Donato savors chance
B’s winger ‘can’t wait’ for rookie camp
Ryan Donato is a Harvard guy, through and through. But even he would have to admit that there is something special about the Boston College-Boston University hockey rivalry.
So when he got a call from one of his former coaches, Andrew Orpik — an organizer for the Commonwealth Avenue Charity Classic, a game featuring alums of the Eagle and Terrier programs that benefits the Travis Roy Foundation and Compassionate Care ALS — Donato jumped at it.
“This game is pretty cool. You never think as a Harvard guy you’d have a chance to be taken in and thrown into it. It’s pretty cool,” said Donato.
“(Orpik) gave me a call and said, ‘We’d love to have you if you’re available.’ I was open to it, so here I am.”
His readiness showed last night when, playing for the Terriers, he scored his team’s first three goals in the first period at Walter Brown Arena.
But while last night’s game was all fun and for good causes, it’s going to get real for Donato in a hurry. Bruins rookie camp opens on Sept.6 when the B’s kids head up to Buffalo for a four-day tournament against rookies of the Sabres, Penguins and Devils.
Donato last spring stepped off the Cambridge campus and into a Bruins uniform, making an immediate impact. He notched 5-4-9 totals in 12 games. Not surprisingly, things didn’t come as easily for him in the playoffs, when he was shut out in the three games that he played. But he hopes to use the rookie camp as a springboard to a regular spot with the varsity.
The Bruins are bringing a talented squad including Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Trent Frederic, 2015 firstround pick Zach Senyshyn and Ryan Fitzgerald, the former Eagle who also played in last night’s game and is coming off an eyeopening first pro season in Providence last year.
The B’s will first take on the Penguins on Sept.7 before facing the Sabres and No. 1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin the next night.
“I just can’t wait for it to come,” said Donato. “I just want to do as much as I can and show that I can play. It’s all guys that are relatively young and if I can show that I can do well around guys that are rookies, then hopefully I can show that I can do well against guys who’ve been in the league for a while, too.”
There are openings for a top-six right wing as well as a third line center. Forsbacka-Karlsson, Frederic and Jack Studnicka, who also will be in Buffalo, are three vying for the center spot. Donato doesn’t now if he’ll get a shot there as well or whether the Bruins will keep the natural shooter on the wing.
“Wherever they’ll have me,” said Donato.
It’s no secret the B’s were trying to add an impact player to their top six. They were in on Ilya Kovalchuk before he signed with the Kings and they also were one of the chosen few to pitch John Tavares, who signed with the Maple Leafs.
Was Donato secretly hoping those two potential deals fizzled? After all, chances are he has more of a shot to stick around than if one of those veterans was signed, especially Kovalchuk.
“I wouldn’t say that,” said Donato. “I was just focused on what I have to do. At the end of the day, there’s stuff that’s going to happen and I can’t pay attention to that. If I did the hair would start falling out. At the end of the day, it’s just up to what I can do and I just have to control what I can. That’s what I did and I think I had a great summer. Hopefully it shows when the season starts.”
It already showed in his performance last night.