A Flame From the Past: Shean Donovan

Do you remember Shean Donovan?

Every once in a while, we take a look at a player who once played for the Calgary Flames in a series called “A Flame From the Past”. This player has to have played a significant number of games for the Flames. I’ll put every Flames’ season into a Wheel of Names, and this time, it landed on the 2005-06 season. In this article, we’ll take a look at Shean Donovan.

Born in Timmins, Ontario, but growing up in North Bay, Donovan began his junior career with the Kanata Valley Lasers of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (Junior A). In 1990-91, Donovan scored eight goals and 13 points.

Donovan began his major junior career the following season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s. In 1991-92, the right winger scored 11 goals and 19 points in 58 games. He broke out the following season, scoring 29 goals and 52 points in 66 games. That led to Donovan being drafted 28th overall in the 1993 draft by the San Jose Sharks.

He returned to junior the following season, scoring 35 goals and 84 points in 62 games, while adding 10 goals and 21 points in 17 post-season games. Donovan played in 14 National Hockey League regular season games in 1994-95, and seven post-season games. 

The winger also made his American Hockey League debut that season, picking up two assists in five games, then five goals and eight points in 14 games. Most of Donovan’s 1994-95 season was spent with the 67’s, scoring 22 goals and 41 points in 29 games.

Aside from four games in the International Hockey League, most of Donovan’s 1995-96 season was spent with the Sharks, where he scored 13 goals and 21 points in 74 games. After three AHL games in 1996-97, Donovan scored nine goals and 15 points in 73 NHL games in 1996-97. Only 20 games were spent with the Sharks in 1997-98, where he scored three goals and six points, as Donovan was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

On Nov. 20, 1997, the Avalanche traded Mike Ricci and a 1998 second to the Sharks for Donovan and a 1998 first-rounder, which was used to pick Alex Tanguay. Donovan scored five goals and 12 points in the remaining 47 games. The following season, Donovan scored seven goals and 19 points in 68 games, while also playing five post-season games.

In 1999-2000, Donovan scored a goal in 18 games with the Avalanche, before being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers midway during the season. He added four goals and 11 points over his next 33 games. The 2000-01 season was Donovan’s only full season with the Thrashers, as he scored 12 goals and 23 points in 63 games, which was a career-high at the time.

Playing 48 games with the Thrashers in 2001-02, Donovan scored six goals and 12 points before being claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins. To end the 2001-02 season, the winger scored two goals and three points in 13 games. Donovan didn’t play a full season with the Penguins, as he scored four goals and nine points in 52 games during the 2002-03 season, before being traded to the Flames.

Ending his season in Alberta, Donovan scored a goal and three points in 13 games. The 2003-04 season was a career-best year for the winger, as Donovan scored 18 goals and 42 points in 82 games, then added five goals and 10 points in 24 games as the Flames went all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

His final season with the Flames was in 2005-06, where he scored nine goals and 20 points in 80 games, but was held pointless in seven post-season games. At the conclusion of the 2006-07 season, Donovan joined the Boston Bruins, where he scored six goals and 17 points in 76 games.

Donovan played his junior career in the Nation’s Capital region, and he returned to the area to finish his NHL career. In 2007-08, he joined the Ottawa Senators, scoring five goals and 12 points in 82 games. In 2008-09, Donovan scored five goals and 10 points in 65 games, then scored two goals and five points in 30 games during the 2009-10 season, his final season in the league.

The winger has remained in the Ottawa area, serving as a development coach for the Senators for some time. Donovan also served as the 67’s Assistant coach in 2013-14, and now serves as an associate coach for the Kemptville 73’s of the Central Canada Hockey League (formerly the CJHL).