Mac Hollowell Explained

Mac Hollowell
Birth Date:26 September 1998
Birth Place:Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Height Ft:5
Height In:10
Weight Lb:170
Position:Defense
Shoots:Right
League:NHL
Team:Pittsburgh Penguins
Prospect League:AHL
Former Teams:Toronto Maple Leafs
Draft:118th overall
Draft Year:2018
Draft Team:Toronto Maple Leafs
Career Start:2018

Mac Hollowell (born September 26, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). In 2019, he was named to the Ontario Hockey League First All Star Team.

Playing career

Early career

Hollowell played 38 games with the Niagara Rivermen Minor Midget hockey club, where he tallied 8 goals and 19 assists for 27 points.[1] He then played one season of junior B hockey with the Niagara Falls Canucks under the leadership of Frank Pietrangelo.[2] He was eventually drafted by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the 12th round of the 2014 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection Draft.[3] Hollowell recorded his first career OHL goal on December 28, 2014, against the Saginaw Spirit.[4] He ended his rookie season totalling two goals and four assists in 11 games.[5]

Although eligible for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Hollowell went undrafted.[6] However, he drew some interest from the Toronto Maple Leafs who invited him to their prospect camp during the summer.[7] He returned to the Greyhounds where he ended the 2017–18 season fifth amongst leading scoring OHL defencemen with 12 goals and 44 assists in 63 games.[6] Due to his play, Hollowell was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.[8] He was invited to attend the Toronto Marlies training camp but was returned to the Greyhounds prior to the 2018–19 season.[9] Prior to the start of his season as an overager, Hollowell was named an alternate captain alongside Jordan Sambrook and Morgan Frost.[10] Hollowell finished his final season in the OHL with 24 goals, 53 assists, and 77 points in 64 games. As a result, he was selected for the OHL First All-Star Team.[11]

Professional

On March 7, 2019, the Maple Leafs signed Hollowell to an entry-level contract.[8] At the conclusion of his OHL career, Hollowell joined the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL) during their Calder Cup run.[12] Upon making the jump to professional hockey, Hollowell remarked "The guys are bigger and older and positionally smarter, so I'm just trying to find ways to play my game. It's definitely been a big adjustment, but I like it."[13] After attending the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp, Hollowell was reassigned to the Marlies for the 2019–20 season.[14] However, he began the season with the Leafs ECHL affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers.[15]

On October 6, 2019, Hollowell recorded his first career ECHL goal in an overtime win against the Reading Royals.[16] He made his AHL regular season debut in an 8–5 win over the Texas Stars on November 16, 2019.[17] However, on November 24 he was reassigned to the ECHL.[18]

On October 28, 2020, with the upcoming 2020–21 season delayed by the ongoing pandemic, Hollowell was loaned to Finnish second division club, TUTO Hockey of the Mestis.[19] He registered 6 points through 6 games before returning to North America for the Maple Leafs training camp. On November 23, 2022, Hollowell made his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils.[20]

After four seasons within the Maple Leafs organization, Hollowell left as an unrestricted free agent and was signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Rangers for the season on July 2, 2023.[21] He was placed on waivers by the Rangers on October 1, 2023[22] and after going unclaimed, was assigned to New York's AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack to start the 2023–24 season.[23] He spent the season in the AHL, playing in 64 games, scoring three goals and 44 points. He represented the Wolf Pack at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic. He also made ten playoff appearances with Hartford, registering three points.[24]

On July 1, 2024, Hollowell signed as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.[24]

Personal life

Hollowell was born to parents Jenn Sheldon and Lenn Hollowell.[25]

Career statistics

Playoffs
Team League GP GP G A Pts PIM
2014–15 GOJHL47 8 29 37 404 0 2 2 4
OHL11 2 4 6 4
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds OHL58 1 20 21 2312 1 3 4 14
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds OHL63 3 20 23 1911 0 3 3 8
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds OHL63 12 44 56 1824 2 14 16 22
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds OHL64 24 53 77 6211 2 9 11 10
AHL9 0 1 1 0
ECHL19 3 10 13 21
Toronto Marlies AHL34 3 9 12 25
Mestis6 2 4 6 6
Toronto Marlies AHL27 2 8 10 10
Toronto Marlies AHL45 5 21 26 44
Toronto Marlies AHL18 0 13 13 8
NHL6 0 2 2 2
AHL64 3 41 44 6310 0 3 3 12
NHL totals6 0 2 2 2

