McNeill Turning Heads in the AHL

ROCKFORD — If you want to see Mark McNeill in an IceHogs uniform, you better make it to one of Rockford’s final five home games.

“Next year, I’ll either be with the (Chicago) Blackhawks or back in Juniors,” the 19-year-old center said. “I’m taking it day by day here.

“I’m going to work and train really hard, and try to get ready for ’Hawks’ camp” in the fall.

McNeill, the Blackhawks’ No. 1 pick (18th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, is here because his Western Hockey League team, the Prince Albert Raiders, had their season end. He played his first two pro games Friday and Saturday.

“It was a good learning experience for me,” he said of playing on a losing team before joining Rockford. “There are a lot of things I can still take away from the season that were positive.

Even though our team didn’t finish high enough in the standings, it was a great group of guys, a great organization and still a lot of fun. I thought I did a lot as a player.”

McNeill, who had 31 goals and 40 assists in 69 Western Hockey League games this season, wants to be known as more than a center.

“I like to consider myself as a two-way power forward,” he said. “Be smart at both ends of the rink. As I get older, I need to work on my game and continue to get better.”

He’s already won over teammate/linemate Kyle Beach.

“He’s obviously here for a reason,” Beach said. “He’s a great guy who works hard and deserves to be drafted where he was.

“I think in the next two weeks we’re going to see some good things out of him.”

Reed Schreck covers the Rockford IceHogs for the Rockford Register Star.