From Fairport to the Philadelphia Flyers: Life is 'go, go, go' for Hunter McDonald

The lesson for Hunter McDonald came quickly and life after that was even faster.

It was Friday, July 8, when the 2020 Fairport graduate was in Montreal for the NHL draft but it wasn’t until the sixth round that he heard his name called by the Philadelphia Flyers. And once the hugs and smiles were shared with family, he made his way to the Flyers suite in the Bell Centre to figure out what was next.

And that’s when he learned he’d be going to the team’s developmental camp in Vorhees, N.J.

On Saturday.

“It was a stressful day,” the 20-year-old defenseman said. “I had my mom, my dad, my sister and my girlfriend with me. As the draft went on, we were kind of silent and sitting there but then I heard my name and saw it on the board and it was exciting. It happened so fast.”

McDonald had a pretty good idea he’d be drafted based on feedback and being the 165th overall pick is just fine with him.

“There are seven rounds and 200 players picked,” he said. “That’s not bad among all the players in the world.”

He joins a list of area hockey players to be drafted by an NHL team that includes David Farrance, Jason Bonsignore, Rory Fitzpatrick and Brian Gionta.

Indeed, the professional hockey journey for McDonald has taken its first step. And while his next hockey steps aren’t with a professional team, it won’t be without professional observation. McDonald is heading to Northeastern University this fall to play NCAA hockey and the Flyers made no secret of their intentions.

“They said they’ll be watching me, keeping in contact,” said Hunter. “I’ll be playing for Northeastern, but I’m Flyers property.”

So what did the Flyers see in McDonald?

They saw a 6-foot-4, 210-pound defenseman who is comfortable staying home, but also slick enough to move the puck and move it intelligently. He played his junior season at Fairport High, then played for the Rochester Monarchs as a senior. After that, he was drafted by Corpus Christi of the NAHL, followed two seasons in the USHL, first with the Omaha Lancers, who traded him to the Chicago Steel in the middle of last season.

“That was one of the best things to happen to me,” he said. “In terms of developing my game and helping me reach my goals … Chicago wanted a bigger player with an edge, someone to change the game physically.”

Does that mean what we think it means?

“I can definitely do that,” he said with a chuckle of dropping the gloves for a hockey fight if the situation calls for it. “But you still have to be able to skate.”

Excelling at that end of the ice also means accepting his role. McDonald’s job is to stop goals, not score them, although he’s comfortable on that end of the ice as well.

“I’ve improved my offensive game but I don’t want to stray too far and try to do too much,” he said.

Last week’s developmental camp gave McDonald an idea of what it will take to progress to the ultimate dream of the NHL. Between drills, video sessions, tours of Philadelphia and workouts, he witnessed the speed and aggression that’s part of the elite world of hockey.

“I was off to camp the next day,” he said of the draft. “Last week was go, go, go, but I got to see some players with experience, where this is their job. It was nice to meet all the developmental guys. It was a great experience.”

It’s all part of a process that he understands and as more and more eyes focus on his game during the upcoming season, he said he’s ready.

“This past season, I was a little older and I’m getting more confident in my game and figuring out who I am,” he said.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Hunter McDonald on the go