From: The Edmond Sunby Ryan Piersol
Matt Donovan wasn't exactly raised in the ideal situation for an NHL hopeful.
He lives in Edmond, a suburb just north of Oklahoma City, a place long-renowned for its interest in golf. A place more interested in kicking a ball up and down a field than chasing a puck on ice. A place that doesn't even have state-associated hockey teams.
Last week, though, Donovan made a tremendous step toward changing his fate. The Edmond North sophomore was drafted into the United States Hockey League, a preparatory league for players who dream of some day playing professional ice hockey.
"This is a big deal. Not many people get to do it," he said. "It's been very difficult, coming from Oklahoma. But I've played hockey my whole life and worked hard at it and I'm getting an opportunity."
Donovan, a defenseman, was taken in the first round of the USHL draft by the Cedar Rapids Roughriders. He'll spend the next two years with them, attending school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The 17-year-old spent much of this past school year in Dallas, Tex., playing for the Dallas Stars AAA. He's been playing the sport since he was just three, having also competed for the Oklahoma City Junior Blazers and the club team at Edmond North.
It was during Donovan's time in Dallas that he attracted the attention of the USHL, a league that will provide him with top-notch competition. Nearly all of the country's collegiate hockey players have competed on this kind of level and many players in the NHL have as well.
"Pretty much all of the people in the NHL, from the U.S., go through the USHL," Donovan said. "It's something you have to do if you're serious about hockey and want to pursue it."
Donovan is the first ever Stars player chosen in the first round of the USHL draft. He has committed to play collegiate hockey at the University of Denver, widely considered one of the top programs in the country. Denver won back-to-back national championships in 2004 & 2005.
5 comments:
We got Berge from the same area, so they must be doing something right with these young hockey players. Berge it turing out to be a pleasant surprise for the Mavs.
Three kids taken in the first round of the USHL draft were from West Virginia, Oklahoma & L.A. and played for teams in Utah, Texas & Cali.
Oklahoma City is considered to be a "southern hockey hot bed" of sorts. The NHL really likes their chances to succeed as a hockey market.
Suspect that the NBA will jump into OKC first.
I still think that OSU, OU & UT-Austin are the three schools that could afford D-1 hockey.
Yea i live in moore oklahoma on the other side of oklahoma city and i have played with him he is a great player. and yea right now OU is just D1 club. We need a NHL team we have the arena.
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