A quickly growing Bruins star is still taking Harvard classes

For those not fully immersed in the Bruins sensation that is forward Ryan Donato, allow one of his teammates to elaborate.

“Most guys skip class to play sports, he skips sports to take classes,” one player joked to the Boston Herald on Wednesday, following the Bruins’ 2-1 overtime loss to the Blues on Wednesday, in which Harvard junior Donato scored the sole goal.

A sociology major at one of America’s premier universities, the 21-year-old Scituate, Mass., native has made it his mission to finish his third year at Harvard. The Bruins lost to St. Louis, but still clinched a playoff spot on Wednesday night, meaning the season could go on through June depending on how far Boston advances.

“I plan on finishing this semester academically,” Donato told reporters Monday ahead of his NHL debut, via CBS Boston. “Obviously it’s going be difficult, but for me it was a dream to graduate from Harvard. I’m putting that off a little bit, but for me, I need to finish this semester to have that opportunity and not put it off an extra couple of years.”

Donato, a second-round pick of the 2014 draft by the Bruins, has seen his star rise in recent months. In February, he competed with the United States men’s hockey team in PyeongChang. He scored five goals total for Team USA and was the breakout star in an otherwise disappointing performance by the team.

“Truly blessed and thankful to have had the opportunity to represent USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics,” Donato posted on Instagram last month. “The memories and friendships we created will be something I cherish throughout my lifetime. A complete honor and privilege to represent the greatest country on Earth.”

The move up to the NHL has now slowed him down. Donato already has two goals and two assists in two games for the Bruins. Currently living on campus, Donato maintains he doesn’t expect special treatment because of his extracurriculars.

“I’m just going to do all the school work I need and turn in every paper on time,” Donato said, per the Boston Herald. “I’m going to do all the work on the road and hand it in at the same time as every other student, and they’re really not going to make exceptions for me. I don’t want them to have to be flexible for my circumstance, so I’m going to do everything I can to make it as easy as possible for them.”

The Bruins face the Stars in Dallas on Friday, and should Donato miss the team’s private flight again over school commitments, commercial is always an option.