'Everything tonight was for her': Sens rookie Donovan Sebrango pays tribute to mom after NHL debut
23-year-old defenceman called up Thursday to bolster blue line against Washington Capitals
When Donovan Sebrango hit the ice at Canadian Tire Centre to take a solo "rookie lap" before his NHL debut Thursday, he had three things on his mind:
"Don't fall and don't miss the puck ... and look up and find your mom," the 23-year-old Ottawa native told the reporters crowded around him after the game.
His mother Kim Sebrango was hard to miss. Standing rinkside, her emotional reaction as she watched her son skate out in a Senators uniform to the cheers of fans made all the highlight reels.
"It was just incredible, and even watching the tapes today I get choked up," she told CBC on Friday. "I've been a hockey fan for a very long time, and to see him take the ice with the Ottawa Senators in our hometown, that moment was incredible. It was beyond incredible."
Called up from the Belleville Senators due to a rash of injuries among Ottawa's defencemen, Sebrango logged nearly 12 minutes of ice time and made some key plays Thursday.
Here we are!!! Mom crying and Donovan ready to roll!! Enjoy this Donovan and give it all you’ve got! We will remember this moment for a lifetime!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoSensGo?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoSensGo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Senators?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Senators</a> <a href="https://t.co/xh6iqIFAce">pic.twitter.com/xh6iqIFAce</a>
—@Sebrango_9A night to remember
After the game, he described it as the best day of his life so far, especially playing for the team he grew up watching.
"That's one I'm going to remember for sure. That's what I dreamt of as a kid, so it means the world to me that I got to do that."
He said the dream wouldn't have come true without his mother's dedication.
"I mean, a single mom having to kind of teach me the ways of hockey and bringing me into the sport, I mean that lap was for her," he told reporters. "Everything tonight was for her."
The Senators lost to the Washington Capitals in overtime, final score 1-0. Despite the loss, Sebrango said it was a "great honour" to play against his childhood idol Alexander Ovechkin, who scored the game's only goal.
The next day, Kim Sebrango said her son's achievement still hadn't quite sunk in.
"I'm so, so proud of him," she said.
Sebrango was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round of the 2020 NHL entry draft. He was acquired by the Senators in a trade in July 2023, and played during the pre-season.