Ryan Donald, the captain of the 2009-10 Yale hockey team that won the ECAC Hockey regular-season championship, returned to the Bulldogs as an assistant coach in October of 2015.
Donald, who had just been named assistant coach and assistant general manager of the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League, jumped at the chance to return to his alma mater and join Keith Allain’s staff. Since coming back to New Haven, Donald has made a significant impact on the program while distinguishing himself as an expert on a variety of college hockey facets.
The young Eli assistant coach, known as an innovative defensive and special teams strategist, has been featured in some high-profile projects. Donald, who served as co-interim head coach when Allain was with the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team, authored an article for collegehockeyinc.com, was interviewed for podcasts “This Week in ECAC Hockey,” and TheCoachesSite.com. He also represented Yale as a guest speaker in Belfast, Ireland, for the Friendship Four pre-tournament conference. In addition, he has been with New England District Hockey, working as a coach/evaluator for the U16/U17 Select Festival and as an evaluator for the U15 Selection Camps.
The former Yale defenseman and four-year letterman helped the Elis win three Ivy League Championships and ECAC regular season and tournament titles. He arrived in New Haven for Allain’s first season as head coach and left with 72 victories, including a win over North Dakota in the 2010 NCAA Northeast Regional.
Donald went on to play for the Providence Bruins and Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators. Before playing at Yale, his junior career included stops in Fort Saskatchewan (AJHL Rookie of Year) and Camrose (assistant captain).
The former bruising Bulldog blueliner was a coach and assistant GM of the Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Woodstock Slammers from 2013-15.
Prior to that, Donald, a political science major at Yale, served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Florida Junior Everblades (EJHL) during the 2011-12 season.
