Devils pick Case McCarthy brings old-school defensive style to BU

Case McCarthy was selected 118th overall in the 2019 draft by the New Jersey Devils. (Kevin Light/Getty Images)

If you’re on the receiving end of a hit from defenseman Case McCarthy, it feels like multiple people came together to smash you.

There are two reasons for that.

The first is McCarthy is a pillar of power, boasting a 6-foot-1, 198-pound frame. The second is the 18-year-old from Clarence Center, N.Y., is never alone on the ice. He always has a trio of people with him, wherever he goes.

When McCarthy was 6 years old, his uncle Mark McCarthy and cousins Chris and Mike, Mark’s sons, were flying home following a fishing trip when they perished in a plane crash in Georgia. The traumatic event took an immeasurable toll on McCarthy, who considered his cousins role models.

Ever since that day, he has included all of their initials — “MM,” “CM” and “MM” — on his hockey sticks.

“I like to think they are watching over me and helping me once in a while,” McCarthy said. “I put their initials on my sticks so before every game and every practice I know to not take anything for granted. It’s a little reminder of how lucky I am to be playing this sport.”

McCarthy isn’t only lucky to be playing the ice game. He’s also proficient at it.

Bound for Boston University this fall, McCarthy was selected 118th overall in the 2019 National Hockey League draft by the New Jersey Devils after two seasons in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

“Our guys loved how hard he competes,” Devils director of amateur scouting Paul Castron said. “He’s hard to play against. He’s an old-school defenseman and punishes guys. He’s got to get quicker and faster, but he will. Mainly, we liked his physicality. He was probably the most consistent physical defenseman in that program. Our guys were excited for that.”

In 2017-18, McCarthy totaled 18 points (4-14-18) in 41 games with the under-17 team. This past campaign, the right-handed shooter recorded 29 points (5-24-29) in 62 contests with the under-18 club.

“What stands out about Case is how mature he is and the leadership he brought to our team the past two years,” said Patrick Moynihan, a right wing who was teammates with McCarthy at the NTDP and was also drafted by the Devils this year, 158th overall. “He was a dog on the back end for us. He was always trying to fire up the boys, and having him bring that intensity helped us every game. We knew he was reliable back there and we could trust him in any situation. Off the ice, he changed the mentality of our group a little bit, too. He’s a funny guy, calm and cool.”

In practices, Moynihan, whom McCarthy labels a “bull” who will “run you through the wall,” knew he was in for a heated battle when the two lined up opposite each other.

“It was definitely competitive,” Moynihan affirmed. “I loved going up against him.”

McCarthy’s physical style has been a part of his game dating back to when he was a kid playing against his two younger brothers, Aiden and Gavin.

“We just beat on each other, and we started liking the physicality,” McCarthy reminisced. “My brothers and I still go at it. It’s not as bad anymore in terms of fighting, but when we are on the ice together we go at each other. That competition bred that confidence in all three of us to play that bigger, heavier, physical game.”

The sibling wars weren’t limited to the rink. They occurred anywhere the McCarthy brothers played a sport.

“We got into it playing basketball, football, baseball, whiffle ball in the back yard,” McCarthy chuckled. “We competed hard, and we didn’t want to lose.”

McCarthy praises his parents, Joe and Elizabeth, for ingraining in them the desire to win and resentment for losing.

“Both of my parents did a great job of building all three of us to be prepared for anything,” he asserted. “We are able to overcome any adversity that’s thrown our way and know that if we compete we will win.”

McCarthy said his mom, who’s an administrative assistant and works from home, always has provided the stability for the family, taking care of the three boys while his dad was on the road for work.

“She’s the most supportive person in the world,” he declared. “She’s understanding, and I can go to her with absolutely anything.”

McCarthy, who calls himself a “mama’s boy, for sure,” gave two examples of her support, one from his youth back home and another from the NHL draft last month.

“We used to have a backyard rink that my dad built, and we were out there all day long,” he recounted. “She would open up the window and launch peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at us, and that would be our lunch for the day. The most profound example I can give, though, is from the draft. I was starting to get a little bit anxious and my leg started tapping a little bit. She put her hand on me, and I just relaxed. That shows the mother’s touch that she can bring — and that goes for the whole family, not just me.”

Meanwhile, Joe’s influence centers on his background as a U.S. Navy SEAL.

“My dad instills discipline, focus and drive,” McCarthy said. “He’s always focused on the mental part and staying positive and pushing through adversity because everyone is going to face adversity at one point in their lives and you must be prepared for that.”

McCarthy demonstrated all three of those traits — discipline, focus and drive — every time he stepped on the ice for practices and games while at the NTDP, and it showed. From his first day in the program to his last, his skill set improved tremendously, particularly his consistency and his play in the ‘D’ zone.

“I found my niche in shutting down top guys,” McCarthy explained. “I take great pride in my defensive-zone play and in my one-on-one battles. I grabbed any assignment I could against the top guy on the other team and shut them down the best I could. I challenged myself in practice to shut down guys like Jack Hughes (who was drafted first overall by the Devils), Patrick Moynihan, John Beecher (Elmira, N.Y.), Cole Caufield. You go up and down the list of guys on our team — basically everyone could beat you in a different way.”

McCarthy credits Under-18 associate coach Dan Hinote for helping him become a more consistent player in his own zone. He also noted that watching film, whether it was on himself, opponents or NHLers, was especially beneficial for him since he’s a “very visual kid.”

“Watching video really helped me understand situational stuff, where I can be better, where my angles can be better,” McCarthy said. “I started understanding where to use my body and that taking care of home first is massive.”

And while much is made of the rugged role McCarthy plays in the defensive zone, he’s no slouch when it comes to helping his team’s forwards do damage at the other end of the ice.

For assurance, ask the No. 1 overall pick.

“He can move the puck,” Hughes confirmed, “and make a good first pass.”

The next place McCarthy will be dishing pucks will be with the Terriers this fall. And to say that he’s champing at the bit to face off against some of his former NTDP teammates in college hockey games would be a colossal understatement.

“I am extremely excited for those,” McCarthy said, flashing a wide smile. “It’s going to be a little weird, for sure, playing against a bunch of my buddies. But we have a saying in my family — ‘Friends off the ice, enemies on.’ It’s a battlefield. You’re playing for your school. You’re playing for the guy next to you in the locker room. They are the enemy at that point, and you have to go in ready to compete and wanting to win.”

Like every moment on his hockey journey to this point, McCarthy isn’t taking the opportunity to play at BU for granted.

One glance at the initials of three family members on his hockey sticks guarantees that.