‘Everything tonight was for him’: Sens forward Donovan Sebrango pays tribute to mom after NHL debut

When Donovan Sebrango hit the curb at the Canadian Tire Center for 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 media surrounding him after the game.

His mother Kim Sebrango was hard to miss. Standing despondent, his emotional reaction as he watched his son skate in a Senators uniform to the cheers of the fans made every highlight reel.

“It was unbelievable, even watching the tapes today I’m choking,” he told the CBC on Friday. “I’ve been a hockey fan for a very long time, and to see him take over with the Ottawa Senators in my hometown, that moment was amazing. It was amazing.”

Called up from the Belleville Senators due to injuries to Ottawa players, Sebrango logged about 12 minutes of ice time and made key plays on Thursday.

A 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 something I’ll definitely remember. It’s what I dreamed about when I was a kid, so it means the world to me that I have to do that.”

He said this dream would not have come true without his mother’s dedication.

“I mean, the single mom who’s supposed to teach me the ways of hockey and get me into the sport, I mean that fence was hers,” he told reporters. “Everything tonight was because of him.”

The Senators lost to the Washington Capitals in overtime, the final score 1-0. Despite the loss, Sebrango said it was “a great honor” to play with his childhood idol Alexander Ovechkin, who scored one goal in the game.

The next day, Kim Sebrango said that her son’s success had not gone well.

“I am, I am proud of him,” he 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 preseason.