One of the prospects who has garnered a lot of buzz during the Philadelphia Flyers training camp in Voorhees, New Jersey is Hunter McDonald. The 22-year-old defenseman will enter his first full season of professional hockey this fall. Although he is expected to start the campaign with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL), Flyers insiders and fans anticipate that the towering blueliner will be in the running for call-ups to the big league club throughout the season. Even in a crowded field of talented prospects and veteran defensemen, he is expected to be in the mix to earn a full-time spot on the Flyers in coming seasons.
A product of the North American juniors and NCAA Division I college hockey, McDonald signed with the Flyers after a great career at Northeastern University. Drafted 165th overall in 2022, the left-shot defenseman made his AHL debut with the Phantoms last March. He is considered by many scouts and analysts to be a strong, physical defender who effectively applies his shot blocking, passing, and puckhandling skills to his overall game.
McDonald in Juniors
In the ranks of North American junior-level hockey, McDonald saw playing time in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and United States Hockey League (USHL) games. As a member of the NAHL’s Corpus Christi IceRays during the 2019-20 campaign, he appeared in seven regular season games, recording one goal, one assist, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-1 rating. The following season, he joined the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, where he remained for parts of two campaigns.
In 36 games with Omaha during the 2020-21 season, he recorded five points (two goals and three assists), 96 penalty minutes, and a plus-15 rating. During the postseason, he had two penalty minutes in two games. In the following campaign, the Fairport, New York native split time between the Lancers and the Chicago Steel of the USHL. He again brought his overwhelming physicality to the ice. In 33 games with Omaha, his 59 penalty minutes and plus-14 rating overshadowed his offensive contributions to the team (10 points). With Chicago, he had 28 penalty minutes and four points (one goal and three assists) in 21 regular season games. McDonald also suited up for three playoff games with the Steel, compiling four penalty minutes.
Northeastern University
During the 2022-23 campaign, McDonald brought his talents to Northeastern University. He played for the Huskies for parts of two seasons, putting up solid numbers for the team during both campaigns. During the 2022-23 campaign, he had 14 points (one goal and 13 assists), 56 penalty minutes, and a plus-21 rating. His performance on the ice during his college debut season led to several awards including Hockey East Association All-Rookie Team and Hockey East Association Best Defensive Defenseman honors.
McDonald’s appearances during the 2023-24 campaign were cut short due to an early season injury. Despite missing considerable ice time, he still put up respectable numbers, recording six points (one goal and five assists), 32 penalty minutes, and a plus-3 rating in 23 games. Following the conclusion of the Huskies’ season, McDonald opted to turn professional.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
McDonald made his AHL debut with the Phantoms on March 23 against the Bridgeport Islanders. The day before his debut with the club, he was signed by the Phantoms to a professional tryout (PTO) contract. In 11 regular season games with Lehigh Valley, he tallied three assists, recorded 12 penalty minutes, and had a plus-6 rating. In six postseason games, he added one goal and 22 penalty minutes to his season totals. Anyone who saw McDonald during the Phantoms’ playoff run could see that the 6-foot-4, 205-pounder looked to make a big impression with his physicality on Flyers’ general manager Daniel Brière and members of the front office.
Starting in 2024-25, McDonald will begin a two-year entry-level contract with the Flyers organization worth $950,000. His performance in the AHL last season also guaranteed the prospect an invite to this season’s Flyers training camp.
Training Camp
McDonald is clearly the type of defenseman that Flyers’ brass and fans love to see in a burnt orange, black, and white sweater. There is little doubt amongst analysts that the 22-year-old will have plenty of opportunities over the next two seasons to earn a full-time spot on the Flyers’ big league roster. Most skill areas in need of additional development, such as acceleration and overall speed, can be overshadowed by his level of physicality. He has been referred to as a “throwback defenseman” by Brière. His size appears to make him a natural at landing big hits on opposing players, and he thrives when opportunities to battle for a puck arise on the ice. These skills make him an attractive figure to have in front of a friendly goaltender.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers 2024-25 Prospect Pyramid
At the time of this article, McDonald is continuing to fight for a big league roster spot with the Flyers in training camp. His performance leading up to what should be his first full season of professional hockey has the Flyers’ faithful excited to see what this young man can do in the NHL. Even if he joins the Phantoms to start the 2024-25 campaign, there is little to no doubt that he will see time on the big league roster at some point this season. So far, McDonald has seen time in two preseason games, including the Sept. 23 and Sept. 28 games against the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins. During the Canadiens’ game, his time on ice (TOI) was 17:14 with two blocks and three hits. His TOI was 16:59 during the Bruins’ matchup, and he recorded three hits.
The Flyers will kick off the 2024-25 campaign on the road against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 11. This will mark the first of four games on a road trip that also includes stops in Calgary, Edmonton, and Seattle. The Flyers home opener is on Oct. 19 against the Canucks at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia.