Former Calgary Flames forward Shean Donovan was one proud father on Tuesday night.
Donovan, who enjoyed a 951-game NHL career and was a member of the Flames’ 2003-04 team that made a run to the Stanley Cup Final, recently took on a new role as a between-periods analyst with TSN. That gave him the opportunity to be at Canadian Tire Centre to watch his son, Jorian Donovan, and the Ottawa Senators take on the St. Louis Blues.
Though the Sens suffered a lopsided 7-2 loss, Jorian gave his father a big reason to cheer.
Trailing 5-1 late in the third period, Jorian, who was playing in just his third NHL game, decided it was time to send a message. Following a stoppage in play, the 22-year-old defenceman dropped the gloves with Blues forward Dylan Peterson.
The two exchanged plenty of punches in what turned out to be an entertaining scrap. While the crowd enjoyed the spirited tilt, it was Donovan’s reaction to watching his son throw down that quickly made the rounds on social media.
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Donovan, who recorded 32 fights over the course of his NHL career, had about as intense a look as one could imagine while watching his son’s scrap. At one point, however, he appeared to crack a quick smile in the middle of the bout. Once the fight was over, he couldn’t help but clap his hands in approval, clearly proud of what he had just witnessed.
What made the entire situation even better was that Peterson’s parents were also in attendance. As you might expect, his mother’s reaction was considerably different as she watched her son take part in the first fight of his NHL career.
@bardownDylan Peterson’s mom was STRESSING 😅🥊♬ original sound – BarDown
While Donovan could appreciate the moment from the perspective of a former NHL player who had been in plenty of fights himself, Peterson’s mother had a much more stressful experience watching her son trade punches.
Of course, neither family would have been hoping to see their son fighting when they arrived at the arena that night. Still, it’s not every day that parents get to witness such a memorable moment in their sons’ young NHL careers.
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