Dangles13 373 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 (edited) Asher Donovan The SHL is over halfway done and for some teams it is time to start thinking about the future as their playoff hopes bleed away day by day. There will be some interesting names in the upcoming S49 entry draft and it is time for some of the lesser known players to turn up the heat and make up ground. Enter Asher "Grey" Donovan. Donovan is a 6'4" power forward who clocks in at 230lbs and while many think that a man that large cannot skate well enough to play in the VHL we are here to assure that you would be wrong. It is a safe bet to say that Asher will never be a smooth skater who can burn defenders it is equally a safe bet to say that when you marry his size with his talent you get a player that can play up and down the lineup and bring an intensity to your team. No matter what you are looking for it is likely that Donovan will end up being a good fit for your franchise, he's defensively smart and his size is an asset down low. He has been employed as a defenceman on the penalty kill before because his strength has always been greater than that of his peers in youth hockey and there is far less skating so he doesn't get exposed. Asher's scoring isn't off the charts and doesn't compare well with others expected to go near the top of the draft but he's certainly capable and his hands are surprising for a big man and he has been known to catch defenders off guard when they see him as a slow mountain. His real skill though is finding the goalies eyes and taking them away, once planted in the slot there are few defencemen who can move him. He has been compared to Dustin Byfuglien of the NHL because he's so uniquely sized that he completely changes a teams strategy and personnel choices. When asked about this comparison Asher had this to say: "Haha, well uh... that's a favourable comparison. Big Buff is obviously a top player in one of the best leagues on the planet and if people think I play a bit like him then I'll take it, I'm obviously a forward and he plays defence now but there is no denying that both of us bigger than most and we try to use it to win hockey games." But Who Is Asher Donovan? Asher hails from Yellowknife which is the capital of the Northwest Territories in Canada.When most people think of Yellowknife they think of frozen tundra and not much else but it's not quite that cold all the time and while it is certainly cold it is far from hospitable and is home to almost 20,000 residents, many of whom grew up playing hockey. There are not many notable people from the city but Margot Kidder is well known for her portrayal of Lois Lane in the Christopher Reeve Superman films. One name that many are likely not familiar with his Greg Vaydik, Greg was a former 7th overall pick of the Chicago Blackhawks back in 1975. Vaydik only played in 5 NHL games and produced zero points but the fact that he was able to make it to such a level is an inspiration for Asher. Asher when asked if he knew who Greg was: "Oh I've actually met with Mr. Vaydik, it's not uncommon to see him in the rink talking with coaches and players alike trying to give out his knowledge. He was always ready to give me advice after my games, he told me that he saw something in me and if I worked hard enough I could make something out of myself. All these years later and someone asking me questions about him really brings a smile to my face, thank you for that." We asked around the city and almost everybody knew Asher personally, he spends much of his time away from hockey helping the residents of his small home and has heart that belies his gruff looking exterior. Donovan has been known to shovel driveways for all of the elderly folks that live on his street and he never asks for a penny. As appears to be the case with many of the physical players in hockey, Asher is a good soul and only turns into a beast when he laces up his skates. When your GM asks you to report on your findings as a scout you can be sure to tell him about potential steal, Asher Donovan. Make sure you tell them that big power forward from a small market with good character might not be as marketable as the sexy sniper or minute munching defenceman but make no mistake he will be well liked and will give you everything he has. Every. Single. Day. Thanks for reading Edited April 4, 2016 by Dangles13 Daniel and eaglesfan036 2 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/29397-claimedwho-is-asher-donovan-reviewed-12/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire Tortorella 2,653 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 4 Sean Couturier gifs? I think we'll get a long nicely. eaglesfan036 1 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/29397-claimedwho-is-asher-donovan-reviewed-12/#findComment-325918 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,604 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 yay fellow flyers fan Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/29397-claimedwho-is-asher-donovan-reviewed-12/#findComment-325938 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dangles13 373 Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 27 minutes ago, eaglesfan036 said: yay fellow flyers fan Not a Flyers fan, I just like Couturier and several of their players. eaglesfan036 1 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/29397-claimedwho-is-asher-donovan-reviewed-12/#findComment-325967 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,604 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 1 hour ago, Dangles13 said: Not a Flyers fan, I just like Couturier and several of their players. good enough Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/29397-claimedwho-is-asher-donovan-reviewed-12/#findComment-325998 Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyinAmerica 2,909 Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Claimed Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/29397-claimedwho-is-asher-donovan-reviewed-12/#findComment-328242 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollarAndADream 3,357 Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Feedback: Good write-up. Sorry this hasn't been done yet. I failed you. I hope Asher becomes a VHL stud. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/29397-claimedwho-is-asher-donovan-reviewed-12/#findComment-329829 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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