Within two seconds of meeting Calgary Flames prospect Mace’o Phillips, two things are immediately evident.

One, he’s a gigantic human being. He was listed by the National Hockey League during the draft process at 6’6″ and 233 pounds and, in person, he towers over just about everybody he meets. Two, he’s a really engaging person, armed with a big smile and a firm handshake. He seems like an incredibly friendly guy.

Well, unless you’re lined up across from him on the ice.

The 2024-25 season was Phillips’ second with the United States National Development Program; he spent 2023-24 with their Under-17 Team and 2024-25 with their Under-18 Team. While his offensive output was fairly muted – he had six points for the second consecutive season with the USNDP – he found a nice niche as a physical defensive defender.

His strong defensive play culminated with being selected 80th overall by the Flames in the 2025 NHL Draft, something he learned about during a surprise party thrown by his mom featuring his friends and family.

“Yeah, so my mom actually threw a surprise party for me,” said Phillips. “I had no clue about it. I thought we were just going to be at one of my friend’s houses watching it with a few close friends and family. And my mom threw a surprise party, and it was crazy. So yeah, it was amazing with all the close people in my life. So yeah, it was super fun.”

If you’ve been paying attention to the Flames’ prospect list over the past couple of seasons, you’ll notice it features three pretty highly-regarded, puck-moving right shot defenders in Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz and Henry Mews. While those guys are really effective offensive players, they’re not big guys – they’re all listed at 6’0″ and between 179 and 190 pounds.

So from a stylistic and size standpoint, you can kind of understand why the Flames would value what Phillips brings to the table: he seems like a player that knows what he does well, knows what he needs to work on, and has a sense of how what he does fits into his team’s success.

“I think just bringing my physicality every single night,” said Phillips. “Just being hard to play against and shutting down top guys. I think that’s definitely my calling card and my identity as a player. Just playing as hard as I can. I think that’s just kind of due to my competing passion for the game. So, yeah, I think that’s definitely something I’d be able to do every night. But I just think continuing to work on all assets in my game and my puck touches especially, I think that’s definitely something I can keep working on.”

When you read the scouting reports about Phillips, to be honest, he sounds like a pain to play against. (Elite Prospects’ blurb on his player page includes the note that opponents near him are “swarmed with shoves, crosschecks, or a booming hit.”) He’s a very friendly guy off the ice, but knows how to get into game mode once he’s on the ice.

“I definitely kind of flipped that switch,” said Phillips. “And I think it’s just kind of, I’ll do anything for my team and teammates to win. I think it’s just kind of letting my teammates know I’m there for them. You know, no matter what. And that goes off the ice, too. So, it’s just my competing passion for the game. I love to win. And I want to win a Stanley Cup for the Flames. So, that’s definitely one of my goals. And I think that’s just kind of where that comes from.”

Phillips has aged out of the USNDP system, so he’s headed to spend his gap season before college either with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks or the United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers. After that? The born and raised Minnesota kid is off to suit up for the University of Minnesota in the fall of 2026.