Donato, pictured during the 2014 NHL Draft. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Harvard hockey coach Ted Donato spent 9 years in a Bruins uniform and, including the playoffs, scored 127 goals.
Last night, his son Ryan buried his first in a B's uniform.
Donato made the most of his NHL debut with a goal and two assists over nearly 20 minutes of ice.
Was he nervous?
"During warm-ups, actually, I was kind of like taken away," he said. "I mean, it kind of felt like a dream, and I didn't even really get that warmed up because I was too focused on everything else and just kind of the whole situation. At the end of the day, it was an unbelievable experience, and it was a blessing tonight."
Head Coach Bruce Cassidy was impressed.
"I'm very impressed by that, to be able to come in here, especially your hometown--there could be some jitters there, it might be easier to do it on the road, almost. To each his own in that area, but there's a lot of people to sort of impress, and it's a tough game, so good for him to be able to do it right here in his own backyard."
Donato said it was great getting six shots on net, too.
"You never really expect to play in your first NHL game and have chances," he said. "For me, I was just going in with a positive attitude, and no matter what role they had me in, I was going to try to do it to my best. I was fortunate to get a couple of bounces and it almost went in a couple of times, and obviously one went in too and that was great, too."
The Bruins will visit St. Louis Wednesday.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman reports