Awards and honours

AwardYear
OHL
First All-Star Team2019
AHL
2024 AHL All-Star Classic2024

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hollowell commits to Greyhounds . Soo Greyhounds . November 25, 2019 . September 4, 2014.
  2. News: Bernd . Franke . Mac Hollowell one happy 'Hound . November 25, 2019 . St. Catharines Standard . June 26, 2018.
  3. Web site: 2014 OHL Priority Selection presented by State Farm Round-by-Round . Soo Greyhounds . November 25, 2019 . April 5, 2014.
  4. Web site: 2014–15 Award Winners Announced . Soo Greyhounds . November 25, 2019 . March 20, 2015.
  5. News: Ruicci . Peter . Size not limiting Hallowell — Ruicci . Sault Star . November 25, 2019 . September 22, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150928070943/http://www.saultstar.com/2015/09/22/size-not-limiting-hallowell---ruicci . September 28, 2015.
  6. News: Ruicci . Peter . Hollowell thrilled to be joining Leafs . November 25, 2019 . Sault Star . June 23, 2018.
  7. News: Coccimiglio . Brad . Hollowell draws interest, gets drafted . November 25, 2019 . Sault Ste. Marie News . July 23, 2018.
  8. Web site: Maple Leafs Sign Mac Hollowell to Future Entry-Level Contract . Toronto Maple Leafs . NHL.com . November 25, 2019 . March 7, 2019.
  9. News: Coccimiglio . Brad . Hollowell returned to Greyhounds . November 25, 2019 . Sault Ste. Marie News . September 30, 2018.
  10. News: Peterborough native Barrett Hayton named captain of Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds . November 25, 2019 . The Peterborough Examiner . October 12, 2018.
  11. News: Ruicci . Peter . Frost, Hollowell make first team . November 25, 2019 . St Thomas Times Journal . May 29, 2019.
  12. Web site: McCarthy . Dave . Hollowell prepared to work his way up to Maple Leafs . NHL.com . November 25, 2019 . July 23, 2019.
  13. Web site: Fox . Luke . Why Mac Hollowell is becoming a Maple Leafs right shot to watch . Sportsnet . November 25, 2019 . May 16, 2019.
  14. Web site: Maple Leafs Trim Training Camp Roster . Toronto Maple Leafs . NHL.com . November 25, 2019 . September 25, 2019.
  15. Web site: Growlers Announce 2019–20 Training Camp Roster . Newfoundland Growlers . November 25, 2019 . September 30, 2019.
  16. Web site: Howell . Ryan . Recap: Growlers Get First Win of the Season in Overtime . Newfoundland Growlers . November 25, 2019 . October 6, 2019.
  17. Web site: Rackham . Mark . Kenny Agostino's hat trick propels Toronto Marlies to emphatic eight-goal win over Texas . mapleleafshotstove.com . November 25, 2019 . November 17, 2019.
  18. Web site: ECHL Transactions – Nov. 24 . ECHL . November 25, 2019 . November 24, 2019.
  19. The @MapleLeafs have loaned defenceman Mac Hollowell to TUTO (Mestis). . 1321455945629794307 . LeafsPR . Leafs PR . November 25, 2022 . October 28, 2020.
  20. Web site: Long-awaited NHL debut 'means everything' to Maple Leafs' Hollowell . Sportsnet . Sadler . Emily . November 23, 2022 . November 25, 2022.
  21. Web site: Rangers agree to terms with Mac Hollowell . . July 2, 2023 . July 2, 2023.
  22. Web site: Rangers' Mac Hollowell: Put on waivers . CBS Sports . October 1, 2023 . October 22, 2023.
  23. Web site: Rangers Assign Domingue and Hollowell to Wolf Pack . Hartford Wolf Pack . October 2, 2023 . October 22, 2023.
  24. Web site: Penguins Sign Defenseman Mac Hollowell to a One-Year Contract . NHL.com . Pittsburgh Penguins . July 1, 2024 . July 15, 2024.
  25. News: Opportunity knocks in the Soo . November 25, 2019 . Niagara Falls Review . October 6, 2015.