Donnay, MacDermid add leadership to young blue line
The New York Rangers and LA Kings might be on opposite sides of the country, but their prospects have converged on Erie with the return of veteran defensemen Troy Donnay and Kurtis MacDermid.
Both 20-years-old and in their final season in the Ontario Hockey League, they’ve also both gained experience in the American Hockey League during training camp. Donnay returned from camp with the Hartford Wolf Pack on October 6, while MacDermid was released from the Manchester Monarchs camp to return on October 9.
It’s that AHL experience that will be invaluable while mentoring the young blue line.
“The biggest thing is just the speed of the game is so much quicker up there,” said Donnay of the AHL. “I think just implementing that into this game is going to be huge.”
“They’re two guys that have been in the league for a long time,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We set the standard pretty high last year with the leadership that we had. Anytime you have those character guys come back to your organization, it not only helps your on-ice product, but it also helps the team chemistry.
Donnay, who has played with the Otters since the midpoint of the 2011-12 season after being traded to Erie from London along with Dane Fox, had a personal best scoring season with the Otters last year. His 19 points – two goals and 17 assists – made up a little over half of his career 36 points. He added another goal and assist in the Otters run to the Western Conference final last year.
MacDermid, acquired in January from Owen Sound for three second-round draft picks (2016, ’18, and ’19), added another six points – three in each the regular season and playoffs – but it’s not just the score sheet that Knoblauch is looking towards.
“Kurtis is such a professional,” said Knoblauch. “He wants to become a pro hockey player and does all those little things that a coach wants. He works very hard whether that’s on the ice or off the ice. He certainly has a very strong professional nature about him.”
With both players measuring in at over six feet tall – MacDermid is 6’4” and Donnay is 6’7” – the size and physicality of both will also be beneficial for the young defensemen.
“It always helps when you have younger guys, if you have bigger guys on defense. You’ve got me, Geno [Genovese], and Macker[MacDermid]. Geno and Macker have to be some of the toughest guys in the league, so it always helps protecting our young guys and teaching them how to play in the OHL,” said Donnay.
The size and tenacity added to the roster is also something Knoblauch has acknowledged.
“Certainly the physical nature increased a lot with those two joining the lineup,” Knoblauch said. “I think that so far early in the season, we competed very hard. We’re bigger. We’re a lot bigger with those two in the lineup.”
That’s not to say the younger players haven’t been contributing. “We do have a lot of younger guys, but they have a lot of bite despite their size,” said Knoblauch.
The foundation is there, but with two physical players back in the ranks, having a little extra muscle never hurts.
And while it’s not the AHL, Donnay is glad to be back in Erie. “It’s always exciting coming back to your team. It’s disappointing not making the AHL, but if they say you’re not ready you have to trust their judgment.
“You’ve got to come back here with a clear head and a positive attitude. They’ve already had a good start – 4-0 – but hopefully we can add a little bit of toughness and size, and age to the team,” said Donnay.
A little familiarity never hurts, either. “I’m really excited. I’m back with my old D partner, Travis Dermott, so I’m really excited to get that going.”
