Donato to be Enshrined in Massachusetts Hall of Fame

Photo by Steve Babineau

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Ted Donato ’91, The Robert D. Ziff ’88 Head Coach for Harvard Men's Ice Hockey, is among 11 individuals making up the 2008 induction class of the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame.

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The new induction class was announced last week by Mass Hockey and also includes Boston Bruins Hall of Famer Milt Schmidt, legendary hockey supporter Walter Brown and former U.S. National Women’s Team star Stephanie O’Sullivan. The 14th annual induction ceremony and dinner will be Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Lombardo’s in Randolph, Mass. Bernie Corbett, the radio voice of Harvard football and Boston University men’s hockey, will serve as master of ceremonies.

The other 2008 inductees are Mass Hockey builders Allen Wright, Gordon Blaney and Gerry Bartholomew, 1952 Olympic silver medalist Joe Czarnota, Billerica coach Paul Barber, former NHL linesman Kevin Collins and longtime college hockey and Bruins broadcaster Dave Shea.

Donato is a 13-year National Hockey League veteran, 1992 Olympian, seven-time U.S. National Team member and former Harvard captain. A native of Dedham, Mass., he starred at Catholic Memorial School, setting a Catholic Conference scoring record and leading his team to two state titles. At Harvard, Donato registered 50 goals and 94 assists for 144 career points to rank 12th on the Crimson’s career scoring list. He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1989 NCAA Frozen Four, leading Harvard to the national title.

As he prepares to enter his fifth season at the helm of the Crimson, Donato owns a 73-52-11 coaching record. He led three of his first four teams to the final of the ECAC Hockey playoffs and won more games (56) in his first three seasons than any previous Harvard coach. He has coached two All-Americans and led the Crimson to two NCAA tournament appearances. Donato’s 20th-ranked Crimson open the season Friday at home against Dartmouth at 7 p.m.

Donato is the eighth Harvard player to be inducted to the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame. He joins former Crimson head coaches John Chase ’28 and Bill Cleary ’56. The other former Crimson players to be honored are Bob Cleary ’58, Mark Fusco ’83, Scott Fusco ’86, Ben Smith ’68 and Tim Taylor ’63. Smith and Taylor were enshrined as coaches.

Nominees of the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame are chosen on the basis of accomplishments in hockey, sportsmanship, character and contributions to his or her teams or organizations in college, amateur or professional hockey, or on international teams representing the United States. Each nominee must have distinguished himself or herself by exceptional performance and outstanding character reflecting favorably upon hockey in Massachusetts, be in good public standing in the community, be an appropriate role model for young hockey players and be an exemplary representative of the game.

Massachusetts Hockey, Inc., is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization which serves as the affiliate association of USA Hockey, Inc., and is the official governing body for the sport of hockey in Massachusetts. As such, its purposes and objectives are to develop, advance and encourage participation in the sport of hockey; to develop and encourage sportsmanship between all players for the betterment of their physical and social well-being; to develop and improve the standards of the sport and to educate and train players, coaches, referees, managers, administrators and parents.