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Meet the Boston Bruins’ new Olympian: Ryan Donato

By Sean Torney

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 28: Ryan Donato, 56th overall pick of the Boston Bruins, poses for a portrait during the 2014 NHL Entry Draft at Wells Fargo Center on June 28, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 28: Ryan Donato, 56th overall pick of the Boston Bruins, poses for a portrait during the 2014 NHL Entry Draft at Wells Fargo Center on June 28, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The NHL banned its players from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics, but that doesn’t mean their prospects can’t go!  Here’s a look at the only Boston Bruins’ prospect who made this year’s United States’ Olympic roster.

On April 3rd, 2017, the NHL announced that they would not participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.  They decided they weren’t going to pause their season for the Games.  However, anybody not on an NHL contract is free to play.  Enter Ryan Donato, who is under Boston Bruins’ control, but has yet to sign his three-year entry level contract.

Donato is the son of former Bruins’ forward and current Harvard University head coach Ted Donato.  Donato currently plays center for his father at Harvard.

From Scituate, Massachusetts, Donato played his high school hockey at the Dexter School in Brookline, Mass..  Donato played all four years on Dexter’s varsity team.  His best season was his junior year, when Donato scored 78 points in just 30 games.

After that season, Donato was drafted by Boston in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft.  He then returned to Dexter for his senior year, putting up 53 more points as the team’s captain.

Boston Bruins
AMHERST, MA – DECEMBER 18: Ryan Donato /

This won’t be the first time Donato has worn the red, white, and blue.  He played in the 2016 World Junior Championships, where he helped the United States win a bronze medal.  I’m sure he’ll be shooting for at least that in PyeongChang.

Donato has been lighting it up at Harvard.  As 2017 Ivy League Player of the Year, Donato led the Crimson to the Frozen Four for the first time since 1994.  Harvard also won the Beanpot last year for the first time since 1993.

Harvard ended two droughts last season with Ryan Donato.  The United States men’s Olympic hockey team hasn’t won the gold medal since the “Miracle On Ice” in 1980.  Can Donato end another one?

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The men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament gets underway on February 10th and will end with the gold-medal game on February 25th.  When you’re cheering on Team USA, cheer a little harder for Ryan Donato.  The Mass. native will be wearing the spoked-B very soon.

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