The Bruins struck gold with one participant who was not certified by his previous staff in Morgan Geekie. Can it occur a second time?
Whereas it might look like quite a bit to ask for defenseman Jordan Harris to take the identical form leap that Geekie – who went from being to being an undesirable participant in Seattle to a 33-goal scorer who final month signed a six-year, $33 million take care of the B’s – he’s embracing his new alternative together with his hometown Bruins.
The Haverhill native and Northeastern product was scheduled to be a restricted free agent with Columbus, however Blue Jackets administration selected to not give him a qualifying provide, making him an unrestricted free agent. The 25-year-old Harris mentioned Boston was probably the most aggressive suitor and he signed a one-year, one-way deal for $825,000 on July 1.
“Boston appeared most via the method, which is nice. You need to be part of a company that wishes you as a participant. It goes each methods. I’m positively actual excited and lucky and glad to be right here,” mentioned Harris after a exercise at Warrior Ice Area on Thursday.
“I’m tremendous excited, clearly, being type Haverhill and figuring out the historical past of the staff – I’ve skated right here for years at Warrior, I skated right here in school and John McLean, the talents coach, I’ve been skating with him since I used to be 10. I’m simply actually, actually excited and proud, particularly being from Haverhill. I feel my mother and father are the happiest of anybody. It’s positively actually thrilling.”
Drafted by the Montreal Canadiens within the third spherical of the 2018 draft, he performed two-plus seasons for the Habs after his four-year profession at Northeastern. Earlier than the 2024-25 season, Harris received his first style of hockey as a enterprise as he was traded to the Blue Jackets for oft-injured however very proficient Patrik Laine and a second-round choose after Laine, carrying an $8.7 million cap hit, had requested out of Columbus.
That was a troublesome blow for Harris, who solely knew one group in his quick profession, nevertheless it was a studying second.
“I cherished Montreal, however that’s the best way it’s in professional hockey,” mentioned Harris. “Likelihood is you’re not going to be in your group your entire profession. Some gamers discover that out sooner quite than later, some gamers are fortunate to be in a single spot their entire profession. I used to be positively disenchanted as a result of I cherished Montreal. I began my profession there, had numerous good buddies there. However once more, you may’t actually select how issues work out.”
For no matter motive, it didn’t work out in Columbus. He discovered himself getting wholesome scratched typically and was restricted to 33 video games with a aim and 4 assists. He might see the writing on the wall {that a} qualifying provide will not be taking place there for him, although he didn’t discover out for certain till a number of days earlier than free company.
Harris nonetheless wasn’t certain why his season performed out the best way it did, however he took positives out of it and held no ailing will towards the group.
“I can’t actually say. I’d say the one factor I used to be actually happy with was that I really feel I received higher as a participant and I realized quite a bit. I realized quite a bit about myself, I realized quite a bit going via all of the scratch video games and the exercises. I actually received to observe and I walked away actually believing I might maintain my head up excessive and say, ‘I improved as a hockey participant,’ ” mentioned Harris. “And that’s all you need to do on the finish of the day. Clearly, you need to assist your staff the most effective you may. And clearly you need to play. Each participant needs to play. And I can’t say why some selections have been made. I attempted to speak to the coaches, have these conversations and be proactive about it and didn’t actually get a lot of a definitive reply. It simply appeared that that’s the best way it was. However there was positively a silver lining to all of it irrespective of how disappointing it was as a season.”
The personable Harris is a simple athlete with whom to converse and may assimilate nicely into the B’s locker room. He credit that partly to what, for the game of hockey, remains to be an uncommon upbringing. His father, Peter Harris, is bi-racial and Jewish, and his mom, Virginia Heikkinen, is of Finnish descent. Harris has leaned into all facets of his upbringing and is glad he has.
“I feel I’m very fortunate the best way I grew up due to what number of completely different influences I’ve had from completely different views,” mentioned Harris. “There’s the Jewish facet of my household. My mother’s virtually one hundred pc Finnish, so I’ve realized about right here tradition, and my dad being bi-racial, I feel it actually taught me that you simply simply need to be round good folks, no matter their background or the place they arrive from. And I additionally suppose it taught me to have the ability to mix in nicely with completely different cultures. And that’s what you want in hockey, particularly at this degree the place folks come from in all places all over the world. So I realized that early, simply seeing folks for a way they’re. I feel I realized that at a very younger age, and I feel it’s helped in sure conditions, like becoming a member of a brand new hockey staff.”
He mentioned he by no means felt that issues that made him completely different have been ever a burden.
“Undoubtedly not,” he mentioned. “Once more, I’m very glad and fortunate the best way I used to be in a position to develop up and be taught what I did at a younger age.”
He additionally grew up in a hockey household. Peter was a goalie who performed at UMass Lowell and was a late-round draft choose of the Islanders who performed a few years within the ECHL, and his older brother, Elijah, was additionally a goalie.
“I attempted to be a goalie. I needed to be a goalie so dangerous,” he mentioned with fun. “My older brother was a goalie and he performed at Endicott and I needed to be a goalie so dangerous. I performed it for a little bit bit, however my dad was like ‘No, we’re not going to have one other goalie.’ I feel it was in all probability too costly.”
With the Bruins, Harris can have a battle simply to get into the lineup, greater than Geekie did when he got here to the B’s. As of now, the 5-11, 187-pound left-shot D-man is fourth on the depth chart behind Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and Mason Lohrei. He’ll additionally must compete with Michael Callahan, who signed a one-year, one-way extension for $775,000.
Competitors, mentioned Harris, is what it’s all about.
“I at all times suppose competitors pushes everybody,” mentioned Harris. “You don’t get to this degree with out going via competitors, whether or not it’s highschool or becoming a member of a staff like at Kimball Union, after I was 14 or 15 years previous. And then you definitely go to college and there’s competitors there. Then you definitely go to World Juniors or wherever. At each degree, you’re going to face competitors. And it’s nice, as a result of it pushes you and makes everybody higher. And also you simply attempt to do what you may. Belief in your preparation and your coaching. It’s wholesome to have that competitors.”
Time will inform if the B’s have discovered one other diamond within the tough in Harris.
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