Fifth Addition: KAC Signs US Defenseman

KAC announces its fifth new signing for the 2026/27 season: The club has signed US defenseman William MacKinnon.

This is the 26-year-old's first stint in Europe. He receives a one-year contract with KAC.

Never a Negative Plus/Minus Rating as a Pro

MacKinnon hails from the US state of Michigan, where he received a significant part of his hockey education at the renowned HoneyBaked Hockey Club before joining USA Hockey's national development program for one year in 2016/17.

Between 2018 and 2022, the defenseman studied and played at the University of New Hampshire, where he also captained the team in his final year.

William MacKinnon made his professional debut in March 2022. Since then, he has alternated between playing in the East Coast Hockey League/ECHL (203 appearances) and the American Hockey League/AHL (89 games). The undrafted left-shot was also part of NHL teams' training camps, most recently with the New Jersey Devils in 2024.

The reliability of the 26-year-old defensive defenseman is underscored by the fact that he has not finished a single professional season with a negative plus/minus rating.

KAC Sees Development Potential

"We are very pleased that William MacKinnon is joining our club; he will further stabilize our defense. He is a very combative player who has the ability to move the puck quickly and precisely into our offensive zone," says Head Coach Kirk Furey.

"We got to know him as a straightforward and solid defenseman who plays a no-frills game, thereby adding extra reliability to our team's defensive core. He plays smart and intensely, is very good on the penalty kill, and is therefore a valuable addition to our existing team, especially since he is still a relatively young player and we see development potential in him," Furey explains regarding the new signing from the United States.

William MacKinnon says: "I am really looking forward to joining EC-KAC. After four years as a professional in North America, I consider this the ideal time to take the next step in my development. I know that hockey on the two continents differs somewhat stylistically, but I am eager to work on translating my style of play to European ice and to contribute to my new team winning hockey games."

"The many conversations with Head Coach Kirk Furey in recent weeks have given me a good feeling for what he and the club expect from me, and I believe I am up to this task and role. I have heard only good things about Austria in general and Klagenfurt in particular, so I am very happy that I can start my European venture here. I've heard nothing but great things about the KAC fans, and also about the team's high standing in the city and its surroundings. These are ideal starting conditions," MacKinnon added.

KAC Current Roster 2026/27:

GOALTENDERS: Sebastian Dahm (2027), Florian Vorauer (2027)

DEFENSE: Mattias Göransson (2027), Jesper Jensen Aabo (2027), William MacKinnon (2027), Thimo Nickl (2027), Maximilian Preiml (2027), Tobias Sablattnig (2027), Clemens Unterweger (2029)

FORWARDS: Jan Drozg (2027), Matt Fraser (2027), Raphael Herburger (2027), Fabian Hochegger (2028), Jacob Hudson (2027), Thomas Hundertpfund (2027), Jan Muršak (2027), Daniel Obersteiner (2028), Nick Petersen (2027), Simeon Schwinger (2028), Travis St. Denis (2027), Finn van Ee (2029)

CONFIRMED DEPARTURES: David Maier, Jordan Murray, Josh Teves, Johannes Dobrovolny, Mathias From, Luka Gomboc, Mario Kempe, Oliver Lam, Nolan Moyle, David Waschnig, Marcel Witting