NHL draft tracker: Mason McDonald, Charlottetown Islanders

Mason McDonald marked his milestone 18th birthday while he was representing Canada at the world under-18 championship, which is fitting for a goalie who came of age last season.

The 6-foot-4 Halifax native began evincing his high potential after a midseason move from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to the rebranded Charlottetown Islanders, emerging as the goalie of the future on Prince Edward Island. McDonald's sterling effort as Canada's go-to goalie during a bronze-winning efforts at the U18 also helped him become NHL Central Scouting Service's No. 2-ranked North American goalie, behind Boston College star Thatcher Demko.

"As I got more experience, I just felt better in the net," says McDonald, who finished with a 3.44 average and .900 save percentage across 29 games this season while being peppered with 34.3 shots per game. "Getting more playing time in Charlottetown in the second half really helped me. My confidence grew. I felt a lot better."

"It was a great experience there in Finland," adds McDonald, who attended Hockey Canada's goalie development camp earlier this month. "To be able to win the bronze medal was an unbelievable accomplishment for me. I had the mindset that I was going to be the starting netminder. I'm hoping for another opportunity this winter with Hockey Canada during the world juniors ... just playing against all the top players was unbelievable."

McDonald's repertory will need fine-tuning, particularly his work on containing rebounds. His chances of being the first Maritimer selected at this weekend's NHL draft are excellent, since he's a rangy butterfly goalie who is exceptional at covering the lower half of the net. He also hung in well while toiling for a young Charlottetown club, regularly holding it in games.

The Islanders, in their first season after being sold and renamed, took a little short-term pain in hope of long-term gain. McDonald is confident he can help Charlottetown climb into contention over his likely two remaining seasons in the Quebec League.

"Going into Charlottetown, I knew it was a great hockey city," says McDonald, who was also part of Canada's victorious summer under-18 team at the 2013 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament. "I really liked my stays there in the summer when I was younger. The future is really bright over the next two years. We're going to have a pretty good team next year. We've made some pretty big trades and I think we're going to contend for the [Maritimes] division title."

1. Which NHL goalie do you study closely for pointers?

"I really like to watch Jonathan Quick. I really like the style that he plays, how aggressive he is. He makes those athletic saves that can turn a game around, like the one he made on [Chicago's Brent] Seabrook [during Game 5 of the NHL Western Conference final]."

2. Who were the most challenging shooters you faced this season in the Q?

"Definitely [Jonathan] Drouin and [Nikolaj] Ehlers. Two of the top guys in the league who both put up more than 100 points. Facing them on the power plays, as I did in the playoffs [between Charlottetown and Halifax], is really tough."

3. Hockey players always seem to prefer math since you either get the answer or you don't, but you list your favourite subject as English. Anything in particular you like to read?

"I'm not a big reader, I just enjoy the writing aspect. I enjoy writing essays for class. I do read some, but I'm not a constant reader. I just enjoy sitting down to write, studying whatever subject it is, and preparing a report."

4. Left-handed goalies (those who catch with their right hand) are relatively rare; was there ever a challenge or a hurdle you faced as a southpaw?

"It was never really a challenge for me. The goalie coach usually adapts to my style. It's funny, though. I tried being a right-handed goalie when I was four or five years old up at the north-end rink in Halifax that my dad built. It just didn't feel proper. When my dad went to get me a baseball glove, I tried it the other way and that's how I figured it out."

5. What is your favourite movie or TV show?

"I really like Two And A Half Men. One of my favourite movies is 42, the Jackie Robinson one."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.