2026 NHL Draft Profile | Ben MacBeath, Calgary Hitmen

“By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked(edly good at hockey) this way comes.”

Ben MacBeath‘s rookie run with the Calgary Hitmen has been far from a Shakespearean tragedy.

Rather, the 6-foot-2.25, 196-pound defender has become Mr. Consistent for his hometown club.

The left-shot rearguard logged seven goals and 44 assists for 51 points in 67 regular-season games, highlighted by a pair of six-game point streaks that saw him net 10 points on both occasions.

“I feel like my coach can trust me to bring it every night,” MacBeath said. “I feel like I’m really proud of that, and I think I’m reliable for my team in that way.

It’s definitely fast. There are a lot of skilled players, and I feel like finding the pace of play and getting my gaps right for the style of play that it is, I feel like that’s been the biggest adjustment. But I feel like I’ve done it well and my skating allows me to be in the right spot.”

2025 WHL Coach of the Year finalist Dustin Friesen is all too happy to confirm that sentiment.

🚨 NO BETTER TIME FOR YOUR FIRST 🚨

BEN MACBEATH GIVES THE HITMEN THE LEAD!@WHLHitmen | #WHLOpeningWeek pic.twitter.com/KuYtRIqNx3

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) September 28, 2025

MacBeath led all Hitmen defencemen in points, while ranking 16th in scoring and 11th in assists among all WHL blueliners.

He also did it on a young Calgary club that saw 10 first-year skaters suit up for more than 50 games.

“Just really steady,” Friesen said. “Being new to the league, he adjusted really quickly, but he was extremely low-maintenance and a really good teammate.

His biggest X factor is moving his feet, getting up in the rush and moving his feet to shut down plays in the D-zone and getting separation on the breakouts… Whether it’s a quick tight turn or quick wheel to the net, but just gets that separation, gets the puck up north, and then he activates really well.”

The 18-year-old also earned some impressive nods during awards seasons as a finalist for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for WHL Rookie of the Year and the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy for Scholastic Player of the Year.

BIG BEN!@WHLHitmen | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/xG4WXTcSkA

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 17, 2026

For MacBeath, there’s some extra meaning in spending his NHL Draft year with his hometown club.

It’s where he fell in love with the game, saw his first pro matches, and even won a CSSHL U18 Championship with the Edge School (that stacked roster includes fellow 2026 Draft eligible Zach Olsen, 2025 WHL Champion and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk, and projected top 2027 pick Landon DuPont).

His NHL dream was sparked by watching and getting to know his neighbour, beloved Flames winger Curtis Glencross.

In fact, MacBeath counts a Glencross-signed Hockey Night in Canada towel as one of his most prized possessions.

It makes busy nights at the Saddledome feel a little surreal- especially during big games like the annual Teddy Bear Toss, where he assisted the toss-triggering goal in front of more than 16,500 fans.

“To see that rink full is pretty cool,” MacBeath added. “I go to Flames games, and I went to Hitmen games growing up, so you know, to be on that ice in front of all those people is a really special moment, and I’ll definitely remember it forever.”

MacBeath enters Draft week ranked 22nd among all North American Skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings.

He’s gained national team experience with five games played and a +5 rating at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship and placed in the top 20 in three events at the 2026 NHL Combine.

Now, it’s time to see which NHL club will take a chance on the sturdy defender.

The 2026 NHL Draft begins with Round 1 on Friday, June 26, at 5:00 p.m. MT and resumes on Saturday, June 27, for Rounds 2-7.