Interview with Ryan Donald: Assistant Coach Yale University, Ivy League. Ryan Donald is our International Recruiting and Scouting Consultant. We are excited to have him on board. Ryan will work with our young coaches, mentoring them on scouting and recruiting players bound for the NCAA.
Ryan Donald’s playing background:
Ryan played 2 years in the AJHL, with Fort Saskatchewan and Camrose from 2004-2006 before being recruited to play Division I College Hockey at Yale. He spent the next 4 seasons with the Bulldogs, some of those as Captain, playing 123 games, and making it to the NCAA Tournament in his final two seasons. At the conclusion of his college career Ryan went on to play 3 years professionally in North America, splitting time between the AHL and ECHL. In 2012 he was fortunate to win the ECHL Championship – the Kelly Cup – with the Florida Everblades.
Interview:
Nate: What brought about your transition into coaching?
Ryan: At the conclusion of the 2012-2013 season I began to mull over my options – continue playing in North America, play over in Europe, and retirement. Right around the same time I got a call from the Woodstock Slammers of the MHL about an opportunity to step in as a full-time Assistant Coach. Coaching was something that had always been in the back of my mind as something I wanted to do – whether full-time or simply as a volunteer – and after some deliberation it became obvious that I wouldn’t be suiting up as a player that fall, but instead as a coach.
Nate: Was it a steep learning curve?
Ryan: Working with the Slammers presented me with a lot of opportunities of development and growth as a young coach. Working with players aged 16-20 was a great age group to start out with, and we had an awesome group of young men. From a Hockey Operations side of things it was a great chance to get involved in a few different facets. Our league did an entry draft, so scouting/evaluation/recruiting became an important part of establishing a steady stream of future players in our program.
Nate: You spent a brief stint in Trail in the BCHL with Yale Alumni Nick Deschesne. Many of our kids dream of playing in that league. Tell us about your experience scouting and recruiting in the BCHL.
Ryan: At the conclusion of the 2014-2015 season I accepted a position with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL as an Assistant Coach, and immediately began working to recruit players for that fall. Whether through live scouting of showcases, attending camps, or watching game film, it became clear that the BCHL presented a new challenge for me in terms of player evaluation and recruitment. The BCHL doesn’t use a draft system, and each team is responsible for recruiting their own talent. With the allowance of 6 import players (non-Canadians) this process became North America wide. This was important for my growth as an evaluator and recruiter because it taught me a few fundamentals in both areas.
Nate: You must have been surprised and excited about the opportunity that came your way that fall?
Ryan: As the 2015-2016 season was beginning to get underway, I was approached by Yale about returning to fill a newly vacant Assistant Coaching position with the Bulldogs – which was a dream come true for me in a lot of ways. Yale was a place that was close to my heart from my playing career there, and was a place that I could see myself returning to in a coaching capacity somewhere down the line in my coaching career. Although it happened quicker than I had ever imagined, I am thrilled to be where I am now, and further developing my coaching toolbox as well as my recruiting skills. With the abundance of quality hockey players across North America the recruiting component of College Hockey has grown by leaps and bounds. It is in this area of the game that I find myself using the skills and knowledge I’ve gained over the past 3 years as a coach as well as my own playing experience to evaluate players and attempt to project where they will be down the road.
Nate: Here is a loaded question, but I am curious. Why have you made the West Coast Hockey Prep Camp a part of your life?
Ryan: My experience with West Coast Hockey Prep Camp has been wonderful and I am excited to be involved again this year as an International Recruiting and Scouting Consultant. The camp is an excellent opportunity for players and parents to get some good feedback on where they are at in terms of development, and also what their individual goals should be in the short and long term. From a coaching perspective it allows us the opportunity to develop relationships with players, watch their development over the course of the week, and begin to understand what makes them tick as people. These are all important factors in understanding the makeup of a player, and is something that makes Prep Camp unique. I look forward to being involved with West Coast Prep Camp for another summer, and am excited to work with the next group of young hockey players!
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