A lot of eyes were on the centers taken in the 2022 NHL Draft during the Buffalo Sabres’ development camp last week. And then there was Lake View resident Declan McDonnell, who was invited to line up against top prospects and players who were on the ice in KeyBank Center last season.
The 5-foot-10 forward grew up skating at LECOM Harborcenter as a member of the Jr. Sabres and used his week at camp to try to earn a contract from the NHL club.
“I’m trying to (just put) my best foot out on the ice,” McDonnell said. “You know, show them what I have, try to earn a contract and try to be a part of the organization. That’s definitely the goal.”
McDonnell was a seventh-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 – the final selection of the draft – and is now free to sign with another NHL team after he did not receive a contract from the Lightning.
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He started his journey with the Jr. Sabres, playing with the organization for nearly four years. During that time, he was one of the first to play at the LECOM Harborcenter when it opened in October 2014.
That familiarity made McDonnell’s start to development camp a little easier.
“It was a brand new facility, I saw it when it was at its peak,” McDonnell said. “And it’s a great facility, so I just feel comfortable here.”
McDonnell’s former Canisius High School teammate and fellow development camp attendee Matteo Constantini is embarking on a similar journey toward his dream of signing an NHL contract. The two haven’t skated together in years, but spent the majority of camp together.
“I’ve been with him almost everyday,” Constantini said. “I’ve probably been playing with him since I was 10, 11 years old. So it’s pretty cool to be able to share this experience.”
“When he came over to the Jr. Sabres, I actually didn’t play with him,” McDonnell said of Constantini. “But we went to high school together at Canisius, so for a year, he was there and we became close friends there and now we’ve been talking ever since.”
McDonnell grew up minutes from LECOM Harborcenter, but chose to stay with the other players to get to know them. His family came to each session and the French Connection tournament, as did former Jr. Sabres teammates.
With support from his family and teammates, McDonnell has developed relationships with other members of the Sabres’ organization. He worked with Adam Mair, Sabres director of player development, shortly after Mair retired from the NHL. The pair has maintained the relationship.
“I coached him, and so I know his history and know the family,” Mair said. “He’s here because he’s a good player and he’s someone our organization likes to have an opportunity.”
Heading into his 2020 draft year, McDonnell showed his abilities with the Kitchener Rangers. In 63 games, the center racked up 21 goals and 21 assists with a plus-8 rating on the season. He is a playmaker on the ice, but can handle playing against the boards and uses his speed through the neutral zone.
When the OHL was unable to hold a 2020-21 season amid the pandemic, McDonnell made his professional debut with the Syracuse Crunch. He played in 16 games and earned two assists. The experienced helped prepare him for resuming his junior career when play resumed in Kitchener.
“I think I just (kept) getting older, bigger, stronger, experienced,” McDonnell said. “Jumping around teams, you know, able to experience the AHL, means it’s all coming together.”
Upon returning to the OHL, McDonnell was named Kitchener’s alternate captain and continued his performance from 2019. With the Rangers, he played 27 games, with 10 goals and 12 assists before moving to the Barrie Colts. He finished with 18 goals and 21 assists in 36 games last season.
The Colts made it to the playoffs, and the center played in five games with one goal and two assists.
“(Kitchener and Barrie) train you to be a pro hockey player and to be in the NHL,” McDonnell said. “They train you for this moment.”
McDonnell, like other 2020 and 2021 prospects, was in camp with a large number of high-level prospects, since it was the first development camp since the Covid-19 pandemic. Playing with first-round selections, as well as being a more experienced prospect, McDonnell said he’s been impressed by the talent he’s played with, and he has enjoyed the challenge.
“I mean, there’s so many people from around the world,” McDonnell said. “Seeing the different styles of players … everyone’s a great player.”
He was one of the oldest players to participate in development camp this year, and still wanted to meet everyone in a short amount of time. The Sabres offered workshops and workout sessions, and McDonnell said it has been a new experience meeting players competing for the same opportunity.
“It’s my first time seeing the Sabres’ prospects and first time meeting a lot of the guys,” McDonnel said. “So you get to know them … it’s tough to get to know them personally, but you know, becoming friends quick and we’re all competing here, so it’s good.”
McDonnell remains a free agent, and hopes to remain in Buffalo and play for the team he grew up watching as a kid.
“It’s pretty cool growing up here, going to Sabres games growing up, playing for the Jr. Sabres, as well,” McDonnell said. “But you know … trying out for the (Sabres), it’s been surreal.”