The Surrey Eagles are pleased to announce that 16-year-old Surrey native Hunter Donohoe has committed to the team for the 2016-17 season.
At 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, he is a big-bodied defenceman, and will join an extremely experienced defence core as one of the youngest players on the team. Donohoe comes to the Eagles from the local Semiahmoo minor hockey program. He also was an AP for Valley West Hawks, where current Eagle Jeff Stewart played.
This commitment is a dream come true for the young d-man, who has spent the majority his life in the Surrey area.
“I grew up in Ocean Park watching [the Eagles] and I always wanted to play for them,” Donohoe said in an interview with SurreyEagles.ca. “It’s a huge opportunity for me, as a 16-year-old, to come in. I’m so excited to get the season going.”
It was an easy decision for the Eagles to add a top, young, local prospect early in his career, but the move also makes sense from the player’s perspective. Donohoe’s goal is to earn a NCAA division I scholarship, so the BCHL is where he wants to be.
He’s also following in the footsteps of his older brother Taylor Donohoe, another physical defenceman, who played in the league from 1999 to 2003. Taylor earned a scholarship to Wayne State University, where he completed four years.
The team has had their eye on the younger Donohoe for quite some time, but he really began to shine at this year’s spring evaluation camp. That’s when assistant coach Brad Tobin knew it was time to bring him into the organization.
“His size is a big factor that stands out,” Tobin said, describing Donohoe. “Being so young, he’s going to fill out into his body. His gap control and his one-on-ones when players came into the zone against him were excellent at spring camp. He wasn’t used to playing against junior ‘A’ and ‘B’ calibre guys, but he showed really well, and we’ve liked him since then.”
It’s never easy for a young player to come into one of the most challenging junior ‘A’ leagues in North America, but Donohoe feels that he is well-prepared for the experience. His size and puck-moving ability certainly gives him a chance to make an impact in his first season.
“I’m expected to play against some bigger guys,” mentioned Donohoe. “I practiced with the team a bit last year, so I have an idea of the pace. It’s a lot faster. You just have to work hard, and be ready for it.”
His role in the first season may be small at the beginning, because of his age, but there really is no limit on how quickly he can progress up the lineup, according to assistant coach Tobin.
“Coming from midget hockey, it’s a big step for him. He needs to get accustomed to the league. We like the fact that he comes from Semiahmoo, because that means he’s played quite a number of games on the Olympic sheet at South Surrey Arena. That will really help him out. I think he’s going to slowly grow into a solid BCHL player.”
This offseason is crucial for Donohoe. He plans to focus on what he can control: Filling out his frame, and developing his foot speed on the ice.
“The team wants me to work hard over the summer, to prepare for the speed. They don’t want to put me into any situations that I shouldn’t be in, but they want me to prepare so I can play with some confidence.”
“I can’t wait to play in the BCHL.”
