Behind every successful two-way player in the Elite League there is a story of sacrifice and as Mack Stewart bids to earn a full-time Belfast Giants contract, he says he is willing to go the extra mile to do so — literally.
After playing on Friday and Saturday night for parent club the Milton Keynes Lightning, Stewart would have been well within his rights to want Sunday off to recuperate. Instead, he was up at the crack of dawn to get to the airport and fly back home to Belfast to dress for the Giants in their Challenge Cup clash with the Dundee Stars.
By the time he reached the airport, the 20-year-old had been informed that not only would he be dressing but, due to Ben Lake’s suspension from the previous night’s game against Fife, he would be getting full third line minutes.
But rather than be intimidated, Stewart took it all in his stride, not just playing a key role in a 1-0 win for Adam Keefe’s men but earning player of the game honours, a reward for a superb shift that saw him earn 14:32 of ice time that included two shots on goal, a blocked shot in his own end and, most notably, sticking up for team-mate Scott Conway by clashing with Stars forward Kameron Kielly.
The secret to his success? A good feed in the airport beforehand.
“I adjusted pretty well, I had a Wetherspoons full English breakfast,” laughed Stewart after the game. “It got me going, in fairness, so that’s all I needed.
“It’s pretty exhausting, playing two games Friday, Saturday and the body is a bit fatigued, and having to travel early to fly over. The travel is tough. I couldn’t feel my legs after the game.
“But on the ice, I felt really good. I prepared well enough before the game so it was good. As soon as I get hit or make a hit, the legs are alright. That’s all I need to wake up.”
It has been an outstanding start to the season for Stewart, not just in Belfast but also with Milton Keynes where he is their second top scorer with eight goals in just 15 games, while he has also tallied 19 points to sit third in team scoring.
But more impressive has been how he has seamlessly slotted in with the Giants any time he has been called upon and his ice time has reflected that, Stewart registering over 10 minutes in two of his four appearances in the Elite League thus far.
While he has yet to pick up a point in a Giants jersey this season, his performances have certainly impressed Keefe — who admitted he wants to call up Stewart on a more regular basis — and the player himself concedes that he feels like he has taken his game to the next level since the summer.
“It’s really good for my confidence. I feel like when I have confidence I play even better and it’s working right now. I’m having one of the best seasons of my career so far and hopefully I get better and better,” said the former Great Britain Under-20s international.
“My ice time in Belfast has been more than I expected at this time of the year but I’m definitely not going to complain about that, I’m really happy with it. I’m going to play for the Giants every time they ask for me.
“I’m pretty happy with getting man of the match but, more importantly, I was there to help the boys get the job done. It felt pretty good.”