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Bruins’ Ryan Donato wants to be a full-time hockey player

By Cody Rivera

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 23: Ryan Donato #17 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on March 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ryan Donato
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 23: Ryan Donato #17 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on March 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ryan Donato /
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After pulling double-duty between work and school last year, Ryan Donato is ready to focus 100 percent on playing hockey.

Even though education is always very important, especially a Harvard education, Ryan Donato has decided to put his studies on hold so he can focus on his career: playing hockey for his hometown Boston Bruins.

When the Bruins brought up Donato to join their main roster towards the end of last season, he immediately made an impact by scoring five goals and notching four assists in 12 games.

But when he wasn’t playing hockey games with the Bruins, he was either attending classes at Harvard or doing his homework.

It couldn’t have been easy for the 22-year-old Donato, who grew up just outside of Boston.

But he took a couple of courses over the summer to get himself a little closer to earning that invaluable Harvard degree, and now with the 2018-19 NHL season just a little over a month away, he just wants to focus on playing hockey and helping the Bruins get back to the playoffs.

"“I’m not taking classes this season, during the season,” Donato said, via NESN.com. “I took two this summer. But I will not be taking classes this season.“Focusing on hockey 100 percent, so I’m looking forward to that.”"

Donato doesn’t have a spot on the main roster automatically locked up at this point.

But since he doesn’t have school to worry about right now, he can work extra hard on doing what he needs to do to earn that roster spot, including branching out and playing the wing positions as well as his natural center position.

"“If I’m able to play all three positions, it gives me a better chance to be in the lineup and in a spot I want to be in,” Donato said."

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Donato’s heroics toward the end of the last season got him into the good graces of Bruins fans rather quickly.

Even though he didn’t play much during the playoffs, the fans will definitely enjoy having Donato back as a full-time hockey player as Boston tries to make another run at the Stanley Cup.

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