Ben McCartney showcased exactly why he was selected in last year's NHL draft with his play during the WHL bubble.

The Brandon Wheat Kings forward placed second in the league in scoring with 37 points in 24 games and helped lead his team to the second-best record in the league and sat at the top of their division. McCartney says it was a great feeling when it was all said and done.

"It felt really good. It was a great experience," says McCartney. "Coming into this, we just wanted to win the whole thing and being able to win it with such a great group of guys was special."

The Macdonald, Manitoba product says it was a little odd having the year end without a postseason, however, he adds every game had the intensity of a playoff matchup.

"It was different but I felt like all 24 of our games had a playoff atmosphere," McCartney explains. "We were all grateful to even have the chance to play hockey so we brought our 'A' game every night and so did the other teams. It's tough not being able to play a best-of-seven after but we're grateful to have the 24 games."

McCartney is very pleased with his performance offensively this season but credits a good portion of his scoring prowess to his linemates Ridly Greig and Jake Chiasson. He says it was great to see his hard work pay off but notes he is far from satisfied and believes he can still improve in almost every aspect of the game.

After being drafted 204th overall by the Arizona Coyotes, McCartney now looks ahead to the upcoming season with the hopes of taking the next step but notes he'll do whatever the organization believes is best for him.

"I'm just taking things day by day right now," McCartney explains. "As of right now, I'm in Tucson and finishing off the season in the AHL (with the Tucson Roadrunners). Whatever happens, happens though and I'm fine with whatever they think is best for me and I'm ready to give it my all, whether it is in Brandon or Tucson."

The forward is excited for his first stint in the AHL, noting he just finished quarantining and will be getting familiar with his teammates over the next few days.