Donovan has heart of a champ as he tries to make step to Senators

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Jorian Donovan is ready to make the next step in his hockey career.

Fresh off winning the Memorial Cup championship with the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit last month, the Ottawa Senators’ blue-chip prospect on defence is preparing to make the transition to the pros when training camp opens up in September.

As the Senators prepare to close out their annual development camp Friday with a 3-on-3 tourney at the Bell Sensplex, the club’s fifth-round selection in the 2022 National Hockey League draft is preparing for a busy summer as he pushes for a spot in the American Hockey League next season.

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“Coming off potentially my last year of junior I want to take that next step to pro,” Donovan said during a break in the camp this week. “I’m coming in with a different mindset that you want to make the team, either (Ottawa) or come to make an impact and end up in Belleville.

“You definitely want to come in with a different mindset.”

Donovan couldn’t have capped off his junior career in a better fashion than winning the Canadian Hockey League title with a 4-3 victory over the London Knights at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw on June 2.

After wrapping up the International Ice Hockey Federation’s world junior championship with Team Canada, Donovan was dealt by Michael Andlauer’s Brantford Bulldogs to the Saginaw Spirit to help shore up the Spirit’s defence as they hosted the Memorial Cup tourney.

Donovan couldn’t have been more pleased to get the opportunity and to win the title is something he’ll never forget.

“When you finish with the Memorial Cup, a lot of kids have the dream of winning that trophy, and being lucky enough to win after getting the opportunity to get traded to Saginaw is pretty special,” Donovan said.

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The 20-year-old Donovan, the son of Senators’ director of player development Shean Donovan, worked with the management of the Bulldogs to determine what might be the best destination for a trade.

“It was a different feeling,” he said. “My dad has been traded a lot so he kind of new the experience. It was nice to have in my corner to help me out and tell me some tips that he learned throughout the years.

“It was a big change for me being with (the Bulldogs) throughout my whole career. Even just switching to playing in a different country was a big change, but I’m happy I did it. Brantford gave me the options and they were super-kind in that sense.

“When a team that’s hosting the Memorial Cup is giving you the option to come to them it’s pretty hard to say no.”

In 32 games with the Spirit to close out the regular season, Donovan finished with four goals and 18 points plus he contributed three goals and nine points in 17 playoff games. Really, the year couldn’t have worked out better.

“When you get to play in those big games,  playing in the Memorial Cup is special because you get to play against the top kids in all of Canada, and then coming off a victory there’s no way better to finish it off. There’s no better way to carry this into the off-season,” Donovan said.

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CARTER MAKES DEBUT

Donovan is one of the top prospects at this camp.

Among the other players on hand are defenceman Carter Yakemchuk, the club’s No. 7 overall selection in the draft in Las Vegas last week.

Yakemchuk has a big year ahead of him.

Not only is he preparing training camp in September and returning to the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen, he’ll also be pushing for a spot with Team Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s world junior championships that are being held in Ottawa.

It has been a whirlwind few days for Yakemchuk, but even when camp wraps up here that doesn’t mean he’ll be able to spend the rest of his summer kicking back to relax.

He will spend the summer working on his footwork and his skating, plus Yakemchuk knows he has to be better defensively.

“It’s been pretty crazy going to Vegas and then coming here for development camp but I’ve enjoyed it so far,” Yakemchuk said. “The experience of being around the older players that have played pro games, and just being around that pro environment, is something I haven’t done before.”

He said someday a “dream partner would be Jake Sanderson. That would be a guy who I can I see myself playing with.”

He already has received text message from the likes of captain Brady Tkachuk and winger Drake Batherson.

“They congratulated me after the draft and welcomed me to the organization,” Yakemchuk said.

It should be noted as the camp wraps up Friday that the 3-on-3 tourney is only open to season ticket holders.

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