After tallying nine points for South Carolina this season, McDonald is getting a call-up to the AHL.
The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals and AHL's Hershey Bears, announced today that defenseman Jon McDonald has been recalled by Hershey.
McDonald, 26, is in his second season of professional hockey. The 6-foot, 181-pound blueliner has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 12 games this season. He and Jordan Klimek are the only Stingray defensemen who have not accumulated any penalty minutes this season.
McDonald made his 2024-25 debut with South Carolina on Nov. 8 after starting the season in Hershey while recovering from an injury.
The Livonia, Michigan native was a vital member of the Stingrays defense core last season, skating in 64 games for South Carolina and posting a +2 rating while tallying 17 points (4-13-17).
McDonald has yet to officially play a game in the AHL, but he was a black ace for Hershey during their Calder Cup Championship run last season. He initially signed a contract with the Stingrays for the 2023-24 campaign. After impressing at the Washington Capitals' Rookie and Training Camps, however, his contract was upgraded to an AHL deal.
Following his college career, McDonald appeared in 10 games with the Toledo Walleye toward the end of 2022-23, picking up three assists in 10 games.
Before turning pro, McDonald played five seasons of collegiate hockey at UMass-Lowell. Over his NCAA career, he skated in 145 games for the River Hawks, posting 62 points (10-52-62).
In 2022-23, he captained the River Hawks, leading the team in assists (17), and ranking second on the team in blocks (48) in 35 games. He was named to the Hockey East Third All-Star Team and was voted as UMass-Lowell's Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth straight season.
In junior hockey, McDonald won the Clark Cup with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League in 2018.