(left) Last week 2009 recruit Matt Donovan headed to New York for the Islanders minicamp. His grandparents from New Hampshire and father were on hand for supportFrom: NewsOK.com
by Robert PrzybyloEDMOND — It's going to take a lot for 2009 DU recruit Matt Donovan to earn family bragging rights.
His father, Larry, is the coach for the University of Oklahoma club hockey team. The squad has quickly become one of the best club teams in the nation.
His mother, Kathryn, is a world champion skeet shooter.
His older sister, Katelyn, was a top flight figure skater before injuries derailed her career.
But Matt took his first step toward reaching the top when he was drafted in the fourth round of the NHL Draft by the New York Islanders two weeks ago.
For Matt Donovan, everything is still a blur.
"I'm still trying to get my feet back on the ground,” he said. "I've been getting phone calls and text messages from people I haven't heard from in years. Everyone just wants to tell me how happy they are for me.”
The selection is the culmination of nearly 18 years of hard work. But even Matt Donovan couldn't believe it at first.
He was watching the draft when he saw his name scroll across the bottom of the screen. About 15 minutes later, an Islanders representative gave him the call that made it official.
"If you ask my dad, he says I learned how to walk and skate at the same time,” Matt said. "I only remember starting to skate and play when I was like 4 years old, but he'll say I've been skating almost since the womb.”
Matt's hockey passion stems from his father. Larry grew up in Boston during the glory days of the Bruins' dominant teams.
But Larry never forced Matt into the game. In fact, most of the time, it was quite the opposite.
"He would drag me to the rink,” Larry Donovan said. "I'd be there all day coaching and looking to go home. But Matt wouldn't let me.”
Well, Matt and his best friend since he was 3 years old, Josh Berge. The Berge and Donovan families are connected at the hip.
Josh's father, Mark Berge, is a defensive coach. Matt, a defenseman, credits Mark Berge for his development as a player.
The same is said by Josh for Larry Donovan as the two offensive minds have combined to make Josh, 18, a rising prospect in the United States Hockey League.
"This has been extremely exciting,” Josh Berge said. "We've done just about everything together.”
It was that tight friendship that made school bearable for Matt Donovan. Not exactly growing up in the hotbed of hockey in Edmond, Matt's best friends are hockey guys.
"It made school a little tough at times because we were all scattered, but I knew I would see the guys at the rink after school,” Matt Donovan said.
Donovan attended Edmond North High before moving to Dallas two years ago and then relocating to Cedar Rapids last year for his first year in the USHL.
The transition could have been tough, but his host family in Iowa happened to be a familiar face.
Mary Clark, who used to work with Larry Donovan, lives in Cedar Rapids. When the Donovans found out that was where Matt was headed, he was quickly on the phone.
"It's such a small world,” Larry Donovan said. "I knew I would be comfortable with him there, and he would be happy, too. She used to babysit him and his sister when he was 1 and she was 3 years old.”
Matt Donovan had 12 goals and 18 assists for Cedar Rapids last year and will play for the RoughRiders again this season while also attending the University of Denver.
Eligibility rules differ in hockey. As long as Donovan doesn't receive any money with Cedar Rapids, he can play for both clubs.
"This would be absolutely great for this part of the country for hockey,” said Ray Miron, founder of the Central Hockey League. "The minor programs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa have improved so much. Now we're seeing evidence of that.”
Matt doesn't feel like he has the weight of the world on his back trying to become the first player in more than 70 years to be born and live in Oklahoma and play in the NHL. But he isn't shying away from the pressure, either.
"When you grow up with such a competitive family like I did, you can't really top that,” Matt Donovan said. "This is quite an honor, and I'm going to do all I can to make my family and Oklahoma proud.”
His father, Larry, is the coach for the University of Oklahoma club hockey team. The squad has quickly become one of the best club teams in the nation.
His mother, Kathryn, is a world champion skeet shooter.
His older sister, Katelyn, was a top flight figure skater before injuries derailed her career.
But Matt took his first step toward reaching the top when he was drafted in the fourth round of the NHL Draft by the New York Islanders two weeks ago.
For Matt Donovan, everything is still a blur.
"I'm still trying to get my feet back on the ground,” he said. "I've been getting phone calls and text messages from people I haven't heard from in years. Everyone just wants to tell me how happy they are for me.”
The selection is the culmination of nearly 18 years of hard work. But even Matt Donovan couldn't believe it at first.
He was watching the draft when he saw his name scroll across the bottom of the screen. About 15 minutes later, an Islanders representative gave him the call that made it official.
"If you ask my dad, he says I learned how to walk and skate at the same time,” Matt said. "I only remember starting to skate and play when I was like 4 years old, but he'll say I've been skating almost since the womb.”
Matt's hockey passion stems from his father. Larry grew up in Boston during the glory days of the Bruins' dominant teams.
But Larry never forced Matt into the game. In fact, most of the time, it was quite the opposite.
"He would drag me to the rink,” Larry Donovan said. "I'd be there all day coaching and looking to go home. But Matt wouldn't let me.”
Well, Matt and his best friend since he was 3 years old, Josh Berge. The Berge and Donovan families are connected at the hip.
Josh's father, Mark Berge, is a defensive coach. Matt, a defenseman, credits Mark Berge for his development as a player.
The same is said by Josh for Larry Donovan as the two offensive minds have combined to make Josh, 18, a rising prospect in the United States Hockey League.
"This has been extremely exciting,” Josh Berge said. "We've done just about everything together.”
It was that tight friendship that made school bearable for Matt Donovan. Not exactly growing up in the hotbed of hockey in Edmond, Matt's best friends are hockey guys.
"It made school a little tough at times because we were all scattered, but I knew I would see the guys at the rink after school,” Matt Donovan said.
Donovan attended Edmond North High before moving to Dallas two years ago and then relocating to Cedar Rapids last year for his first year in the USHL.
The transition could have been tough, but his host family in Iowa happened to be a familiar face.
Mary Clark, who used to work with Larry Donovan, lives in Cedar Rapids. When the Donovans found out that was where Matt was headed, he was quickly on the phone.
"It's such a small world,” Larry Donovan said. "I knew I would be comfortable with him there, and he would be happy, too. She used to babysit him and his sister when he was 1 and she was 3 years old.”
Matt Donovan had 12 goals and 18 assists for Cedar Rapids last year and will play for the RoughRiders again this season while also attending the University of Denver.
Eligibility rules differ in hockey. As long as Donovan doesn't receive any money with Cedar Rapids, he can play for both clubs.
"This would be absolutely great for this part of the country for hockey,” said Ray Miron, founder of the Central Hockey League. "The minor programs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa have improved so much. Now we're seeing evidence of that.”
Matt doesn't feel like he has the weight of the world on his back trying to become the first player in more than 70 years to be born and live in Oklahoma and play in the NHL. But he isn't shying away from the pressure, either.
"When you grow up with such a competitive family like I did, you can't really top that,” Matt Donovan said. "This is quite an honor, and I'm going to do all I can to make my family and Oklahoma proud.”
3 comments:
"..and will play for the Roughriders again this season while also attending the University of Denver."
"The eligibility rules are different and he can play for both clubs"
WTF???
Wow...
don't believe everything you read and half of what you see.
Don't expect quality hockey writing in Oklahoma.... Obviously, the writer is a little mixed up.
As far as I know, Donovan will play for Cedar Rapids next year in the USHL and the Pioneers in the fall of 2009.
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