Jorian Donovan drawing on OHL championship experience as Belleville pushes for playoffs

Joel Vanderlaan

@jovanderlaan

Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

Jorian Donovan is no stranger to high-stakes hockey. Throughout his major junior career, he helped the Hamilton Bulldogs to an OHL championship, suited up for Canada at the World Junior Championship, and won a Memorial Cup with the Saginaw Spirit.

Now, the Ottawa Senators prospect is hoping those experiences will translate in the AHL, as Belleville fights to keep their playoff hopes alive.

"Playing in those big games in those high-pressure moments. It helps translate to pro, but it’s not an easy game," Donovan said. "A lot of young guys have to start from the bottom and kind of work their way up it’s a long process."

Belleville, which won their first playoff series in franchise history last season, currently sits four points back of the final playoff spot in the North Division with three games left to play.

"It’s a hard road. Sometimes you’re down on yourself, but for me, it’s a good thing to look back at maybe some videos and see what I’ve accomplished," Donovan said. "It’s pretty exciting when I see my junior career and it just helps put a little bit more of a smile when things aren't going right."

In 61 games this season, the 21-year-old blueliner has recorded three goals and 12 points, along with 83 penalty minutes. While his rookie campaign hasn’t been without challenges, it’s also provided plenty of growth.

"It takes time when it is your first year, everyone thinks it’s easy, but it’s not, it’s hard, it’s a grind," Donovan said. "I think at the start of the year it was just kind of figuring out how to play, how to play defence. I think that was the biggest thing for me, learning more of a defensive style and then slowly through the second half tried to show a bit more of my offensive side."

Drafted by Ottawa in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Donovan is already familiar with the people at the top of the franchise. During his time with the Bulldogs, he played under now Senators owner Michael Andlauer and general manager Steve Staios.

"It’s unbelievable when you have good people who are on your side, it’s always a benefit,” Donovan said. “Like you can’t complain about that, so they’ve been great."

While the management staff has helped Jorian throughout his career, the most influential figure in his life is his father, Shean Donovan, a former NHL forward who played for the Senators and has worked in the organization's player development department.

"It’s huge. Growing up he was an idol to me. He was everything, helping me along the way,” Jorian said. "He showed me the steps. He’s done it all himself, so I’m just trying to do what he’s done. It’s pretty cool having that opportunity to be a part of an organization that your father did and hopefully I can just keep moving up the ranks and get to where he was."

On top of having organizational familiarity, Donovan is happy to be playing in the Friendly City and close to home.

"My family lives an hour and a half away, so on off days I get to go home and see them. It’s unbelievable. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation in that sense," Donovan said. "I grew up in Ottawa, so I got to see lots of Senators games and be around Belleville and come in the summer and train a little bit here. I think it’s a very familiar place for me and I’m excited that I got to be here."

Photo by Brandon Taylor / OHL Images

Even in the AHL, Donovan still reflects on his OHL championship in Hamilton during his rookie season. 

"It’s unbelievable when you come in as a first-year guy and they keep you. A lot of teams like to trade away their young guys right off the hop when they’re going for it, and to stay there and be a part of that is huge," he said. "You go through the playoff experience with a good team, and you have defencemen like Arber Xhekaj, Nathan Staios, and Colton Kammerer. You try to take everything you can from each player. I was a young guy, so I didn’t play too much, but I think the valuable thing was just being there and watching."

That experience and his leadership lead to him joining Memorial Cup host Saginaw Spirit, After being acquired at the deadline, Donovan helped the club reach the Western Conference Final. Despite losing to the London Knights, Jorian and his teammates got their revenge in the finals of the Memorial Cup.

"That was my turn to kind of be the older guy and try to lead the way," he said. "An experience like the build up to it, as well as playing in it."

"When you get a chance to go and be part of a team, and you win, and then you get offered to get traded to another winning organization. Those two organizations are two of the best in the OHL I don’t think there’s much better," Donovan said. "That experience of getting to go far, play lots of playoff hockey, a short summer. It’s something that you have to take and just realize how special it was and how lucky you are to get those opportunities."

"The city did a great job setting everything up. The team did a wonderful job. Dave Drinkill did an unbelievable job putting that team together. When you get to be a part of an experience like that, especially on home ice. Those guys were unbelievable, some of my best teammates I’ve ever had."

After playing and losing in the Memorial Cup with Hamilton, Donovan was excited for another chance to win. 

"Going into that experience and you don’t want to lose that chance again. I just thought to myself, "I'm going to take it and make sure I go out with it."

With his first AHL season in the stretch drive, Donovan has advice for other prospects following a similar path.

"It’s not easy, it’s a grind. I think patience is key," he said. “Lots of the time everyone wants things to happen fast, but sometimes the best things take time. For me, it took time to even get in the lineup and start playing lots of minutes. You have to put your head down, and sometimes times are tough, but it’ll always get better if you put the work in."