McVicar grew up in Brandon, Manitoba, where he played junior hockey for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL for the four seasons 1999-2000 to 2002-2003. He was the 151st overall pick of the Canucks in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. For most of three seasons, from 2003-2004 to 2005-2006, McVicar played in the AHL for the Manitoba Moose; with the exception of 19 games played in the ECHL with the Columbia Inferno during the 2003-2004 season; 33 games played in the ECHL with the Victoria Salmon Kings during the 2005-2006 season; and one game played in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2005-2006 season. In McVicar's only NHL appearance, on December 1, 2005 against the Edmonton Oilers, he played 3 minutes without facing a shot.