Mac Carruth began skating when he was barely 3 years old at Snow King Ice Arena. He quickly became a standout goalie as a member of Jackson Hole Youth Hockey.

On Saturday, Carruth fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was selected in the seventh round, 191st overall, by the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League draft.

“He’s really fired up,” said his father, Bob Carruth, who helped found the Jackson Hole Moose hockey team. “He couldn’t be happier. It’s a dream come true.”

Mac Carruth, 18, grew up in Jackson and was coached by Steve Little, Scott Smith and Porgy McClelland at Jackson Hole Youth Hockey. Since his father worked at Snow King, Carruth got plenty of ice time.

The Carruth family, however, moved to Minnesota when Mac was 11. He continued his hockey career in the Midwest and eventually landed with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, considered the highest-level nonprofessional hockey in the world.

Carruth became the first Portland goaltender drafted since Jason LaBarbera in 1998. He came to the Winterhawks in midseason and played in 11 of the team’s 13 playoff games. Before Portland, Carruth played for the Wenatchee Wild, a junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League.

“He’s been living in Minnesota since he was 11, but he still considers this his hometown,” said Bob Carruth, who returns to Jackson with his wife two to three times a year. “This is good for Jackson Hole Youth Hockey.”

Carruth will report to the Blackhawks summer development camp July 7.