The Calgary Flames kicked off Day Two of the 2014 NHL Draft with their 34th overall selection, taking goalie Mason McDonald.

McDonald split last year between the Acadie-Bathhurst Titan and the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL, and he’s the first goalie taken in the 2014 Draft. He went 8-15-3 with a 3.55 GAA and a .900 save percentage. Granted, neither of his teams are Q giants quite yet He’s 6’4″ and 186 pounds, and a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia – very close to where Joey MacDonald is from in Pictou, Nova Scotia! He’s a later birthday, turning 18 just this past April, so he has two years of QMJHL eligibility left. And then a potential over-age year.

McDonald was really good at the Top Prospects Game, in a format that really doesn’t invite great performances from goalies, giving up a single goal in the shooting gallery. He was Team MVP for the bronze medal-winning U18 Team Canada team. He also was at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament as a back-up. Scouting reports say he’s a good butterfly goalie with potential.

A little early for a goalie, especially with the potential volatility in that position. I expected them to take one later on. But hey, now they have another long-term goalie prospect in the pipeline. Hockey Prospects had him rated 31st overall, Future Considerations had him 33rd, and Central Scouting had him as the 2nd-best North American goalie.