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Hockey is a small world and players often cross paths with each other at some point. But what about current Penguins crossing paths with former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players?
It’s happened at virtually every level, and each week we’ll highlight six degrees of separation that connects current Penguins to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players of the past.
Clark Donatelli-Rich Parent
Long before they became members of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, Clark Donatelli and former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton netminder Rich Parent were teammates on the Detroit Vipers in the International Hockey League in 1995-96.
That season, Donatelli was a 27-year-old winger who registered 12 assists in 36 games before being traded to Los Angeles. He went on to represent the United States in the Olympics in 1988 and 1992, when he captained the squad. Donatelli also appeared in 35 NHL games during his career, but he retired after the 1995-96 season.
After a lengthy absence from hockey, Donatelli returned to the coaching ranks in 2010 as an assistant with Providence College. He moved on to become the head coach of the Wheeling Nailers in 2011 before taking over the head coach job with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in December 2015.
Parent was a rookie when he came to the Vipers in 1995-96, posting an impressive 16-0-1 record in 19 games. The undrafted netminder spent two more seasons in the IHL before breaking into the NHL with the St. Louis Blues. Parent also appeared in 14 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning before joining Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2000 for the team’s second season. In 35 games with the Penguins, Parent posted a 17-12-5 record and was called up for seven games with Pittsburgh.
The following season Parent departed for Germany, where he played for five more seasons before retiring.
