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Kale Clague grabs the microphone and volunteers to ask his Team Canada defence partner, Cale Makar, a couple questions. ​

“What’s it like being named after me?”

“I mean, it’s pretty special,” Makar says with a smile. 

“Why do you spell it with a ‘C’? You know the proper way is to use a ‘K’? Explain that,” Clague demands. 

“Yeah, I mean, I just didn’t want to be named after the lettuce,” Makar shoots back. 

Laughter ensues. So, yeah, Clague and Makar get along pretty well off the ice. On the ice, the chemistry is also noticeable. 

“We’re both really fast on the back end and like to push the pace so, especially going back on pucks, it’s really easy, because we can read off each other,” Makar, a freshman at UMass, notes. 

“He’s a great skater,” said Clague, a standout with the Brandon Wheat Kings. “He’s smart, thinks the game really well. He’s a flashy player and we’ve been great together, the way we both skate.”

But what about the name game? What’s communication like on the ice? 

“He’s got his nickname, 'Claguer', that I call him,” Makar said. “I don’t really have one yet. He doesn’t want to call me, ‘Cale,’ because it sounds weird to him so we still got to figure that out.”

“Just calling him Cale is a little awkward,” Clague admits. “I just think it’s like I’m talking to myself sometimes so I’ve been calling him Mah-ker. I think it’s worked out quite good. He said he’s never been called that before, but I think I’m going to stick with it.”

 

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Clague started last year as Canada’s seventh defenceman, but this year he is the leader of a mobile, dangerous blue line that produced four goals and eight assists in two pre-tournament games. 

Last year, Clague had just five goals and 40 ​points in 48 WHL games (0.83 points per game). This season, the Los Angeles Kings prospect already has 10 goals and 47 points through 28 games (1.68 per game). 

What’s behind the offensive explosion? Clague insists it all started in his own end. 

“My defensive game has come a long way,” he said. “I’ve been focused a lot on getting back hard for pucks, having a good gap, good stick and I’m looking forward to getting the tournament going to showcase that. I think good D leads to good O. When I’m doing the little details right in my own end then chances open up for me offensively.”

David Anning agrees. The Wheat Kings head coach said his staff always knew Clague had tremendous offensive upside so they challenged him to be better on defence. 

“He’s been harder to play against,” Anning said. “He’s done a nice job defending the lines, a good stick through the neutral zone creating turnovers and then he can attack right away. He’s done a nice job going back and retrieving pucks. When Kale’s at his best, he goes back hard to retrieve pucks quickly and gets his toes pointed up the ice and makes a very good first pass and can join the rush and start attacking. I think he’s improved in those areas and his game’s evolved to be more of a 200-foot game. We always knew how elite he was with his offensive skill-set and his ability to produce, but I think his game’s taking a step on the defensive side.”

Last year, Clague was thrust into a bigger role in the knockout stage of the World Juniors after Philippe Myers went down with an injury. Only Thomas Chabot logged more ice time than Clague in the gold-medal game against the Americans. 

“He was ready to play,” noted Anning. “He stepped right in to fill the void and he made the most of his chance. I think he grew as a player and when he came back he was that much more mature and understood that much better how to be a leader and a guy who’s relied on.”

Canadian head coach Dominque Ducharme named Clague an alternate captain on Saturday night. 

“Confidence,” said Ducharme when asked how Clague has improved over last year. “Maturity in his game. He’s even a little bit faster. He’s having a great year and every day it seems like he’s getting better and better.”

“Personally, this year it feels different,” Clague said. “Last year I was a bubble player and nobody really expected me to make the team. This year, I want to come in with that extra bit of experience and bring a little leadership to the group.”

 

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Makar’s skating ability has stood out so far and he’s enjoyed the freedom he’s been afforded by the coaching staff. 

“Obviously, it’s defence first, but the coaches have given us the green light to jump in whenever we can," said Makar, Colorado's fourth overall pick last June. "I think that’s a big part of our team, getting involved in the rush from the back end and creating those layers off the rush."

Makar led Canada's defence in points during the pre-tournament games, notching four assists. 

“We want to be a block of five attacking,” said Ducharme. “We want to be a block of five defending. We want our D to be attacking, but we want them to be smart. So far, guys have been managing that the right way.”

Makar points out that the hockey IQ among this group of blue liners is off the charts. They're careful to avoid any glaring mistakes.

“Everybody’s able to be fast and make plays off the rush and I think being able to be simple, that is going to be key for us rather than trying to be pretty," Makar said. "If we can stick to the basics with this team, angling or good gap control for the D, it’s going to work well.”

Makar played for the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Brooks Bandits before making the move to the NCAA this fall. In the summer, he said he was eager to see how his game stacked up at the World Junior level. So, how’s it going so far? 

“It’s going really well,” Makar said with a grin. “Obviously, it’s a real fast pace here. I don’t think it’s as physical as the NCAA so it’s definitely good to push the pace here.”

 

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It was near the end of Clague’s “interview” of Makar that he glanced over at teammate Jake Bean and a smile crossed his face. 

“At least we’re not named ‘Bean,’” Clague told Makar. 

“That’s true,” Makar said with a glance at Bean, who could only chuckle. 

That’s right, Canada’s blue line features Kale and Bean. 

And much like Clague, Bean is a returning player, who feels like he’s poised to take on a bigger role at this year’s event. 

“I’m just working on having a bit more jam in the defensive zone, being harder on pucks and getting back to pucks a little harder," Bean explained. "Then, I let my game go from there, being aggressive, jumping in offensively. So, just trying to put it all together.”

Bean had just two assists at last year’s World Juniors, but already appears more dangerous this time around as he potted a couple power-play goals in the two pre-tournament games. 

 

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Team Canada is scheduled to practice at the KeyBank Center at 12:45 pm on Christmas Day.