Donny and his Lucky Green & Yellow Tape
QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

Donny and his Lucky Green & Yellow Tape

Published on November 27, 2025 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


In the world of goalies, some have quirks, some have routines... and then there's Donald Hickey, armed with his legendary green, white & yellow tape.

Hailing from Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, Donny is as Newfie as a screech-in and a Jigg's dinner. Off the ice, he's the kind of guy who'll chat about your favourite fishing spot. On the ice, however? He's a fortress of focus. First at the arena, last to leave, and silent until the puck drops, Donny is a study in disciplined intensity, like a lighthouse in a stormy night.

This is Donny's second season with the Islanders, and while he only played 30 games last year, he's already up to 21 halfway through this season!

His start was nothing short of spectacular: eight wins in a row to kick things off, now sitting at 12 on the season, second in the QMJHL in wins. The man is a rock between the pipes.

Since joining the Islanders, Donny has been using green, white and yellow tape at the end of his stick-a rare sight in hockey, where players typically stick to the classics.

He's not the first to sport different equipment: Claude Giroux and David Pastrnak splash colour on the palms of their gloves, Alexis Lafrenière mixes and matches two models of gloves, Kirill Kaprizov ditches the cuffs on his gloves entirely, Samuel Girard zigzags his stick with ribbed candy-cane tape, and Tim Stützle...well, he just goes wacky for the sake of it. But Donny's green tape? That's his signature. Simple yet striking, like a neon brushstroke on a canvas of white ice.

"When I was younger I went to the store and picked out those colours and it just kind of stuck. I must have had a good game when I first played with it, so I stuck with it," Donny says. And yes, the rumours are true: he made sure Spider, the team's equipment wizard, stocked the green, white, and yellow tape for him. "Ya, I made sure Spider got me the green, white and yellow tape, and he made sure we had it."

Does it actually help him stop pucks, or is it just for looks?

"Oh, it helps. Every little bit helps," Donny replies, as if the tape carries a little Newfie magic with every save.

There you have it: the secret to one of the QMJHL's hottest goalies might just be a little neon green. Or maybe it's Donny himself-talented, focused, and as dialed-in as any goalie in the league. Either way, one thing's for sure: when you see that flash of green on the ice, you know it's game time, and Donny Hockey is locked in.

So next time you're cheering on the Islanders, keep an eye out for the guy with the green-taped stick. It's not just tape - it's a little bit of Newfie magic.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from November 27, 2025


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