Hunter McDonald, 22, was a sixth-round selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. After two seasons at Northeastern University, McDonald displayed a sturdy performance in an abbreviated run with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. On April 25th, 2024, McDonald agreed to a 2yr/$1.9mil entry-level contract.
Before the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, McDonald spent most of his USHL season with the Omaha Lancers. He finished his 2021-2022 season with the Chicago Steel. McDonald, in total, appeared in 54GP, amounting to 14 points (4G, 10A). Then, the Steel had a first-round bye in hand but lost in the Conference Semifinals of the 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs to the Madison Capitols, 2-1.
Chuck Fletcher unearthed McDonald in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. McDonald was a sizable defenseman, standing at 6’4″ and weighing 205lbs. He was never the type of defenseman who tallied many points in the offensive zone. Instead, McDonald is a safe defender. His team play, not making himself a liability on the ice, improved as McDonald reduced the time spent inside the penalty box as he aged with more experience.
Alex Bump was a teammate with McDonald on the Lancers. Fletcher selected Bump before McDonald in the same draft class.
Following his USHL career, McDonald committed to Northeastern University and had a breakout season in 2022-2023.
McDonald shared the ice with other NHL prospects, such as Jayden Struble (Montréal Canadiens) and Jack Williams, an invite to the 2024 Flyers Development Camp and 2023-2024 Hobey Baker Award Nominee. Struble and McDonald produced almost identical metrics in 2022-2023 at Northeastern University. McDonald (14) tallied a couple more points than Struble (12), but they only scored once. Both spent 56 minutes inside the penalty box. The NCAA named McDonald the 2022-2023 Hockey East Best Defensive Defenseman.
Last season, McDonald had a high ceiling for expectations, but he suffered an upper-body injury versus Quinnipiac. He missed 13 games but made his professional debut with the Phantoms. McDonald, in 11GP, added three assists before scoring his first goal in the Calder Cup Playoffs against the Hershey Bears. He racked up some penalty minutes in the postseason but effectively helped Cal Petersen by taking forwards away from the crease.
“That playoff experience, I haven’t had that in my life. The opportunity to get in there, step in, try to make a difference for a team, and get that playoff experience will go a long way for me. I was happy with that decision; it was definitely a collective decision, but at the end of the day it was my own. It seemed like the right thing to do, so I was happy.” – Hunter McDonald; 7/6/2024
Maybe that is why Keith Jones and Daniel Brière are high on McDonald. Jones sees a big, physical defenseman in the AHL, as does Brière.
At the 2024 Flyers Rookie and Training Camps, McDonald will be an intriguing prospect to keep tabs on. He will compete almost directly against Emil Andrae and Adam Ginning in Lehigh Valley for ice time. Based on last season, Ginning could be a favorite to break through to the Flyers.
“Finishing up in Lehigh was great. Coming into this summer, [I] know what I need to work on going into camp. It’s faster, bigger than college. In terms of myself, keep playing the way I want to play; keep working on my hands [and] feet because it’s only going to get faster and bigger as I go up.” – Hunter McDonald; 7/2/2024
In Voorhees, at the 2024 Flyers Development Camp, McDonald scored a goal for Team Jones, assisted by Jett Luchanko and Bump.
Next season, McDonald will compete with the Phantoms in his first comprehensive AHL campaign.
