When Donovan Sebrango hit the ice at Canadian Tire Centre to take a solo “rookie lap” earlier than his NHL debut Thursday, he had three issues on his thoughts:
“Do not fall and do not miss the puck … and lookup and discover your mother,” the 23-year-old Ottawa native advised the reporters crowded round him after the sport.
His mom Kim Sebrango was onerous to overlook. Standing rinkside, her emotional response as she watched her son skate out in a Senators uniform to the cheers of followers made all of the spotlight reels.
“It was simply unbelievable, and even watching the tapes right now I get choked up,” she advised CBC on Friday. “I have been a hockey fan for a really very long time, and to see him take the ice with the Ottawa Senators in our hometown, that second was unbelievable. It was past unbelievable.”
Known as up from the Belleville Senators resulting from a rash of accidents amongst Ottawa’s defencemen, Sebrango logged practically 12 minutes of ice time and made some key performs Thursday.
Right here we’re!!! Mother crying and Donovan able to roll!! Get pleasure from this Donovan and provides all of it you’ve obtained! We are going to bear in mind this second for a lifetime!!! <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoSensGo?src=hash&ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>#GoSensGo</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/Senators?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>@Senators</a> <a href=”https://t.co/xh6iqIFAce”>pic.twitter.com/xh6iqIFAce</a>
—@Sebrango_9
An evening to recollect
After the sport, he described it as the very best day of his life to this point, particularly enjoying for the workforce he grew up watching.
“That is one I will bear in mind for positive. That is what I dreamt of as a child, so it means the world to me that I obtained to try this.”
He mentioned the dream would not have come true with out his mom’s dedication.
“I imply, a single mother having to type of train me the methods of hockey and bringing me into the game, I imply that lap was for her,” he advised reporters. “All the things tonight was for her.”
The Senators misplaced to the Washington Capitals in additional time, last rating 1-0. Regardless of the loss, Sebrango mentioned it was a “nice honour” to play in opposition to his childhood idol Alexander Ovechkin, who scored the sport’s solely objective.
The subsequent day, Kim Sebrango mentioned her son’s achievement nonetheless hadn’t fairly sunk in.
“I am so, so pleased with him,” she mentioned.
Sebrango was drafted by the Detroit Crimson Wings within the third spherical of the 2020 NHL entry draft. He was acquired by the Senators in a commerce in July 2023, and performed through the pre-season.
