Jordan Harris Commits to Northeastern

KUA locker room via @PuckRooms
KUA locker room via @PuckRooms

 

Jim Madigan and his staff continue their roll on the recruiting trail, securing their fourth verbal commitment in the last two weeks. Jordan Harris, a 5’10”, 170 pound left-shot defenseman from Haverhill, Massachusetts, announced via Twitter that he has committed to the Huskies. Harris is currently playing at Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, under the guidance of former Maine head coach Tim Whitehead. Last season, Harris had 5 goals and 16 assists in 35 games. Born in 2000, we expect him to matriculate either in the Fall of 2018 or 2019. Given the Huskies’ lack of history bringing in “traditional” freshmen at 18 years old, we project Harris to arrive in 2019.

 

 

Harris is a highly regarded prospect by many who have seen him play. Mark Bilotta of Neutral Zone said on his Twitter (@mbilotta), “makes smart decisions with/without the puck. Excellent skater with an active stick mixed with physicality. Big get.” Mark Divver (@markdivver) of the Providence Journal reaffirmed this, saying “handful of Hockey East teams were in on” Harris.  In May, 2016, Jeff Cox of SB Nation ranked Harris as his top New England-born defenseman in the USHL Futures Draft. Cox wrote:

Don’t look at his height as a disadvantage. He’s a rugged defenseman who has gotten a lot better since scouts would have seen him at USA Hockey Select 15s. He’s not afraid to mix it up, he’s tough to play against and he has an active stick in the defensive zone for poke checks. He makes a solid, but not flashy breakout pass and can skate well enough even if it’s not the prettiest of strides. Brother (Elijah) is a goalie committed to Brown and his dad played at UMass Lowell.

Harris was drafted in the third round of that USHL Futures Draft by Youngstown, a good indication that he should be able to play, and play well, in the top junior hockey league in North America. He is also a thirteenth round pick of Val-d’Or in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft. He also attended the 2016 US National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp, where the best US-born players born in 2000 were invited.

 

Harris is the latest in an impressive pipeline of defensemen the Huskies have been stockpiling. Given the criticism the defensive corps has faced this year and in years past, it is encouraging to see the future stocked with high-potential recruits. Congratulations to Jordan and his family! As always, Go Huskies!

To view our Northeastern Hockey roster projection, including Harris in 2019, click here.