Donovan Sebrango

Did You Know?

• His father, Eduardo, is a former professional Cuban footballer who emigrated to Canada in 1999.
• He began playing hockey in Gananoque as a Tim Hortons Timbit.
• He was raised by his mother, Kim, as a single mother in Kingston, Ontario.

Playing career

Donovan Sebrango initially planned to play college hockey at Boston University after turning 18, but he backed out of that commitment when the Kitchener Rangers picked him in the second round, 40th overall, of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. He joined the Rangers for the 2018–19 season and quickly became a steady presence on their blue line. His second year with Kitchener ended early when the OHL shut down on March 18, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 119 games with the Rangers, he put up 13 goals and 43 assists for 56 points. The Detroit Red Wings selected him in the third round, 63rd overall, of the 2020 NHL draft. With the 2020–21 season postponed by the pandemic, Sebrango signed with HK Levice in the Slovak 2. Liga and appeared in five games, notching one goal and three points. He then came back to North America and joined the Red Wings' AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, on an amateur tryout. He made his North American pro debut with the Griffins on February 11, 2021, and signed a three-year entry-level contract with Detroit on March 15, 2021. That season, he played 31 games for Grand Rapids, recording four assists. In 2022–23, he split time between the Griffins in the AHL and the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL, skating in 39 games with Grand Rapids (four goals, seven points) and 23 games with Toledo (one goal, 12 points).

International play

Donovan Sebrango was chosen for the Canadian national junior team on two separate occasions for what was essentially the same championship. He first made the squad for the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, which started in December 2021 but was called off after four days because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The IIHF decided to hold a brand-new tournament in August 2022, and Sebrango earned a spot on that team, where he was named an alternate captain. Canada went on to claim the gold medal, beating Finland 3–2 in overtime.