The '02 native of Menlo Park, CA chose the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) for his final season of junior hockey, and in 47 total games this past year, McKinney tallied nine points to his credit.

“Isaiah was a guy we had our eyes on for quite a bit," said 87's head coach and general manager Adam Houli. “He was in New Jersey for a while, so he’s someone we’ve always known and targeted. I got a chance to watch him play in the first showcase when he was with Apple Core and was really impressed with him. Adding him to our defensive corps truly rounded out our team."

As Houli mentioned, McKinney's 2022-23 campaign began with the New York Apple Core in the Central Division. After moving back down to New Jersey (spent 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons with the New Jersey Titans in the NA3HL), McKinney quickly adapted to his new team and was selected to participate in the 2022 EHL All-Star Classic back in November. That experience, along with the full year in the EHL, has McKinney feeling ready for the next level.

“Once Coach Houli made a trade for me in the beginning of the season, I knew my game was going to grow exponentially," said McKinney. "Everything from the details-oriented practices, the intense off-ice workouts, to the fast-paced games, I grew to levels I didn’t know I could reach. Every time I put on that 87’s jersey, I knew I was going to get better not only as a player, but as a person too.”

Houli went on to praise McKinney's all-around game, of which he further developed while with the 87's.

“There’s a lot of buzz about his name, he just did a lot of things right and brought an element to our back end that we didn’t quite have," added Houli. "He can skate, he’s gritty in the corners, he had the swag look to him, he just gave us a different perspective that we haven’t had yet. When we were able to add him, it gave us an immediate boost and we felt really comfortable with him back there; he was able to do it in every kind of situation."

McKinney wrapped things up by talking about his commitment and what it means to him.

“To me, it means everything to commit to an NCAA program like Fitchburg," concluded McKinney. "The second I stepped on campus; I knew it was the place for me for the next four years. All the hard work and dedication I’ve put in over the years has finally come to fruition and I couldn’t be more excited. There’s also no better feeling than making my family proud after all the sacrifices they’ve made for me to be where I am today."

Learn more about the 87's on the team's official website, and check out the full 2022-23 NCAA commitment list.