From starting his professional hockey career on an ECHL Professional Try-Out (PTO) agreement in 2015, to being named a 2018 American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star and leading all AHL defensemen in scoring this past season, Jacob MacDonald has excelled through the professional hockey ranks at a rapid pace and doesn’t plan on looking back any time soon.

The 6’0”, 201 pound defenseman who played last season with the Binghamton Devils, has quickly developed from a long-shot NHL prospect to a legitimate threat in the AHL, with his sights now set on making the leap to the NHL.

Originally born in Portland, Oregon, it wasn’t long before MacDonald’s father took notice of his son’s hockey potential and decided a change was necessary in order for Jacob to pursue a career in hockey.  

“I was born in Portland and lived there until I was 12. There wasn’t a whole lot of hockey in the area at the time and my dad and I knew the best chance I had to succeed would be somewhere else.  We ended up deciding on Michigan,” said MacDonald. “My whole family moved from Portland for my hockey career.”

Once settled in Michigan, MacDonald joined the Compuware Minor Hockey program where he developed for four years prior to joining the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL. After spending two seasons with the Blackhawks, MacDonald was recruited to play NCAA Division I hockey at Cornell University.

Although drafted by the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League, the decision to pursue college hockey was simple for MacDonald.  “My parents had always stressed a college education and I understood that, so it was a really easy decision for me.”

MacDonald spent four years at Cornell where he studied Applied Economics and Business Management. Winning the Ivy League Championship in both his Freshman (2012) and Junior (2014) years, the success MacDonald experienced both on and off the ice was instrumental in his growth as a hockey player and young man.   

“During my time at Cornell I definitely grew physically and matured on and off the ice.  You grow up a lot when you’re at school, it’s a long four years, but it’s a fast four years and it flew by. It was a really good time.”

Upon completing his Senior year, MacDonald was offered a PTO with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, where he played 8 games, scoring once and adding two assists. It was during this 8-game stint where MacDonald gained confidence and realized he had what it takes to play at the next level.

“With Elmira I scored a goal in my sixth game and at Cornell I didn’t score until half way through my Junior year,” said MacDonald. “So, I was like, ‘hey I can score at this level’ and it really carried over into my first year.”

Carry over into MacDonald’s first year was exactly what happened.  MacDonald earned a full-time roster spot with Elmira heading into the 2015-16 season where he went on to score 17 goals and 20 assists in 72 games while being named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team.

The following year MacDonald played 30 games in the ECHL for the Toledo Walleye before being called up to the Albany Devils of the AHL. In 34 games with the Devils, he posted 8 goals and 16 assists totaling 24 points. Statistically, MacDonald made a seamless transition to the AHL, but there were some adjustments along the way.

“For me, it was that everything was a little quicker. That extra step, that extra half-second that it takes to do something, lanes close off, players are on you that much faster,” MacDonald explained about transitioning to the AHL.

The change in pace certainly had no ill effects on MacDonald’s development at the next level. This past season with Binghamton he notched 20 goals and added 35 assists for 55 points in 75 games, leading all AHL defensemen in goals and total points while also receiving the nod to participate in the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic in Utica, New York.   

When reflecting back on his fluent transition to Albany and Binghamton, MacDonald credits the team and coaching staff for helping him out.

“In Albany and Binghamton, it was always a group effort to bring guys along.  From the coaching side, Rick Kowalsky and Sergei Brylin helped me a lot. They gave me every opportunity to be successful on the powerplay and to just be able to go out there and play my game and not worry about anything else. They definitely showed that confidence in me, and it really helped knowing that they have that.”

Although MacDonald acknowledges his success this past season, he’s quick to recognize there’s still many improvements to make in his game if he wants to achieve his ultimate dream of playing in the NHL. 

“All year I’ve been working with the coaches on my feet, pivots, transitions and just playing steady in the defensive zone.  There are some habits and details in the d-zone that I’m working on hammering out in order to improve my game and become more consistent.”

For now, MacDonald seems to be well on his way. Fresh off signing a new two-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers for this upcoming season, the 25-year-old has his sights set on continuing his upward trend and accomplishing his dream.

“It’s definitely something that I’ve thought about. It’s your childhood dream and is something I hope to accomplish at some point in the near future,” said MacDonald. “I just have to keep working on my game and just keep trying to continue to improve until I am the best player I can possibly be.”

Off the ice, MacDonald has been an advocate for the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) which is the collective bargaining representative for ECHL and AHL players, and participates in a number of the union’s programs such as the 401K program offered to AHL contracted players.  “Every paycheck I put money into it and watch it grow so that’s been great,” said MacDonald.  “I don’t think some guys fully understand the value of all the resources the PHPA has to offer for us.” 

MacDonald has come a long way since his time at Cornell, and if his current trajectory is any indication, he may be patrolling the Florida Panthers’ blue line sooner rather than later.