BU commit, defenseman Case McCarthy on the rise with NTDP

Protecting the house is Case McCarthy’s motto. The goal is to be physical and defend with a purpose, get the puck back for his team and turn it up ice to get back on the offensive.

That style has allowed McCarthy’s game to flourish to the point where he will almost certainly be selected next June in Vancouver at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

“I’m a two-way defenseman who has the ability to create offensively with my passing coming out of the zone,” said McCarthy, who is in his second season with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. “I have that defensive aspect of my game where I can play physical in my own end. I want to make guys not want to play against me. I definitely take pride in my own end first.”

The Clarence, N.Y., native, who is on the U-18 team this year, recently participated in the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game, an exhibition that showcases the 42 best American candidates for the upcoming draft.

“It was a really cool experience to start off the year with that game. You’re playing against some new guys and some guys on your team, so it’s a good experience to go up against those guys in game situations,” said McCarthy of the All-American Prospects Game, which took place at the Minnesota Wild’s XCel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The 6-foot-1 McCarthy also was able to show off his skill-set in front of a large number of NHL scouts at September’s USHL Fall Classic and several exhibition games against marquee college programs throughout the month of October.

“The Fall Classic was a good opportunity to get a feel of where we’re at with the busy college schedule ahead. We realized what we need to improve upon and what our strengths are as a team,” McCarthy said.

One of those college exhibitions was against his future team, Boston University. McCarthy committed to the Terriers nearly two years ago.

“That decision was pretty easy for me. I loved the campus and the city of Boston. The facilities there are some of the best I’ve ever seen. The coaching staff will help me get to the next level and be a better person off the ice. It’s the perfect combination of academics and athletics,” McCarthy explained.

McCarthy will take the rest of the 2018-19 season to hone his skills and prepare for the draft and his college career.

“I’m always trying to improve upon everything in my game, but specifically this year, I’m trying to look at my spatial awareness on the ice. I want to be able to create plays and shut down plays using my stick and my feet. I want to shut those plays down early to get the puck going north and creating offense that way,” McCarthy stated.

McCarthy is part of an American draft class that could be one of the best ever. His teammates with the NTDP include projected first overall pick Jack Hughes and several other prospects — Matt Boldy, Alex Turcotte, Alex Vlasic, Spencer Knight, Johnny Beecher and Trevor Zegras — slated for the first round.

Being able to practice against such elite players has helped McCarthy elevate his own game over the past year or so while wearing the red, white and blue.

“It’s a special experience. You learn a lot. They help you improve a ton. It’s special to go against those guys in practice, seeing what they can do with the puck, and the plays they can make. You learn to defend and know what they look for,” said McCarthy.

McCarthy, who is projected by some to be selected in the second round but could be selected anywhere from the second to third, looks up to a former Terrier when trying to pick up pointers for his own game.

“I take things from all guys to piece together my own game, but the one guy I try to watch as much as possible is Charlie McAvoy,” said McCarthy of the young Boston Bruins defenseman.

“He’s kind of one of the younger guys in the league who plays the new style of play. He plays the game the right way. I try to model my game after him in terms of how I create and play defensively,” McCarthy added.

While McCarthy won’t receive the spotlight of some of his teammates, the future is bright for this complete, two-way defenseman.