all over the country with the boys. I feel it’s those times where you make the best memories and become closer to your teammates”.
 
Playing for the Northstars is a dream come true for Gallagher, “To represent the city I grew up in means a great deal to me and it’s always an honour to put on that Northstars jersey. What makes it even more special is to have witnessed the Northstars’ culture and team as a fan before I became a player and that’s really what hockey and sport is all about. The fans.”
 
“The highlight of being a Northstar is to see our fans who turn up week in week out to support us and to hopefully bring a bit of joy and happiness to their lives”.
 
For Gallagher the future looks bright, his  future hockey goals include continuing to play for the Northstars and improving his game so he can play a bigger role on the team.
 
But Gallagher says the main goal is “to help bring the Goodall Cup back to Newcastle!”
 
Don’t miss a moment of the action with limited home games left at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium. Purchase tickets on northstars.thundertix.com before they sell out!