(Boston) A few feet from the Northeastern University Huskies locker room is the “NHL Wall.” It features photos of Jamie Oleksiak, Jeremy Davies and other program alumni who made it to the NHL. At the bottom of the mural, Cayden Primeau, Canadiens logo on the chest.
Posted at 10:40 p.m.
“It’s crazy, the links between Northeastern and the Canadian! exclaims Jordan Harris.
This defender has been a Habs prospect since the team drafted him in the third round in 2018. Jayden Struble, one of his teammates on the blue line, was selected by Montreal the following year. Also among his teammates: Ryan St-Louis, son of Martin St-Louis. Not to mention Riley and Jack Hughes, the sons of you-know-who (hint: not Lulu).
All that to say that Harris will not be swimming entirely in the unknown when the time comes to decide, in the spring, if he signs a contract with the Canadiens or if he tries his luck as a free agent.
Aftermath of defeat
Harris is trading nice on Tuesday, even though he didn’t have a good night the night before.
Monday was the final of the Beanpot, an annual tournament involving four Boston universities. Northeastern faced Boston University.
You have to be there to understand the myth surrounding this competition. Games take place at TD Garden, the home of the Bruins. The stands are full, especially on the upper balcony, where tickets are more affordable for students on a student budget.
This is where the marching bands settle. At the first intermission, that of Boston University goes there with Africa ; Northeastern replicates with Come on Eileen. At the second intermission, Northeastern allows itself 25 or 6 to 4. If you could put a heart emoji in an article, there would be one here.
Throughout the evening, the supporters of the two teams shouted insults at each other, sometimes also in writing, like this sign that said “FUBU”. After checking, it was not a nod to the clothing brand.
“It’s like the NHL before the NHL,” Harris said. This is a dream. You’re on a National League rink, in front of crowded bleachers, with guys you care about. The only comparable atmosphere I saw was at the World Juniors, when we faced Canada. »
This 69and Beanpot ended 1-0 for Boston University. Dylan Peterson scored the game-winning goal with 2:48 left in the third period, in a two-on-one run, the one being Jordan Harris. His partner in defense, Tommy Miller, was beaten in the neutral zone, allowing the surplus.
Team head coach Jerry Keefe estimates Harris played 27 minutes, a number that matches our observations. “He played well, he tried to make the difference. His exits from the zone were good, ”summarizes a still bitter Keefe.
Harris won the Beanpot in his first two years at Northeastern, and the 2021 tournament was canceled due to the pandemic. “The feeling of losing is terrible, even more so when you know what it is to win,” explains the young man, captain of his team. I would have liked to win for those who were at their first Beanpot. »
An encounter
For Harris, it’s the beginning of the end of his four years here. He only has one class left this semester to graduate. The Huskies have seven games on the schedule before the season-ending tournaments.
Then it will be the professional ranks. Since recruit contracts are marked out by the collective agreement, certain parameters are non-negotiable, in particular the duration of the contract. This duration is established from the age of the player on September 15; Harris will be 22 by then, meaning his entry-level contract will be for two years.
The Canadian, however, has an advantage. Northeastern will end its season no later than April 9. In fact, the team should be eliminated before this date, since it is not one of the favorites for the national championship. The Habs will play their last game on April 29 and the Laval Rocket on April 30.
In short, if Harris agrees with the Canadiens at the end of the season, he will be able to complete the first of his two years of contract this spring, and his second contract – which will be negotiated without the beacons of an entry contract – will enter effective from the 2023-2024 season. Cole Caufield and Ryan Poehling also took advantage of this advantage when they joined the pros.
On the other hand, if Harris refuses the offer of the Canadian and waits until August 15 to become a free agent, he will postpone the negotiation of his second contract for a year. There is always the option of simply making it clear to the Canadian that he does not want to know anything, but Harris does not have the profile of Adam Fox either, author of 48 points in his third season at Harvard and winner of the Norris the last year.
The Canadian therefore has an advantage in terms of the contract, but also of the entourage, for the reasons cited at the beginning of the text. The pandemic hasn’t helped, but Harris hasn’t had tons of contact with Marc Bergevin. He mainly remembers a virtual meeting with Bergevin and Claude Julien in February 2021, a few days before Julien’s dismissal. A month later, it was rumored that Harris was going to make the leap to the pros, but it’s unclear where those echoes came from. At the Canadian, we said they were convinced that he was coming, while the clan of the young man maintains that the plan was to stay at the university.
Communication seems better with the new administration; Of course, Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and Martin St-Louis’ ties to the Boston area and Northeastern University don’t hurt!
Harris says he met Gorton “in January”, in addition to having had supper with Hughes “lately”. “And he coached me for probably two seasons in minor hockey. »
And St. Louis? “He was in the stands, I shook his hand after a game. It’s so cool, it’s a legend! One can also wonder to what extent the Canadian was attractive in the last weeks of Dominique Ducharme’s mandate, when the team ate one cuff after another.
So, this familiarity, it can weigh in the balance when he makes his decision? Harris hesitates for a long time.
“It’s always good when you know someone will be honest with you. It’s something that stands out to me with Kent, he’s always been honest when he talks about my performances. I’m not implying that the previous administration wasn’t honest with me, not at all. But Kent has seen me play for 10 years, he knows my game and my personality inside and out. Familiarity is important when it comes to making such an important life decision. »
Add to that Hughes’ announced intention to build his team around speed, compared to Bergevin, who valued heavy and sturdy defenders, and the stars seem to point to Harris in blue-white-red.
Response in four to six weeks, as they say in the commercials.
Almost at the Games
Jordan Harris almost ended up in Beijing. USA Hockey has indeed registered him as a substitute, in the event that a player has withdrawn at the last moment. He is one of two defenders with this status. “We did all the paperwork, the tests, and if we had had injuries, we could have left, he explains. Just to be considered for the Games is special. I would have liked to be part of this team, but participating in the Beanpot was a pretty good option if not going! Northeastern still has a representative in Beijing, Montreal goaltender Devon Levi.