McLaughlin first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Ruairí Óg club.
[1] McLaughlin made his senior team debut with Ruairí Óg in 2023.
[3][4] McLaughlin first appeared on the inter-county scene during a two-year tenure with the Antrim minor hurling team in 2021 and 2022.
[5][6] He immediately progressed to the under-20 team and won an Ulster U20HC medal in 2023.
[7] McLaughlin made his first appearances for the senior team during the 2024 National Hurling League.