Tocchet sees a lot to root for in fellow former sixth-round draft pick McDonald

      There’s always space in coach Rick Tocchet’s heart for a former sixth-round draft pick such as Hunter McDonald.

      That’s because Tocchet was a sixth-rounder himself when he was selected by the Flyers way back in the 1983 NHL Draft.

      McDonald, a defenseman who was taken 165th overall in 2022, made his season debut in the Flyers’ 3-2 win over Colorado on Monday night.

      The Fairport, N.Y. native played some steady hockey against a talented Avalanche lineup. He partnered with David Jiricek and the two seemed to find some compatibility right off the jump.

      The 6-foot-4, 205-pound backliner has been playing some solid hockey for the Phantoms. When the injuries (Rasmus Ristolainen, Cam York) started piling up, players such as Helge Grans and McDonald were easy decisions for callups.

      “I thought he’s been playing well down there,” Tocchet said of McDonald at the morning skate in Buffalo. “I was talking to ‘Snowy’ (Phantoms head coach John Snowden), I actually thought he was moving the puck quick, making the first pass quickly.

      “And I think there were a couple times in the corners when he squashed some cycle plays. He went in there aggressively and shut the play down. If you can get that out of him consistently, that will really help our team.”

      McDonald enjoyed a real strong season with the Phantoms in 2024-25. He posted four goals/18 points and was a plus-12. Near the end of last season, he got into a game with the Flyers and didn’t hurt the cause, registering an assist and going plus-3.

      Fairport isn’t too far from Buffalo. In fact, McDonald played a year with the Junior Sabres, so he’s familiar with the youth hockey scene in upstate New York and knows a lot of fans who route for the parent NHL team.

      “I know the area pretty well,” he said. “It (coming back to play near home) is definitely exciting.”

      When opportunity knocks, it’s important for a player such as McDonald to answer. This could be a career-defining stretch.

      “I thought I had a good camp,” he said. “I just tried to take that confidence into the start of the season. I think I did that pretty well.”

      McDonald made his season debut and didn’t disappoint. Keeping his cool against the speedy Avalanche was a step in the right direction.

      He’s noticed the difference between the NHL and the AHL. He talked about the adjustments he’s had to make.

      “It’s faster, less time to make plays,” McDonald noted. “It’s just believing in myself. I feel like my skating can help me offensively. They’ve tried to encourage me there.”

      >Penalty killing on the rise

      Heading into Wednesday night’s game, the Flyers’ penalty kill units had moved up to eighth overall in the NHL at 84.6 percent and, on the road, fourth overall at 94.4 percent. Also, the Flyers had not allowed a power-play goal in three straight games, killing off all eight power plays faced since the game at Detroit on Oct. 15.