Like father, like son. Late Thursday night, high school junior center Ryan Donato announced his commitment to play hockey for his father, Harvard men’s hockey coach Ted Donato. The highest ranked prep school player in New England, per the NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Report, Ryan ranks 54th among all North American skaters.
“He expects himself to do great things every time he’s on the ice, that’s the sign of a great player,” Dexter head coach Dan Donato, Ryan’s uncle, told ESPNBoston. “I’ve been really fortunate to have coached three players that have gone on to the NHL, but in some ways, Ryan’s on another planet. I truly believe his best hockey is ahead of him.”
The senior Donato has coached at Harvard for the last 10 seasons after being part of the school’s final national championship team in 1989.