It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Rankings and Draft Profiles! Earlier on, we released the TWC consolidated 2026 NHL Draft rankings. The 2026 NHL Draft will take place on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo. Today, we’re looking at dynamic defenceman Ben MacBeath, who was a part of the memorable 2025–26 Calgary Hitmen squad.
The Canadian-born defenceman had a strong 2025–26 season in the WHL. MacBeath had 44 assists and 51 points with the Hitmen this previous year, where he won the team’s Defenceman of the Year and Scholastic Player of the Year awards. Going into the 2026 NHL Draft, it is likely that MacBeath is a late first to early second-round pick.
Who is Ben MacBeath?
| Position | Shoots | Height | Weight | Nationality | Ranking |
| Defence | Left | 6’2″ | 181lbs | Canadian | TWC Rank #31 / CS Rank #22 |
MacBeath was born in Canada and has played his entire hockey career in his home nation. He is a tall, puck-moving defenceman who worked his way up in Junior hockey very quickly. His height and weight are already acceptable at the NHL level; he just needs another year or two to develop his skills.
MacBeath’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Rel. | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
| 2023-24 | D-2 | CSSHL U18 | Edge School U18 Prep | 26 | 6 | 23 | 29 |
| 2024-25 | D-1 | BCHL | Salmon Arm Silverbacks | 53 | 4 | 30 | 34 |
| 2025–26 | D-0 | WHL | Calgary Hitmen | 67 | 7 | 44 | 51 |
Dominated at the Junior level
One of the most interesting takeaways from looking at MacBeath’s career is how easily he was able to adapt at different levels. He spent one season in the CSSHL U18 and was over a point per game. Then, he made the jump to the BCHL and was a part of a strong Silverbacks team that got ousted in the first round of the playoffs. Last year, he made an even bigger jump to the WHL level, where he helped lead the Hitmen to the second round of the playoffs. It is safe to say that the young defenceman has no problem adapting to new playing environments.
MacBeath really began to stand out this year with the Hitmen. He is a phenomenal two-way defenceman who can provide some secondary offence. He is a great skater who can help break out of the defensive zone with smooth transitions. Afterwards, he is not afraid to join the rush. MacBeath had plenty of nice goals off the rush in the WHL this season.
SNIPE CITY 🚀
Ben Macbeath finds the back of the net for his third of the season!@WHLHitmen pic.twitter.com/5nnnuPEhSt
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) October 30, 2025
MacBeath’s Strengths
Skating
The main strength for MacBeath is his skating ability. He is a smooth skater who can join the rush and backcheck with ease. One of the main roles he had with the Hitmen this previous season was being the power play quarterback. Here, he used his edgework to provide himself with a good shooting lane to get pucks through. In general, MacBeath really uses his skating to separate himself from other prospects. His long, smooth strides make him the type of player to play a lot of minutes. He is not necessarily the fastest player on the ice, but for a guy who stands at 6’2″, he is an awesome skater.
Passing
Another main strength found in MacBeath’s game is his passing ability. This was used a lot by MacBeath in the 2025–26 season, starting breakouts and running the power play. He would be the main guy to start the rush and make the decision to move the puck forward or drop it back. This is a crucial responsibility as the entire offence relies on clean breakouts. Without this, many teams struggle to produce anything, as their offence gets shut down.
MacBeath’s Weakness
Physicality
The main weakness in MacBeath’s game is his physicality. It is honestly tough to point out a major weakness, as his hockey IQ and shot are good. For a player of his size, he could definitely be more physical. Throwing more hits will assist him in making it tougher for attacking forwards. Luckily, this is something that MacBeath can continue to improve upon as he gets older. He will need it for next season as he plays against older players in the NCAA.
MacBeath’s Comparables
| Scenario | NHL Comparable | Position | Why |
| Best Case | Devon Toews | Top-line Dman | Skating/Passing ability |
| Most Likely | Ryker Evans | Depth Dman | Lack of physicality |
The best-case scenario for MacBeath would be to become a player like Devon Toews. I feel like they have the same playing style and can serve as great two-way defencemen. MacBeath shares many of Toews’s strengths, including skating, passing, and providing secondary offence. This would probably be the ceiling for a player like MacBeath. I do not think he would become a number one defenceman, but I could see him as a solid second or third guy.
The most likely scenario I see for MacBeath is growing into a player like Ryker Evans. Evans is still fairly young, but I think they are very similar. Both played in the WHL and will have been drafted out of the WHL. If MacBeath turns out like Evans, he would be a solid depth defenceman who can quarterback the second power play unit. This is what MacBeath will probably start as, but he certainly has the potential to grow into something more.
Fit with the Flames
| Organizational Need Addressed | Two-way Defenceman |
| Realistic Pick Range | 20-32 |
| NHL Timeline | 3-4 seasons, AHL first |
| Flames Fit? | Likely |
The Flames do have a fair share of young defensive prospects, but I feel like MacBeath could fit on the Flames. He has already found success with a Calgary team and likely feels at home. Obviously, MacBeath would be playing behind players like Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Yan Kuznetsov. These guys already have some NHL experience and will likely be around for a while. I do think MacBeath could grow better than Henry Mews or Etienne Morin. Mews dealt with a season-ending injury last year, while Morin transferred from the AHL to the ECHL.
Overall, I do not think MacBeath would be a franchise-changing prospect, but I think he will grow into a solid defenceman. He could definitely serve as a solid second-line guy in the future. Do you think the Flames should take a chance on MacBeath?
Summary
MacBeath is a solid two-way prospect. He is a defenceman, which is not the biggest need on the Flames, but he could be a solid late first or early second-round pick. If he were to hit a Devon Toews-like potential, he would be a significant add for any organization.
Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2026 NHL Draft Prospects.