Ryan Donato (born April 9, 1996) is an American professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
*Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Smal ...
for the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL). He was selected by the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
in the second round, 56th overall, in the
2014 NHL entry draft.
He has previously played for the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
,
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
,
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
, and
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The t ...
. Donato is the son of former Bruin and longtime NHL player
Ted Donato
Edward Paul Donato (born April 28, 1969) is an American former ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL), and is currently the head coach at Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey, Harvard University.
Personal life
Born in Bos ...
. On October 12, 2021, Donato scored the first goal in Kraken franchise history in a 4–3 loss against the
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...
.
[
]
Playing career
Early career
Donato played high school hockey with Dexter Southfield in Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
. He was selected in the second round, 56th overall, by the Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
in the 2014 NHL entry draft.
Continuing to play with Dexter, Donato made his junior debut with the South Shore Kings
The South Shore Kings are a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team playing in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). The team plays at the Foxboro Sports Center located in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
The organization fields Tier III teams in th ...
in the United States Premier Hockey League
The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is an American ice hockey league. Founded in 2012, the USPHL has grown to over 60 organizations from across the United States/Canada fielding teams in the National Collegiate Development Conference ...
before finishing with the Omaha Lancers
The Omaha Lancers are a Junior ice hockey#Tier I, Tier I junior ice hockey team and are members of the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Founded in 1986, the Lancers play at the Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Ra ...
of the United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...
, having committed to a collegiate career with Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, in following his father's footsteps who was now the Crimson's head coach.
Professional
Boston Bruins
Having led the Crimson as a junior in scoring through the 2017–18 season with 26 goals and 17 assists for 43 points in just 29 games, Donato opted to leave the college early and turn professional. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Bruins on March 18, 2018. Despite leaving college hockey, Donato was still enrolled in Harvard classes and was aiming to finish the semester while playing in the NHL. He made his NHL debut the next day where he recorded his first NHL goal and added two assists in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern C ...
. Donato made his playoff debut during Game 2 of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2017–18 season. The playoffs began on April 11, 2018, after the regular season, and they concluded on June 7, 2018, with the Washington Capi ...
in a 7–3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
.
Donato began the 2018–19 season with the Bruins. On November 1, he was assigned to the Bruins' American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Providence, Rhode Island. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). They play at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Hi ...
after playing in 11 games. He was recalled by Boston on November 28 after recording nine points in 10 games for Providence. Donato was reassigned to Providence on January 28, 2019.
Minnesota Wild
On February 20, 2019, Donato and a 2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
conditional fifth-round pick were traded to the Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
in exchange for Charlie Coyle
Charles Robert Coyle (born March 2, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for the Minnesota Wild and the Boston Bruins.
Coyle played part of a sin ...
. He made his debut for the Wild on February 21, recording two assists in a 4–1 win over the New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
.
On July 16, 2019, the Wild re-signed Donato to a two-year, $3.8 million contract extension.
San Jose Sharks
On October 5, 2020, Donato was traded by the Wild to the San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
in exchange for Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
's 2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
third-round pick. His debut came on January 14, 2021, in a 4–3 shootout win over the Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
.
Seattle Kraken
On September 12, 2021, the expansion team
An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The t ...
signed Donato as a free agent to a one-year, $750,000 contract for the 2021–22 season.
Donato scored the opening goal in the franchise's first preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks on September 26, 2021. He followed that up with the first official goal in Seattle Kraken franchise history, scoring on opening night in a 4–3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...
on October 12, 2021. Donato scored a career-high 16 goals and added 15 assists for 31 points in 74 games, as Seattle missed the playoffs in their inaugural season.
As an impending restricted free agent, Donato was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Kraken and was released as a free agent. On July 27, 2022, after testing the market he was re-signed by the Kraken to a one-year, $1.2 million contract. In the 2022–23 season, Donato built upon his first season with the Kraken by continuing to contribute in various forward roles in posting 13 goals and 27 points through 71 regular season games. In helping the Kraken qualify for the post-season, he added 2 assists through 14 games.
Chicago Blackhawks
After two seasons with the Kraken, Donato left the club as a free agent and was signed on the opening day of free agency to a two-year, $4 million contract with the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2023. On March 28, 2025, Donato scored his first career hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
in a 5–3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
On June 18, 2025, Donato signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension with the Blackhawks.
International play
Donato made his first appearance at the international level as a junior when he was selected by the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
to participate in the 2016 World Junior Championships. He finished the tournament with 3 goals and 4 points in 7 games, resulting in a bronze medal.
Donato was selected for the United States men's national ice hockey team
The United States men's national ice hockey team represents the United States in men's international ice hockey. The team is controlled by USA Hockey, the governing body for organized ice hockey in the United States. The U.S. team is currently ...
, to compete in the men's tournament at the 2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...
. Donato led the United States in scoring, with six points; additionally, his five goals place him in a tie for the most goals scored – alongside Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), winger. He played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals in ...
and Kirill Kaprizov
Kirill Olegovich Kaprizov (; born 26 April 1997) is a Russian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger and Captain (ice hockey)#Alternate captains, alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Befo ...
. However, the team's overall performance was a disappointment as team USA skated to a seventh-place finish.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donato, Ryan
1996 births
Living people
AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
American men's ice hockey centers
Boston Bruins draft picks
Boston Bruins players
Chicago Blackhawks players
Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey players
Ice hockey players at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey players from Massachusetts
Iowa Wild players
Minnesota Wild players
Olympic ice hockey players for the United States
Omaha Lancers players
Sportspeople from Scituate, Massachusetts
Ice hockey people from Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Providence Bruins players
Seattle Kraken players
21st-century American sportsmen