Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - Bayan an zaba shi na 51 a cikin National Hockey League (NHL) na 2003
ta Edmonton Oilers, McDonald ya kwashe shekaru hudu tare da Kwalejin Providence. A lokacin shekararsa ta farko (2003 <unk> 04), McDonald ya jagoranci Providence Friar freshmen tare da kwallaye 10. Ayyukansa ya sa ya sami lambar yabo ta "Mafi Girma Freshman" ta Providence da kuma zabin zuwa Hockey East All-Rookie Team. A matsayinsa na na biyu, McDonald ya rasa lokaci saboda rauni amma har yanzu ya sami damar daidaita maki daga shekararsa ta farko yayin da ya zira kwallaye 11 kuma ya kara taimakawa 5. A matsayin matashi, ya yi aiki a matsayin kyaftin na baya kuma ya kai matsayi mafi girma a cikin maki (28) da kuma taimakawa (19), ya kammala na huɗu a tawagarsa a zira kwallaye. Daga nan aka nada shi mataimakin kyaftin na kakar 2006-07 a ƙarshen shekara. A cikin shekararsa ta ƙarshe ya sami babban aiki na kwallaye 13, tare da taimakawa 4, jimlar maki 17.