Donnellan stands tall in USHL experience

Photo by: Lisa-Ann Ishihara

Photo

Youngstown Phantom defenseman David Donnellan at Ice Zone in Boardman, Thursday September 17, 2009.

Photo by: Lisa-Ann Ishihara

Photo

Youngstown Phantom defenseman David Donnellan at Ice Zone in Boardman, Thursday September 17, 2009.

The 19-year-old defenseman has played for Sioux Falls and Tri-City.

By Tom Williams

BOARDMAN — With 6-foot-6 Andrej Sustr and J.D. Carrabino on the squad, David Donnellan is far from the tallest Youngstown Phantoms’ defenseman.

But the 6-0 backliner is definitely the most experienced when it comes to the United States Hockey League.

As Youngstown’s USHL expansion team gears up for its final three preseason games this week in Iowa, Donnellan is expected to lead after playing 55 games in the top-tier amateur league last season.

“David will be used in key situations and will be counted on to lead by example,” Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt said.

After a recent practice at the Ice Zone, Donnellan said, “We definitely have some young guys who will be able to step up and play big roles on this team.

“You can look at it and say we’ve got young guys, but I think they will be able to step up and play real well,” said Donnellan who began last season with the Sioux Falls Stampede in South Dakota.

Midway through the season, Donnellan, a Wisconsin native, was traded to the Tri-City Storm in Kearney, Neb.

“Trades happen — there’s a lot of moving around in this league, you know that going into it,” Donnellan said. “I knew it that was a possibility.

Donnellan didn’t mind the change because ”I was playing a lot [more], playing the power play and penalty kill so I couldn’t complain. It was unfortunate that we were a losing team but it was a good experience.”

When Youngstown and the U.S. National team were added as expansion teams, Donnellan became available in the expansion draft.

“I was here for the tryout camp [in early June] then came back on Aug. 15,” said Donnellan, the only Phantoms defenseman with USHL experience. “I’m doing fine on my own — I’m 19 years old now. It’s good.”

Donnellan said his first two USHL stops were similar.

“They weren’t too different. Youngstown is a little bit of a bigger city but I am definitely adjusting to it well,” Donnellan said. “It’s a good city.”

Donnellan said the Covelli Centre “is comparable to a lot of the [USHL] rinks. It’s a great facility, probably will be one of the best rinks in the league this year. I’m definitely excited to get down there and start playing.”

Donnellan’s hometown is Eau Claire.

“It’s on the western part of Wisconsin, about an hour from the Minnesota border,” the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Blackhawks fan said. “I played for my high school team, Eau Claire Memorial, then Team Wisconsin.”

Donnellan said he was 5 when he began playing hockey.

“I wore double-bladed skates when I was 2 years old [and went] straight to hockey skates at 4,” Donnellan said.

His parents — Ned and Lisa — were athletes.

“He was a basketball-football guy [then] swam in college and my mom was a diver in college,” Donnellan said. “For them, it’s frozen water now.”

Unlike here where high school football is king [and queen and duke], Donnellan says it’s different back home.

“High school hockey is a pretty big thing, especially at our school,” said Donnellan who was in a graduating class of 415. “At our school, hockey was the biggest sport.”

Donnellan, who also played baseball and football in high school, decided to focus on hockey when he was a freshman.

“Since then, I knew that I wanted to go this route — to play college hockey and hopefully someday play pro hockey,” Donnellan said. “I just felt like hockey was my sport, that I really wanted to excel in it.”

Donnellan has experience as a leader.

“High school junior and senior year, I was captain of that team,” Donnellan said. “I had that veteran leadership role back in high school.”

When high school hockey was out of season, Donnellan played for Team Wisconsin.

“It had the top players in Wisconsin before the high school season and after the high school season,” Donnellan said. “We played in the Upper Midwest Elite League. Minnesota had six teams that played in it.

“And then we played AAA teams — U18 teams from all-around the country.”

That experience caught the eye of USHL executives.

Donnellan said confidence at making the jump to a higher level as not a problem.

“I knew that I could do it — it was just a matter of getting out there and knowing it was going to be a struggle at the start,” Donnellan said. “Each day I wanted to progress to where I was playing a lot.”

That happened after the trade.

Donnellan said he’s been blessed with parental support plus that of sister Megan, 21, a student at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

“They were 100 percent behind me, they were very excited about it. It was a no-brainer,” Donnellan said of the USHL. “They came to Chicago and they’re going to Sioux City [Iowa],” said Donnellan of the USHL Fall Showcase that runs Thursday through Saturday. “They’re trying to make it out to games that are pretty close to home.”

As for college, Donnellan said he’s had a few offers but he’s hoping to make a big impression in Iowa.

“I’ve been talking to some schools and hopefully after the Fall Classic, I’ll be able to figure that out,” Donnellan said. “The Fall Classic that we’re going to is a huge scouting tournament. Every college team is represented and every NHL team is represented so it’s a huge scouting opportunity for the players.”

williams@vindy.com