‘Ottawa’ Shean Donovan Thrilled to Coach Young Senators
Two years into his job as the Senators player development coach, Shean Donovan is building a strong resume.
It can probably be traced back to his playing days — specifically the couple of seasons (2001-03) he spent with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I helped them get (Sidney) Crosby,” Donovan joked minutes before the opening faceoff for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final on Monday night. “We were so bad, they got first overall pick. So we got them Crosby, (Evgeni) Malkin, (Marc-Andre) Fleury …
“We started out pretty good, because we got to play Mario (Lemieux) for a bit, but once they ran out of money, that was the end of that. They sold everything off.”
Despite those strong ties and fond memories, Donovan will bring a “soft spot” for the Western Conference champs when he shows his family the way to San Jose on Tuesday.
First, because his 10-year old son Rylan, a goalie and “giant Sharks fan,” wouldn’t allow anything different.