It has been a year to remember for Will McDonough.
Before returning to the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede for another season, the 17-year-old McDonough (Duxbury, Mass.) firmed up his plans for playing at the next level by committing to Harvard University.
With his future certain, the 6-foot-2, 191-pound power forward has focused on developing his game in a league that does just that for players better than any other.
“It’s been a good season all around. It’s kind of flown by,” said McDonough, who is eligible for this summer’s NHL Draft. “I feel like I’ve made a lot of strides on and off the ice. My skating and my defensive play have improved a lot. I’ve wanted to grow my game into just a more mature game.”
McDonough, who completed his rise through the Boston Advantage organization with the NCDC team before joining Sioux Falls during the 2021-22 season, was a highly touted player for the organization after being drafted second overall in the 2021 USHL Phase I Draft.
He has both improved and produced during his return go-around with the Stampede, tallying 12 goals and 25 points through 59 games.
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First-year coach Eric Rud and the rest of the Sioux Falls staff have been impressed with his progress and production.
“He’s a young player, still a junior in high school,” Rud said. “It can be a big adjustment at that age in this league, but I think he has transitioned through the year very smoothly. The fun part about this league is that you’re molding a new group of kids every year. … He’s very coachable, and he’s come a long way. It’s been a really good year for him.”
McDonough describes himself as “a player who can put the puck in the net” and has good vision to make plays, but he also provides a big-body presence that allows him to play a heavier style.
That complete package has come together, especially later in the season. McDonough scored goals in three consecutive games and four out of six during a stretch from the end of February to mid-March, while adding some penalty-killing duties to his regular time on the power play.
“He was still learning the pace consistently earlier in the season, which is to be totally expected,” Rud said. “He has consistently made offensive plays throughout the year, and now he’s getting rewarded with more points.”
McDonough believes that spending the second half of last season in Sioux Falls allowed him to return to the USHL with more confidence and become a more consistent producer.
“It helped, 100 percent,” he said. “Everything from moving away from home and living in a billet family to the style and pace of play, it was all new and it took a lot to get used to. I think the experience was important for me. I knew what to expect and I was able to jump right in when I came back. … The coaches have worked very hard with me to check those boxes (for my game).”
McDonough has had some other invaluable experiences over the past year, representing his country at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer after previously attending a USA Hockey National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp. He also played in the USA Hockey BioSteel All-American Game in January in Plymouth, Mich.
“The international (competition) piece was new to me, and it was a very cool experience,” McDonough said of playing on USA Hockey’s Hlinka team. “Getting to play against kids from different countries and seeing the best players from around the world was special, just an unreal experience that definitely helped me.”
As for the future, McDonough is slated to return to Sioux Falls next year before beginning his time at Harvard, fulfilling a dream of so many New England hockey players whose careers include trips to local arenas and events such as the Beanpot at TD Garden.
It was no different for McDonough, who chose a Harvard program that has advanced to six of the past seven NCAA tournaments and churned out dozens of professionals under longtime head coach Ted Donato (Dedham, Mass.).
He knows plenty about the Crimson after being coached by former pro Eric Healey, the father of Ryan Healey (Hull, Mass.), who just finished his freshman season as a defenseman at Harvard.
“Harvard was just a no-brainer for me, an opportunity too good to pass up,” McDonough said. “From school to hockey, going there is just the best of both worlds. They do such a great job developing players and getting them to the next level. It has everything you could want. … Growing up in Massachusetts, you go to the (college) games and realize, ‘Hey, one day that can be me.’ I’m super grateful to have that opportunity.”
