Detroit Red Wings
Gotta See It: Former Red Wings Prospect’s Mom Gets Emotional at His NHL Debut
Sebrango plays for hometown team

At one time, Donovan Sebrango was an intrigiuing defensive prospect in the Detroit Red Wings system. The feeling in the organization was that he’d one day play in the NHL.
Thursday, that feeling turned into a reality – albeit with another team. Sebrango was making his NHL debut for the Ottawa Senators as the Senators were dropping a 1-0 home-ice overtime decision to the Washington Capitals.
As much as it was a thrill for him, his mom Kim Sebrango’s reaction was equally charged with emotion. Television captured her response as Donovan was taking the traditional rookie lap prior to the pre-game warmup.
Momma Sebrango watching her son Donovan take his rookie lap is the best thing you'll see today 🥹 pic.twitter.com/PVhTXW7GDu
— NHL (@NHL) January 16, 2025
“To think that that moment happened here is one of the greatest moments of my life,” Kim Sebrango said during the broadcast. Donovan Sebrango, 23, was born in Ottawa. He would play Tier II junior with the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the CCHL.
Wearing No. 37, Sebrango was even on the night. He saw 11:38 of ice time during his NHL bow.
Red Wings Drafted Sebrango
The Red Wings were selecting Sebrango 63rd overall in the 2020 NHL entry draft. Though he never saw action for Detroit, Sebrango would play 135 games over three seasons with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s top farm club, collection 5-13-18 totals. He also helped Canada win the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2022, serving as alternate captain.
The cancelation of the 2020-21 OHL season due to COVID-19 would enable him to turn pro earlier than he would have under normal circumstances, so he played in the AHL as a teenager. Sebrango moved to the Senators as part of the deal that would bring forward Alex DeBrincat to the Red Wings during the 2023 offseason.
"To think that that moment happened here is one of the greatest moments of my life."
Kim Sebrango's the proudest hockey mom on the planet experiencing her son's NHL debut for his childhood team tonight. 👏 https://t.co/jfnOp4262b pic.twitter.com/CzOFxBM3PG
— NHL (@NHL) January 17, 2025
Kim Sebrango raised Donovan as a single parent. Her son knows how much her efforts played a role in Thursday’s NHL debut happening for him. And he’s not shy about telling people how much his mom means to him.
“She just motivates me every day,” Donovan Sebrango told DHN. “She had to be both a mom and a dad for me growing up,” Donovan Sebrango said. “As a single parent, it definitely isn’t easy, especially with the trouble making kid I was.”