“Hunter McDonald at Northeastern is going to be a beast when he gets here,” Keith Jones told Charlie O’Connor and Bill Matz. “Just the physical element he has, the size, the strength, the skating ability. I’m super excited about him.”
The Philadelphia Flyers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed Flyers’ 2022 sixth-round draft pick Hunter McDonald, 21, to a Professional Tryout Contract (PTO) — beginning this season, according to The AHL site.
McDonald, 21, has officially been added and signed to the Phantoms roster on a Professional Tryout Contract (PTO), beginning this year, with his 2023-24 campaign coming to a close at Northeastern, according to The AHL site. The PTO can last up to ten days (max), and then he can be assigned accordingly. The Phantoms can sign him for the rest of the season after the PTO is done.
McDonald meets the age requirements to play in the AHL via The CHL NHL Transfer Agreement. He had two years of college eligibility, playing his U20 season in the USHL, and it was expected he would finish his degree. However, that does not seem to be the case. McDonald will be moving on from Northeastern and making the jump to the American Hockey League.
McDonald, a Chuck Fletcher draft pick, currently playing in the NCAA for the Northeastern Huskies. In his two years as a Huskie, McDonald earned honours as Hockey East’s Best Defensive Defenseman in 2022-23, Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2022-23, and was awarded Rookie of the Year – Team Award in 2022-23.
In 2022-23, McDonald played in all 35 games, recording 14 points with one goal and thirteen assists, leading all Northeastern blueliners while leading all Hockey East skaters with 65 blocks and third in the nation with 94 blocked shots (team-high). Despite a low offensive production, he still fired 59 shots on goal and held a plus-21 rating, tied for best on the Huskies. He also became the first-ever freshman to receive Best Defensive Defenseman honours.
This season, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound defenseman has six points (1 goal, 5 assists) through 23 games in an injury setback year. Due to an injury, McDonald practically began his season after the holidays, December 28. He used the time to make sure he was fully cleared to return.
“It was an awkward hit, and it affected my nerves,” McDonald told me. “So, letting myself get back. There’s no rush. I was in a good spot, skating regularly. I waited till I was feeling good and comfortable again.”
Despite the injury, McDonald returned strong and is still high on the Flyers’ organizational depth charts, and rightly so. Especially after helping his club defeat heavily favourited Harvard 3-2 in a shootout to solidify Northeastern’s fifth Bean Pot Championship in the last six years. Adding yet another impressive accomplishment to an already impressive college resume for McDonald.
McDonald’s first career NCAA goal came in the Bean Pot semifinal game in 2022-23 against No. 3 Boston University. It was a game-clinching empty net goal to send Northeastern to the Championship final.
There is no question that McDonald plays a strong lockdown game on the backend. He prides himself on it, and so does the Flyers organization. He heard what Keith Jones had to say and could not be more pleased.
“It’s pretty special that they’re speaking highly of me, and I still have work to do,” McDonald said proudly. “It’s really awesome. It’s nice to know my play hasn’t gone out of style.”
The play style he alludes to has, in fact, died down over the last decade. There are very few defensively sound defensemen in the league. It is a lot more two-way play and offensive-based. McDonald’s game should translate nicely to the NHL level, especially in an area the Flyers need desperately.
The Northeastern product joins Drummondville Voltigeurs’ Alexis Gendron (2022 seventh-round, 220th overall), London Knights’ forward Denver Barkey (2023 third-round, 95th overall), defenseman Oliver Bonk (2023 first-round, 22nd overall), and WHL Brandon Wheat Kings’ goaltender Carson Bjarnason (2023 second-round, 51st overall) as the only five from the Flyers’ last two draft classes to have earned contracts so far.
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